Jessica Lewis - Page 60

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today eight plays to be developed at the 2011 National Playwrights Conference (NPC) under the leadership of Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg. The selected playwrights will spend the month of July at the O'Neill's campus developing and presenting staged readings of their work during the NPC's 47th season. Tickets for these readings go on sale Wednesday, June 8. Advanced ticket sales for O'Neill Members will be available Monday, May 16

JERUSALEM, the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning play by Jez Butterworth and starring Tony and Olivier Award-winner Mark Rylance (Boeing-Boeing, La Bête), began previews on April 2, at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street). The production, directed by Ian Rickson, opens tonight, April 21 and will play a limited 16-week engagement.

Jujamcyn Theaters and True Colors Theatre Company have announced the 3rd Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition, featuring high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, and Seattle performing monologues by the legendary American playwright, to take place on Monday, May 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The event is free and open to the public!

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will present the 25TH ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION on Monday, April 25 (4:30 PM) and Tuesday, April 26 (2 PM) at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street). The event celebrates and concludes six intensive weeks of fundraising by the theatre community benefiting BC/EFA.

Broadway's HIGH, starring Kathleen Turner, will close this Sunday, April 24. As of that date, it will have played 28 previews and 8 regular performances. HIGH is currently playing at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street).

The full company is announced for the final season of The Bridge Project featuring Kevin Spacey, artistic director of The Old Vic, in the title role of Richard III. The Bridge Project will open at The Old Vic in London on June 29, 2011 and then embark on an international tour including the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Spain's Centro Niemeyer, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Singapore Repertory Theatre, arriving at BAM's Harvey Theater in New York in January 2012. Further international tour dates to be announced shortly.

Madea's Big Happy Family premiered in L.A. yesterday, April 19 at the Cinerama Dome theater. Tyler Perry and company were on hand to celebrate and BroadwayWorld brings you photo coverage below.

Olivier-Award winning Theatre503 continues its commitment to new writers with the UK premiere of Sold. The show, which opens tomorrow, 21 April, a biting comedy set in the cut-throat world of property sales, where the drive for material success eclipses the desire for meaningful relationships. The original Australian production of Sold was developed by Cicely Berry of the RSC and played to critical acclaim, receiving the TheatreLAB Award 2006. BroadwayWorld brings you production photos below.

Gladys Knight will headline the Amtrak presents the National Train Day 2011 Rock'n the Rail Way Concert to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) on May 5, 2011. The concert also serves as the kick-off to the fourth annual National Train Day.

SISTER ACT began preview performances March 24 and opens tonight Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Watch the cast in a special preview montage below for a sneak peek!

Music Director Steven Reineke has announced that Tyne Daly, Tom Wopat, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar, Tony DeSare, Michele Lee and Jamie Barton have joined the roster of guest artists to perform at The New York Pops' 28th Birthday Gala, Celebrate Hope, on May 2, 2011. A grand gala evening celebrating the legacy of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and honoring decades of support by Interpublic Group, the event begins at 7:00 PM with a concert at Carnegie Hall featuring a special lineup of concert artists, followed by a black tie dinner and dance held at the luxurious Plaza Hotel.

On April 11, 2011, Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre honored esteemed stage and screen actress Bernadette Peters with the company's second Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The 2011 Sondheim Award Gala was chaired by Ted and Mary Jo Shen; Honorary Hosts include Stephen Sondheim, Helen Henderson, His Excellency Gary Doer and Ms. Ginny Devine, The Honorable James Moran, His Excellency Giulio Terzi and Ms. Antonella Cinque, and The Honorable Jim Webb and Mrs. Webb. The Sondheim Award Gala helped to benefit Signature Theatre's numerous artistic, education, and community programs. Last year's recipient was stage, screen, and television icon Angela Lansbury. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you official photo coverage of the event. Click here for BroadwayWorld's own recap of the event.

The New York Times reports today that the Judy Garland tribute show, End Of The Rainbow by Peter Quilter, a play about her last months before overdosing on drugs in 1969 is aiming for a Broadway run in the Spring of 2012. A spokesperson for the production told the Times that 'the Broadway production would star the British actress Tracie Bennett, reprising her London performance as Garland. Ms. Bennett, a two-time winner of the Olivier Award (London's version of the Tony Awards) for best supporting performance in a musical, was nominated for a best actress Olivier this year for her work as Garland. 'End of the Rainbow' would be her Broadway debut.'

Look who dropped into Cherbourg! Liza Minnelli swung by the Gielgud Theatre to meet Meow Meow and the company of 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.' After a quick lesson in how to Di Gue Ding Ding, Liza is given a perf of show's finale by the full company.

Yesterday, April 18, the Renaissance Hotel was host to the 'Live Below the Line' charity benefit for global poverty in London. Hugh Jackman, Bonnie Wright, among others partook in the event. Founded by Australians, The Global Poverty Project's vision is a world without extreme poverty within a generation. The organization works to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty. They have developed 1.4 Billion Reasons - a simple yet ground-breaking presentation, that is travelling the world, inspiring and empowering audiences in its path.

Yesterday, April 18, Robert Pattinson's Wax sculpture was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Berlin, Germany. BroadwayWorld brings you a look at his wax likeness and swooning fans below. Pattinson is now onscreen opposite Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in Water For Elephants.

Yesterday, April 18, Belt Up Theatre's all male production of 'MacBeth' opened at The House of Detention in London with Dominic Allen in the title role.

The Normal Heart begins its limited 12-week engagement tonight, April 19 at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), with an official opening night set for Wednesday, April 27.

Yesterday, April 18, Christopher Walken was a featured guest at the 'Incontri con il Cinema Americano' (Meeting With American Cinema') at Auditorium Park Musik in Rome. Walken has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New York, True Romance, Catch Me If You Can, Pulp Fiction, Wedding Crashers, The Rundown, Click, and Hairspray as well as music videos by recording artists such as Madonna, Journey and Fatboy Slim.

HIGH opens tonight, Tuesday, April 19th 2011 at the Booth Theatre. HIGH stars Kathleen Turner, two-time Golden Globe winner, Academy Award & Tony Award nominee as 'Sister Jamison Connelly'. HIGH is a new play by Matthew Lombardo and directed by Rob Ruggiero.