Michael Mayer News

AMERICAN IDIOT will make its Seattle premiere on June 5 at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre as part of the KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount series. (more...)

The 2012 Drama Critics Circle aAards were presented at a cocktail reception last night, May 14, at Angus McIndoe Restaurant. Sons of the Prophet, written by Stephen Karam, won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2011-2012 season. The award for Best Foreign Play went to Tribes, written by Nina Raine. Once received the award for Best Musical. BroadwayWorldd brings you photos from the ceremony below! (more...)

The loveable characters from Charles Schulz’s iconic comic strip Peanuts learn life’s lessons in the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The production, which is directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, begins previews at the Avon Theatre on May 15. (more...)

NBC has released a clip from its new medical drama, DO NOT HARM which will star stage veterans Steven Pasquale, Phylicia Rashad and Michael Esper. View a sneak peek of the new series as well as an interview with Pasquale below! (more...)

NBC announced today an ambitious new primetime lineup for the 2012-13 primetime season that combines one of the top-quality returning lineups on television with a new fall edition of the red-hot musical competition "The Voice" and a crop of six new scripted series in the fall and four at mid-season. (more...)

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld’s ongoing interview series with the stars and creative team of NBC’s hit musical drama series SMASH with a Broadway/Hollywood leading man who first made his mark on the stage creating a role in the Tony Award-winning TITANIC after having appeared in BLOOD BROTHERS and CAROUSEL and who has since starred in productions as diverse as SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, NEXT TO NORMAL, SHREK and many more - the jovial and multi-talented Brian d'Arcy James. Discussing all aspects of his role on SMASH as well as cluing us in on what we can expect from Monday’s highly awaited season finale, d'Arcy James and I also take a look back at his career onstage thus far and he shares fond recollections of working on TITANIC, SWEET SMELL, SHREK, NEXT TO NORMAL, TIME STANDS STILL and THE WILD PARTY Off-Broadway as well as offers his observations of his collaborators and co-stars in each endeavor. Plus, Brian also reveals his other current TV project: his character arc on Showtime’s dramedy THE BIG C, starring his TIME STANDS STILL co-star Laura Linney and previous John Benjamin Hickey, that begins this Sunday and continues through the rest of this month. Additionally, we also discuss his upcoming 54 Below concerts June 26-30 - as well as his thoughtful and candid opinions on some of his favorite songwriters and his own songs. Plus, comments on his film roles in HBO's GAME CHANGE, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, an upcoming short film - and much, much more! (more...)

According to published reports, NBC has picked up medical drama, "Do Not Harm," which will star stage veterans Steven Pasquale and Michael Esper. Michael Mayer directs the pilot episode, which is written by executive producer David Schulner. Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan also produce. (more...)

Nashville Children’s Theatre will launch its 81st season with Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure—a full-length play by Steven Dietz, one of America’s top contemporary playwrights—running September 13-October 7 at the theater. (more...)

Last month, it was reported that SMASH creator and executive producer Theresa Rebeck would step down as showrunner for the television show before it returns for its second season. At the time, it was indicated that Rebeck would continue writing and producing for the show, but as the writer told Vulture, she's focusing on other projects and will not return in any capacity for SMASH's second season. (more...)

New York Stage and Film and Vassar College have announced the line-up of their 2012 Powerhouse Theater season. Season highlights will include: (more...)

Last night, April 28, at the Four Seasons San Francisco, more than 380 people celebrated Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre with actor Rita Moreno, who hosted an evening for theatre lovers, gourmands, and philanthropists. Moreno entertained the crowd with a series of songs and jokes. A gala held each year to benefit Berkeley Rep, ONSTAGE raised more than $510,000 to support the nonprofit’s artistic efforts and its education and outreach programs for the local community. (more...)

Aspen’s acclaimed Theater Masters will present its sixth annual “Take 10,” an evening of six 10-minute plays from award-winning MFA graduate playwriting students across the country as part of its National MFA Playwrights competition on May 1st – 5th at Off-Broadway’s The Studio Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street). (more...)

La MaMa will wrap up its 50th anniversary season with a its LA MAMA 50 BIG BASH on Sunday, June 24th with an evening of performances emceed by longtime La MaMa artist Andre DeShields at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place in Manhattan), it has been announced by Mia Yoo, Artistic Director of La MaMa, and Frank Carucci, President of the La MaMa Board of Directors. LA MAMA 50 BIG BASH begins at 6:00 p.m. (more...)

