Alan Paton News

On Friday, February 25th, join Harlem Opera Theater in saluting black history month with excerpts from George Gershwin's jazz opera, Blue Monday, and Lost in the Stars by composer Kurt Weill at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

In April of 1949, Rodgers and Hammerstein shocked the Theatre World by writing a song for their new musical professing that humans developed racial prejudice by nurture and not by nature.  Later that same year, a scene in the new musical by Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill showed two racially different young boys innocently striking up a quick friendship, unaware of why anyone would object.

The New York stage is often a haven for self-destructive couples on display, but rarely is that self-destruction so bluntly in view as in Rajiv Joseph's intriguing Gruesome Playground Injuries.  The work of this imaginative playwright, who'll be making his Broadway debut later this season with his Pulitzer finalist, A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, grows more interesting with each new piece to hit town and director Scott Ellis' darkly funny Second Stage production is terrifically unsettling.

Chuck Cooper, Sherry Boone and Daniel Breaker talk about 'Lost in the Stars' at Encores!

Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center, will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

Kurt Weill's stage collaborations with Maxwell Anderson are being celebrated in New York this winter with rare back-to-back productions of "Knickerbocker Holiday" and "Lost in the Stars."

Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center, will feature Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman. Broadway Beat got an exclusive sneak peek!

Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center, will feature Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center.

On Friday, February 25th, join Harlem Opera Theater in saluting black history month with excerpts from George Gershwin's jazz opera, Blue Monday, and Lost in the Stars by composer Kurt Weill at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6, will feature Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington,Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone will star in in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman. Broadway Beat went behind the scenes in rehearsal to capture a first look!

Kurt Weill's stage collaborations with Maxwell Anderson are being celebrated in New York this winter with rare back-to-back productions of "Knickerbocker Holiday" and "Lost in the Stars."

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) rings in the New Year with William Shakespeare's romantic comedy As You Like It, staged by CST's Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin. The acting company for Griffin's lush production includes a host of Chicago Shakespeare favorites who have collectively performed over 100 roles at CST. Among the returning cast members are Kate Fry, performing the role of Rosalind in her seventh appearance at CST; Chaon Cross as Celia in her sixth CST appearance; Matt Schwader as Orlando in his ninth appearance; Phillip James Brannon as Touchstone in his fourth appearance; and longtime collaborators Ross Lehman as Jaques and Kevin Gudahl as Duke Senior, who return to CST to perform their respective 13th and 27th roles. Chicago Shakespeare Theater's As You Like It runs now through March 6, 2011, in CST's Courtyard Theater. Tickets are $44-$75 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

?Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) rings in the New Year with William Shakespeare's romantic comedy As You Like It, staged by CST's Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin.

?Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) rings in the New Year with William Shakespeare's romantic comedy As You Like It, staged by CST's Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced directors for the 2010-11 Encores! season: Kathleen Marshall will direct and choreograph the season opener, Bells Are Ringing, with music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opening on November 18, 2010. Gary Griffin will direct Lost in the Stars, with music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, opening on February 3, 2011. John Doyle will direct Where's Charley, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, with book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, opening on March 17, 2011. Music Director Rob Berman will conduct all three musicals.

Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones has joined the fall line-up for The New York Times's TimesTalks event series.