Arts | Westchester: Railroad Playhouse Takes a Risk in Newburgh by Steven McElroy

Jen and Seth Soloway, who opened the Railroad Playhouse in 2010, want to see a declining Newburgh, N.Y., restored to its former sheen.

Arts | New Jersey: Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ — Review by Anita Gates

Neil Bartlett has adapted “A Christmas Carol” for the stage using only Dickens’s original text; the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey performs it through Jan. 1 at Drew University.

Reel-to-Real Theater: Krapp’s Last Tape, Misterman Reviews by Jonathan Mandell

Whatever else they have in common – and it’s much – the current productions in Brooklyn of “Krapp’s Last Tape” with John Hurt and “Misterman” with Cillian Murphy share one ab…

Broadway Veteran Graham Brown Has Died by Brian Scott Lipton

Stage and screen actor Graham Brown has died at age 87 in New Jersey, according to published reports. Brown appeared frequently on Broadway and Off-Broadway during his long career, includin…

Coming Up This Week in Theatre - 12/17/2011

BroadwayWorld.com's Upcoming Events calendar for the week - updated on 12172011.

A holiday video from all of us at Jujamcyn Theaters by Jujamcyn Theaters

Feature: Holland Taylor Puts the Accent on Ann by Brian Scott Lipton

The Emmy Award-winning actress discusses her fascinating bioplay about former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

Stephen Colbert heads to Theatre Wit by Chris Jones

Actor and funnyman Stephen Colbert showed up with family members Friday night in the audience for "The Santaland Diaries," a Theatre Wit spokesman said Saturday. The show, a long-running sea…

Review of New Group's Dark Night Hamlet At Home Program at curtainup.com by Deirdre Donovan

How do you winkle out the magic and the thought behind Hamlet? Scott Elliott, the Artistic Director of The New Group did just that as part of the enjoyable “Dark Nights at The New Group”…

Review: 2011 Winter Pageant (Redmoon Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

The production's "Teeny Lounge" and costumes is where the term "pageant" ends. Additionally, we're not sure what in this show actually has a connection to winter, let alone a pageant. But t…

Rent / Season of Love from RENT - CBS Early Show (2011-Dec17) by Broadway Television Archive

Rent / Season of Love from RENT - CBS Early Show (2011-Dec17) Sean Sullivan, Elvis Presley, Gabe Bowling, Lance Pipinsky (Jerry Lee Lewis), (Johnny Cash), Brad Ber )Jay Perkins), Tim Deck…

It’s Got to Be Carefully Brought by Sam Hurwitt

THEATER REVIEW: SAN FRANCISCO Show #118: Bring It On: The Musical, SHN, December 14. By Sam Hurwitt Bring It On: The Musical may look like just the latest in a very, very long line of hit mo…

Review: Lysistrata Jones at curtainup.com by Elyse Sommer

the move uptown is a case of overreaching. It's still light-hearted and purposefully silly fun, but it's just too slight and limited in broad audience appeal

Review Roundup: Yasmina Reza's GOD OF CARNAGE Makes its Cinematic Debut by BroadwayWorld

Kate Winslet and Jodi Foster star in the film adaptation of Yasmina Reza's Tony-winning play, God Of Carnage, under the direction of Roman Polanski. Reza has adapted her original script for …

Stratford adds cultural lustre to Olympic year with biggest Shakespeare festival ever by Vanessa Thorpe

Stratford-upon-Avon will host an international festival as part of the 2012 Cultural OlympiadUnder a dusting of snow and a heavy load of festive lights, the town of Stratford-upon-Avon is pr…

Magical Night, Linbury Studio, London

The discovery of a long-lost item from a composer's early output is not always a cue to get excited. There may be a reason why the score was so carelessly mislaid, and Kurt Weill's Die Zaube…

Arts review of 2011 - Dance: How ballet became a blast again

It was a year when dance leapt from stage to screen and on to the news pages.

Arts review of 2011 - Theatre: Words failed us. But never mind the writers, let's hear it for the players

Electrifying actorsThe skeletally gaunt actor Tom Brooke was riding the crest of a wave.

Haunted Child, Royal Court Downstairs, London

The scintillating actor Ben Daniels is back on stage, with Sophie Okonedo (from The Slap), in an eagerly awaited premiere by Joe Penhall. This is the first play in four years from the author…

Stars in Your Eyes by Michael Portantiere

Hugh Jackman (Photo by Michael Portantiere) The stars are shining. Although the recent crop of  New York theater openings has proved to be pretty lackluster overall, especially in terms of …

Review Roundup: WAR HORSE Hits the Silver Screen by BroadwayWorld

Steven Spielberg has adapted War Horse into a feature length film, which is set to be released in movie theatres on December 25.

