Washington, DC Theatre + Broadway News

Washington D.C.'s Ford's Theatre Closes 1776 Tonight, 5/19

(5/19/2012) The Ford’s Theatre Society recently announced that the Tony Award-winning musical “1776,” directed by Peter Flynn, has surpassed revenue records to become the highest grossing theatrical production since the historic theatre reopened as a working playhouse in 1968. But due to previous commitments by the actors and Ford’s Theatre, “1776” must close tonight, May 19, 2012.

BWW Reviews: E. Faye Butler in Concert at Center Stage

(5/18/2012) Baltimore welcomes E. Faye Butler in her all-new act, "What a Difference a Diva Makes".

ZEITGEIST to Feature Playwrights from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, 6/11-28

(5/18/2012) June 11-28, 2012 the international new play festival Zeitgeist: New Playwrights from Austria, Germany and Switzerland brings some of the most sought-after European playwrights and their works to Washington and New York for staged readings with the directors of leading theaters in each city: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, the Studio Theatre, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, and New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, and Soho Rep in New York City.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Announces Reading of Dustin Lance Black's '8,' 6/4

(5/17/2012) Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, today announced a one-night-only reading of 8, a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black.

Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of THE NORMAL HEART National Tour!

(5/16/2012) Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater produces the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, directed by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe, who directed the show’s sold-out Broadway engagement last season, mounts the professional D.C.-area premiere of this production, which features returning Broadway cast members Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, among others. Presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, The Normal Heart runs June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

1776 Breaks Records at Ford's Theatre

(5/15/2012) The Ford’s Theatre Society announced that the Tony Award-winning musical “1776,” directed by Peter Flynn, has surpassed revenue records to become the highest grossing theatrical production since the historic theatre reopened as a working playhouse in 1968. Due to previous commitments by the actors and Ford’s Theatre, “1776” must close Saturday, May 19, 2012.

The National New Play Network Announces 30th Rolling World Premiere: GUAPA by Caridad Svich

(5/14/2012) The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country’s alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 30th Rolling World Premiere: Caridad Svich’s Guapa will receive three productions through the Network’s Continued Life of New Plays Fund in the 2012/13 season, the Network’s 15th.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Announces Tweet-Up for MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY, 5/26

(5/14/2012) Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces their second Tweet-Up for the World Premiere of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play on Saturday, May 26th at 5:30pm.

Washington Stage Guild Extends Shaw's WIVES & WITS thru May 27

(5/12/2012) WIVES & WITS, OVERRULED & VILLAGE WOOING by George Bernard Shaw has been extended at Washington Stage Guild through May 27.

BWW TV Seattle Exclusive: Behind the Scenes of Kristin Chenoweth on Tour!

(5/11/2012) BroadwayWorld Seattle was granted EXCLUSIVE access to Kristin Chenoweth's debut performance of her new (and first ever) tour, which opened in Seattle on Wednesday night ... and received a whopping NINE standing ovations for a show unlike we had ever seen.

Chicago Human Rhythm Project to Make Kennedy Center Debut in December

(5/10/2012) The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present Chicago Human Rhythm Project's (CHRP) "JUBA! Masters of American Tap" December 7, 2012 in a rare, full-length performance of American concert tap dance.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Hires New Connectivity Director and Announces Programming for MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY

(5/10/2012) Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company will announce the hire of Jocelyn Prince as the theatre’s new Connectivity Director.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre Presents THE ALL NEW GRAND OLE HEE HAW HOOTENANNY HOEDOWN JAMBOREE, 5/10

(5/10/2012) Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) presents an original ensemble created production for the Fredneck in all of us, The All New Grand Ole Hee Haw Hootenanny Hoedown Jamboree. The title says it all, the Jamboree is sure to have you busting a gut, tapping your toes, singing along and pulling the straw from your teeth. The show will feature hilarious original sketches and a revolving roster of guest artists and musical acts. Directed by MET Artistic Director Tad Janes and Associate Artistic Directors Gené Fouché and Julie Herber, the show runs from tonight, May 10 through June 3 every Thursday through Sunday at the MET, located in the historic FSK hotel at 31 W Patrick Street.

Helen Hayes-Winning Factory 449 Productions Presents THE ICE CHILD Now thru 6/3

(5/10/2012) THE ICE CHILD, presented by Factory 499, performs tonight, May 10 to June 3 at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint (916 G Street, NW). Performances are Thursday – Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm with Pay-What-You-Can performances May 17 & 18 (8pm). An additional Pay-What-You-Can Industry Night performance is scheduled for Monday, May 20 (8pm). Press night is May 19 at 8pm.

