Amirah Vann News

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) just announced initial casting for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Michael Cassara Casting serves as the resident casting office for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals, taking place on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

The 52nd Street Project makes a difference in the lives of Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) kids by pairing them with theater professionals who mentor them through the creation of original theater. For its cornerstone acting program, the One-on-One series takes a group of ten Project kids out of town to a country retreat for a week in the summer. Each child is assigned a playwright who is charged to write a musical specifically for that child. The shows are rehearsed over the course of the week and performed informally for the community in the retreat setting. Upon returning to Manhattan, the plays are performed at the Project's Five Angels Theater (789 Tenth Avenue, 2nd floor, NYC), supported by professional designers and crews who volunteer their services.

The 52nd Street Project makes a difference in the lives of Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) kids by pairing them with theater professionals who mentor them through the creation of original theater. For its cornerstone acting program, the One-on-One series takes a group of ten Project kids out of town to a country retreat for a week in the summer. Each child is assigned a playwright who is charged to write a musical specifically for that child. The shows are rehearsed over the course of the week and performed informally for the community in the retreat setting. Upon returning to Manhattan, the plays are performed at the Project's Five Angels Theater (789 Tenth Avenue, 2nd floor, NYC), supported by professional designers and crews who volunteer their services.

Two River Theater in Red Bank continues their 20th Anniversary Season with 'Trouble in Mind' a play by Alice Childress. This entertaining production has excellent direction, an outstanding cast and a relevant social theme. Area audiences should put this on their must-see list.

City Theatre opens its 2013-2014 season with the zany Broadway comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. Written by Christopher Durang and directed by Tracy Brigden, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spikeruns on City Theatre's Mainstage from tonight, October 12 to November 3, 2013, with an Opening Night performance on Friday, October 18 at 8pm.

City Theatre opens its 2013-2014 season with the zany Broadway comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. Written by Christopher Durang and directed by Tracy Brigden, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spikeruns on City Theatre's Mainstage from October 12 to November 3, 2013, with an Opening Night performance on Friday, October 18 at 8pm.

Philadelphia Theatre Company has announced that an agreement has been reached with IATSE Local 8, the union representing the stagehand employees. The agreement needs to be ratified by the union leadership and the Philadelphia Theatre Company board of directors.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader merge in Katori Hall's award-winning drama The Mountaintop, receiving its Philadelphia premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company on January 18-February 17 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Patricia McGregor, the two-person cast features Sekou Laidlow and Amirah Vann. BroadwayWorld has a promo video below.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader merge in Katori Hall's award-winning drama The Mountaintop, receiving its Philadelphia premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company on January 18-February 17 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Patricia McGregor, the two-person cast features Sekou Laidlow and Amirah Vann.

This Tuesday, November 16, at the New 42nd Street Studios, a new musical, Shoot the Piano Player, will be presented in two readings.

This Tuesday, November 16, at the New 42nd Street Studios, a new musical, Shoot the Piano Player, will be presented in two readings.

Welcome to Arroyo's is written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Jaime Castañeda

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the cast and creative team for the West Coast Premiere of Kristoffer Diaz's Welcome to Arroyo's. Directed by Jaime Castañeda, the hip hop-infused play will run in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre Sept. 25 - Oct. 31. Previews run Sept. 25 - Sept. 29. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Welcome to Arroyo's will also be performed at Lincoln High School Center for the Arts Nov. 6 and 7 as part of the Globe's Southeastern San Diego Residency Project. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, recently awarded the 2010 Regional Theater Tony Award, has announced cast members for this summer's National Playwrights Conference.

Broadway, film, and television stars including - Alec Baldwin '94 (30 Rock), Broadway legend Elaine Stritch (At Liberty), Rainn Wilson '89 (The Office) and Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) - were all on hand at Tisch on Stage, the annual gala benefiting NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Baldwin, along with philanthropist and patron of the arts Iris Cantor; inventor, philanthropist, and patron of Tisch's Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Maurice Kanbar; and 'architect of American regional theater' Zelda Fichandler were honored at the gala on November 17th at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.