THE LYONS, which debuted last fall at the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Vineyard Theatre, officially opened last night, April 23, at the Cort Theatre. Previews began on April 5. THE LYONS comes to Broadway with its entire original cast: Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa along with Michael Esper, Kate Jennings Grant, Brenda Pressley and Gregory Wooddell. Mark Brokaw directs. BroadwayWorld was on hand for opening night, and we bring you photos from the starry opening night arrivals below! (more...)

This week on SMASH the show hit its peak insofar as synergy of story, plot, character and music - especially the music. Karen (Katharine McPhee) offered up a touching Snow Patrol cover, “Light Up”, but the big musical moments of the show stand alongside the finest on the series so far - at least. Yes, “1001 Nights” and “Second Hand White Baby Grand” were the most captivating musical sequences on the show since the pilot’s “National Pastime” and “Let Me Be Your Star”, seamlessly weaving together the disparate elements of the series and amplifying the emotion into a heightened, exuberant expression of the character’s deepest feelings, thoughts, hopes and wishes - exactly what the best numbers always do in the finest Broadway musicals, which SMASH is ostensibly about, more or less. The eleven episodes leading up to “Publicity” have prepared us perfectly well for the potential plights and victories about to be experienced by the colorful cast of characters as we enter the final triptych of Season One - with this one being a definite standout. Helmed by pilot director Michael Mayer and written by creator Theresa Rebeck, “Publicity” is surefire proof that SMASH has developed into a rewarding experience for the attentive viewers among us - the “1001 Nights” sequence alone so rife with detail pertaining to the entire arc of the character’s journey on the show so far; and so much more - and a consistently compelling viewing experience for those seeking out great song sequences done up in a grand style. While the barebones “Second Hand White Baby Grand” was outfitted with merely rehearsal accoutrement, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) made her big bid for the role of Marilyn Monroe in the musical-within-the-show and elicited every sentimental, sad, sweet and mournful note of perhaps the finest Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman original ballad yet to appear on the series. Yes, “1001 Nights” was the most extravagant entertainment experience presented thus far on SMASH - as promised by show stars Megan Hilty and Anjelica Huston weeks ago to me themselves - but the heart and soul of the series has always remained in the big ballads - look no further than the pilot’s “Beautiful” and aforementioned duet finale coup de tele-theatre - and “Second Hand White Baby Grand” was a stunning moment allowing a soul-barred Marilyn just as the characters begin to find their own new levels of intimacy in their various entanglements - romantic, familial, professional, personal and otherwise. “Publicity” proved SMASH is set to hit high gear for the Boston tryout of BOMBSHELL that will close out the first season over the course of the next three weeks. (more...)

The Tisch School of the Arts at New York University's annual gala, held yesterday, April 19 at the New York Marriott Marquis, hosted a slew of distinguished alumni, including Martin Scorsese, Alec Baldwin, Bill Paxton and James Paxton, Jonathan Tisch, Spike Lee and more! BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the star-studded event below! (more...)

Aspen’s acclaimed Theater Masters will present its sixth annual “Take 10,” an evening of six 10-minute plays from award-winning MFA graduate playwriting students across the country as part of its National MFA Playwrights competition on May 1st – 5th at Off-Broadway’s The Studio Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street). (more...)

Last night on SMASH, "Bombshell" was turned upside-down by the arrival of movie star Rebecca Duvall (special guest star Uma Thurman). Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) were drawn into an uneasy alliance against their new rival -- but could they overcome their history? The romance between Tom (Christian Borle) and Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) heated up, while Julia (Debra Messing) and Frank (Brian d'Arcy James) had to put aside their differences to address a family crisis. Miss the episode? Catch up below! (more...)

On tonight's episode of SMASH entitled 'The Movie Star', "Bombshell" is turned upside-down by the arrival of movie star Rebecca Duvall (special guest star Uma Thurman). Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) are drawn into an uneasy alliance against their new rival -- but can they overcome their history? The romance between Tom (Christian Borle) and Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) heats up, while Julia (Debra Messing) and Frank (Brian d'Arcy James) must put aside their differences to address a family crisis. The episode airs Monday, April 16 at 10:00 pm/ET on the NBC network. (more...)

Green Day is currently in the studio recording three albums – a trilogy entitled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! – that will be released by Reprise Records on Tuesday, September 25th 2012; Tuesday, November 13th 2012 and Tuesday, January 15th 2013 respectively. The albums are the follow-up to the Grammy®Award-winning 21st Century Breakdown, and are being produced by the band’s long-time producer Rob Cavallo. ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! are being recorded in their hometown of Oakland, CA. (more...)