Radiohole Wins the Spalding Gray Award

Courtesy of publicist Alyssa Hart:

Performance Space 122 announces
Radiohole
as recipient of the
Third Spalding Gray Award

Performance Space 122 announced that Radiohole is the recipient of the third Spalding Gray Award. The award is a special commission created in Spalding Gray’s honor by Performance Space 122, together with Kathleen Russo, UCLA Live, and The Walker Arts Center. The recipient of this year’s award receives a full production in the 2009-10 seasons at P.S. 122 and The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, as well as a stipend for its creation. The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh was also announced as a partner in the award.

The announcement was celebrated at a performance the National Theater of the United States of America’s (NTUSA) Chautauqua! featuring Vallejo Gantner (P.S. 122’s Artistic Director) as the show’s “guest lecturer”. Radiohole, Kathleen Russo, widow of Spalding Gray, and their son Theo Gray, joined in the festivities and were also part of the show. The National Theater of the United States of America was the second recipient in 2007 and Chautauqua! was developed through the award. Chautauqua! continues at P.S. 122 through March 15.

According to Mr. Gantner, Radiohole were the perfect match for this year’s SGA “Because Radiohole embody a kind of constant kinetic chaos – dragging from source materials as varied as fried chicken, Greek and Norse myth, the music of Finding Nemo, and now Douglas Sirk and John Milton. In making their work and creating their space in Williamsburg they defined the genre on their terms, as they saw it or at least as they wished it to be sawn. [sic]”

By most accounts Radiohole was founded in 1998 not far from the International Bar on 2nd Avenue by Erin Douglass, Eric Dyer, Maggie Hoffman and Scott Halverson Gillette. They were then and are now splintered, intoxicated, out of their minds and in love. They have since produced nine original shows and toured in the U.S. and Europe. Their most recent production ANGER/NATION was seen at the Kitchen in September 2008. They premiered FLUKE at P.S 122 in the Spring of 2006. In 2000, Radiohole got together with the Collapsable Giraffe (sic) to found The Collapsable Hole, a former auto body shop (and before that, German restaurant) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that they and the Collapsable Giraffe converted to make their shared artistic home. Radiohole has supported the work of many of downtown & Brooklyn’s leading theatrical innovators through its Associated Holes program offering free or low cost rehearsal, development and performance space at the Collapsable Hole. Examples of such Associated Holes are NTUSA, Banana Bag & Bodice, Immediate Medium, ERS and Young Jean Lee's Theater Company to name a few.

In reaction to the upcoming production that will be developed Radiohole says, “Relative to previous attempts at explosion, this attempt will have a greater degree of heat. The little hairs on our hands may get singed off. It is our sincere hope, however, that given sufficient heat, we may be able to forge together the holes of many separate holes breeding sources into one great hole, erupting into a great ball of flame and emitting a full spectrum of noise; we will then dub this a Performance.”

They continue by saying, “As far as winning something called the Spalding Gray Award, it's wonderful (it's wonderful to win, especially when you are a loser baby) but I think it would be strange to win an award by that name and not be just a little freaked out... but we'll try to do with it what we always try to do, which is make something utterly confusing, bizarre, true, beautiful and a little bit wet. When you are given something called the Spalding Gray Award, I think you have to do that.”

The Andy Warhol Museum is pleased and honored to join Performance Space 122 and The Walker Arts Center as a partner of the Spalding Gray Award consortium. Since launching the Museum’s performance series, Off the Wall, with P.S.122 almost nine years ago, The Warhol has been committed to supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary performance, and this dynamic partnership is a perfect next step in the evolution of the series and supporting the creation and touring of new work.

The Spalding Gray Award supports gifted writer/performers who fully realize both aspects of Spalding’s legacy, who are fearless innovators of theatrical form, who reach into daily experience and create resonant, transcendent work that makes us all bigger, wider, wiser and, somehow, more than we were when we entered the theater. The Award Committee is Vallejo Gantner (P.S. 122), Philip Bither (Walker Arts Center), Ben Harrison (The Warhol), and Kathleen Russo.

Gray long considered P.S. 122 a creative home-base, and it is still home to his signature desk. Gray developed and created Morning, Noon and Night, Gray on Gray and Interviewing the Audience at P.S. 122, where he was working on Life Interrupted at the time of his death.

The two previous recipients include Heather Woodbury (2006), and National Theater of the United States of America (NTUSA) in 2007.

Performance Space 122 is New York's ultimate destination for cutting-edge theatre, dance, music, live art and cross-media. Founded in 1979, Performance Space 122 is dedicated to supporting and presenting artists whose work challenges the traditional boundaries of dance, theatre, music, and performance. Committed to exploring innovative form as well as material, P.S. 122 is steadfast in its search for pioneering artists from a diversity of cultures and points of view. www.ps122.org

The Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an internationally recognized contemporary art organization focused on the visual, performing and media arts of our time. The Walker's Performing Arts Program regularly commissions and presents a wide range of new performance work (as well as dance and new music) and presented the work of Spalding Gray through much of his career. www.walkerart.org

The Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is more than a museum; The Warhol is a vital forum in which diverse audiences of artists, scholars and the general public are galvanized through creative interaction with the art and life of Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Museum is ever-changing and constantly re-defining itself in relation to contemporary life, using its unique collections and dynamic, interactive programming as tools. www.warhol.org.

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Look Jewish? Talent New-ish? Your Agent Shrew-ish? Neil Simon Wants You!

Do you look like this? If so, look below for information that will put schmaltz on your kishkas.



I received this press release today from the good folks at Boneau Bryan-Brown.

Casting Search Underway for the Role of Eugene
in the Upcoming Revival of Neil Simon's
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Directed by David Cromer
Coming to Broadway, Fall 2009

A casting search is underway for the role of “Eugene Jerome” in the upcoming revival of Neil Simon’s award-winning play BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, coming to Broadway this fall at a theatre to be announced.

The revival of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS will be directed by David Cromer (The Adding Machine, Our Town). Rehearsals begin in September 2009. Preview and opening night dates are to be announced.

For the role of Eugene, the creative team is seeking male performers between the ages of 16 and 21 that are intelligent, attractive and have a winning personality, ironic sense of humor, and excellent comic timing. The play is about a family in Brooklyn, NY in 1937.

All headshots and resumes should be sent by snail mail to the following address:
Binder Casting
321 West 44th Street Suite 606
New York, NY 10036
ATTN: EUGENE

Or send materials via email:

The original Broadway production of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, directed by Gene Saks, opened on March 27, 1983 at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) and played 1,299 performances.

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Nosedive Productions Gets Nasty -- A Fundraiser

Today I received the following from James Comtois, via Pete Boisvert, both of Nosedive Productions:

Well, gang. As the old saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a free erection in this town” (yes, it’s a saying, I’m sure of it, don’t look at me like that). At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at Under St. Mark’s Theatre, we here at Nosedive Central are working under that paradigm with our latest spectacular fundraising show, Nosedive’s Disturbing Burlesque.