Follies by Wendy Caster

Is it too much to say that Stephen Sondheim is our Shakespeare? I don't think so. His range of topics is epic; he's endlessly surprising; his work is deep and textured enough for dozens of i…

Review: (Toronto) Hair by The Charlebois Post

The Hair company (photo credit: Joan Marcus)Time for a Hair Cut?by Laine NewmanMy understanding of the play Hair is that when it was written, it filled a void—there were no hit musicals ab…

Dance spotlight: Minnesota Dance Theatre's 'Nutcracker'

Theater spotlight: 'Always & Forever'

Saturday Roundup: This Week on BroadwayWorld by BroadwayWorld

If you're looking for a quick roundup of this week's events, look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer

Best of 2011: #14 - 2 Kilos of Sea by Ludlow Lad

Originally presented as a site-specific work performed in a church courtyard as part of the River To River Festival, 2 KILOS OF SEA was re-imagined for an all-to-brief run at Baryshnikov Art…

Barbara Cook at Feinstein's by Wendy Caster

Reviewing Barbara Cook is as easy as one, two, three.1. Barbara Cook is an incomparable interpreter of theAmerican Songbook.2. Barbara Cook lives her songs as freshly and honestly thehundret…

Fuse Theater/Book Interview: Ben, We Hardly Know Ye — Donaldson on Jonson by Bill Marx

Ben Jonson is one of the great unknown geniuses of the English theater and of western literature. Ian Donaldson's new biography of the playwright/poet successfully makes the case that he des…

Review: the word ‘progress’ on my mother’s lips doesn’t ring true (Trap Door Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

*progress* is certainly the most challenging piece of theater we've seen this season, both in the demands it makes on the actors, and the demands it makes on the audience to embrace the emot…

STAGE TUBE: 'Some People' from GYPSY Through the Years by BroadwayWorld TV

Some People has become a standard of musical theatre, and a new YouTube video shows many of the most brilliant interpretations of the song in one place. We've NEVER had so many readers send …

#NEWPLAY: Preparing for SF #OMPF this weekend! 70 new plays by SF writers! @NewPlayTV on Sun! (via @pwfoundation) by Arena Stage

Thanks for sharing! Our news is sourced from the #NEWPLAY community on Twitter who is revolutionizing the flow of information and knowledge in our field. If you have something to share of na…

#NEWPLAY OPP: @terranovacollective Open Submission to soloNOVA Fest by Arena Stage

terraNOVA Collective is seeking submissions for the ninth annual soloNOVA Arts Festival, which is the longest running and premier festival for solo performers in New York City. It celebrates…

#NEWPLAY OPP: @classicalharlem Future Classics Open Call For Full Length Plays by Arena Stage

Future Classics Open Call For Full-length Plays About Future Classics: The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH)’s Future Classics Program was developed to promote the work of emerging playwri…

Review: Shlemiel the First at curtainup.com by Paulanne Simmons

Besides being imbued with Klezmer this offers many lessons. And you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate them and enjoy the show

for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf by Debbie Jackson

The intriguing retro-name of this relatively new company, Colored People’s Theatre, says loads about the group’s unflinchingly honest approach to telling a story.

“Bonnie & Clyde” to Close December 30 by Tom Mizer

It’s the end of the road for Bonnie & Clyde–and this time it wasn’t the coppers but disappointing reviews and ticket sales that brought the infamous duo down. Producer…

Smash": A Realistic, Complex and Imaginative Look at the World of Broadway

"Smash" cast (Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport) and creatives (Theresa Rebeck, Michael Mayer, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman) were joined by a famous fan of the show after a specia…

I know you're all tired of hearing this, but . . . by Thomas Garvey

 . . .  I do want to point out that in the Times, Oskar Eustis of the Public Theater is quoted as saying:" . . .if we’re ever in a situation where we’re holding up a major nonp…

"Bakersfield Mist" at NJ Rep by Bob Rendell

"akersfield Mist," the new one-act, two-character play at the New Jersey Rep, depicts the brief encounter of a very odd couple. Its enticements for theatregoers include quirky, interesting c…

Dancer takes next step in his career with Missouri Ballet Theatre

Adam Sage founded Missouri Ballet Theatre to fulfill a dream. After a long career as a dancer and choreographer, he figured it was time to take more control of his art.

