WESTPORT COUNTY PLAYHOUSE NAMES CONSULTING DIRECTOR

Peter Culman will succeed Allison Harris as the new consulting director of the Westport County Playhouse, Westport, Connecticut’s cultural and performing arts center..... click here for more

 

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THEATRE CONSULTANTS LAUNCHES NEW SITE

The American Society of Theatre Consultants has announced the launch of its new website, www.theatreconsultants.org ... click here for more

 

‘SPRING AWAKENING’ PLANS BROADWAY MOVE

The Atlantic Theater Company’s production of rock musical ‘Spring Awakening’ will move to Broadway after consistent sell-outs and kudos have energized the production.... click here for more

 

MIAMI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TAKES ON ‘CARNIVAL’ MONIKER

A landmark multi-million dollar gift to Miami’s new performing arts center has prompted a name change: the structure previously known as the Miami Peforming Arts Center will now be called the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts after Carnival Corporation donated $20 million to the facility.... click here for more

 

‘SWEENEY’ GETS ONE LAST STAB AT BROADWAY

The revival of Steven Sondheim’s gory ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ will close up shop September 3.... click here for more

 

‘MACK AND MABEL’ WILL TAKE ON NEW FORM

1974 musical ‘Mack and Mabel’ will take on a new form as it is reinterpreted as a concert this fall..... click here for more

 

PTC RECEIVES $160K DEVELOPMENT GRANT

A $160,000 grant has been given to the Philadelphia Theatre Company to help develop a music and movement piece by Bill Irwin.... click here for more

 

ACTORS’ FUND ONLINE AUCTION SET FOR 7/24

The Actors’ Fund’s annual online auction has been set for July 24... click here for more

 

CAPE COD THEATRE PROJECT TAKES LESSONS IN ‘SELF DEFENSE’

A new Adam Rapp play, ‘Essential Self Defense’, will be workshopped at the Cape Cod Theatre Project July 6-8... click here for more

 

KENNEDY’S ‘MAME’ MISSES OUT ON BROADWAY

The Kennedy Center has confirmed that its production of ‘Mame’ starring stage vet and Tony Award winner Christine Baranski will not make it to Broadway... click here for more

 

MCANUFF WILL MOVE TO TORONTO

Des McAnuff, the artistic director of San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse, has announced plans to become one of three artistic directors at Canada’s Stratford Festival beginning in 2008... click here for more

 

MCANUFF TO LEAVE THE LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

Artistic director Des McAnuff, who brought national attention and a number of Tony Awards to projects introduced at the La Jolla Playhouse, will leave his second stint with the Playhouse at the end of next year... click here for more

 

MIAMI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING

The highly-anticipated Miami Performing Arts Center has announced plans for its gala grand opening in October 2006.... click here for more

 

MICHAEL ARVE TAKES INTERIM PR VP POSITION AT TANYS

Michael Arve has been named Interim Vice President of Public Relations for the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS), a non-profit which represents and serves community theatres throughout New York... click here for more

 

TONYS DO AWAY WITH ‘RECREATED ROLE’ AWARD

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that it will do away with the Best Performance By An Actor/Actress Recreating A Role.... click here for more

 

JULIA ROBERTS VEHICLE ‘THREE DAYS’ RECOUPS ON BROADWAY

‘Three Days of Rain,’ the Broadway revival starring screen actress Julia Roberts, managed to recoup its initial investment in a recent 12-week run.... click here for more

 

‘MACK AND MABEL’ CLOSES WEST END RUN

The West End, London revival of director John Doyle’s revival of ‘Mack and Mabel’ will close three weeks early... click here for more

 

The 2006 Tony Awards were presented June 11 at Radio City Music Hall, with Frankie Valli bio-musical ‘Jersey Boys’ taking away Best Musical and ‘The History Boys’ winning a record six awards, including Best Direction of Play and Best Play.... click here for more

 

CHICAGO’S ‘WICKED’ TO GIVE 700 TIX AWAY FOR FREE

Chicago’s production of ‘Wicked’ is slated to celebrate its one-year anniversary with a public celebration in a local park.... click here for more

 

BROADWAY ON TOUR BRINGS BILLIONS TO U.S.