Sexy with a capital “creepy,” Nosedive’s latest fundraising caper offers an evening of lovely ladies performing unnerving burlesque acts guaranteed to make your pulse quicken and skin crawl. Hosted by that lovable rapscallion, Bastard Keith. Proceeds from the show go towards funding Nosedive Productions’ spring show, Infectious Opportunity.

And if for some insane reason you are unable to attend (seriously? You’re gonna miss out on a night of drinking and disturbing nudity?), you can always mitigate your guilt by donating to Nosedive Productions here. Details are below.

Disturbing the performers,

James “Handsy-Pants” Comtois
Nosedive Productions presents

Nosedive's Disturbing Burlesque
Lovely Ladies. Bastard Host. Disturbing Company.

Featuring Unwholesome Performances by Dirty Diva — Madame Rosebud — Nasty Canasta — Sapphire Jones. Hosted by Bastard Keith.

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
Doors open at 9 pm — Show at 10 pm
$20 Admission

Under St Marks Theatre
94 St. Marks Place, between 1st Ave. & Avenue A

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Page 73 Accepting Applications for 2010 Playwriting Fellowship

Courtesy of publicist Don Summa...

Page 73 Productions (Executive Directors, Liz Jones and Asher Richelli) has announced that it is currently accepting applications for the company’s 2010 P73 Playwriting Fellowship.

Applications, which are due May 1, 2009, may be found at www.p73.org/programs/p73-playwriting-fellowship.

The P73 Playwriting Fellowship provides year-long comprehensive support to one early-career playwright who has received neither wide public recognition nor substantial production opportunities in New York City. Through this program, Page 73 provides artistic and financial resources to one emerging playwright as he or she develops a new play that has not received substantial prior development support. For the fellowship year, the P73 Playwriting Fellow receives a cash stipend in the amount of $5,000 and development support in the amount of $10,000.

Past fellows are Kirsten Greenidge, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Jason Grote, Krista Knight and Tommy Smith. The 2009 P73 Playwriting Fellow is Heidi Schreck.

The P73 Fellowship is suited to writers who have concrete and reasonable goals that can be achieved through the resources provided by Page 73. These goals may include, but are not limited to, specific artistic objectives that relate to the development of a new play and assistance in building relationships within the New York City theater community.

At the start of the fellowship year, the fellow either must have clearly articulated a proposed project in his or her application or must have provided the first few pages of the new play. During the fellowship year, the fellow receives a cash grant. Additional funds are ear-marked to cover expenses for the grantee’s research, and workshop and reading presentations; such additional funds are used for fees for collaborating artists. The fellowship year includes at least one public presentation of the new play. Page 73 also supports the writer by helping the fellow identify collaborators, such as directors, designers, actors and dramaturgs, for the project.

The fellow is associated with Page 73 for the calendar year. After being selected, he or she works with Page 73’s producing directors to develop a plan for the year and establish a timeline for the development and production work to be done on the new play. The fellow is expected to be present in New York City from time to time to fully engage in the opportunities that the fellowship provides.

Page 73 develops and produces the work of early-career playwrights who have yet to receive substantial production opportunities in New York. Page 73 produces one New York or world premiere by an early-career playwright each year. In addition, Page 73 offers production-oriented development opportunities that help usher the works of early-career playwrights from first draft to final script. Page 73 awards the P73 Playwriting Fellowship each year to one untried playwright; during that year, the company serves as that fellow’s artistic home and offers a cash grant and development support to the writer. Past fellows are Kirsten Greenidge, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Jason Grote and Krista Knight. The current fellow is Tommy Smith. Page 73 also hosts a year-long writing group called “Interstate 73” (current members - Sarah Hammond, Josh Malmuth, Molly Rice, Matt Schatz, Tommy Smith and Cori Thomas) and a week-long summer residency at Yale for 4 to 5 early-career playwrights. Page 73 developed and produced the world premiere of Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue by Quiara Alegria Hudes (2007 Pulitzer finalist) and the New York premiere of 1001 by Jason Grote (Time Out New York - Top 10 of 2007). This past January, Page 73 produced with Soho Rep the world premiere of Sixty Miles to Silver Lake by Dan LeFranc, directed by OBIE winner Anne Kauffman. The company received from the League of Professional Theatre Women its 2008 Lucille Lortel Award for “innovative and creative work to emerging dramatists.”

For more information about Page 73 Productions or the P73 Playwriting Fellowship, visit http://www.p73.org/. For any inquiries, email info@p73.org.

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NEA Arts Journalism Institute Fellows Chosen

Good news for arts journalism -- if they can keep and/or find gigs going into the future. But for now, let's stay positive:

23 Top Journalists Chosen for Fellowships to USC Annenberg’s NEA Arts Institute

Twenty-three arts journalists have been chosen from 16 states to participate as fellows in the fifth National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater at USC Annenberg. Through the generous support of the NEA, the Institute will be conducted by USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism in Los Angeles from April 14 –24, 2009.

Participants in USC Annenberg’s 2009 NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater include theater critics, reporters and editors, as well as general arts & entertainment journalists. Most of them have shifted from print to online or are in the process of finding the balance between. Some also work in radio. The 23 NEA Fellows are:

Teresa Annas, arts writer, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
Marilyn Bauer, entertainment editor, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Stuart, Fla.
Marcos Cabrera, features reporter, Monterey County Herald, Calif.
Colin Dabkowski, arts writer, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Keli Dailey, content producer, San Diego Union-Tribune & SignOnSanDiego.com, Calif.
Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll, feature writer/editor, Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
Alicia Grega, current events editor, electric city/diamond city & the 570.com published by The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Rebecca Haithcoat, affiliated freelancer, Leo Weekly, Louisville, Ky.
Bob Hoover, book editor and theater critic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pa.
Daphne Howland, freelancer and contributing editor, Port City Life, Portland, Maine.
MiChelle Jones, freelance visual arts writer, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn.
Chris Klimek, affiliated freelancer, The Washington Post and DCist.com, D.C.
John Kuebler, affiliated freelancer, Cairn Magazine, Denver, Colo.
David Lefkowitz, publisher and editor-in-chief, TotalTheater.com, Hewlett, N.Y.
Evelyn McDonnell, freelance writer/editor, Miami Beach, Fla.
Manny Mendoza, affiliated freelancer, KERA Art&Seek, Dallas, Texas.
Michael Merschel, assistant arts editor, Dallas Morning News, Texas.
Roxana Orellana, theater writer, Salt Lake Tribune, Utah.
Laura Pieper, affiliated freelancer, The Tribune, Ames, Iowa.
Steve Rowland, independent documentary radio producer, Seattle, Wash.
Jim Rutter, freelance arts critic, The Broad Street Review, Philadelphia, Pa.
Alan Scherstuhl, freelance columnist, The Pitch, Kansas City, Mo.
Glen Weldon, affiliated freelancer, Washington City Paper, D.C.

“This exceptional group of journalists possesses the qualities we at Annenberg are dedicated to developing: innovation, engagement and leadership,” said Ernest J. Wilson III, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. “Despite challenging times, these arts journalists will be ready for the new transformations in journalism. We are pleased to offer them the opportunity to build their skills and create new ideas that will be to the ultimate benefit for all of us in the future.”

