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Prequels to Upcoming Theater Events and Sequels to Reviews & Features
by Elyse Sommer
Short Term Events |
Prospect Theater Company's 10th season will begin with the return of its 2002 hit, Ilyria, a musical adapted from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Playing from October 18 through November 16, 2008 at the Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street). In February, Prospect presents a new site-specific theatrical work entitled The Dome at the West End Theatre in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew (263 West 86th Street). T he season will conclude with the world premiere of a new bluegrass musical , based on J. M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World. This new work will mark the 10th original musical written for Prospect by Peter Mills. It will be directed by Carla Reichel at
59E59 Theaters from April 4 to May 3, 2009 For details about Prospect's affordable subscription policies, check out www.ProspectTheater.org or call(212) 352-3101. Terrific as Paulo Szot is as Emile deBeque, William Michal, the baritone covering him, is a handsome opera trained, seasoned musical performer. He will be on full time when Szot goes on vacation from September 9 through 14. One of Curtainup's favorite off-off-Broadway companies, the Transport Group will be back at the Connelly Theater (220 East 4 Street, between Avenues A and B) for it's 8th season. Just two plays, but both sound well worth seeing. The season launch will be Bury the Dead written by Irwin Shaw and directed by Joe Calarco. Shaw's 1936 play takes place during "the second year of the war that is to begin tomorrow night." While a military burial detail goes about its sad duties, the dead soldiers shockingly begin to rise up, pleading not to be buried. Word of their insurrection spreads rapidly: the dead will not yield so easily. In a series of touching scenes the dead men talk with their loved ones of the days of living, now lost forever. The show will star Transport favorite Donna Lynne Champlin and will run October 31 to November 23, 2008. Next will be Being Audrey with music and lyrics by Ellen Weiss, book by James Hindman, and additional book and lyrics by Cheryl Stern, developed with Jack Cummings III and Adam R. Perlman, and directed by Cummings. It will play from March 27th to April 26, 2009.
Cate Blanchett, the Academy Award Winning, film star who, with her husband, Andrew Upton, is running the Sydney Theatre Company, will be starring in the company's production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. The high profile production will play at the company's home base from September 1 to October 10, 2009. From there the Streetcar will ride to D.C's Kennedy Center (October 29-November 21) and then to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (November 27-December 20). The production will be directed by another famous film star, Liv Ullman. Blanchett, best known for films like The Aviator and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and I'm not there, is no newcomer to the stage, having appeared in works like Hedda Gabler and Plenty. Her work at the Sydney Theatre Company also includes directing (currently The Year of Magical Thinking). The Actors Company Theatre will again take up residence at heatre Row’ Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street) for its 16th season. The season will begin with BEDROOM FARCE by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Jenn Thompson (October 5 – November 8, 2008). It will then move to a darker story with INCIDENT AT VICHY by Arthur Miller, directed by Scott Alan Evans (February 22 – March 28, 2009) which is set in a detention center in Vichy, France, 1942 where a disparate group of men wait to be interrogated. The Keen Compan will open its 2008 – 2009 Season with a revival of the 1952 Tony Award-winning Best Play The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog. This classic marital 2-hander will be directed by Blake Lawrence, and run from October 7 – November 22. Next the company's Artistic Director Carl Forsman will helm Beasley’s Christmas Party by Booth Tarkington about a curious journalist and his extremely unusual next door neighbors. This first Keen holiday offering, runs December 2 – January 3.
