Molly Smith News

Previews begin, September 17, for the 17-week engagement of Death of a Salesman. Meet the cast bringing this iconic play to life!

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre will open its 25th Anniversary season with the Midwest premiere of Refuge, a new play with music and puppetry from creators Satya Jnani Chávez and Andrew Rosendorf with translations by Mari Meza-Burgos. Refuge will begin previews October 7 with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:00 p.m.

The national tour of Dear Evan Hansen had a special visitor this weekend in Philadelphia, when Angelina Jolie stopped by the show with her daughter Vivienne. Check out a photo here!

A digital lottery has been announced a for the Philadelphia premiere of the Tony® Award-winning musical. For the First North American Tour, the lottery will offer fans the chance to purchase a limited number of $31 tickets available for each performance through Telecharge.

Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Opening night is set for Sunday, October 9 at the Hudson Theatre, and the show will run for a strictly limited 17-week engagement starting Monday, September 19.

The streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker. Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance amongst a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft that he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sikes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver’s chances of discovering the true love of a family. Performances are July 9-17 at Knox Memorial Theater, 112 East High St., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. For tickets or more information, visit: https://mtvarts.com/

BroadwayWorld talks to playwright Jessica Dickey about TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's world premiere production of her frank and funny play 'Nan and the Lower Body' running July 13 to August 7 in Palo Alto.

One thing we know for sure: the BroadwayWorld audience remains dedicated to seeing multiple shows per year, even if they’re making that final decision and purchasing a ticket much closer to the date of the show than in the past.

The Broadway League announced that masks would be optional starting July 1 for most Broadway productions. Broadway fans don’t appear happy with the change, with 12% of respondents to a recent BroadwayWorld survey indicating that with masks being optional, they’re no longer planning to attend a Broadway show in July.

Coming out of the pandemic, there were a ton of Artistic and Executive Leadership positions open at institutions across the country, and as those roles have been filled, that has opened up other jobs - causing the leadership jobs carousel to keep on spinning.

Red Bull Theater today announced the eight world premieres in this year’s Short New Play Festival 2022. This in-person event is the latest installment of Red Bull’s renowned annual new play festival of classically inspired ten-minute plays.

Waking up the morning after the Tony Awards is a day that often has many feeling inspired to go out and make art - to pursue their dreams and their passions. And as we look at the broader theatre industry in today’s newsletter, there are a lot of trends that should be viewed as highly encouraging.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater today announced that Artistic Director Molly Smith has decided to retire in July of 2023. The Arena Stage Board of Trustees will conduct a nationwide search to appoint a new Artistic Director to build on the pioneering legacy of Smith and Arena’s Founder Zelda Fichandler.

What did our critic think of Cry it Out at Ankeny Community Theatre? Over the last few years of doing reviews, I've had the pleasure of seeing some true gems in our theatre community that are just outside of Des Moines. While these theatres may not have the budget of some of the Des Moines theatres, the heart and creativity they bring is just as strong. One example of this is Ankeny Community Theatre's production of 'Cry it Out' by Molly Smith Metzler, which opened on June 3. Thanks to some of the creative choices they've made with this show, it has stuck with me since seeing it. As I think more about the show, I've found myself appreciating the creativity even more.

Tacoma Little Theatre's Off the Shelf program is excited to present Molly Smith Metzler's  exploration of motherhood, Cry It Out, directed by Suzy Willhoft and featuring some of the Pacific Northwest's finest actors.  This production will play Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 7:30pm.

Blackfriars Theatre has announced its 2022-2023 Season. In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackfriars made a point of raising the bar and the community's expectations of what local theater can look like.

Beginning with a world-premiere musical in summer 2022, the upcoming season features two new Power Plays, a classic romantic comedy, a timely new drama, a quirky cult musical and a landmark work of the American theater.

Now having its Orange County premiere performances at Chance Theater in Anaheim through May 1, 2022, CRY IT OUT is a poignant slice-of-life that takes an eavesdropper's look at the hopes, fears, and lessons that come with new motherhood in our current times, and just how different each new mother chooses to handle the balancing act.

M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Chicago’s premier Tap collective, and Chicago Tap Theatre,Chicago’s vibrant dance company preserving and celebrating Tap, as Chicago Tap All-Stars, a production collaboration to bring unity and connection across the entire Tap community, present events, a performance and a V.I.P. screening of “Bojangles” celebrating National Tap Dance Day and the Year of Chicago Dance, May 21 - 25. Tickets for events vary from free to $120 for a multi-event participation. Information, registration and tickets may be found at https://bit.ly/chicagotapallstars.

All new photos have been released for Chance Theater's Orange County premiere of Cry It Out, Molly Smith Metzler’s comedy that takes a sharp and honest look at the double-edged sword of motherhood in all its joys and perils.