A new study by the League of American Theatres and Producers has found that touring Broadway musicals left a staggering $3.25 billion economic footprint during 2004-05.... click here for more

 

‘BROOKLYN’ FOR FREE IN TEXAS

Houston, Texas residents will be able to see ‘Brooklyn – The Musical’ for free when the national tour arrives July 18.... click here for more

DRAMA DESK AWARDS HONOR ‘CHAPERONE’, ‘BOYS’

The 51st annual Drama Desk Awards favored imports this year, with top honors going to Canada’s ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, which racked up seven awards, and the British ‘The History Boys’, which garnered five nods... click here for more

 

PROMENADE THEATRE WILL CLOSE

The Sprecher Organization, which operates off-Broadway’s Promenade Theatre, has announced that the building will close its doors after its production of ‘Tryst’ closes June 11.... click here for more

 

LAMB’S THEATRE COMPANY EVICTED

On May 31, The Manhattan Initiative, which manages the historic Lamb’s Building on West 44th Street, evicted the Lamb’s Theatre Company and other tenants from the building. .. click here for more

‘LESTAT’ CLOSES AFTER ONE MONTH

The Elton John-Bernie Taupin musical collaboration ‘Lestat’ drank its final victim’s blood May 28, closing after only a month’s run at the Palace Theatre...... click here for more

 

DIDION’S ‘YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING’ BECOMES A PLAY

Joan Didion’s memoir of her husband’s death, ‘A Year of Magical Thinking,’ is slated to become a stage production starring Vanessa Redgrave. ....... click here for more

 

OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS HONOR ‘HISTORY’, ‘JERSEY’ BOYS

The 55th annual Outer Critics Circle awards were given May 25 at Sardi’s Restaurant, with ‘The History Boys’ and ‘Jersey Boys’ garnering respective Outstanding Broadway Play and Musical awards..... click here for more

 

GOODMAN ADDS ‘RABBIT HOLE’ TO FALL LINE-UP

The Goodman Theatre of Chicago, Illinois has added Tony Award nominee ‘Rabbit Hole’ to its fall lineup, the play’s second regional booking..... click here for more

‘DROWSY’ GARNERS 13 TONY NOMINATIONS

‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, a new musical about musical theatre, garnered 13 Tony Award nominations this week, with the stage adaptation of ‘The Color Purple’ trailing close behind with an impressive 11 nominations..... click here for more

 

MITTLEMAN DITCHES DEBT-TROUBLED GROVE

Producing artistic director Arnold Mittleman resigned from the troubled Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami on May 16....... click here for more

 

THREE-WEEK EXTENSION FOR ‘SONG AND DANCE’

The Toronto production of ‘Song and Dance’, starring ‘Mamma Mia’ vet Louise Pitre, will run three additional weeks at the Danforth Music Hall...... click here for more

 

WORLDWIDE TICKET INTRODUCES ‘COLD-FOIL’ THERMAL TICKETS

Worldwide Ticket has announced new ‘cold-foil’ thermal ticket technology. The process allows the company, which manufactures a complete line of tickets and other custom printed items, to apply foil designs to tickets at a lower cost than other vendors..... click here for more

 

TONY COMMITTEE SCHEDULES FINAL MAY MEETING

Tony hopefuls can breathe a sigh of relief in late May, when the Tony Administration Committee plans to hold its final meeting....... click here for more

 

HARLEM WILL WAIT FOR ‘GODOT’ AFTER FINAL CASTING

The Classical Theatre of Harlem has announced the cast for its production of Beckett’s classic ‘Waiting for Godot.’ ...... click here for more

 

‘RING OF FIRE’ BURNS OUT ON BROADWAY

The celebrated Johnny Cash-themed musical revue ‘Ring of Fire’ played its final performance on April 30, ending a month and a half long run..... click here for more

 

METROSTAGE FEATURES WORLD PREMIERE OF GEORGE SAND MUSICAL

‘Becoming George’, a musical about French writer George Sand, made its world premiere April 19 at Alexandria, Virginia’s MetroStage. .... click here for more

 

‘URINETOWN’ SWEEPS HAYES AWARDS

The 22nd annual Helen Hayes Awards, which honor excellence in professional theatre in the Washington, D.C. era, were swept by Arlington, Virginia theatre company Signature Theatre’s production of ‘Urinetown’ April 17.. ...... click here for more

 

CIMOLINO WILL DIRECT STRATFORD FESTIVAL

The Stratford Festival of Canada recently announced that Antoni Cimolino will fill its newly created “general director” role. ...... click here for more

 

‘STAGE MANAGER VERONICA GRIEGO DEAD AT 43

Veronica Griego, a prolific stage manager in the Philadelphia area, was killed in an auto accident April 8.. .... click here for more

 

COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE LOCKS ITS DOORS

One of the nation’s oldest theatres took a hard hit April 12 when the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami locked its doors, leaving a sign on the door saying “building closed until further notice”........ click here for more

 

BROADWAY BOUNCES BACK TO PRE-9/11 LEVELS, REPORTS LATP

Four years after the devastating September 11 terrorist attacks, the number of foreigners who choose to give their regards to Broadway has finally reached 2001 levels, reports the League of American Theaters and Producers .... click here for more

 