Rounding out the season will be the New York premiere of Tom Stoppard’s hilarious translation of Heroes bby Gérald Sibleyras. Winner of the 2006 Olivier Award for London’s Best Comedy, it lets the audience in on the plotting of a new assault by three World War I vets living in a veterans home. Running dates are February 24 – April 11. As in past seasons all these productions will be presented at The Clurman Theater 410 West 42nd Street. For more information, see www.KeenCompany.org
Second Stage Theater Company expands into a Triple Stage company. The nonprofit Off Broadway company currently operating out of a 299-seat space in a west 43rd Street building formerly houseing a bank and the McGinn Cazalle venue in Zabar country, has acquired the right to purchase 5970-seat Helen Hayes Theater on West 44th Street. Once the $35 million needed dollars are raised and the 44th street theater is renovated, you can expect a new name on the marquee. When the company's third venue opens (some time in 2010) it will be the fourth nonprofit with a Broadway presence (Roundabout Theater Company /American Airlines Theater, the Manhattan Theater Club/the Biltmore) and Lincoln Center Theater (the Vivian Beaumont). The landmarked Helen Hayes is the smallest house on Broadway but will give Second Stage a larger and broader canvas for new and experimental dramas that would be too risky to try out in Broadway's much larger other venues. Actually, the Helen Hayes had only 300 seats in its original location on 46th Street when it was known as The Little Theater, and was named after the legendary acress in 1983 when it made way for the Marriott Marquis Hotel and relocated to 44th Street. This is an expensive risky enterprise for Second Stage but given their past successes, which included successful Broadway transfers for shows like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Metamorphoses, this company has a better chance than most to succeed with this risky new venture in an always risky business. The New Victory Theater's New Victory Theater box office (229 West 42nd Street) 14th season will again offer a rich menu for all ages. Performances will include:The Green Sheep (Sept. 10 – Sept. 28): Based on Mem Fox’s best-selling children’s book for little ones
Rewind (Oct. 3 – Oct. 19): High-energy, new-school style break-dance by national B-Boy champions
Hunchback (Oct. 24 – Nov. 9): Re-telling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame featuring top-notch puppetry and masks
Cirque Mechanics (Nov.14 – Dec.14): Quirky and off-the-wall circus for the holidays with acrobats and aerialists
Holiday House Party with Dan Zanes and Friends (Dec. 19 – Jan. 4): Beloved children’s singer/songwriter
Cranked (Jan. 9 – Jan. 25): Eye-opening drama about crystal meth addiction using hip-hop, spoken word and video
Jason and the Argonauts (Jan. 23 – Feb. 1): Based on the Greek classic about Jason and his epic journey on the Argo
Taoub (Feb. 6 – 22): Moroccan fantasia featuring a family of acrobats and live Arabic music
Henry V (Feb. 27 – March 8): Shakespearean tale about King Henry of England and the battle of Agincourt
Black Violin (March 13 – March 22): Classically trained violinists perform funky, urban style violin
La Famiglia Dimitri (March 27 – April 19): Old fashioned family circus with original music
Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca (April 24 – May 3): Soledad Barrio and company with world-premiere for families
The Queen of Colors (May 1 – May 17): Charming story told with shadow puppetry, live music and live illustration
Rock ‘n Roll Penguin (May 8 – May 24): Zany Japanese duo performs outrageous physical comedy
Tom Tom Club (May 29 – June 14): Daredevil circus stars combined with live music and rock-concert energy
Another screen hit hopes to be a Broadway musical hit. Patricia Resnick who was a co-author for the 1980 film Nine to Five has partnered with Dolly Parton. And so Nine to five: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Parton, will arrive at Broadway's Marquis next April, after a preliminary run (September to October 19th) at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. With Joe Mantello directing, the show's prospects look good.>
A big name pond crosser: The Donmar Warehouse's acclaimed production of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 drama Mary Stuart, starring Tony Award winner Janet McTeer and Olivier Award winner Harriet Walter. It's scheduled to l arrive on Broadway in Spring 2009 at a still TBA Shubert Theatre The production will be helmed by Phyllida Lloyd. Additional casting and information TBA later. The play, last seen on these shores creative in 1971 at the Vivian Beaumont, with Nancy Marchand and Salome Jens focuses on the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I of England (Walter) and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots (McTeer). The 2008-09 Lincoln Center Season will begin with a new play by Noah Haidle, will be a new musical, Saturn Returns, about a group of New Yorkers caught on a subway train under unusual circumstances. It will be directed by Nicholas Martin and will star Robert Eli, John McMartin, James Rebhorn and Rosie Benton. The three actors play one man who at pivotal moments in his life faces three women ( all played by Benton). Previews at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater begin on Oct. 16 with a Nov 19th official opening date. 10. Another new music, Happiness, has been announced to l open in early spring 2009. It has a book by John Weidman, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie and will be directed by Susan Stroman. and
New York Music Festival News
The 14 new musicals announced for the 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival are:Bonnie & Clyde. Book by Hunter Foster; Music and Lyrics by Rick Crom
The Bubble: A Musical Dot-Comedy. Book by Karen J. Paull, Music by David Pack; Lyrics by Karen J. Paull and David Pack. Silicon Valley, circa 1991.