The groundbreaking program is part of a $1 million NEA initiative to offer intensive training for theater critics and their editors who work outside the country's major media markets.

“The NEA is pleased to welcome its fifth class of theater journalism fellows,” NEA acting chairman Patrice Walker Powell said. "As arts coverage continues to shrink on paper and expand online, USC Annenberg School for Communication has retooled its already exemplary program to help media professionals keep pace with current changes in their field. No matter what their medium, these arts journalists will return home ready to craft quality arts critical commentaries, reports and reviews for their communities.”

The 23 NEA Fellows will participate in a rigorous 10-day program that includes writing workshops and one-on-one master classes. Among the guest faculty are Mark Briggs, chief executive of Serra Media and author of Journalism 2.0: Survive and Thrive in the Digital Age; former Village Voice music critic, Robert Christgau, who now writes monthly for msn.com and The Barnes & Noble Review; Mary Lou Fulton, vice president of audience development, The Bakersfield Californian; Steven Leigh Morris, playwright and critic-at-large for L.A. Weekly; Dominic Papatola, theater critic, St. Paul Pioneer Press; and Jack Viertel, artistic director, New York City Center Encores!, and creative director, Jujamcyn Theaters. Entrepreneurship journalism training is emphasized, as well as multimedia and digital skill-building with Douglas McLennan, editor and founder of ArtsJournal.com. Nine performances will be attended, including Theresa Rebeck‘s “Mauritius” directed by Jessica Kubzansky at the Pasadena Playhouse and “Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara” directed by Taylor Hackford at the Geffen Playhouse.

Sasha Anawalt, director of USC Annenberg School for Communication’s M.A. in Specialized Journalism (The Arts) program, directs the NEA Institute in Theater and Musical Theater.

“Traditional journalism is floundering, so it can’t be business as usual,” Anawalt said. “The Institute is focusing on giving journalists real tools and skills – the tools to help them develop and implement revenue and advertising strategies, for example. Our responsibility is to help arts journalists stabilize and think wisely about how theater can continue to be covered.”

The Theater and Musical Theater Institute at USC Annenberg is one of three NEA Arts Journalism Institutes, along with the Institute for Music and Opera at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York and the Institute for Dance at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.

Nearly 50 applications were received from theater writers, editors and critics from 19 states and from a variety of media. Each newspaper, radio and television station represented in the 2009 fellowship is new to the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater.

For more information about the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater, visit http://annenberg.usc.edu/nea.

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Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Unveils Women's History Month Events

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has announced event programming in connection with Women's History Month. I do wish GVSHP would schedule some more arts-, performance- and theatre-related events going forward, but these are obviously great as well.

The Bohemian Women of Greenwich Village and Harlem
A Lecture with Andrea Barnet

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
6:30-8:00 P.M.
Judson Memorial Hall
239 Thompson Street between W. 4th and W. 3rd Streets
Free; reservations required
RSVP to rsvp@gvshp.org or (212) 475-9585 ext. 35

They were the first women to eschew the social conventions expected of them (to be wives and mothers) and chose instead to live on their own terms, becoming poets, actresses, singers and artists, journalists, publishers, and benefactresses. Join historian and author Andrea Barnet as she explores the history of the women of bohemian Greenwich Village and Harlem in the headlong, hopped-up decades of the 1910s and 1920s. These women embodied a fierce new feminine spirit, capturing the gleefully rebellious ethos of life as art form, and the air of lawless idealism that briefly took hold of the popular imagination in the early 20th century.


Shifting Images: Changing Perceptions of Italian Immigrant Women
A Lecture with Miriam Cohen

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
6:30-8:00 P.M.
Judson Memorial Hall
239 Thompson Street between W. 4th and W. 3rd Streets
Free; reservations required.
RSVP to rsvp@gvshp.org or (212) 475-9585 ext. 35

While the conventional wisdom regarding women and family from Mediterranean cultures has emphasized the patriarchal nature of the family, a generation of new scholarship on Italian women, work, family life and politics has complicated our understanding of gender roles in the Italian community. Focusing on Italian women in New York City, including the South Village, Miriam Cohen explores the changing perceptions and images of Italian-American immigrant women in the twentieth century.
This event is co-sponsored by the Italian American Museum.


In Their Own Words:
A Salute to the Women of the Greenwich Village Preservation Movement

Thursday, April 2, 2009
6:30-8:00 P.M.
Judson Memorial Hall
239 Thompson Street between W. 4th and W. 3rd Streets
Free; reservations required.
RSVP to rsvp@gvshp.org or (212) 475-9585 ext. 35

GVSHP’s Oral History Project, conducted over 10 years and only now available to the public, features interviews with many of the most influential women of the preservation movement, including Margot Gayle, Verna Small, and Jane Jacobs. Hear fascinating selections from their oral histories shedding new light on their experiences and passion for preservation. Introduction by Susan De Vries, director of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum and conductor of several of the interviews, and a keynote lecture on Jane Jacobs by Roberta Brandes Gratz, former award-winning journalist and author of The Living City: Thinking Small in a Big Way and Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown.

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Announcing the Festival of Jewish Theatre

The Association of Jewish Theatres has announced that its annual conference will be held this year in New York. It will also overlap the Festival of Jewish Theater being mounted by Untitled Theater Company #61, which runs May 20 through June 14.

Here's some information on the conference:

We are extremely excited about this year's conference, Jewish Theatre of Ideas and Beyond which will be held June 6 – 10, 2009, in one of the hearts of Jewish theatre and the world of theatre: New York City. Untitled Theater Company #61 will be hosting us. They are presenting their Festival of Jewish Theatre and Ideas from May 23 – June 14, parallel to the conference. The festival will include over 100 performances of over 15 productions originating from across the United States and the world, at numerous venues throughout the city.

This year's conference takes advantage of New York City, highlighting Jewish theatre and culture each day:

Sunday at Marymount Manhattan, the college whose Jewish theatre festival, in 1980, inspired the creation of AJT.

Monday at 92Y Tribeca, the new hip downtown venue for Jewish arts.

Tuesday at the stately Museum of the City of New York where, with other conference activities, we will get a private tour of the theatre archives, the largest collection of its kind in the world, including Jewish and American theatre in the United States.

Wednesday will be at the Center for Jewish History, which houses six different major Jewish organizations, including YIVO with its Yiddish Theatre collection.

Conference Fees and Registration Information:
Being in New York, we expect more registrants than usual, and there are space limitations. Early-bird registrants receive a $50 discount. The conference fee is $350 for early-bird members and $400 for non-members. After April 20th the fee will be $400 and $450 respectively, so book early. There will also be day passes for guests and others wishing to attend for single days.

Registration includes three kosher meals from great New York dining venues, free tickets to UTC61's production of Doctors Jane and Alexander, five other plays of your choice at the Festival, and of course workshops and panel discussions.

Playwrights and Solo Performers:
Playwrights will once again have the very popular Playwrights' Forum, where we will present seven-minute excerpts of your plays, performed by professional actors and staged by professional directors. Playwrights please note - if you are interested in participating in this forum we can only accept the first 15 scripts submitted. The deadline is April 20. So please be sure to get your play in early to Norman Fedder: fedder@ksu.edu

Solo performers will once again have a solo showcase. For information on Solo Performances, email Deborah Baer Mozes at: dbm@netreach.net or Jeanine Frank at: frankent1@juno.com You must be registered for the full conference to participate in either program.

