John Kelly News

Mortar Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Bombs, Babes and Bingo by Merri Biechler. The experimental production, directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith, is performed at the mainstage of the newly renamed Luna Central, formerly Live Bait Theatre, 3914 North Clark Street, May 20 – June 17. (more...)

McDonagh’s plays are densely packed with vicious drama, wicked humor, savage truths, and deep humanity, while Senior uses her trademark vision, and Jack Magaw’s in-your-lap design, to cram McDonagh’s theatrical stew into a stage the size of a minivan—with no place to hide. McDonagh’s twisted family dramas were born for the intimacy of Redtwist. And after Kimberly’s uniquely creative staging of The Pillowman in 2009, it’s her time again. The theatre requested the performing rights two years ago, but the two-week visit by Druid Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare tied up the rights for one year prior and three months after their March, 2011, production. The request was granted last June, and the production opens on May 13. See photos from the show below! (more...)

Marc Straus in New York City will open its galleries May 5 - 6 to offer an early look at items featured in "Paper Trails", a unique auction of manuscripts, sketches, notes and drafts from selected artists that will help support Yaddo's artists' residency program. (more...)

The JAZZMATICS, a new contemporary jazz and R&B band, performed in public for the first time on April 22 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California. Individually, the group's members have accompanied such stars as Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Tower of Power, Santana, George Benson, Elton John, Kelly Clarkson, Bette Midler, Michael Jackson, and many more. Now they are coming together as The JAZZMATICS to create a blend of jazz, pop and funk. (more...)

The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, directed by Kimberly Senior, opens at Redtwist Theatre Sunday, May 13, at 3pm. (more...)

Mortar Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Bombs, Babes and Bingo by Merri Biechler. The experimental production, directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith, is performed at the mainstage of the newly renamed Luna Central, formerly Live Bait Theatre, 3914 North Clark Street, May 20 – June 17. Previews are Sunday, May 20 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press night is Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 1. Ticket prices are $15 for previews and $20 for the regular performance run and may be purchased at MortarTheatreCompany.org or at the Luna Central box office at 773.819.5862. (more...)

Investigation Discovery enters the 2012-13 upfront season with another record year of success, maintaining its title as the fastest-growing network in television1 and capitalizing on that momentum with the largest slate of original programming in network history. (more...)

The JAZZMATICS™, a new contemporary jazz and R&B band, will perform in public for the first time on April 22 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California. Individually, the group’s members have accompanied such stars as Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Tower of Power, Santana, George Benson, Elton John, Kelly Clarkson, Bette Midler, Michael Jackson, and many more. Now they are coming together as The JAZZMATICS to create a blend of jazz, pop and funk. (more...)

This year is shaping up to be the year of the Canucks on Broadway - with more Canadian representation on the Great White Way than ever before. One of those Canadians is Tony LePage, currently starring in Rock of Ages where he understudies all eight of the male roles. Tony started with the Toronto production of the show before moving to NYC, which he has called home for the last year. He took a few minutes to talk with BWW about what the journey has been like for him, and about why he hopes to continue to call NYC home. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. Written by and starring Drake, this drag tragicomedy with music is directed by Robert La Fosse (Tony Award nominee for Jerome Robbins' Broadway) featuring musical direction by Lance Cruce (Joan River's longtime pianist, Karen Finley's Make Love), original music by Trevor Kuprel, and video by Ned Stresen Reuter. Performances begin February 17th at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. (more...)

Theatre companies are always on the lookout for performance space. There are just not enough venues to house all the groups that have sprung up in the last few years. Even veteran companies have to sometimes choose unusual settings for their productions. Such is the case with BRIEFS, A FESTIVAL OF SHORT LESBIAN AND GAY PLAYS, which was performed at La Perla (February 24-26, 2012), which has probably seen more wedding receptions and private parties than play festivals over the years. However, the issue of space proved to be a non-factor, as a simple stage and just enough chairs allowed the festival to flourish, regularly selling out for every performance. I found it to be an enjoyable and entertaining excursion, myself, and was grateful for the opportunity to see an evening of short plays that centered around the subject of homosexuality, but brought to light different aspects than we're used to seeing. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. Written by and starring Drake, this drag tragicomedy with music is directed by Robert La Fosse (Tony Award nominee for Jerome Robbins' Broadway) featuring musical direction by Lance Cruce (Joan River's longtime pianist, Karen Finley's Make Love), original music by Trevor Kuprel, and video by Ned Stresen Reuter. Performances begin February 17th at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. Written by and starring Drake, this drag tragicomedy with music is directed by Robert La Fosse (Tony Award nominee for Jerome Robbins' Broadway) featuring musical direction by Lance Cruce (Joan River's longtime pianist, Karen Finley's Make Love), original music by Trevor Kuprel, and video by Ned Stresen Reuter. Performances begin February 17th at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. (more...)

STOPPED BRIDGE OF DREAMS, the newest work from the Obie Award-winning and MacArthur Fellow writer, director, multi-media innovator and long-time La MaMa artist John Jesurun. STOPPED BRIDGE OF DREAMS marks Mr. Jesurun's return to La MaMa for the first time in a decade. The production performs at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.), with a press opening set for Sunday, January 22. Heading the cast of STOPPED BRIDGE OF DREAMS is the celebrated downtown actress Black-Eyed Susan. (more...)

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake makes his long-awaited return to New York with the premiere of MY TAWNY VALENTINE. (more...)

On Wednesday, January 25, the world premiere of Investigation Discovery's series DARK MINDS at 10 PM became the network's highest Prime telecast ever for Women 18-49 (382k) delivery, and was also ID's highest night ever in Prime delivery for Women 18-49 (306k). (more...)

Featuring crimes as horrific as those committed by the infamous Green River Killer and the BTK Killer, DARK MINDS brings fresh eyes to unsolved serial killer cases using the combined instincts of three unique perspectives. The world premiere of DARK MINDS, an eight-part series, is Wednesday, January 25 at 10 PM ET on Investigation Discovery. (more...)

The celebrated Obie Award-winning and MacArthur Fellow writer, director, multi-media innovator and long-time La MaMa artist John Jesurun returns to La MaMa with a new work for the first time in a decade when La MaMa presents the world-premiere of Jesurun's STOPPED BRIDGE OF DREAMS with performances starting January 20, 2012 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St. in Manhattan), it has been announced by Mia Yoo, La MaMa's artistic director. (The press opening is scheduled for January 22.) (more...)