College: The Musical. Book, Music and Lyrics by Drew Fornarola & Scott Elmegreen.
Fancy Boys Follies. Book and Lyrics by David Pevsner, Music by Michael Skloff, Jamie Forsyth, Michael Orland, Mark Hummel, Chris Lavely & David Pevsner. A low-rent Ziegfeld Follies from one of the creators of Naked Boys Singing!
The Hatpin. Book and Lyrics by James Millar, Music by Peter Rutherford Impoverished single Australian mother Amber Murray finds herself with no choice but to board her ailing son with a kindly rich couple.
Heaven in Your Pocket. Book by Mark Houston, Francis J. Cullinan & Dianne Sposito, Music and Lyrics by Mark Houston. Arlene Davis and two other "Heavenly Belles"
I Come For Love. ùBook, Music and Lyrics by Terrence Atkins and Jeffery Lyle Segal A jaded reporter in search of a story. An alien looking for love. A small town diner in need of a waitress.
Idaho!. Book, Music and Lyrics by Morris T. Sheffield. Spoof of Broadway classics. Max and the Truffle Pig. Book by Suzanne Bradbeer, Music by Bert Draesel and Lyrics by Nancy Leeds Based on the story by Judith Gwyn Brown. A 9-year-old aspiring chef and his beloved pig Suzette head deep into the French woods in search of the legendary truffle for the Countess’s royal dinner?
Play It Cool. Book by Larry Dean Harris and Martin Casella, Lyrics by Mark Winkler, Music by Phillip Swann, with additional musical contributions by David Benoit, Michael Cruz, Marilyn Harris, Robert Kraft, Emilio Palame, Joe Pasquale and Dan Siegel. Directed by Sharon Rosen. 1953 Hollywood.
She Can’t Believe She Said That! Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Prager The original Kathie Lee-sical.
That Other Woman’s Child. Book, Music and Lyrics by Sherry Landrum & George S. Clinton. A look at the trials and tribulations of the ties that bind, with a l blue-grass score co-written by the Grammy-nominated film composer of Austin Powers
. The Road to Ruin. Book, Music and Lyrics by William Zeffiro. 1928 setting.
Villa Diodati. Book by Collette Inez & Mira J. Spektor, Music & Additional Lyrics by Mira J. Spektor, Lyrics by Colette Inez, Additional Lyrics by Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Wordsworth. Switzerland, 1816. Two of literature’s most romantic and haunted couples -- Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley and their friends L
ord Byron and his mistress Claire in new chamber musical.
Another venerable company, Classic Stage Company (212/ 352-3101, 136 East 13th Street, www.classicstage.org) has announced its 2008-09 season. From September 3 to October 12th Mandy Patinkin s will star as Prospero in The Tempest, directed by Brian Kulick. From n January 14 to February 12, 2009 r Denis O’Hare appears in Uncle Vanya, to be directed by Austin Pendleton. In March CSC will present the world premiere of An Oresteia from the pen of poet Anne Carson. This ambitious two part theatrical event gathers together the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides to tell the epic story of the fall of the House of Atreus. Part One will be directed by CSC Artistic Director Brian Kulick with Gisela Cardinas. Part II will be directed by Paul Lazar.
The 2008-2009 season will also include the company’s popular First Look Festival which this year will take a look at the work of Bertolt Brecht, with one night only staged readings of four of Brecht’s plays: The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Good Person of Szechuan, In the Jungle of Cities and Life of Galileo, presented on September 15, 22, 29 and October 6, 2008 respectively.
Atlantic Theater Company at The Linda Gross Theater
has announced its next season and it looks great. Here's the lineup:World Premiere Farragut North by Beau Willimon, birected By Doug Hughes. October 22nd - November 29th, 2008 Opens Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
A Co-Production With Druid, Galway. The Cripple Of Inishmaan by Martin Mcdonagh, directed By Garry Hynes. December 9th, 2008 - March 1st, 2009. Opens Thursday, December 18th, 2008
World Premiere Offices by Ethan Coen, directed By Neil Pepe. Spring 2009
Atlantic Stage 2: World Premiere What's That Smell: The Music Of Jacob Sterling wWritten and performed by David Pittu Music By Randy Redd. September 3rd - 28th, 2008. Opens Wednesday, September 10th, 2008. A Second New Play For Spring 2009 Will Be Announced For Stage 2.