President Obama Honors Burt Bacharach and Hal David with The Gershwin Prize Tonight, 5/9

(5/9/2012) President Obama welcomed guests to the East Room at the White House tonight, May 9, for the In Performance at the White House series. The program honored Burt Bacharach and Hal David, legendary songwriters, with The Gershwin Prize. The following is a transcript of the president's award presentation.

MEMPHIS Comes to Kennedy Center Opera House, 6/12-7/1

(5/9/2012) The Kennedy Center presents Memphis in the Opera House from June 12 to July 1, 2012.

BWW Reviews: THE WHIPPING MAN at Center Stage

(5/9/2012) "Let My People Go" given a new meaning in this terrific production

STC Finishes 25th Anniversary Season With THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, 6/12-7/15

(5/9/2012) The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, brings its celebrated 25th Anniversary Season to an end with William Shakespeare’s riotous romp The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by celebrated British director Stephen Rayne. The production marks the first performance of this comedic favorite at STC in more than a decade. Merry Wives will take place in the Company’s Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from June 12-July 15, 2012.

July 23 Performance of Arena's THE NORMAL HEART to Benefit Washington AIDS Partnership

(5/9/2012) Coinciding with AIDS 2012, the biennial International AIDS Conference in D.C. July 22-27, 2012, Arena Stage will host a special benefit performance of The Normal Heart along with the Washington AIDS Partnership Monday, July 23 at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Arena Stage Hosts 'Voices of Now' Festival Now thru 5/12

(5/9/2012) Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater hosts a four-day festival featuring performances by 11 youth ensembles from the Community Engagement program Voices of Now. The festival will bring together more than 150 young artists, ages 11-23, from D.C., Maryland and Virginia who have been working with professional theater artists from Arena Stage for eight months to devise original one-act plays. The ensembles will come together today, May 9 through May 12, 2012 to perform and discuss their work in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE Honors Burt Bacharach and Hal David Tonight, 5/9

(5/9/2012) Tonight, May 9th, as part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who will be awarded the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President Obama will present the award as he did in 2010 and 2009, when the Library of Congress honored Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, respectively. The program will include performances by Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Mike Myers, Rumer, Arturo Sandoval, Sheléa and Stevie Wonder.

President Obama Nominates National Council on the Arts' De Leon & Kang for Key Administration Posts

(5/8/2012) Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts: Maria Lopez De Leon, member, National Council on the Arts, and Emil J. Kang, member, National Council on the Arts.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Launches FREE THE BEAST

(5/8/2012) Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces the public launch of its fundraising campaign Free the Beast, an innovative effort that will support the production of 25 new plays starting 2012 through 2022.

Keegan Theatre Presents SPRING AWAKENING, 6/2

(5/8/2012) The Keegan Theatre will present a special engagement of Spring Awakening, opening June 2, 2012 at the Church Street Theater in Washington, DC. Winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening is based on the play by Frank Wedekind, and features a book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik.

Kennedy Center's FIRST YOU DREAM, Featuring Leslie Kritzer, Patina Miller, et al. Opens 6/8

(5/8/2012) The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater June 8 to July 1, 2012.

'Multimedia Opera' OCEANIC VERSES to Premiere This Summer at the Kennedy Center and River to River

(5/8/2012) Paola Prestini's multimedia opera Oceanic Verses is described as :the most ambitious undertaking of her career to date, and the one that best reveals her sensibility. With her collaborators—including the film artist Ali Hossaini, the librettist Donna Di Novelli and the directorKevin Newbury—Prestini has expanded the work from a 35-minute oratorio to an evening-length opera commissioned by VisionIntoArt and produced by her frequent cohort, Beth Morrison Projects in association with Washington Chorus and Trinity Wall Street."

George Brant's GROUNDED Wins 2012 NNPN Smith Prize; Reading Set for 6/8 in KC

(5/7/2012) The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country’s alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, has announced the winner of the 2012 Smith Prize for a new play on American political themes: George Brant’s Grounded, the powerful, surprising story of an F-16 pilot who gets “repurposed” to fly drones following her unexpected pregnancy. In addition to upcoming development stints with the New Harmony Project and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Grounded will receive a staged reading at NNPN’s Annual Conference at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, MO on June 8, directed by Artistic Director Cynthia Levin.

