Faetra Petillo - Page 116

Michael Riedel of the New York Post is reporting this morning that Cedric The Entertainer might be joining John Leguizamo in the upcoming revival of American Buffalo on Broadway.

Working Theater presents the world premiere of KING OF SHADOWS, a new Off-Broadway play by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, author of GOOD BOYS AND TRUE, BASED ON A TOTALLY TRUE STORY and DARK MATTERS, set to begin previews September 2, prior to its official press opening September 7 at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue) in Manhattan.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced complete casting for A Flea in Her Ear, a new version of George Feydeau's farce by David Ives, directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando (Urinetown).

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director), Off-Broadway's preeminent theater company, will honor Tony Award-winning actress Patti LuPone and The Baruch-Routh-Frankel-Viertel Group at this year's Primary Stages 24th Anniversary Gala Benefit to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (109 East 42nd Street) on Monday, October 27, 2008.

According to Variety, Thomas C. Short, the president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will be stepping down from his position.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company launches its Steppenwolf for Young Adults 2008-2009 Season with The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov. The production, featuring James T. Alfred, Shanesia Davis, Anthony Fleming III and Nambi E. Kelley, runs October 21 - November 9, 2008 in the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Tickets are available to the general public for weekend performances only, with all additional shows reserved for school groups. The press performance is Saturday, October 25 at 11 a.m.

Wordmonger presents the World Premiere of THE INVITATION by Brian Parks beginning September 5 at The Ohio Theater in SoHo.

Berkshire Theatre Festival presents Samuel Beckett's classic tragicomedy Waiting for Godot, directed by Anders Cato, at the Unicorn Theatre.

Steve Solomon's hit comedy, MY MOTHER'S ITALIAN, MY FATHER'S JEWISH & I'M IN THERAPY!, will conclude its nearly two-year New York run on Sunday, August 24th at The Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street, between 9th & 10th Aves.) after 724 performances (including 40 previews).

On today, July 29th, 2008 the new Idina Menzel Fan Club was launched.

On Monday, August 11th at 11:30pm, 'Scott Nevins' Curtain Call' will host Broadway's Leslie Krtizer at Splash.

The cast of the landmark Broadway musical Rent will perform as part of the 'Good Morning America' Summer Concert Series on Friday, August 1, between the hours of 8am and 9am in Bryant Park, 41 Street and Sixth Avenue.

A Contemporary Theatre's production of the brilliantly constructed social comedy Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn will run from August 15-September 14. Exploring the consequences of our tiniest everyday decisions, this laugh-out-loud farce mines the space between the lives we hoped for and the lives we have. Two actors, Seattle favorites Marianne Owen and R. Hamilton Wright, play six characters whose crucial decisions determine the course of the story on any given night. Four possible endings and without-a-net acting make Ayckbourn's riotous investigation of fate and free will a blast for audience and cast alike. 'Ayckbourn has created in very human terms a description of how capricious fate is,' said ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie. 'It's a dazzling tour de force for great comedic actors. And a hilarious description of our chaotic universe. It is one of Ayckbourn's greatest plays and speaks to us vividly about a lack of emotional and spiritual compass that most of us experience today.' Written by one of the world's most popular and prolific professional playwrights, Intimate Exchanges is comprised of eight plays generated from a single opening scene. At the end of each scene, a choice is made and the play divides into its various permutations from this, leading to a basic structure of one prologue; two first scenes; four second scenes; eight third scenes and sixteen fourth scenes. Although there are 16 different permutations, the play is split into eight distinct plays, each of which has an alternate ending. 'The female character makes a decision in the first few lines of the play and from that two quite different scenes develop. The play is about those tiny decisions we all make in our lives that lead to bigger consequences. It's a huge concept and is very difficult as there are just two actors playing a total of ten roles. All the characters are very different and it is a feat of memory for the actors to learn about 16 to 17 hours worth of dialogue. After a production like this you don't have a nerve in your body because it can't get any worse!' said Ayckbourn in an interview with Scarborough Evening News, January 4, 2006. Intimate Exchanges is rarely performed featuring all 16 storylines due to the inherent challenges of navigating the quick-changes necessary to keep the momentum of the play, not to mention the need for two actors capable of convincingly playing multiple characters-all with different dialects, looks, ages and emotional states, and often occupying disparate physical spaces. ACT will stage two possible story lines, each with two possible endings for a total of four different plays. Four set scenarios are being designed, along with 24 costumes showcased in more than 30 changes averaging 30-seconds each! All carried out by a master team of dressers and the stellar acting talents of Owen and Wright. 'It's a great challenge for the director and actors because it needs to move speedily and with nuance,' concluded Beattie. Audiences will have an opportunity to see all four versions based on a pre-determined schedule (see below) which will be made available online and in the lobby space. Director Kurt Beattie, the cast and production team members are available for interviews. Pre-production photos will be available by August 1. To learn more about the playwright, visit Alan Ayckbourn's official website: www.alanayckbourn.net. For more information about ACT's production or to arrange interviews, please contact Jacquelyn Rardin at (206) 292-7660 ext. 1327 or jacquelyn.rardin@acttheatre.org.

Cape Rep has announced the final addition to its critically acclaimed 2008 Season. dirty BLONDE by Claudia Shear will open in Cape Rep's Indoor Theatre on September 18 for a run through October 19.

Today it was announced that GUYS AND DOLLS will open on Broadway for the first time in 17 years in the spring of 2009 at a Nederlander Theatre to be announced. With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, this production is the first joint Broadway project by director Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo since Jersey Boys.

On August 10th, 2008 Charlotte d'Amboise will play her last performance at Cassie, and Jessica Lee Goldyn will play her last performance at Val in the Broadway musical A Chorus Line.

The seventh episode of the showbiz-themed web series 'The Battery's Down,' which chronicles the life of a young performer in New York City, will feature two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, 42nd Street), and Tony Award nominees Carolee Carmello (Mamma Mia!, Parade), Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT, Les Miserables), and Andrea McArdle (Annie, State Fair). Also appearing in the episode are Broadway's Tyler Maynard (The Little Mermaid, Altar Boyz), Celisse Henderson (Godspell), and Haviland Stillwell (Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof). Additionally, expect an appearance by R Family Cruise team member Colin Sheehan.

America's longest running professional summer theatre, The Cape Playhouse, will proudly present the 1940's comedy Born Yesterday as their fifth summer offering. The production will star Leslie Kritzer as the dim-witted showgirl, Billie Dawn, along side Michael McGrath as the shrewd tycoon, Harry Brock. Born Yesterday opens on Monday, August 18th.

The von Trapp family villa in Salzburg, Austria was opened to the public for the first time this weekend.

Simon MacCorkindale will star as 'Captain Von Trapp' opposite Summer Strallen playing 'Maria' in the smash hit West End musical 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' at the London Palladium from Monday 25 August.