John McMartin News

All the Way will play The Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street) for a strictly limited run and began rehearsals on yesterday, January 14, 2014, with previews beginning Monday, February 10, 2014 and an opening night set for Thursday, March 6, 2014. The play is directed by Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where All the Way began its theatrical life. The full company met the press this morning and BroadwayWorld was there for the big event. Check out full photo coverage below!

The producers of All the Way, the new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle), havea announced that The Neil Simon Theatre Box Office (250 West 52nd Street) will open on Monday, January 20th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) at 10:00 a.m. and will offer a special advance student price for one day only. Unlike other regular student rush offers, which limit purchases for day-of only, the producers are offering students with a valid ID the chance to purchase tickets at $37 for all performances through April 6, 2014. (1 ticket per valid student ID; rear mezz locations; some blackout dates may apply).

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Louise Gund have announced that James Eckhouse, most recently seen in the world premiere of Jane Anderson's 'The Escort' at The Geffen Playhouse and best known for playing Jim Walsh on the original 'Beverly Hills 90210', will play the role of Robert McNamara in the Broadway bound production of ALL THE WAY by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle).

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Louise Gund just announced that Robert Petkoff will play the role of Senator Hubert Humphrey in the Broadway bound production of ALL THE WAY by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle).

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Louise Gund are pleased to announce that Roslyn Ruff will play the roles of Coretta Scott King and Fannie Lou Hamer in the Broadway bound production of ALL THE WAY by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle). Ruff, who was most recently seen on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet, joins previously announced three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad') as Lyndon B. Johnson, Michael McKean as J. Edgar Hoover, Brandon J. Dirden as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rob Campbell as Governor George Wallace, and 5-time Tony nominee John McMartin (Into the Woods, High Society, Sweet Charity, Show Boat, Don Juan) as Richard Russell. Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Fannie Lou Hamer was a voting rights activist and civil rights leader who was instrumental in organizing Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). All the Way will play The Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street) for a strictly limited run and begins rehearsals on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, with previews beginning Monday, February 10, 2014 and an opening night set for Thursday, March 6, 2014. The play is directed by Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where All the Way began its theatrical life. --- American Express® Card Members can currently purchase tickets before the general public through Friday, December 13 at 11:59pm. General on-sale will begin on Saturday, December 14 at 12:01am. Tickets will be available at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster.com at (800) 745-3000. All the Way, with its cast of twenty-two actors, takes audiences behind the doors of the Oval Office and inside the first year of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency and his fight to pass a landmark civil rights bill. All the Way was commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle and premiered at OSF in 2012. It then went on to play a sold-out and critically acclaimed run at the A.R.T. from September 13-October 12, 2013 starring Cranston. The play was awarded the 2013 inaugural Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, established through Columbia University in honor of the late Senator Kennedy, honoring new plays or musicals exploring US history and issues of the day. All the Way is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Louise Gund, and Stephanie P. McClelland, Double Gemini Productions, Rebecca Gold, Scott M. Delman, Barbara H. Freitag, Harvey Weinstein, Gene Korf, William Berlind, Luigi Caiola, Gutterman Chernoff, Jam Theatricals, Gabrielle Palitz, Cheryl Wiesenfeld and Will Trice. Set design is by Christopher Acebo, costume design by Deborah M. Dryden, lighting design by Jane Cox, composition and sound design by Paul James Prendergast, video projections by Shawn Sagady and the projection design consultant is Wendall K. Harrington. The Dramaturge is Tom Bryant.

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Louise Gund just announced that five-time Tony nominee John McMartin (Into the Woods, High Society, Sweet Charity, Show Boat, Don Juan) will play the role of Richard Russell in the Broadway bound production of ALL THE WAY by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (The Kentucky Cycle).

'Sondheim: A Musical Tribute' was the title given to a benefit staged in March 1973. American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the National Hemophilia Foundation first wanted to honor Harold Prince, but he declined, so they chose Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim thought it would be 'merely a dinner,' but it was actually a full-scale production with 33 performers and a 30-piece orchestra, staged on the set of the then-running 'A Little Night Music' at the Shubert Theatre. Below, check out footage from a short documentary that was made about the show.

Manhattan Theatre Club's critically acclaimed production of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the world premiere comedy by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin, directed by Marc Bruni, begins its final two weeks of performances tonight at 7 PM at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). The extended engagement will play its final performance on Sunday, August 4. On that date, the production will have played 26 preview performances and 54 regular performances.

Gingold Theatrical Group's PROJECT SHAW presents Bernard Shaw's madcap comedy TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD at 7pm at The Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan. David Staller produces and directs.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of The Explorers Club, the new play by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin, directed by Marc Bruni, opened last night, June 20 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). BroadwayWorld was there for opening nigt and you can check out full coverage below!

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the new play by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin, directed by Marc Bruni, opens tonight, Thursday, June 20 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). The production began previews on May 28.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the new play by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin, directed by Marc Bruni, opens Thursday, June 20 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). The production began previews on May 28. Check out highlights below!

THE EXPLORERS CLUB is now in previews at Manhattan Theatre Club with an official press opening set for Thursday, June 20 featuring Brian Avers (Rock 'n' Roll), Max Baker (Cyrano DeBergerac), Steven Boyer (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Arnie Burton (Peter and the Starcatcher), Carson Elrod (All in the Timing), David Furr (The Importance of Being Earnest), Tony Award nominee John McMartin (Into The Woods), Drama Desk Award winner Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse at MTC), and Tony Award nominee Jennifer Westfeldt (Friends With Kids, Wonderful Town). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's 2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown with a special spotlight focused on the final of our featured major Best Musical match-ups this year - the granddaddy of them all - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and INTO THE WOODS.

On Friday, May 31, Tony nominated writer Nell Benjamin and legendary deep-sea explorer Sylvia Earle - one of the first women admitted to the real Explorers Club in New York - will engage in a conversation to talk about their experiences in their respective fields, following the 8 PM performance of Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere production of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, a madcap comedy now in previews at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). The conversation will be moderated by Peabody Award-winning journalist and author Lynn Sherr.

Gingold Theatrical Group's PROJECT SHAW presents Bernard Shaw's madcap comedy TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD at 7pm at The Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan. David Staller produces and directs.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the new play by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin, directed by Marc Bruni, begins previews tonight at7 PM in preparation for a Thursday, June 20 opening at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street).

Today in 2005, the second Broadway revival of Sweet Charity opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, where it ran for 279 performances. Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, and also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions. THe 2005 revival starred Christina Applegate in he title role.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) have just announced full casting for the world premiere of THE EXPLORERS CLUB, the new play by Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), directed by Marc Bruni (Old Jews Telling Jokes).