Housing:
Two housing options are available now for those who require New York accommodations: The Muse, our main hotel, is an elegant and trendy boutique venue in the heart of midtown with a rate of $259/room or $130/night if you plan on sharing (a very low rate for a 4* hotel in New York). For those on a budget, we have an amazing deal through a partnership with NYU/Tisch School of the Arts; and have arranged for NYU dormitory room, at $60/single and $40/double per night. If you are interested in booking or sharing a room, contact Kayla as soon as possible: kayla@afjt.com and she will add you to the rooming lists. Don't delay: we have guaranteed only a small number of booked rooms. We are in the process of reaching out to donors for subsidies for students. We will keep you posted.

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Get Some Lunch Tix From Your Broadway Box

This press release is courtesy of publicist extraordinaire Joe Trentacosta:

LunchTix.com Offers Super-Sized Savings That’s Quick to Expire

Due to the current economic climate, even the most avid theatre-goers have become more price-sensitive about their theatrical experiences. In its continual effort to get people to the theatre, Broadwaybox.com is proud to announce its newest money saving product, LunchTix.com. Members of LunchTix.com receive amazing door-busting discounts in the morning and have until 3PM that day to take advantage of the deal.

LunchTix.com launched on January 27, 2009 with an overwhelming response for its inaugural offer for Shrek The Musical. Industry insiders as well as the theatre going public are talking advantage of LunchTix.com as a resource and an affordable way to see some of New York’s hottest shows On and Off The Great White Way.

BroadwayBox.com is the largest community site for discount ticketing on Broadway, off-Broadway, London and Las Vegas. BroadwayBox.com members share discount codes for theater and attractions as well as offer user-generated reviews and ratings. BroadwayBox.com began as a way to help New York recover following September 11 and get people back to the theatre. The site has grown significantly though strong word-of-mouth and has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other major publications. BroadwayBox.com has over one million visits per month and over 350,000 subscribers on its mailing lists.

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TWEED Presents "Folly" -- A Benefit for God's Love We Deliver

Courtesy of publicist Dale Heller:

"FOLLY: The Grand Street Follies, 2009"
Vaudeville for the New Depression

A benefit for God's Love We Deliver & TWEED Theaterworks

Friday, February 27 & Saturday, February 28, 2009
8:00pm
Location: Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street
New York, NY

Rufus Wainwright, Lypsinka, Jackie Hoffman, Lady Bunny, Julie Halston, and Brenda Bergman among stars to perform

TWEED TheaterWorks, in association with Robbi Kearns, will bring back the vaudeville Follies when such beloved artists as Rufus Wainwright, Lypsinka, Jackie Hoffman, Julie Halston, David Ilku, Brenda Bergman and Lady Bunny participate in "FOLLY: The Grand Street Folles, 2009," a fundraiser for God's Love We Deliver and TWEED Theaterworks on February 27 and 28, 2009 at 8pm at the Abrons Arts Center (466 Grand St.) in Manhattan.

"FOLLY: The Grand Street Follies, 2009", inspired by the follies of the 20's -- but billed as a "Vaudeville for the New Depression" -- will be an "old school" vaudeville show featuring live acts: comedy, intriguing skits, unusual musical numbers, spectacle extravaganzas and more than a few surprises.

Performers at FOLLY on Friday, February 27 at 8 p.m. include: Lypsinka, Jackie Hoffman, Lady Bunny, Julie Halston, Kristine Zbornik, Flotilla DeBarge, Brenda Bergman &The Bodacious TaTas, Sweetie, David Ilku, The Dueling Bankheads, Jodi Lennon, Carol Lipnik, The Butoh Rockettes, Wallace Shawn &Deborah Eisenberg, Dirty Martini, The Flute Friends, Wallie Wolfgruber Dance, Joseph Keckler, Todd Almond, Jim David, Ken Bullock as Ragu Mountain Woman, with Tony Conniff &The Grand St Follies Band.

Performers on Saturday, February 28 at 8 p.m. include: Rufus Wainwright, Jackie Hoffman, Richard Move as Martha Graham, Kristine Zbornik, Flotilla DeBarge, Brenda Bergman &The Bodacious TaTas, Sweetie, David Ilku, The Duelling Bankheads, Jodi Lennon, Dirty Martini, Carol Lipnik, Todd Almond, The Flute Friends, Wallace Shawn &Deborah Eisenberg, Wallie Wolfgruber Dance, Joseph Keckler, Ken Bullock as Ragu Mountain Woman, The Butoh Rockettes, with Tony Conniff &The Grand St Follies Band

The Event Commitee for the Fundraiser includes: Blaine Trump, Alan Cumming, Michael Cunningham, John Dugdale, Asher &Michelle Edelman, Linda Fairstein, Deborah Harry, John Cameron Mitchell, Florent Morellet, John Meyers, Johnnie Moore, Joan Rivers, Mark Sendroff Esq., Michael Sennott, Chi Chi Valenti &Johnny Dynell, Elisa Wagner (Please note - these individuals are not scheduled to perform.)

Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit GOD'S LOVE WE DELIVER, an organization dedicated to feeding people who are too ill to shop or prepare meals,and TWEED TheaterWorks, a downtown theatrical producing organization.

Please Note: There are different performers on Friday and Saturday Night. For up to date information about performers, please visit our Web site at http://www.tweedtheater.org/folly

Produced by TWEED TheaterWorks in Association with Robbi Kearns

FOLLY will be directed by Kevin Malony.
Ticket Info: $40, $75, $125, $250 Tickets
http://www.tweedtheater.org/folly
for tickets call: 866-811-4111

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"Broadway for a New America" Benefit, Supporting Marriage Equality, Announced

Courtesy of publicist Jim Baldassare:

Broadway for a New America:
Standing Up for Marriage Equality and a Progressive Agenda for Change

A Benefit for the Jewish Alliance for Change

Jim Dale to Emcee

Stockard Channing, Richard Belzer, Tovah Feldshuh, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jonathan Freeman, Eve Best, Mario Frangoulis and Marni Nixon to appear

Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
Monday, March 2, 7pm

The Jewish Alliance for Change (Doni Remba, President) will present Broadway for a New America—Standing Up for Marriage Equality and a Progressive Agenda for Change, on Monday, March 2nd at 7:00 PM, at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street). The benefit concert will feature a host of Broadway singers, performers and cast members from leading shows, including Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winners, stars from the worlds of television, film, music, and comedy, plus prominent political leaders, progressive and LGBT activists.

The show will be directed by Sara Louise Lazarus, the award-winning theater and cabaret director who directed the highly successful Broadway for Obama concert featuring over 30 leading Broadway performers from the casts of all the top Broadway shows. The event will be produced by Kati Meister and Scott Denny, both producers of the Theatre World Awards. Broadway musical director and conductor Lawrence Yurman (Grey Gardens) will be the musical director and Guy Smith will provide the lighting design.

