Big Beach News

Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Director) will present Lesser America's World Premiere of Nick Jones' (Jollyship the Whiz-bang with Ars Nova/The Public; The Coward with Lincoln Center) Trevor, tonight, February 28-March 17 at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue between 9th and 10th Street).

Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Director) will present Lesser America's World Premiere of Nick Jones' (Jollyship the Whiz-bang with Ars Nova/The Public; The Coward with Lincoln Center) Trevor, February 28-March 17 at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue between 9th and 10th Street). The production will be directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Hand to God with EST; My Base and Scurvy Heart with Studio 42) and will feature Steven Boyer* (Hand to God; Jollyship the Whiz-Bang), Geneva Carr* (Hand to God; Boise), Nathaniel Kent (The Three Seagulls at HERE; Doctor Faustus at The Brick), Andy Nogasky*, Shawn Randall* (Big Tex at EST; Blue Man Group), Amy Staats* (One Thing I Like To Say Is with Clubbed Thumb) and Colleen Werthmann* (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson; The Mistakes Madeline Made). The creative team will include Set Design by Andrew Boyce, Props Design by Sarah Dowling, Costume Design by Elizabeth Groth, Lighting Design by Mike Inwood, and Fight Direction by Robert Westley. *Actor appears courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) just announced the 2012 recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club. This year's six commissioned writers are April de Angelis (Jumpy), Nick Jones (The Coward), Heidi Schreck (Creature), Melissa Ross (Thinner Than Water), Sarah Treem (A Feminine Ending), and Bess Wohl (Barcelona).

Michael Riedel reports in today's New York Post that both LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and LEAP OF FAITH are considering making Spring bows on Broadway as they evaluate both potential available theatres and 'Best New Musical' competitors. Talking to producers for LEAP OF FAITH, Riedel reports 'When I asked about their plans, they said: " 'Leap of Faith' is planning to open [in] fall 2012. If we were presented with the possibility of a spring opening, we would strongly consider it, but many pieces would have to fall into place to make that happen." But I can tell you from sources inside the "Leap of Faith" revival tent, we're comin', praise Jesus, we're comin'

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which earlier this year had a production at La Jolla Playhouse, has taken further steps in development. The musical features Tony Award-winning creative team of composer/lyricist William Finn and playwright/director James Lapine.

La Jolla Playhouse announced today an exciting new production for its 2010/11 subscription season: the world premiere musical Little Miss Sunshine. The Tony Award-winning creative team of composer/lyricist William Finn and writer/director James Lapine, who previously collaborated on the Tony Award-winning musicals Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, will bring their latest project to the Playhouse. The production will run February 15 - March 27, 2011 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Last night I had the unbelievable treat of talking to one of the finest actors alive - whether playing to a select audience off-Broadway or to millions of moviegoers - Oscar-winning actor (and now film director), and a part of many of the finest films of the twenty-first century, the charming and compelling Philip Seymour Hoffman! In this exclusive interview, Hoffman candidly covers the many highlights of his stage and screen career in addition to providing a thorough discussion of his new film JACK GOES BOATING which opens in selected cities this month! It's like an acting class with a class act - and one hell of - of an actor. Whether you are a fan of Hollywood, Broadway or both this is an entertainment junkie's purple dragon dream interview made real!

Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, the world's longest running musical revue, will join Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in welcoming Manhattan's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck for a one-night-only special event on Sunday, August 22 at 7 p.m. at Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (2790 Harrison Street at 24th Street, San Francisco).

Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, the world's longest running musical revue, will join Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in welcoming Manhattan's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck for a one-night-only special event on Sunday, August 22 at 7 p.m. at Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (2790 Harrison Street at 24th Street, San Francisco).

Anthony Bregman of Likely Story and Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub of Big Beach announced today that Hugh Dancy ('Confessions of a Shopaholic,' 'Adam'), Kathryn Hahn ('Revolutionary Road,' 'Step Brothers'), Academy Award-nominated actress Shirley Knight, and Janet Montgomery ('Black Swan'), have joined the cast of the Jesse Peretz directed, 'My Idiot Brother,' a comedy about family and the sacrifices it takes to deal with them.

La Jolla Playhouse announced today an exciting new production for its 2010/11 subscription season: the world premiere musical Little Miss Sunshine. The Tony Award-winning creative team of composer/lyricist William Finn and writer/director James Lapine, who previously collaborated on the Tony Award-winning musicals Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, will bring their latest project to the Playhouse. The production will run February 15 - March 27, 2011 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Veteran actor Sir Michael Caine is quick to point out that he is 'too old' to appear on Broadway.

Two-time Academy Award winner, Michael Caine, will receive the ShoWest 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of the event, which will be held March 30-April 2, 2009, in Las Vegas. Caine will be presented with the ShoWest Lifetime Achievement Award at ShoWest's Final Night Banquet and Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

Two-time Academy Award winner, Michael Caine, will receive the ShoWest 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of the event, which will be held March 30-April 2, 2009, in Las Vegas. Caine will be presented with the ShoWest Lifetime Achievement Award at ShoWest's Final Night Banquet and Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

Production begins in Connecticut this week on an untitled contemporary comedy directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty) from an original screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. The film is being produced and co-financed by Big Beach, with Focus Features co-financing and distributing worldwide.

Actress/stand-up comedienne Julie Halston and actor/writer Donna Daley bring a new book of fresh monologues for actors.

According to a recent article in Variety stage and screen director Sam Mendes will next direct an untitled contemporary comedy for Focus Features in March.