Lysistrata Jones

I am nearly speechless after seeing this show. I think that’s because I feel as though someone reached in to my head and tried to short circuit the wiring. This show is so beyond the pal…

Year of the Puppeteer by Chloe Veltman

On the similarities of two productions happening in close proximity to one another in Berkeley.After seeing of The Wild Bride at Berkeley Repertory Theatre a couple of nights ago (go see it …

More mirth than mischief

REVIEW: The talents of Kevin Kling and Steve Kramer are delightful, but this new show feels just a bit tame.

Follies by Esther

Follies, at Broadway's Marquis TheatreGratuitous Violins rating: **** out of ****Because my opportunities to get to New York City are limited, I almost skipped the Broadway revival of Follie…

Spotlight On...Patti Murin by Michael Block

Name: Patti MurinHometown: Hopewell Junction, NYEducation: BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University (kind of ironic, considering the plot of our show)Select Credits: Xanadu (Euterpe, …

Countdown to Christmas 2011 (Broadway Style)- Day 8 by BroadwayWorld TV

It's December at last, and BroadwayWorld is celebrating the season with The Twelve Days of Christmas'- a special countdown which will include our favorite holiday-themed Broadway performance…

This week's theater openings

A roundup of this week's live theater openings, from "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" in Lone Tree, to Theatre Aspen's "Annie."

Spotlight On...Paul McGill by Michael Block

Name: Paul Edwin McGill IIIHometown: Pittsburgh, PAEducation: Profesional Performing Arts High School in NYCSelect Credits: La Cage aux Folles (2004) (Swing, Marriott Marquis); A Chorus Line…

Interview: Berwick Kaler, pantomime dame by Jasper Rees

To just about everyone, the name will mean absolutely nothing. "I'm a jobbing actor," he says, and for most of the year it is true. He does little bits of telly, the odd tiny film role, a ce…

BABY IT'S YOU Lawsuit Settled by Warner Bros. by BroadwayWorld

In April, a complaint was filed seeking damages on behalf of world-famous performers Beverly Lee of The Shirelles, Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson, as well as the Estates of Doris Coley Jac…

Met opera's 'Hansel' is a musical food feast by Mike Silverman

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Is the witch really dead now?" my 6-year-old seatmate, Claudia, leaned over anxiously to ask....

Carol Channing, Rich Little, Nicole Parker, et al. Set for A Carol Channing Christmas by Brian Scott Lipton

Tony Award winner Carol Channing will headline A Carol Channing Christmas, a fully-staged and costumed holiday extravaganza, to be held at 8pm on Wednesday, December 21 at the Agua Caliente …

Robert Wuhl to Appear in December 19 Free Reading of Hit List by Brian Scott Lipton

A free reading of Emmy Award winner Robert Wuhl's play Hit List will be presented at the Studio Theatre in Queens Theatre in the Park on Monday, December 19 at 7:30 pm. The play is d…

James Frain to Join Johnny Depp in Lone Ranger Film by Brian Scott Lipton

Stage and screen star James Frain has joined the cast of Gore Verbinski's film, The Lone Ranger, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will star Johnny Depp in the title role, …

Warner Bros. Settles Baby It's You Lawsuit by Brian Scott Lipton

Warner Bros. has settled a legal dispute over the Broadway musical Baby It's You, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No terms of the settlement were revealed. Earlier this year, a co…

STAGE TUBE: PHANTOM 25th Sneak Peek - The Finale! by BroadwayWorld TV

On October 2, 2011, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh marked the 25th anniversary of their beloved musical extravaganza, The Phantom of the Opera, with a lavishly …

Broadway-bound plays test market in Toronto

Canadian theatre marquees have beamed with pre-Broadway buzz in recent months and there are more to come in 2012.

AUDIO Special: SEASONS GREETINGS: A JERSEY BOYS CHRISTMAS Radio Special - Part 3 by BroadwayWorld TV

Now, Rhino has created a 1-hour radio show about Seasons Greetings A Jersey Boys Christmas. The radio show features New Music From Seasons Greetings A Jersey Boys Christmas and exclusive int…

Today: The Pipes of Christmas by Sarah B. Roberts

With so many, many options for Christmas shows in New York, The Pipes of Christmas is one of the best and the one I choose.   I attended last year for the first time, aft…

"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" Sounds a Lot Better Than It Looks by Jan Simpson

The shrinks who psychoanalyzed Broadway’s best back in the early ‘60s must have been doozies.  How else to explain the fact that two of the most high-profile flops from that period …

