Lincoln Center is primed to take on 'Don' by James Jorden

It's been staged as a frilly farce, a Greek tragedy, a Freudian case study -- even a "ripped from the headlines" shocker about a coke-fueled date rapist. So versatile a masterpiece is Moz…

All hail RSC's 'Julius Caesar' by Elisabeth Vincentelli

With "Julius Cae sar," its fifth and last production at the Park Avenue Armory, the Royal Shakespeare Company's local season ends in an orgy of violence and gore. Director Lucy Bailey cou…

Kids Spotlight: Kids on the Fringe by Brooke Pierce

Family-friendly fare at FringeNYC includes Istwa! Storytime for a Small World, Goldilocks and the Three Polar Bears, Happy Worst Day Ever, and There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly and …

National Symphony Orchestra goes to the movies at Wolf Trap

Festival music director Emil de Cou enthuses about this week's Disney, martial arts, Arlo Guthrie concerts.

Idina Menzel Rearranges Tour Schedule for ‘Glee’ Return by Joshua Harrington

It looks like more mommy drama is afoot for Ms. Rachel Berry. Idina Menzel has confirmed that she’s committed to season 3 of ‘Glee’ in a big way. She is slated to appear in up to 12 ep…

Nurturing of new dance pieces pays off for Thodos Dance Chicago

HEDY WEISS: This has been a particularly strong year for Thodos Dance Chicago, one marked by the world premiere of the ambitious multimedia work “The White City.”

Young viewers get a bang out of Parker’s joy-filled moves by Thea Singer, Globe Correspondent

Choreographer David Parker deconstructs the familiar to make sly, affectionate dances that reveal the essence of things. His tools for doing so? A passion for rhythm, a keen kinetic wit, and…

Explosive moves to driving beats at Summer Stages by Thea Singer, Globe Correspondent

CONCORD - Choreographer Brandon “Peace’’ Albright may have laid the groundwork for a new generation of hip-hop: a kinder, gentler, though no less exacting and physically ex…

Centuries old, this comedy still conquers by Don Aucoin

WILLAMSTOWN – Early in Williamstown Theatre Festival’s stylish production of “She Stoops to Conquer,’’ Mr. Hardcastle, the befuddled paterfamilias played by Pax…

92 Minutes With Martha Plimpton by Jada Yuan

A victory lap with the theater vet turned small-screen star, her doted-on pooch in tow.

One Cheer for the Fringe Festival by Scott Brown

On hoping for the best, every August.

Twitter Watch: Rosie O'Donnell Asks Kristin Chenoweth to Appear on New OWN Show

On Twitter Watch, Rosie O'Donnell wrote KChenoweth Kristin Chenoweth rosie done. I will b there. I love u Ro I love u SO MUCHKChenoweth - ok - first week of my show 10. 10. 11. -- pick the …

Darren Criss Now Set to Follow Daniel Radcliffe in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING?

It's the question that everyone has been asking since Deadline.com first scooped the news a few weeks ago - will Darren Criss make his Broadway debut this year in a star-studded revival Now,…

74 Days ’til Godspell: Budget analysis by Ken

I flew to/from Chicago today, catching the first flight out of LGA and the last flight back from O’Hare, so I had the flight(s) to catch up on my budgetary analysis.  I do this on a weekl…

THE MAKING OF PERKS - Killing Time Between Takes by Perks The Musical

THE MAKING OF PERKS - Killing Time Between Takes WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE What do actors do between takes? In "The Making of Perks - Killing Time Between Takes," we follow vari…

THE MAKING OF PERKS - Killing Time Between Takes by Tom Diggs

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ to be Next Big Broadway Revival? by Joshua Harrington

It seems the Canadian Stratford Shakespeare Festival has a hit on their hands with the revival of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ It is already slated f…

Brooklyn's Bushwick becomes world-class arts mecca

NEW YORK - Brooklyn's old Bushwick neighborhood has quickly become a new world-class arts mecca - with music, dance,...