Pearl Theatre Company has announced its 25th Anniversary season. It's quite a varied lineup:THE OEDIPUS CYCLE October 13, 2008 - November 16, 2008, by Sophocles; translated by Peter Constantine directed by Shepard Sobel.
NATHAN THE WISE December 8, 2008 - January 4, 2009, by Gotthold Lessing; adapted by Richard Sewell and directed by Shepard Sobel.
TWELFTH NIGHT January 19, 2009 - February 22, 2009 by William Shakespeare, directed by J.R. Sullivan.
TARTUFFE March 16, 2009 - April 19, 2009 by Molière and directed by Gus Kaikkonen.
VIEUX CARRÉ May 11, 2009 - June 14, 2009by Tennessee Williams and directed by Austin Pendleton.
. MCC THEATER upcoming 2008-9 season at Off Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). includes three world premieres. The lineup is as follows: September 10 - October 25, 2008. Fifty Words by Michael Weller, directed by Austin Pendleton. Alternately funny and frightening look at modern marriage, as seen through the looking glass of one couple's long night's journey into day.
January 14 – February 28, 2009. The Break of Noon by Neil LaBute. Joe Smith's just had an epiphany. In a blinding flash, he's been gloriously transformed from avowed disbeliever to fervent believer. But he quickly finds himself at the center of his own rapidly crumbling life, as those nearest to him kick back against his newfound faith. Suddenly a stranger to those he values most, Joe must find a modern response to the age-old question: at what cost, salvation? For details about Neil LaBute's pretty, see our Off-Broadway Listings.
May 6 - June 20, 2009. Coraline. Music and Lyrics by Stephin Merritt. Book by David Greenspan. Based on the Novel by Neil Gaiman. Directed by Leigh Silverman.
The Second Stage theater launches its season with a 20th-anniversary production of the Howard Korder's college boys on the town Boys' Life. Next up in January 2009 is Gina Gionfriddo hit from the Humana Festival, Becky Shaw (see our Humana Report). Spring sees the return of Douglas Carter Beane of The Little Dog Laughed, with Mr. and Mrs. Fitch, a new play, about gossip columnists.The Roundabout Theater Company's Laura Pels on West 46th Street will present Distracted by Lisa Loomer with Mark Brokaw directing and starring Cynthia Nixon, with Mark Brokaw directing.
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Short Term Events PROJECT SHAW Presents CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA Monday, September 22nd at 7pm At the Players Club 16 Gramercy Park South. In thishistorical comedy, a victorious Julius Caesar (Brian Murray) arrives in Egypt confronted by the frightened child, Cleopatra (Madeleine Martin, who 7nder his guidance, she becomes the legendary Queen of legend. Also in cast: Daphne Rubin-Vega, Simon Jones, Jack Koenig, Daniel Reichard, Daniel Marconi, Seth Rudetsky, Todd Gearhart, Anthony Holds, Tim Artz, Jon Levenson. Tickets y $20. www.PROJECTSHAW.com Michael Cerveris, Daris DeHaas and Carol Woods will perform when The Shakespeare Society presents Lyrics by W. Shakespeare on Monday, September 15, at 6:30PM at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (East 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues). A very limited number of tickets, priced at $25-$45, will be available for purchase by non-members two weeks prior to the event. To purchase tickets or for ticket information, phone the Kaye Playhouse box office at 212 772-4448. For more information about the Shakespeare Society or Lyrics by W. Shakespeare, or to join The Shakespeare Society, phone 212 967-6802 or visit www.shakespeareociety.org. BAM's New Wave Festival presents 4 performances of the U.S. premiere of Sunken Red based on the autobiographical novel by Jeroen Brouwers— The solo performance (in English) by Dirk Roofthooft is directed by Guy Cassiers. BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) Oct 7, 9—11 at 7:30pm Tickets: $25, 35, 45 Broadway Unplugged Monday, November 17, 2008 at 8 PM at The Town Hall , 123 West 43rd Street. The cast for this year’s event TBA T Tickets 212-307-4100. For more information, call 212-365-4345 or email SiegelEntertainment@msn.com |