In addition to the performers and celebrities, speakers appearing at the event will include: Steven Goldstein, Chair of Garden State Equality; Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon and Marcelo Bronstein of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, New York City; and Evan Wolfson, Founder & Executive Director of Freedom to Marry.

The Jewish Alliance for Change (www.Jews4Change.com) reached millions of voters in battleground states and across the country with its Israelis for Obama web video and the creative pro-Obama TV and internet ad series Ain't Funny with comedy icons Carl Reiner, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Valerie Harper, Garry Marshall and Larry Gelbart. The organization plans to build on its achievements and mobilize the American public to fight for marriage equality and the realization of a progressive agenda for change. The benefit proceeds will go to The Jewish Alliance for Change for the continuation of its good work in support of important progressive issues.

Tickets may be obtained at http://www.jews4change.com/ or http://www.symphonyspace.org/ or by calling 212-864-5400. Admission prices range from $80.00 to $125.00. Buy premium seats (including tickets to a VIP reception with the cast following the show) by visiting the Jewish Alliance for Change, www.jews4change.com/broadway.php.

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Shepard Sobel Leaving Pearl Theatre; J.R. Sullivan Named Replacement

Major news in the Off-Broadway world just over the transom:

THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES
SUCCESSOR TO FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

J.R. Sullivan (at left in the photo) has been named the new Artistic Director of The Pearl Theatre Company, it was announced today by the Board of Trustees. Sullivan will succeed Shepard Sobel, The Pearl’s founding artistic director, and will assume his new position on Aug. 1, 2009.

Sullivan, who is based in New York City, has directed five productions for The Pearl, including its current production of Twelfth Night, which runs through February 22. He is currently an associate artistic director of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, where he has directed productions of Art, King Lear, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet and Stones in His Pockets, among others. Sullivan also directed As You Like It for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) this season, as well as Room Service for the OSF’S 2005 season. In addition, he has directed for American Players Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Northlight and Studio Theatre in Washington D.C., Delaware Theatre Company, Madison Rep, Theatre X, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Sullivan founded the New American Theater in Rockford, Illinois in 1972, and served as producing artistic director until 1994.

“We are delighted that we have found someone with Jim Sullivan’s talent, experience and dedication to classical theater to succeed Shepard Sobel, our founding artistic director. Shep brought The Pearl and its Resident Acting Company to life 25 years ago and, together with his wife, actress Joanne Camp, has carefully nurtured it into the pre-eminent classical repertory theater in New York City,” said Allison Cooke Kellogg, Chair of The Pearl’s Board of Trustees. “We are profoundly grateful to Shep and Joanne for their vision, dedication and fortitude in building The Pearl and look forward to working with Jim to bring The Pearl’s legacy to new audiences.”

“The Pearl will remain dedicated to classic works, works that never fail to surprise and even astonish by their enduring power to excite thought, compel ideas, and stir emotion,” said Sullivan. “I am thrilled by the opportunity and happily anticipate beginning work for the 2009-2010 Season.”

Sobel and Camp, The Pearl’s associate director and founding member of its Resident Acting Company, established The Pearl in 1984. They will be moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be closer to family and will continue their work in the theater as freelancers.

“It has been our goal to nurture the finest resident company of actors in America,” said Sobel. “We founded The Pearl because we felt a great need in New York for an acting company capable of addressing the myriad demands of a classical repertory. Because of our enthusiastic confidence in Jim, we are able to leave with full and happy hearts,” said Mr. Sobel.

The Pearl Theatre Company is an OBIE award-winning Off-Broadway theatre that has produced five mainstage productions annually since its founding, for a total of 123 classical plays. Of these, 49 were originally written in another language. The Pearl Theatre Company has presented world premiere productions of 19 new translations, 14 of which The Pearl commissioned to be added to the existing canon. The Pearl also boasts a resident acting company – a rarity in NYC – which currently has 11 members.

Prior to founding The Pearl, Sobel was a freelance director in New York City and Washington, D.C. He also taught English and theatre at high schools in Canandaigua, New York, and Annandale, Virginia, and at a state hospital for the severely emotionally disturbed in Florida. He spent three seasons as an actor with the Folger Shakespeare Theatre.

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Chew On This: Dentyne, MTC Announce Playwriting Contest

This announcement is courtesy of Nancy Martira and all the good folks at Ketchum Communications. Given how difficult things are in terms of corporate involvement in the arts (a lot of folks are kissing corporate philanthropy, for example, goodbye), this is an interesting project (even if the headline of the press release is a bit hyperbolic).

DENTYNE AND MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB
GIVE ASPIRING PLAYWRIGHTS A SHOT AT STARDOM

National and Student Playwriting Contests Examine Modern Relationships in the Digital Age; Winning Plays to be Performed in New York City

Dentyne, the gum brand behind the popular Make Face Time campaign and Manhattan Theatre Club, one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies, today announced two playwriting contests about personal relationships in the digital age – one a national contest open to the public and the other a contest open to students at participating colleges and universities. As part of the contests, Dentyne and MTC are inviting budding playwrights from across the country to write short plays about sustaining personal relationships in the age of technology.

Students from participating colleges and universities, in the case of the student contest and other amateur playwrights, in the case of the national public contest, can submit their entries for a chance to have their original, short two-person plays performed by professional actors in New York City before a live audience, along with cash prizes. Entries for the contests must be postmarked by 3/9/09 and received by 3/16/09; official rules and entry forms for both contests are available at www.dentyne.com/realationships.

In a joint statement, MTC’s Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove said, “We are so grateful to the team at Dentyne gum for their support of this new initiative that will take MTC’s Education Program onto college campuses and help cultivate the next generation of American playwrights.”

“When it comes to live theater, nothing is more important than the relationships you develop with your fellow actors and with the audience,” said three-time Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actress Laura Linney, who is also an arts education advocate and an artistic friend of Manhattan Theatre Club. “I’m delighted that Dentyne and Manhattan Theatre Club are giving aspiring playwrights this exciting opportunity to express their views on the importance of personal relationships in the digital age.” Ms. Linney has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with MTC, having made her professional debut with the company and more recently having played Patricia in MTC’s production of Sight Unseen for which she received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.

The theme of the plays resonates with Dentyne gum’s popular Make Face Time ad campaign, which depicts everyday people spending time getting face to face. In fact, a recent national survey conducted by the brand shows that an overwhelming two-thirds of Americans wish they could get more face-to-face time with family and friends while nearly 80% said they feel more connected to another person when they’re face-to-face, rather than when communicating through technology.

“The ‘Make Face Time’ campaign is a simple but powerful reminder that the most important connection of them all is the human connection,” said Josette Barenholtz, marketing director for Dentyne. “Most everyone uses technology to connect, but there really is no substitute for the powerful emotional bond we create when we get face to face. We are pleased to be supporting Manhattan Theatre Club, which provides the unique face-to-face experience of live theatre.”

About the Dentyne Playwriting Contests
Undergraduate students from Stanford University, UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Northwestern University and Hunter College of the City University of New York, can enter the student contest.