Ms. Broadway December 2011: Patti Murin by JK

Ms. Broadway December 2011Patti MurinWHY SHE'S MS. BROADWAY:  She's made a name for herself regionally, off-Broadway, and on Broadway.  She's married to another new generation Broa…

Lysistrata Jones by Songs From The Musicals

Lysistrata Jones A promotional video montage for the original Broadway production of Lysistrata Jones. No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.com From: sftMus…

Jennifer Ehle, Victor Garber, Mamie Gummer, Hamish Linklater, et al. Set for Red Bull Readings by Dan Bacalzo

Updated information has been announced for upcoming presentations in Red Bull Theater's Revelation Readings series, which offers one-night-only performances of both neglected classics a…

Photo Coverage: Inside HUGH JACKMAN, BACK ON BROADWAY's Gypsy Robe Ceremony! by Walter McBride

A long-standing opening night tradition on the Great White Way, the fabled Gypsy Robe is bestowed upon a veteran Broadway chorus member for each opening production. In what has now become a …

The High Stakes of NBC's 'Smash' by Ellen Gamerman and Sam Schechner

NBC's Broadway-based series hopes to win more than the theater crowd

Broadway audiences: Smart, white, rich, female, middle-aged by Maura Judkis

Last season’s audience was 65 percent female, 83 percent caucasian, 78 percent college-educated, with an average age of 44 and an average annual household income of $244,100.

BWW Cincinnati Awards Update 12/17 - Have You Voted? by BroadwayWorld

There's just a few weeks left to go in voting for the 2011 Cincinnati Awards and here is the latest update Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the …

Jesus Christ Superstar by Songs From The Musicals

Jesus Christ Superstar Highlights from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.c…

Vince Giordano — Free Concert Today! by Trav S.D.

Saturday, December 17th 3:00pm – 6:00pm Holiday Tea at Three with Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks Eleven-piece band playing music of the 1920s & ’30s There will be plen…

Horace Goldin by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of magician Horace Goldin. Here’s a clip of him in action from the 1930s: To find out more about  the history of vaudeville, consult No Applause, Just Throw Mon…

Stars of Vaudeville #405: Billy “Cheese and Crackers” Hagan by Trav S.D.

Billy Hagan (1888-1986) started out as a boxer and a straightman to his brother in small time vaudevill. But he earned his greatest fame as a burlesque comic, earning his nickname from the e…

Porgie and Bess in Previews Tonight by Trav S.D.

I am rarely as downright excited by events on Broadway as I am by this announcement — it represents a perfect storm of Trav-appeal! The Gershwin’s Porgie and Bess is easily one o…

Matilda by Songs From The Musicals

Matilda A promotional video montage for the original WestEnd production of Matilda The Musical. No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.com From: sftMusicals V…

Transmorphing :This Much is True by Don Hall

I performed "Transmorphing" at This Much is True this week.  It was packed out and the stories were just all very good.  Great evening.Someone asked me why I did this piece again (…

Gotham Burlesque Holiday Spectacular by Trav S.D.

BWW's On This Day - December 17, 2011

Here are the Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows which opened on December 17 along with all of the upcoming show openings, closings and special events

Dreamboats And Petticoats by Songs From The Musicals

Dreamboats And Petticoats The original WestEnd company performing 'Do Run Run' at GMTV. No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.com From: sftMusicals V…

Edgy Mad Cat Troupe Staging Children’s Theater? Sort Of by Bill Hirschman

The very idea that Mad Cat Theatre—the embodiment of edgy, adult fare in South Florida – is doing what some might misclassify as children’s theater simply doesn’t compute. The explan…

Betwixt! by Songs From The Musicals

Betwixt! A promotional video montage for the original WestEnd production of Betwixt! No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.com From: sftMusicals Views: 1 …

Marguerite by Songs From The Musicals

Marguerite A promotional video montage for the original WestEnd production of Marguerite. No copyright infringement intended. http://www.songsfromthemusicals.com From: sftMusicals Views: …

Jamila Gavin: Writing Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin

Someone told me that the highways and byways of England were littered with the bones of little children. It was a shocking statement and of course I asked “what do you mean?” I was told …

Other Theater Apps We Need → by Tim

Other Theater Apps We Need → After hearing about the Scene Partner app that helps people memorize their lines, Matthew Freeman has come up with some other urgently-needed theater-related i…