Last chance to see Love Never Dies

From the gothic cellars of the Paris Opera House to the dazzling heights of New York’s Coney Island - the Phantom has returned. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular musical reunites t…

Come to the Cabaret: A darker diversion

Cabaret. What does the word mean to you? Perhaps it's Liza Minnelli in a bowler hat and suspenders. Or can-can dancers in fin-de-siècle Paris. Or a crooner in a 1950s' New York supper club.

Henry IV Parts I and II, Theatre Royal, Bath

At the heart of this year's Peter Hall season in Bath sits a work that the veteran director staged at the RSC almost 50 years ago. And this production, taking place on a versatile set by Sim…

Photo Coverage: The Mad Show at The York Theatre by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

York Theatre Company Oh, Coward and The Mad Show, the next titles in its Summer 2011 Musicals in Mufti Series-the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performanc…

Theater Review | 'Julius Caesar': Cry Havoc! The Blood Sport Called Politics by Charles Isherwood

“Julius Caesar” gets a turbulent staging in this Royal Shakespeare production at the Park Avenue Armory, part of the Lincoln Center Festival.

‘Julius Caesar’

Photos from the Royal Shakespeare Company production at the Park Avenue Armory.

March Leftovers by Peter Filichia

March came in like a lion thanks to Shelly Burch's dynamic act at the Metropolitan Room. How nice to welcome back to town this lady whom we haven't seen since "Nine," a quarter-cen…

Your Favorite Wordplay in Lyrics by Peter Filichia

Nice responses from so many of you! You sent them after I wrote an article on how I like a lyricist’s using a word early in a song, and later employing it in a completely differen…

Glory Hallelu, You Fin'lly Came Through! by Peter Filichia

Nice enough line-up for Encores in 2009-2010, don’t you think? It’s much more in tune with the original mission of doing works that would have a hard time getting a legitimate Br…

'Chinglish' exits, goes clean, attracts pols

The broadway-bound Goodman Theatre production of David Henry Hwang's "Chinglish" closed Sunday, replete with sold-out houses and a couple of local theater-loving pols in the house during the…

Staging Solos: An Interview with The Patsy’s David Greenspan by Gerard Raymond

David Greenspan sets the tone for a delightful evening of theater magic by jumping onto a jewel-box stage set at the start of The Patsy. The post Staging Solos: An Interview with <em>T…

Live From Backstage - Actors Tweet Their Performances

"Sharing what goes on behind the curtain, with 140-character messages to friends and fans in real time, actors are now able to reach people in and out of the industry. Sometimes tweets go ou…

CHART TOPPERS: Most-Read Playbill.com Stories, Week of July 17–23 by Michael C. Gioia

Here are the most-read Playbill.com stories for the week of July 17-23, 2011, from information compiled by Playbill.com. “Glee” Star Darren Criss in Talks to Succeed Daniel Radcl…

Being Juliette Binoche by Laura Barnett

She's not a feminist, but says women are born creative. Juliette Binoche talks to Laura Barnett about her spat with Gérard Depardieu, bad reviews – and why acting is like peeling onionsOn…

Off-Broadway Review: PEG O' MY HEART

Peg o' My Heart has seen its share of iterations since it first premiered on Broadway at the Cort Theatre almost one-hundred years ago.  Its latest incarnation was part of the 12th Midt…

Amir Levi by Adaumbelle

Amir Levi is rising playwright and performer who graduated the Atlantic Theater Conservatory and Atlantic Theater LA. His New York credits include "Te Busco" (45 Bleecker), "Turning" (Workin…

Celebrity Autobiography at the Broad by Pauline Adamek

*** New York’s 2009 Drama Desk Award winner Celebrity Autobiography has returned to Los Angeles at The Broad Stage. Created by Emmy-nominated writer-performer Eugene Pack, and developed…

‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’: family friendly fun, no strings attached! by Bob Bullen

Heidi Kettenring, Skyler Adams and Derek Hasenstab in ChiShakes’ ‘The Aventures of Pinocchio’ Looking for an entertaining way to teach your kids about making wise choices? …

Despite a slow buildup, Steep’s ‘Pornography’ ultimately satisfies by Bob Bullen

The cast of Steep Theatre’s “Pornography” “It’s a city of strangers. Some come to work some to play. A city of strangers. Some come to stare, some to stay. And…

BWW Interview: Catching Up With Jennifer Ashley Tepper by Jena Tesse Fox

The young producer talks about the success of her retrospective series If It Only Even Runs a Minute and the nature of producing.

