Helen Anker News

For a weightless and elegant good time, it would be hard to beat The Full Catastrophe, by Michael Weller, at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. There is not one thing in the story to tether it to reality, or trouble us with any true sense of its characters being in any kind of jeopardy, and the presentation of the whole farrago, under Ed Herendeen's direction, is smooth and amiable. This play is best consumed at the end of one's visit to this year's Festival, after sampling the weightier and more nutritional fare.

In a twist on the typical modern American romance, The Full Catastrophe shows just how funny and futile our modern ideas about love can be. Dr. Jeremy Cook is a successful linguist, now unemployed, and accepts a mysterious job offer from an eccentric businessman, Mr. Pillow. As part of the "Pillow Project", Jeremy becomes a live-in marriage counselor to fighting suburban couple Dan and Beth, as the couple tries to hide the fact they need counseling from their adolescent son, Robbie. Complications arise as Jeremy realizes he really has no idea how to work as a marriage counselor, having never been married before, and that he is falling in love with Beth, who reminds him of his old flame who got away. Directed by Ed Herendeen and written by Michael Weller, this sarcastic, sweet and witty update of your Leave It to Beaver-esque family will leave audiences rolling with laughter.

NEWSIES plays its final performance on Broadway this coming Sunday, August 24, but BroadwayWorld (and the rest of New York, we hope) isn't ready to let the musical leave just yet! All this week we're bringing you snapshots from the NEWSIES 'paper route' -- from the movie to how the show got to the Great White Way, to the show's still-burgeoning fandom, and its award-winning cast and creative team.

There's a reason My Fair Lady is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Not only does it feature a bunch of wonderful songs by Lerner and Loewe that have become classics, but it's based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion that deals with issues of class, gender, societal expectations, and the intersection of wealth and power. It's a musical that has style and substance. The Guthrie's gorgeous new production does well by this classic. The show is perfectly cast, the familiar music sounds great, the choreography is fantastic, and the sets and costumes are luscious. This hugely entertaining show is definitely a must-see summer blockbuster musical.

The Guthrie Theater opened My Fair Lady, the hummable, quotable, utterly enjoyable musical for the whole family. Playing for the first time at the Guthrie, under the direction of Joe Dowling, My Fair Lady features Helen Anker as Eliza Doolittle, Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle - all in their Guthrie debuts - and Jeff McCarthy as Professor Henry Higgins.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, July 6, 2014 - Sunday, July 6, 2014.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: NYMF kicks off tonight with a concert celebrating some of the musical theatre world's top composers, James Franco directs THE LONG SHRIFT off-Broadway and more!

The Guthrie Theater presents My Fair Lady, the hummable, quotable, utterly enjoyable musical for the whole family. Playing for the first time at the Guthrie, under the direction of Joe Dowling, My Fair Lady will feature Helen Anker as Eliza Doolittle, Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle - all in their Guthrie debuts - and Jeff McCarthy as Professor Henry Higgins. BroadwayWorld has a first look below!

The Guthrie Theater presents My Fair Lady, the hummable, quotable, utterly enjoyable musical for the whole family. Playing for the first time at the Guthrie, under the direction of Joe Dowling, My Fair Lady will feature Helen Anker as Eliza Doolittle, Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle - all in their Guthrie debuts - and Jeff McCarthy as Professor Henry Higgins. Performances began on the Wurtele Thrust Stage on Saturday, June 28, with an opening slated for tonight, July 4, 2014.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: It's the Fourth of July (yay!) and PBS's A CAPITOL FOURTH and NBC's MACY'S FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR round up some of the hottest talent from Broadway and the music scene tonight, THEATER TALK remembers 1776's Peter Stone, and Center Stage's digital project MY AMERICA launches on Fandor!

Known best as Bernadette in PRISCILLA - QUEEN OF THE DESERT, actor Tony Sheldon is in Minneapolis for the summer and is having fun with his role, exploring the city and working at the Guthrie.

The Guthrie Theater today announced casting for the production of My Fair Lady, the hummable, quotable, utterly enjoyable musical for the whole family. Playing for the first time at the Guthrie, under the direction of Joe Dowling, My Fair Lady will feature Helen Anker as Eliza Doolittle, Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle - all in their Guthrie debuts - and Jeff McCarthy as Professor Henry Higgins. Performances begin on the Wurtele Thrust Stage on Saturday, June 28. Single tickets start at $28 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) present The Music Box, An Evening of Lady Composers. Recent Tony-nominee Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody) is set to appear and Karen Azenberg (Artistic Director - Pioneer Theatre, Salt Lake City) will direct this special one-night-only concert event.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) present The Music Box, An Evening of Lady Composers. Recent Tony-nominee Keala Settle (Hands on a Hardbody) is set to appear and Karen Azenberg (Artistic Director - Pioneer Theatre, Salt Lake City) will direct this special one-night-only concert event.

BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the entire night. Check out photos of the cast and creative at the opening night party.

Pioneer Theatre Company's production of the perennial classic The Odd Couple is a sensational piece of theatre. Well directed, produced, designed, and performed, it hits the ball out of the park all around.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the iconic American comedy The Odd Couple, March 22 through April 6, 2013.

FIRE ISLAND DANCE FESTIVAL returned to Fire Island Pines for its 18th awe-inspiring edition, raising a record-breaking $374,260 through three weekend performances. FIRE ISLAND DANCE FESTIVAL 18, the hottest charity event of the season in the Pines, was presented July 20-22 and was produced by and benefitted Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

NEWSIES ran earlier this year at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey this September - October, opening to great reviews and sold out audiences. Now, the New York Times is first to report that NEWSIES will hit Broadway running from March 15 - June 10 at the Nederlander Theater in a new, $5 million dollar limited run production.