Big opportunities in ballet for De La Cruz by Stewart Oksenhorn

ASPEN - Among the qualities that Norbert De La Cruz III cares to bring to the dance stage, along with musicality and partnering technique, is humility. So when De La Cruz, a 23-year-old from…

Second Wind Theatre’s Blog is Back in Business by Tim

Second Wind Theatre’s blog is devoted to “opening up the process of creating theatre,” which means it’s only active when they’re in production: Actors need priv…

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Swimming With Sharks...Er, I Mean Fourth Graders You go in the classroom. Kids are in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, I love kids. But when it comes to teaching them--yowzers. Coming fro…

Review: Striking 12 (Boho Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

BoHo Theatre’s production of this cabaret-style “anti-holiday” musical suffers from an inconsistent script, but benefits from a cast of multi-talented actor-musicians. Recommended.

Review of GATZ by Toby Zinman

PORGY & BESS Begins Previews Tonight on Broadway by BroadwayWorld

The Gershwins PORGY AND BESS begins previews tonight and opens on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre 226 West 46th Street, between 8th Avenue and Broadway. Tickets a…

Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis Return to Broadway as Previews Begin for Porgy and Bess by Broadway.com

Four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald is back on Broadway headlining a new production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Previews begin December 17 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre for this …

CHART TOPPERS: Most-Read Playbill.com Stories, Week of Dec. 4-10 by Judy Samelson

Here are the most-read Playbill.com stories for the week of Dec. 4–10, 2011, from information compiled by Playbill.com.

nytheatre festivals in review

Voice 4 Vision Festival Roundup #2: Senseless reviewed by Richard Hinojosa

nytheatre.com review

Lysistrata Jones on Broadway reviewed by David Gordon

Douglas Sills Makes Gomez His Own for National Tour of The Addams Family by Sheryl Flatow

Douglas Sills, a Tony Award nominee for The Scarlet Pimpernel, is touring the country as Gomez in the revised version of the Broadway musical The Addams Family.

THE WEEK AHEAD, Dec. 17-23: The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Lands on Broadway; David Hyde Pierce in Close Up Space by Blake Ross

Playbill's weekly planner explores the week before Christmas, and here is your gift — great things to do that will give you a lift: Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis inhabit Catfish Ro…

A Christmas Carol, Starring Grammy Winner James Taylor, Begins Berkshire Run Dec. 17 by Adam Hetrick

Grammy Award-winning musician James Taylor makes his theatrical debut as Bob Cratchit in the Berkshire Theatre Group production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, beginning Dec. 17.

THE SCREENING ROOM: Ramin Karimloo and Cast Perform Finale of Phantom's Anniversary (Video) by Michael Gioia

Ramin Karimloo starred as the title character in the 25th anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at London's Royal Albert Hall. Here, he leads the…

PLAYBILL BRIEF ENCOUNTER With On a Clear Day Star David Turner by Michael Gioia

Meet David Turner, who stars as the lovestruck florist David Gamble in the reimagined Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Starring Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald, Begins Broadway Previews Dec. 17 by Adam Hetrick

Three-quarters of a century after its New York premiere, the iconic American opera The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess returns to Broadway in a refocused production starring Norm Lewis and Aud…

"Glee" Star Darren Criss Is Part of Sing Out, Raise Hope Benefit Concert Dec. 17 by Michael Gioia

"Glee" star Darren Criss, who will soon make his Broadway debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, makes a guest appearance at Sing Out, Raise Hope Dec. 17 in the…

Sara Felder, Wayne Harris, Josh Kornbluth and More Perform at Dec. 17 Holiday Performance Bash by Michael Gioia

The Marsh presents its first annual Holiday Performance Bash Dec. 17 at The Marsh Berkeley.

Ann, Created by and Starring "Two and a Half Men" Star Holland Taylor, Begins Kennedy Center Run Dec. 17 by Andrew Gans

Emmy winner Holland Taylor, who is part of the cast of the much-in-the-news TV series "Two and a Half Men," stars in Ann, a one-woman play about the life of the late Texas Governor…

Tix for Death of a Salesman Revival, Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Andrew Garfield, Go on Sale Dec. 17 by Andrew Gans

Tickets for the upcoming Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman go on sale to the general public Dec. 17 at 10 AM ET by visiting…

UNLOCK THE VAULT: Dec. 17, Golden Globe Nominees on Broadway - Part II, The Actors by Robert Viagas

In celebration of Playbill’s new site, Playbill Vault, we offer a month-long theatrical treasure hunt! Playbill Vault offers an interactive treasure trove for theatre fans, students, a…