Four finalists will be selected from the eligible entries for the student contest. Each finalist will receive a trip to New York City in early May to have their plays performed by professional actors in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at one of MTC’s theatres at New York City Center. One grand prize winner will be chosen, and he/she will receive a $7,500 cash prize plus a one-year mentorship with MTC.

Others who wish to participate can do so by entering the national public contest; one grand prize winner will receive a trip to New York City in early May to have his/her play performed by professional actors in front of a live audience at one of MTC’s theatres at New York City Center the day of the student performances. The grand prize winner of the national public contest will also receive a $7,500 cash prize.

For additional information on the Dentyne playwriting contests and for official rules and entry forms, visit www.dentyne.com/realationships.

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Are You Participating in the Twestival?

Attention twitters, twetters, twirpers, twinkers, tweaters and those who merely Twitter: Are you participating in the upcoming worldwide Twestival event?

If you are, drop me a note -- I want to hear from you. My Twitter addy is...clydefitch, naturally.

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Barefoot Theatre Company Unveils 12-Month 70/70 Horovitz Project

Courtesy of publicist Penny M. Landau:

The 70/70 Horovitz Project
A Worldwide 70th Birthday Celebration of Israel Horovitz

NYC’s Barefoot Theatre Company will present THE 70/70 Horovitz Project, a worldwide celebration of the 70th birthday of internationally-acclaimed playwright Israel Horovitz. The year-long event will include readings and productions of 70 Horovitz plays by theatres companies around the globe and will begin with a gala and a reading of Sins of the Mother (directed by Jo Bonney) at the Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street on Israel's birthday, March 31, 2009 and will continue throughout the following year, ending on March 31, 2010.

One of the world's most prolific contemporary playwrights, Israel Horovitz has written more than 70 plays which have been translated and performed in as many as 30 languages, worldwide. As producer of the event, Barefoot Theatre Company will present both readings and fully staged productions in NYC, as well as hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies. Events will feature drinks sponsored by Barefoot Wines and Bubbly as well as Live Music including, a brunch with Barefoot Ensemble and playwright Israel Horovitz. Scheduled is the fully staged NYC revival of Horovitz’ most controversial play, The Widow's Blind Date, featuring Barefoot Artistic Director Francisco Solorzano and directed by Barefoot founding member Michael LoPorto.

Barefoot will collaborate with top actors and directors from stage, television and film, as well as theatre companies in New York City (including American Ballroom Theater Company, Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau, Artistic Directors) and around the US. Also committed for readings and/or productions, are theatre companies in France, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece and Korea.

Israel Horovitz is the author of such award-winning plays as The Indian Wants the Bronx, which introduced Al Pacino and John Cazale in its 1968 NYC premiere; Line, which introduced Richard Dreyfuss (a revival of Line has been running for 36 consecutive years at Off-Broadway’s 13th Street Repertory Theatre); The Primary English Class, which starred Diane Keaton in its NYC premiere; Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, which starred Jason Robards in its Broadway premiere;

Barefoot Theatre Company was founded in 1999 and has since produced over sixty plays including readings, workshops and fully staged productions. Barefoot most recently developed and mounted the stage adaptation of Sidney Lumet's 1975 Academy Award winning film, Dog Day Afternoon.

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Applications for Honorary Awards of the New York IT Awards Now Online

This press release courtesy of publicist Katie Rosin:

The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway is pleased to announce that applications for the 2009 Honorary Awards are available online now and are due by 6pm on May 1, 2009. Now in their 5th year, the IT Awards have honored over 500 of the brightest and most influential artists from the Off-Off-Broadway community.

The Honorary Awards are:

The Artistic Achievement Award, presented to an individual who has made a significant artistic contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community;

The Stewardship Award, presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership;

The Caffe Cino Fellowship Award, presented to an Off-Off-Broadway theatre company that consistently produces outstanding work. This award also includes a grant ($1,000-$5,000) to be used toward an Off-Off-Broadway production.

The Honorary Awards Committee is comprised of people deeply grounded in the Off-Off-Broadway community. A complete list of committee members is available on the IT Awards website at: www.nyitawards.com/aboutus/hac.asp.

Previous recipients include:

2005
Artistic Achievement - Basil Twist
Stewardship Award - Ellen Stewart, LaMaMa, ETC.
Caffe Cino Fellowship – Inverse Theater Company

2006
Artistic Achievement - Tom O’Horgan
Stewardship Award - The Field
Caffe Cino Fellowship - Vampire Cowboys

2007
Artistic Achievement - Doric Wilson
Stewardship Award - Alliance of Resident Theatres/NY
Caffe Cino Fellowship - Rising Phoenix Repertory

2008
Artistic Achievement - Judith Malina
Stewardship Award - Martin & Rochelle Denton, New York Theatre Experience
Caffe Cino Fellowship - Boomerang Theatre Company

“Receiving the Stewardship Award from NYITA was particularly meaningful to us because it signifies that our peers and colleagues in the indie theater community really value what The New York Theatre Experience has been doing for the past ten years” said 2008 recipient, Martin Denton. “It inspires us want to keep doing a better and better job in the future.”

The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization recognizing the great work of New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage, and providing a meeting ground for this extensive and richly varied community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. They believe that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience. Website: www.nyitawards.com.

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Roundabout Theatre Co. Announces Permanent Archive; Critics Ask If Reviews Will Grow Moldy in Dark Corner

This PR courtesy of Boneau Bryan-Brown. (And, by the way, in all seriousness, I'm very pleased Roundabout is doing this. The volume of production and their history and legacy makes an archive essential -- and very forward-thinking.)

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
Announces plans to establish a permanent archive,
Generously funded by a major grant from the Leon Levy Foundation.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Artistic Director, Todd Haimes) is proud to announce plans to establish a permanent archive, generously funded by a major grant from the Leon Levy Foundation.

Roundabout’s archive will permanently document the company’s illustrious 43-year production history as well as provide a resource for the theatre community, Roundabout’s audience and the general public.

During the last 43 years Roundabout has become one of the country’s largest non-profit theatre organizations, yet has no central repository for its records. Having re-located several times since 1965, many historical items have moved to private hands, been collected by souvenir hunters, been thrown out or given away. The materials that exist are scattered among Roundabout’s buildings, theatres and off-site storage – and are in need of urgent archival care and preservation.

With the establishment of an archive Roundabout aims to not only document and preserve Roundabout’s history but also provide a resource to the theatre community and to the general public. Materials such as theatrical documents, manuscripts, letters, publications, photos and memorabilia will be carefully preserved and hopefully aid in recording the history of the American theatre movement.

The archive will be located at Roundabout’s administrative offices at 231 W. 39th Street. Tiffany Nixon has been hired as archivist. Plans for public access to the archive will be announced at a later date.

Roundabout Artistic Director Todd Haimes said: “We are so grateful to Shelby White and the Leon Levy Foundation for their amazing support of this archive project. We are confident that preserving our company’s history will be invaluable to our audiences and the theatre community in New York. And we are hopeful this permanent archive will become a useful guide to our part of American Theatre’s history.”