Don Rebic by Adaumbelle

Renowned pianist, accompanist, musical director, performer, and teacher Don Rebic discusses performing with Leslie Uggams, being the Artistic Director of "The Singers Forum," his CD "Togethe…

Review: Pornography (Steep Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Steep Theatre's production of "Pornography" is an interesting bit of theatre that delivers several very powerful scenesall the more relevant in light of recent senseless violent acts.

Ticket Offer: £10 tickets for Mort, The Musical at Greenwich Theatre by Jake Orr

Youth Music Theatre UK are presenting Terry Prachett’s Mort, The Musical and are offering a special £10 ticket offer for AYT readers. See below on how to get your discounted ticket, b…

Angels Fall - by Lanford Wilson by Kristen Palmer

Commissioned and presented by The New World Festival, Inc. in Miami Florida in 1982 and then moved intact to NYC in 1983 Angels Fall is a character driven 2-act play that takes place in an i…

Prom 20: Horrible Histories – review by John Lewis

Royal Albert Hall, LondonPitched somewhere between a pantomime, a Footlights revue and an old-school variety show, this year's free Family Prom barely qualified for its Prom status, save for…

TheatreScene: July 25 - 31 by JK

THE CONTEST FOR FOLLIES TICKETS STARTS TOMORROW AT 10AM!  BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TOMORROW AND EVERY DAY NEXT WEEK! WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK:July 25: Broadway Celebrates …

Premieres Plus, Coliseum, London

The only question that rises from this staging is why these dancers should be indulging in such obscure and tedious activities

The Merchant of Venice: Victim or villain? by John Moore

Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," like "The Taming of the Shrew," has become an almost impossible play to pull off for modern sensibilities: One is about breaking an independent woman …

Sunday, July 31, 2011

AWOLOne thing I learned while resting my back this week: you have to be able to sit to work on a laptop. Or at least I do.I've spent more of the past week on my back, watching lots of movies…

“Around the World in 80 Days” @ HVSF by Kevin Daly

The first time I ever heard the name Phileas Fogg was in 4th grade. Our teacher wanted to read a classic adventure to us and chose Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days. F…

STAGE TUBE: ROCK OF AGES at the Broadway NOH8 Photo Shoot

MiG along with ROCK OF AGES cast members and other cast members of other Broadway shows recently took part in a photo shoot at the Minskoff for the NOH8 campaign.

This Week on Broadway for July 31, 2011: People with Three Names by James Marino

Notes and links for the podcast. Panel: Peter Filichia | [email protected] | Facebook James Marino | [email protected] | Twitter | Facebook Michael Porta…

As States Struggle, How Much For the Arts? by Robin Pogrebin

Across the country this is a tough time for small arts groups because state grants have largely shriveled up. Thirty-one states, still staggered by the recession, cut their arts budgets for …

Theater review: ‘Legacy of Light’ at Mad Cow by Elizabeth Maupin

By Elizabeth Maupin Elizabeth Maupin on Theater There’s a spark in the eye of Karen Zacarias’s women. You can see it in Émilie du Châtelet, the 18th-century mathematician and physicist…

Why more actors should write plays. by Ken Davenport

Yesterday's Sunday giveaway was for two tickets to Zach Braff's new comedy at Second Stage. As I was 'giving it away', I started thinking about how surprised I was to hear that Zach Braff ha…

Opera auditions: Florida Opera Theatre youth programs by Elizabeth Maupin

An audition notice from Florida Opera Theatre: Florida Opera Theatre Announces Auditions for its Florida Opera Theatre Youth Company and Training Programs The Florida Opera Theatre Youth pro…

Theater auditions: ‘Looking for Normal’ at Breakthrough by Elizabeth Maupin

An audition notice from Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park: Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park will hold auditions for the Jane Anderson drama Looking For Normal on: Saturday, September 3,…

Theater auditions: ‘Art of Murder’ in Melbourne by Elizabeth Maupin

Here’s an audition notice from Melbourne Civic Theatre: AUDITIONS FOR THE UPCOMING PRODUCTION OF Art of Murder by Joe DiPietro.  Needed are 2 men ages 30-60 and 2 women ages 20-60. Au…

Sunday Routine: Spinning the American Songbook by MICHAEL WILSON

Radio talk show host Jonathan Schwartz scans the computer for Red Sox news on Sunday mornings before heading to the studio at WNYC.