Helen Hayes-Winning Factory 449 Productions Presents THE ICE CHILD 5/10-6/3

(5/7/2012) THE ICE CHILD, presented by Factory 499, performs May 10 to June 3 at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint (916 G Street, NW). Performances are Thursday – Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm with Pay-What-You-Can performances May 17 & 18 (8pm). An additional Pay-What-You-Can Industry Night performance is scheduled for Monday, May 20 (8pm). Press night is May 19 at 8pm.

STC Hosts 10th Anniversary of Will on the Hill Tonight, 5/7

(5/7/2012) This month marks the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 10th year of celebrating the enduring power of Shakespeare’s words with the aid of Washington’s politicians, lobbyists and journalists. This year’s Will on the Hill is marked by a performance of Speak the Speech, I Pray You!, an original play by Peter Byrne with assistance from The West Wing Writers Group. Will on the Hill takes place tonight, May 7, 2012, in Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). The evening begins with a VIP cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. and a buffet dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Closes DC Premiere of ARIAS WITH A TWIST Tonight, 5/6

(5/6/2012) Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company presents the DC premiere of Arias with a Twist created by "drag chanteuse extraordinaire" Joey Arias (performer) and master puppeteer Basil Twist (director). Arias with a Twist runs through tonight, May 6 at 7pm.

XANADU Closes Signature's 22nd Season, Running Now thru 7/1

(5/6/2012) Signature Theatre closes out its 2011/12 season sporting funky legwarmers and wielding neon glow sticks with the Washington premiere of the musical comedy hit Xanadu. Beginning performances tonight, May 6th, Xanadu will be transforming Signature’s MAX Theatre into one big disco-ball heaven – complete with satin shorts and roller skates! Nominated for four Tony Awards® (including “Best Musical”), the musical features a Book by Douglas Carter Beane, with Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. Xanadu will play at Signature from tonight, May 6, 2012 through July 1, 2012. Tickets are now on sale.

Dupont Festival Presents Keegan Theatre's 'Music in the Circle' Today, 5/5

(5/5/2012) As part of the ongoing slate of Dupont Festival events, The Keegan Theatre presents a special performance, "Music in the Circle" today, May 5, 2012 at the Dupont Circle Park in Washington, DC.

Casting Announced for World Premiere of THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE at Imagination Stage, 6/20-8/12

(5/4/2012) Imagination Stage, in a collaboration with The Washington Ballet, has announced casting for its world premiere summer production, THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE. In this fusion of theater, dance, and puppetry, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, the roles of the four children are played jointly by an actor and a dancer, and the courageous lion Aslan is portrayed by a life-size puppet operated by three actor/puppeteers, similar to the puppets used in the Broadway production WAR HORSE.

IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE to Honor Burt Bacharach and Hal David, 5/9

(5/4/2012) On Wednesday, May 9th, as part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who will be awarded the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President Obama will present the award as he did in 2010 and 2009, when the Library of Congress honored Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, respectively. The program will include performances by Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Mike Myers, Rumer, Arturo Sandoval, Sheléa and Stevie Wonder.

Philippa Hughes, Jennifer Tress and More to Appear on The Charlie Visconage Show, Returning 5/4

(5/4/2012) The Charlie Visconage Show makes a triumphant return tonight, May 4th. Guests to appear on the show include Philippa Hughes, Jennifer Tress, Kristina Bilonick and more.

Full Cast Announced for THE NORMAL HEART Tour!

(5/3/2012) Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater produces the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, directed by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe, who directed the show’s sold-out Broadway engagement last season, mounts the professional D.C.-area premiere of this production, which features returning Broadway cast members Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, among others. Presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, The Normal Heart runs June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

Voting Opens for the 2012 BroadwayWorld.com Awards - Vote Now on the Best of the New York Season!

(5/3/2012) The TONY Awards Nominators had their say earlier this week and now it's your turn! We're pleased to announce that voting has now opened for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

Signature's Artistic Director, Eric Schaeffer, to Receive Honorary Doctorate from Kutztown University

(5/3/2012) Kutztown University officials will award an honorary doctorate degree to alumnus and Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (’84) at a spring 2012 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12 at 2:00pm.

Forum Theatre's THE ILLUSION Set for 5/24 - 6/6, Silver Spring - Directed by Mitchell Hébert

(5/3/2012) After sold out houses and 8 Helen Hayes nominations for Angels in America, Forum Theatre returns to the work of Tony Kushner with The Illusion (freely adapted from Pierre Corneille's L'illusion comique) from May 24 – June 16, 2012 with opening night on May 26. The show is directed by Mitchell Hébert.