Best of Both Worlds Photos - Off-Broadway

Winner of both the Tony and Olivier Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for author Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park is a razor-sharp satire about the politics of race and real estate. The play returns to London following sell out runs at The Royal Court and in the West End.

Summer would not be complete without seeing at least one Shakespeare play outdoors somewhere in Los Angeles. This year I decided to spend a bewitching night in Griffith Park, selecting to see my favorite Bard comedy, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, presented by the Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) celebrating the 15th anniversary season of free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks. In 2010, ISC moved free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park to Griffith Park, the second largest city park in California. The growth in attendance has been extraordinary, certainly due in part to the quality of the productions. So grab a blanket or a lawn chair, pack a picnic, and take a short hike into Griffith Park to a land of wonder and imagination thanks to the Independent Shakespeare Company's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - and bring the kids!

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the first production in the fifth season of Chicago's lost musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits Woman of the Year, starring Meghan Murphy and Brandon Dahlquist, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Peter Stone, with direction by Porchlight's Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreography by Florence Walker Harris and musical direction by David Fiorello.

Abingdon Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, presents the world premiere of CHESS MATCH NO. 5, conceived and directed by Anne Bogart, with text arranged by Jocelyn Clarke from the words of John Cage. Created by SITI Company, CHESS MATCH NO. 5 began previews March 9, with an official press opening March 19, in Abingdon's June Havoc Theatre (312 West 36th Street).

Confronting, heartbreaking, and also hilarious, THE PRIDE draws the audience into two worlds, 50 years apart, highlighting that the horrific denial of love was not such a distant memory and still remains a challenge.

Winner of the 2014 NYMF Developmental Reading Series, this Latin infused American musical is inspired by the true story of a Princeton Undergrad who was an undocumented child immigrant from the Dominican Republic. When Manuel gets a scholarship to study at Oxford, he's faced with the realization that he can't leave the USA. He takes on The Statue of Liberty in the fight of a lifetime; the high-stakes boxing match that is immigration today. Is Manuel worthy? No one is spared in this political comedy that pulls no punches about immigration reform and the American Dream.

Three dynamically different award-winning productions from the Baxter Theatre Centre and the Zabalaza Theatre Festival will be showcased at this year's inaugural Cape Town Fringe Festival from 27 September to 4 October with three performances each. The highly acclaimed THE CHAMPION and the hit production SECRET FLAMES will both be seen at the Galloway Theatre, while WORST OF BOTH WORLDS will be performed at City Hall 3.

In April of 2012, Peter Lockyer joined the U.S. Tour cast taking over the role of Jean Valjean. Peter Lockyer played Marius on Broadway many years ago and now has this new opportunity to play Jean Valjean. I recently interviewed Peter and learned a lot about his career and how he feels about being part of musical history.

Vineyard Theatre's Developmental Lab Production of THE LANDING (previously titled 'Andra') -- a collection of three related one-act musicals written by the celebrated composer John Kander and his new collaborator, Greg Pierce -- will be presented under the direction of Walter Bobbie, May 15-June 3 at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.). The cast just met the press, and BroadwayWorld brings you photos of John Kander, Greg Pierce, Paul Anthony Stewart, David Hyde Pierce, Jake Bennett Siegfried, Julia Murney, David Loud and Walter Bobbie below!

The world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) Gruesome Playground Injuries features Selma Blair (Hellboy, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Storytelling, Legally Blonde, NBC's Kath & Kim) playing Kayleen and Brad Fleischer (Center Theatre Group's premiere of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Broadway's Coram Boy, Off Broadway's Streamers) playing Doug.