Theater auditions: ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ in Cocoa Beach by Elizabeth Maupin

Here’s an audition notice from the Surfside Players in Cocoa Beach. Note: This is for a movie presentation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, not for the musical-theater version: Surfsi…

On A Clear Day - some affectionate parody videos by Fred Landau

"CLEAR DAY" song parody- jazz-inflected version to honor the revisal's plot;Seen & Interred: "Donna K" with ecstatic Alan Jay Lerner & Burton Lane on Vi…

This Week on Broadway for July 31, 2011: People with Three Names by James Marino

Peter Filichia, Michael Portantiere and James Marino talk with Jennifer Ashley Tepper and Kevin Michael Murphy about their series of shows "If It Only Even Runs A Minute". Peter is just back…

Feature: Beth Grant Learns New Tricks by Brian Scott Lipton

The popular film and television star discusses starring in the new Off-Broadway play, Tricks the Devil Taught Me.

Sam Norkin, Theatre Caricaturist and Drama Desk President, Dies by Robert Simonson

Sam Norkin, who captured seven decades of stage performance with fine-lined caricatures, died July 30. His age could not be learned at press time, but he was born in 1917.

David Cassidy Tickets To Go on Sale for Connecticut Show

"The Partridge Family" fan alert here.Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon for a concert by David Cassidy at Sacred Heart University's Edgerton Center for the Arts in Fairfield.The singer-act…

"The Best of Enemies" at Barrington Stage by Fred Sokol

Barrington Stage Company's world premiere production of "The Best of Enemies" honors the participants in the incisive and moving story of school desegregation in Durham, North Carolina, scho…

SOUND OFF: THE WIZARD OF OZ 2011; Red Shoes Rave by Pat Cerasaro

It is one of the most highly anticipated shows of the twenty-first century, if only because the most successful composer of all-time - and the man behind not one, but both of the longest-run…

Youtube Weekend Fave: Andrew Lippa's "It Gets Better"

 Every weekend I'm going to post some of the youtube clips that I come across that I especially love -- those that give me goosebumps, touch my heart or make me laugh.Tony Award-nomin…

BWW's On This Day - July 31, 2011

Here are the Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows which opened on July 31 along with all of the upcoming show openings, closings and special events

Fine Tuning Behind Closed Doors - Interactive Feature by Patricia Cohen

Until the New 42nd Street Studios was completed in 2000, there was precious little space in Times Square for performing artists to rehearse. The New 42nd Street, the nonprofit corporation es…

Marissa Jaret Winokur Talks Hollywood Bowl Hairspray on "Good Day LA" (Video) by Michael C. Gioia

Marissa Jaret Winokur, the Tony Award-winning actress who created the role of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway, will be back in Hairspray when she reprises her role in the Hollywood B…

Garrett Sorenson by Adaumbelle

Opera and Broadway star Garrett Sorenson discusses starring in "Master Class" with Tyne Daly, performing in Opera, and other everyday details of his life and career!

This Week on Broadway for July 31, 2011: People with Three Names by James Marino

Peter Filichia, Michael Portantiere and James Marino talk with Jennifer Ashley Tepper and Kevin Michael Murphy about their series of shows "If It Only Even Runs A Minute". Peter is just back…

West End Review: Ghost, Shrek, Road Show by TheatreVOICE

WEST END REVIEW (Part 1): Mark Shenton and regular guests David Benedict, Charles Spencer and Matt Wolf run their critical eyes over the latest crop of major musicals in London: Ghost (Picca…

West End Review: Richard III, Betrayal, Woman Killed with Kindness, Emperor & Galilean by TheatreVOICE