Shelby White, founding trustee of the Leon Levy Foundation, said, “The Roundabout Theatre has built a rich and illustrious history over its four decades as a staple of the New York city theater community. Leon and I attended Roundabout performances and had a subscription for over three decades, enjoying performances of Shaw and Oscar Wilde and such stars as Uta Hagen in the early days. The Leon Levy Foundation is pleased to help provide a permanent archive that will preserve and make available the important records of the Roundabout to students, scholars, and the general public.”

About the Leon Levy Foundation
The Leon Levy Foundation, founded in 2004, is a private, not-for-profit foundation created from the estate of Leon Levy, an investor with a longstanding commitment to philanthropy. The Foundation’s overarching goal is to support scholarship at the highest level, ultimately advancing knowledge and improving the lives of individuals and society at large.

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The Return of Broadway Bears

As per Boneau Bryan-Brown:

BROADWAY BEARS XII
ONE-NIGHT ONLY AUCTION TO BENEFIT
BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2009
B.B. KING BLUES CLUB & GRILL

Broadway’s cuddliest friends kick off a new year with the 12th annual BROADWAY BEARS auction on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 West 42 St.), in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Sure to out-do last year’s collection, 40 one-of-a-kind BROADWAY BEARS – each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing some of the theater’s most legendary performers and/or performances – will be put up for auction.

Once again this year’s BROADWAY BEARS will be hosted by Bryan Batt (“Mad Men,” La Cage Aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Jeffrey) with long-time Sotheby’s auctioneer, Lorna Kelly.

This year’s BROADWAY BEARS auction celebrates its 12th year with a stellar cast of cele“bear”ties representing recent Broadway hits like A Chorus Line, A Man For All Seasons, Avenue Q, Billy Elliot: The Musical, Boeing-Boeing, Equus, Gypsy, Hairspray, In The Heights, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Legally Blonde, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Shrek The Musical, South Pacific, Spamalot, Spring Awakening, Wicked, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein, along with bears from Broadway classics like Beauty And The Beast, Camelot, Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mame, My One and Only, Peter Pan, The Producers, The Sound of Music, Starlight Express, State Fair, West Side Story, The Who's Tommy, The Wiz, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.

North American Bear Co., Inc. has again graciously donated the “bare” bears which were then handed over to top Broadway design teams who meticulously research, design, fit, sculpt, shoe, armor, hat, paint, dress, nip, tuck, tattoo, bejewel and feather the “bare” bears into true one-of-a-kind works of costumed theatrical art.

The entire Broadway Bears XII collection can be previewed online at www.BroadwayCares.org.

TICKETING INFORMATION
VIP Tickets $150 each include an exclusive private preview of the Broadway Bears along with a cocktail, hors d’oeuvres and dessert reception from 6PM to 8PM as well as reserved priority seating for the Auction

General Admission Tickets $35 each which include a cocktail and dessert reception and display of the Broadway Bears from 7PM -8PM as well as unreserved seating for the Auction

Reservations may be made by calling BC/EFA at (212) 840-0770. For those who cannot make it to the auction, but want to take part in all the excitement, live telephone bidding will also be available as are pre-registered fixed bids by calling (212) 840-0770, extension 268. Internet bidding is available by visiting www.BroadwayCares.org.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $150 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses.

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Got Brains? Einstein Tuner in Concert, Benefit for Harpswell Foundation

As per publicist extraordinaire Dale Heller:

John Bolton, Peter Buchi, Gregg Edelman, John Treacy Egan, Alison Fraser, Maya Goldman, Joanne Lessner, Laura Osnes and Kate Shindle

to perform in
EINSTEIN’S DREAMS
A New Musical

Benefit concert performance one night only February 23, 2009 at Symphony Space in NYC

Broadway stars John Treacy Egan ("Little Mermaid"), Gregg Edelman ("Into the Woods," "Passion"), Alison Fraser ("Gypsy") and Kate Shindle ("Legally Blonde") will be featured in the cast at a benefit concert performance of the new musical EINSTEIN’S DREAMS-- based on Alan Lightman's best-selling novel -- for one performance only on Monday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.) in New York City.

The concert will benefit The Harpswell Foundation, an organization created in 1999 to provide education, housing and leadership training to children and young women in the developing world, notably in Cambodia, where Harpswell provides schooling and a dormitory facility at a leadership center for college women in Phnom Penh in the effort to help restore the educational system that was destroyed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Harpswell has already purchased the land for a second educational facility in Cambodia.

EINSTEIN’S DREAMS is a new musical with book by Joanne Sydney Lessner, music by Joshua Rosenblum and lyrics by Joanne Sydney Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum. The February 23rd concert will be directed by Jen Bender. Musical director David Loud leads a six-piece chamber orchestra.

The musical EINSTEIN’S DREAMS-- based on Alan Lightman's 1993 best-selling novel which imagines what the physicist may have been dreaming about prior to the publication of his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905 -- finds a young Albert Einstein trapped in an unhappy marriage and an unhappy job well-beneath his intellect. The musical, like the book, places Einstein in a dreamscape that conjures up an array of theoretical realms of time, all of them visions that probe the essence of time, the adventure of creativity, the glory of possibility -- and the siren call of a beautiful, elusive woman named Josette.

This musical adaptation of EINSTEIN’S DREAMS had its world-premiere in 2005 at Lisbon's oldest, most respected theater, Teatro da Trindade.

Joshua Rosenblum (Music and Lyrics) is the composer and creator of the smash Off Broadway hit musical revue "Bush is Bad," which spawned two regional companies and was proclaimed "a sensation" by Variety. He is also the composer and co-lyricist of FERMAT'S LAST TANGO and contributed music for THE JOY OF GOING SOMEWHERE DEFINITE (Atlantic Theater Company). He has conducted 13 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, MISS SAIGON, WONDERFUL TOWN, ANYTHING GOES and FALSETTOS. For the concert Hall he has written pieces for trumpeter Philip Smith of the NY Philharmonic and flutist Kathleen Nnester of the NJ Symphony, among others. Several of his vocal and instrumental works can be heard on the new cd, "Sundry Notes" (Albany Records).

The musical's librettist and co-lyricist Joanne Sydney Lessner is the librettist of the cult hit musical FERMAT's LAST TANGO, which had its Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company in November 2000 and recently had its European debut in Lisbon. Other projects include: CROSSING LINES, chosen for the O'Neill Playwrights Conference; CHESS SET (Drama Dept.); CRITICAL MASS, a play about music critics; and FIVE STARS, a one-act musical (York Theatre). As an actress she has appeared on Broadway in CYRANO: THE MUSICAL, and Off-Broadway in COMPANY, ROMEO AND JULIET and THAT'S LIFE!

Musical director David Loud was music director on Broadway for CURTAINS, RAGTIME, STEEL PIER, A CLASS ACT, THE LOOK OF LOVE and the revivals of SHE LOVE SME, COMPANY,THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSEand SWEENEY TODD. Off-B'way, he created the vocal and dance arrangements for AND THE WORLD GOES' ROUND.