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY DEBUTS NEW TWAIN MUSICAL

The Delaware Theatre Company is gearing up for a world premiere – its production of ‘A Murder, A Mystery & A Marriage: A Mark Twain Musical Melodrama’ begins previews April 26. ...... click here for more

 

‘URINETOWN’ OPENS FIRST RESIDENT COMMERCIAL RUN

Marking its first residential regional incarnation, Tony Award-winning musical ‘Urinetown’ opened at Chicago’s Mercury Theater on March 26 following a successful preview run. ...... click here for more

 

‘THE LION KING’ ROARS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD

Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ is slated to make a royal return to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood this November. .... click here for more

 

GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS HONOR ‘WIFE’, ‘LIGHTNING’ AND MITCHELL

March 27 brought this year’s round of GLAAD Media Awards, which were presented in Manhattan....... click here for more

 

ADAMS TO LEAVE THEATREWORKS

Randy Adams, who has worked with Palo Alto’s TheatreWorks for 21 years, has announced his retirement from the company this June .... click here for more

 

TWIN CITIES THEATER MOVES TO TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE

Former collective Theatre de la Jeune Lune is reverting to a traditional management structure...... click here for more

 

CELEBRATING A ‘WICKED’ RUN, MUSICAL HITS 1,000

Stephen Schwartz vehicle ‘Wicked,’ will celebrate its 1,000th performance on March 23...... click here for more

 

CASH MUSICAL MAKES BROADWAY DEBUT

After a smash test run in Buffalo, ‘Man in Black,’ a musical featuring music by the late Johnny Cash, opened at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre March 12.... click here for more

 

OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ’07 SEASON

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2007 season, which will also mark the departure of artistic director Libby Appel, who led the festival for 14 seasons...... click here for more

 

NETWORKS WILL TOUR ‘PRODUCERS’, ‘HAIRSPRAY’

The 2006-2007 season will feature new national tours of ‘The Producers’ and ‘Hairspray,’ announced NETworks this week..... click here for more

 

‘LES MIZ’ RETIRES IN ST. LOUIS BEFORE BROADWAY RETURN

The touring production of Cameron Mackintosh’s ‘Les Miserables’ will close in St. Louis prior to the show’s Broadway return. ... click here for more

 

‘SPAMALOT’ MAKES A SPLASH WITH LONDON DEBUT

Monty Python musical ‘Spamalot’ has hit the West End with high hopes of reproducing its record Broadway run.... click here for more

 

‘SPELLING BEE’ STUDIES UP FOR NATIONAL TOUR IN ATLANTA

‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ is all set for a month-long Atlanta run in preparation for its national tour..... click here for more

 

CROSSROADS FESTIVAL TO FEATURE NEW MUSICALS

Theatre League, Inc. has announced the arrival of a new musical festival to take place in Kansas City, MO this July..... click here for more

 

SAN JOSE REP STRUGGLES TO REGAIN BLACK

After taking a dive into a deep financial hole to the tune of a $1.8 million deficit, the San Jose Repertory Theatre is back in the black after restructuring its budget... click here for more

 

‘AVENUE Q’ CALLS IT QUITS IN VEGAS

The Vegas version of Tony Award-winning best musical ‘Avenue Q’ is calling it quits only five months after opening in Las Vegas..... click here for more

 

'‘LES MIZ’ RETURNS TO BROADWAY FOR REVIVAL RUN

Only three years after it left the Great White Way, Cameron Mackintosh’s hit musical ‘Les Miserables’ will return to Broadway for a revival run..... click here for more

 

EDUCATION GRANTS GO TO ‘SCOUNDRELS’, ‘RABBITS’

The League of American Theatres and Producers will give $5000 education grants to productions of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’ in 2006.... click here for more

 

‘SOUND OF MUSIC’ SET TO RING THROUGH HOLLYWOOD BOWL

The Hollywood Bowl has announced ‘The Sound of Music’ as its summer 2006 musical offering in a bid for family-friendly entertainment for the 18,000-seat venue..... click here for more

 

THE WEDDING SINGER' SLATED FOR SEATTLE DEBUT

A musical adaptation of the Adam Sandler movie 'The Wedding Singer' is set for a debut at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre on February 9 ... click here for more

 

PUBLIC LIBRARY EXHIBIT WILL FEATURE MASTER CLASS WITH BARBARA COOK

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has announced an upcoming exhibition devoted to the career of Irving Berlin..... click here for more

 

'ROUNDHOUSE IN LONDEN WILL REOPEN

London's Roundhouse has announced that it will reopen in June...... click here for more

 

COX DEBUTS AS DALLAS 'EVITA'

Catherine Carpenter Cox will debut as Eva Peron in Lyric Stage's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Evita' on February 17.... click here for more

 

'URINETOWN' MOVES TO CHICAGO IN MARCH

'Urinetown,' the Tony Award-winning musical comedy, is set for its first resident commercial run in Chicago beginning March 15..... click here for more