WEST END REVIEW (Part 2): Mark Shenton and regular contributors David Benedict, Charles Spencer, and Matt Wolf discuss Kevin Spacey in Richard III, directed by Sam Mendes (Old Vic), Betrayal…

Union Avenue Opera presents an uneven 'La Cenerentola'

Gioachino Rossini's "La Cenerentola" — his take on the Cinderella story — is among the best of his comedies, with a delightful story, sparkling music and an aria for the heroine that is …

Harvey Fierstein takes another Turnblad turn

The Tony-winning actor and playwright will again play Baltimore hausfrau Edna Turnblad, in the Hollywood Bowl's 'Hairspray.'Harvey Fierstein is getting impatient. He'd like the interview to …

The Big Bard Fest in the West is more than just Shakespeare

ASHLAND, Ore. -- This may seem like a long way to go for Shakespeare, but the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, founded in 1935, is the big one. It may not be the oldest Shakespeare festival in t…

Faith Prince, John Lloyd Young Offer One Night Only Benefit in San Francisco July 31 by Michael Gioia

Tony Award winners Faith Prince (Guys and Dolls) and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), along with "America's Got Talent" semi-finalist Shawn Ryan and jazz singer Welsa Whitfield,…

Bob Spiotto Performs His Shades of Grey Tribute to Joel Grey Beginning July 31 by Michael Gioia

Bob Spiotto, the executive producer of Hofstra Entertainment at Hofstra University, takes the stage at New York City's Metropolitan Room for his new show, Shades of Grey: A Tribute to Jo…

Rain – A Tribute to The Beatles on Broadway Closes July 31 by Adam Hetrick

Rain – A Tribute to The Beatles on Broadway, the musical celebration of the iconic British band that changed the look and sound of rock 'n' roll, ends its Broadway run July 31 …

A LETTER FROM LONDON: From Ibsen to Miller to Shakespeare, It's Midsummer Madness in London by Ruth Leon

The summer lull is anything but in the London theatre scenes. For starters, Kevin Spacey is Richard III and Kristin Scott Thomas stars in Harold Pinter's Betrayal.

Geoffrey Rush, Des McAnuff, Doctor Zhivago, Love Never Dies Among Helpmann Nominees in Australia by Kenneth Jones

The 2011 Helpmann Awards, recognizing distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in many disciplines of Australia's live performance scene, will be presented Aug. 1 at the Sydney …

Goodbye, Mrs. Madrigal: Tales of the City Ends Extended San Francisco Run July 31 by Adam Hetrick

The world-premiere musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, the literary series that traces a group of colorful San Francisco residents during the 1970's, conclude…

Unnatural Acts, Revealing Harvard's Hunt for Gay Students, Ends NYC Run by Kenneth Jones

The popular, highly theatrical docudrama Unnatural Acts, about Harvard University's efforts to purge homosexuals from its campus in 1920, ends its extended run at Classic Stage Company&#…

Review: Hamlet

Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot is just as it sounds: free Shakespeare presented in a municipal parking lot on the Lower East Side. Founded in 1995 by Expanded Arts' Robert Spahr and Jennif…

Jessica Walter Exits Anything Goes July 31; Kelly Bishop in the Wings by Kenneth Jones

Jessica Walter sheds her fur wrap as dowager Evangeline Harcourt in Broadway's Tony Award-winning revival of Anything Goes on July 31, which is when the revival was originally scheduled …

Review: Little Town Blues

Little Town Blues is a musical adaptation of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters set in modern day Iowa. Split between two schools--an elite boarding school and a military school--it focuses on th…

Today in Theatre History: JULY 31 by David Gewirtzman and Ernio Hernandez and Doug Nevin

1969 Talk about a writer's revenge! Josef Bush, who has adapted De Sade Illustrated at Off-Broadway's Bouwerie Theatre, wreaks havoc on the set, spreading white paint all over it. Hi…

Review: Voca People

What do you get when you have eight androgynous a cappella vocalists wearing white suits, face paint, bald caps and really red lips, pretending to be aliens from the planet "Voca" whose spa…