Director Jen Bender is currently the Resident Director for THE LION KING on Broadway. She was the Assistant Director on Broadway for AVENUE Q, THE WEDDING SINGER, and STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Other credits include City Center Encores!, Roundabout, Birdland, Carnegie Hall. Jen is a founder of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Gregg Edelman has been nominated for three Tony Awards for his performances in INTO THE WOODS, 1776 and CITY OF ANGELS. He has also appeared on Broadway in A TALE OF TWO CITIES, WONDERFUL TOWN, PASION, ANNA KARENINA, FALSETTOS, CABARET, ANYTHING GOES, LES MISERABLES, OLIVER! and CATS.

Kate Shindle was last seen on Broadway as “Vivienne” in LEGALLY BLONDE. Additional Broadway credits include: CABARET (“Sally Bowles”) and JEKYLL & HYDE (“Lucy”). Other NYC credits include: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Helena), THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS and the World AIDS Day Concerts of CHILDREN OF EDEN, PIPPINand THE SECRET GARDEN. Kate recently wrote her first novel ("Crown Chasers"), and was crowned Miss Americain 1998.

Alison Fraser recently ended her role as “Tessie Tura” in the critically acclaimed revival or GYPSY opposite Patti LuPone. Other Broadway credits include: THE SECRET GARDEN (Tony and Drama Desk nomination), ROMANCE / ROMANCE (Tony nomination), TARTUFFE: BORN AGAIN, and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD.

John Treacy Egan is currently appearing in the role of “Chef Louis” on Broadway in LITTLE MERMAID and has previously appearedas “Max Bialystock” in THE PRODUCERS on Broadway. Off-Broadway, John created roles in Howard Crabtree’s WHEN PIGS FLY!, and was also an original cast member of BATBOY, THE MUSICAL. He can be seen in the upcoming film LAST NIGHT with Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes, and the film version of THE PRODUCERS.

The Harpswell Foundation is an American-based 501c3 tax-exempt organization. In May of 2007, the Foundation became an officially registered Nongovernmental Organization (NG) in Cambodia.

Tickets to the benefit concert performance of EINSTEIN’S DREAMSare $101, $61 and $21 (includes a facility fee) and can be reserved by calling Box Office: 212-864-5400 or going online: http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/2823-einsteins-dreams-the-musical.

For more information about the musical, visit www.einsteinsdreamsthemusical.com.

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Are You Going Subterranean?

Either you’re above it (in which case: who wants you?) or you’re willing to go Subterranean. The following press release, courtesy of publicist extraordinaire Emily Owens, explains what I mean.

terraNova Collective
presents
Subterranean
Thursday, Feb. 5, 10:00 PM

terraNova Collective is proud to present the second Subterranean, a new monthly party at the D-Lounge, a cabaret-style venue at 101 East 15th Street at Union Square. terraNova Collective strives to create a creative home for artists from a variety of different genre's. As the newest addition to terraNOVA's residency at the DR2 Theatre & D-Lounge, Subterranean presents a variety of monthly performances including spoken word, music, burlesque, magic, storytelling, short play readings, vaudeville acts, and DJ's."

The line up for Thursday, February 5 will include slam poet Roger Bonair-Agard, Maya Azucena & Vanessa Hidary performing excerpts from their show, Culture Bandit Soul, and DJ Popcorn spinning tunes for you.

Subterranean curator James Carter says, "We are happy to have Maya Azucena and Vanessa Hidary perform excerpts form their show Culture Bandit Soul, whose full performance was canceled due to the shuttering of The Zipper Factory's doors. These fierce women, along with National Slam Champion, Roger Bonair-Agard and DJ Popcorn of dancelikeforever fame, will blow the roof off the Daryl Roth Theater."

Subterranean
First Thursday of Every Month, 10:00pm
$10.00 Entry + 1 Drink Minimum
D-Lounge 101 East 15th Street, Just off Union Square

terraNova Collective is a vibrant playground for artists devoted to innovative new and original theatrical works. Its multi-layered development process, solo arts festivals, and productions serve to nurture and liberate our community.

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The Theatrosphere Welcomes TheaterJones.com

Received this press release today. (And you thought the only thing in Texas with the detritus of George W.!)

Two critics, more than 60 theaters and plenty to say about the arts scene in North Texas come together at TheaterJones.com, a new web site launching today.

Founders and co-editors Elaine Liner and Mark Lowry created the multimedia site as a direct result of diminishing arts coverage in daily papers, monthly magazines and broadcast media in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Lowry left his job as theater critic at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last year in a round of buyouts. Liner remains the theater critic at Dallas Observer, where she has covered performing arts since 2001. She has teamed with Lowry on TheaterJones.com to provide up-to-the-minute online news, reviews and commentary that will include video interviews, audio and video podcasts and other features that go beyond the printed page.

The new site’s name was inspired by regional theater pioneer Margo Jones, who started her experimental theater-in-the-round at Dallas’ Fair Park in the 1940s.

With the $350 million Dallas Center for the Performing Arts set to open in the fall, Lowry and Liner saw an urgent need for expanded and diverse media attention for the area’s many theater companies.

“Theater and the performing arts should be covered as vigorously and thoroughly as the Dallas Cowboys or the ever-changing restaurant scene in North Texas,” says Lowry. “TheaterJones.com is the perfect way to let the world know about the incredible actors, designers, playwrights and other artists we have here. We want the world to recognize them for the talented stars they are.”

“We want readers to become as addicted to TheaterJones.com as they are to Gawker for showbiz news and Huffington Post for politics,” says Liner.

Among the features on TheaterJones.com: Lowry’s reviews of new productions; Liner’s video interviews and short video feature stories going behind the scenes at local theaters; “Stage Whispers,” offering the latest audition notices, casting news, comings-and-goings and gossip; “Dead Ringers,” daring to cheekily expose rude theatergoers who interrupt performances; “Because You Said Macbeth,” an ongoing collection of real-life theater mishaps; and “Coy Stories,” a blog by witty actor-director Coy Covington.

The site also will provide comprehensive listings of current and upcoming theater productions, with links to web sites and maps.

Lowry calls himself a “proud drama geek” who studied theater in college before turning his focus to journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington. He was an original staff writer at Fort Worth Weekly, and was the theater writer for the Star-Telegram for more than 10 years. He is a member of the American Theater Critics Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum, and was a 2003 fellow at the National Critics Institute at Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. He won several Amon Carter awards for his writing at the Star-Telegram. In addition to TheaterJones.com, he writes for THE Magazine DFW, PegasusNews.com and TalkinBroadway.com, as well as 140-character critiques via his Twitter feed, TweetTheater.

Liner, a Dallas native, studied with Dallas Theater Center founder Paul Baker at Trinity University, where she earned a B.A. in drama. She has a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Southern Methodist University. Liner won Dallas Press Club Katie Awards for investigative reporting and commentary as a Dallas Observer writer in the 1980s. She then wrote media criticism for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Toledo Blade for a decade, winning numerous awards from the Associated Press and Women in Communications. She was twice named Thurber Journalist-in-Residence at Ohio State and has taught writing and criticism at SMU and Collin College. She returned to Dallas Observer in 2001 and was a 2005 Critic Fellow at the O’Neill Critics Institute. She’s also a member of the DFW Theater Critics Forum.

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