 

WENDY WASSERSTEIN DIES AT AGE 55

Broadway will lower its lights in honor of American playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died of cancer Monday at age 55. ... click here for more

 

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER TO DEBUT TWO IN 2006-2007

The Pittsburgh Public Theater has two premieres slated for the season - including a new musical by Tony Award-winning collaborators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty..... click here for more

 

'KIDS' NIGHT ON BROADWAY CONTINUES

January 31 and February 1 will continue the annual 'Kids' Night on Broadway', an event which gives a free ticket to each child accompanying a paying adult at participating shows..... click here for more

 

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS; DEPARTMENTAL CONSOLIDATION

The Laguna Playhouse has announced its promotion of Greg Patterson to Director of Development and Marketing and Amy Larson to Director of Individual Giving.. ... click here for more

 

WANT REVENUE? TRY TARGETING TOP 20% OF MARKET

This bite of research may be able to aim your theatre towards a steady stream of revenue - according to a recent survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. .... click here for more

 

'THE PEOPLE'S TEMPLE' WINS GLICKMAN AWARD

Leigh Fondakowski and co-authors have won the Will Glickman Award honoring the best new play in the Bay Area for 2005..... click here for more

 

SIGNATURE THEATRE CONTINUES $15 TICKET INITIATIVE

With discounts of up to $40, Signature Theatre continues its 15th-anniversary season with $15 tickets for all.. ... click here for more

 

CATHER READING SLATED FOR HISTORIC THEATRE

Ford's Theatre, the site of Abraham Lincoln's assassination and now a working theatre company, is planning a reading of Willa Cather's "My Antonia" for January 30. .... click here for more

 

'SPAMALOT' WILL DEBUT IN LONDON

"Monty Python's Spamalot", the Tony-award-winning musical written by Eric Idle and based on the beloved "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," will begin a run at London's Palace Theatre.... click here for more

 

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL CUTS FUNDS

The Missouri Arts Council has cut a program that once meant millions of dollars for the state's arts organizations. ... click here for more

 

SANKOWITCH RESIGNS FROM MARIN THEATRE COMPANY

After sixteen years with the Marin Theatre Company, artistic director Lee Sankowich has resigned his post effective at the end of the current season. .... click here for more

 

FLU HITS NEW CAST OF 'DOUBT'

It's not the pandemic experts have been predicting, but the flu has already hit Broadway hard this winter - the new round of actors set to replace the original stars of Broadway's 'Doubt' have been stricken with influenza and are too ill to perform. .... click here for more

 

MARTECH SYSTEMS AND REPEATSEAT ANNOUNCE NEW SITES

Martech Systems, Inc., which developed Folio Box Office Software, announced that its integration with with RepeatSeat Internet Ticketing services will roll out during the first weeks of January. ... click here for more

 

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY EXTENDS 'HANK WILLIAMS: LOST HIGHWAY'

The Arizona Theatre Company has extended the run of its hit production 'Hank Williams: Lost Highway' due to audience demand..... click here for more

 

New Theatre Business Magazine Set to Launch

DramaBiz, a new magazine and web site designed to help theatres take more of a business approach to their operations is scheduled for release this fall. The bi-monthly, business-to-business periodical will be distributed... click here for more

 

Production Advantage, Inc. Wins Manufacturer's Choice Dealer Award

Production Advantage, Inc., a Vermont-based theatre supply company, has received the ESTA's Manufacturer's Choice Dealer Award for 2005 in its class.... click here for more

 

'Phantom' Beats 'Cats' As Broadway's Longest-Running

Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical 'The Phantom of the Opera' has racked up yet another accolade - longest-running show on Broadway..... click here for more

 

"Millie" Suffers "Accident"

Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster recently broke her arm while rehearsing a song entitled "I'm an Accident Waiting to Happen.".... click here for more

 

Baryshnikov and Albee Kick Off St. Louis Arts Center's $7 Million Expansion

The Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in University City will welcome dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and playwright Edward Albee this Friday for a dedication and gala to celebrate the center's $7 million expansion.... click here for more

 

Milwaukee Offers "Animal Crackers" to Audiences

The Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee will stage Marx Brothers hit "Animal Crackers" from November 25 to December 18... click here for more

 

Kennedy Center Launches Family Theatre

Washington DC's Kennedy Center will launch its new Family Theatre with a production of "Alice" on December 9. "Alice," by Kim Hines, is based on a children's book written by Whoopi Goldberg... click here for more

 

Tommy Tune to Bring Dr. Dolittle to Houston Stage

Nine-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune is slated to star in and direct "Dr. Dolittle," the stage musical based on the 1967 movie of the same title and Hugh Lofting's "The Doctor Dolittle Stories."... click here for more