Rhode Island Theatre + Broadway News

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 5/19/2013

(5/19/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/19/2013 for Rhode Island

STOMP's Precision Percussion Brings Energetic Rhythm to PPAC

(5/18/2013) - For two non-stop, high-energy hours, the performers in STOMP drum, dance, and yes stomp their way through an array of impressive percussive exhibitions.

Photo Flash: First Look at Anne Scurria, Phyllis Kay and More in HOUSE & GARDEN

(5/18/2013) - From the author of Absurd Person Singular comes the theatrical event of the season: a pair of interlocking comedies that take place simultaneously, with one cast performing both shows in two different theaters at the same time. Directed by resident company member Brian McEleney, the shows open in previews on May 16 and then run simultaneously through June 30 in both the Chace and Dowling Theaters. Tickets are on sale now at the Trinity Rep box office, 201 Washington St.; by phone at(401) 351-4242; and online at www.trinityrep.com. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production shots below.

NUNSENSE Opens Theatre by the Sea's 80th Anniversary Season

(5/14/2013) - NUNSENSE, the award-winning and hilarious Off-Broadway hit musical comedy, plays the historic stage at Bill Hanney's Theatre by the Sea from May 29 thru June 16. Tickets are on sale now by calling (401) 782-8587, online at theatrebythesea.com, or in person at 364 Cards Pond Road, Matunuck, RI 02879. Press night is planned for May 31 at 8pm.

Richard and Sharon Jenkins to Direct OLIVER! at Trinity Rep, Feb 2014

(5/13/2013) - Trinity Rep has announced that former artistic director and Academy-award nominated film, stage and TV actorRichard Jenkins is returning to Trinity Rep for their 50th Season. Richard and his wife Sharon Jenkins are set to direct and choreograph Trinity Rep's production of Lionel Bart's family musical Oliver! in February of 2014.

BWW Reviews: Despite Some Thorns, 2nd Story's THE ROSE TATOO Blossoms Into Solid Entertainment

(5/12/2013) - Among other things, playwright Tennessee Williams is known for plays which fit into the category of "southern gothic." His works are often set in the south and tell steamy, sordid tales of love, sex, power and death. One such play, The Rose Tattoo, is set in a small town on the gulf coast, where everybody knows everybody else's business and where secrets and passions run as deep as the humidity is high. Less often produced than Williams' other plays, Rose Tattoo is currently on the stage at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 5/12/2013

(5/12/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/12/2013 for Rhode Island

The Gamm Captivates Audiences with Darkly Funny BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

(5/10/2013) - Stories about mothers have been around for as long as...well...mothers. And with Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, it's hard not to reflect and think about our own mothers or the other mothers in our lives. Or to remember some of the stories and memories that the word 'mother' conjures up. With its production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Gamm Theatre offers up an undeniably darker and arguably quite disturbing tale of one mother and how she rules her house and her daughter.

Photo Flash: First Look at Brown and Trinity Rep's ROMEO AND JULIET

(5/10/2013) - Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed by Ryan Purcell ('13) presented by Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs. Playing now through May 19 in the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire Street, Providence. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Ocean State Theatre Company's 2013-2014 Season Opens With LES MISERABLES

(5/8/2013) - Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC) has announced that its first full season in their new state-of-the-art theatre located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick, will open with the international smash hit, Les Miserables.

Photo Flash: First Look at Joe Short, Wendy Overly and More in BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

(5/6/2013) - The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, directed by Judith Swift, is now running at the Gamm Theatre, May 2-June 2, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 5/05/2013

(5/5/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/05/2013 for Rhode Island

WAR HORSE Announces PPAC Engagement, 6/5-9

(5/3/2013) - Producers Bob Boyett and The National Theatre of Great Britain have announced full casting for the upcoming Providence engagement of the 2011 Tony Award-winning Best Play, WAR HORSE. The company, comprised of more than 30 performers, includes Alex Morf as Albert Narracott, Brian Keane as Arthur Narracott, Michael Wyatt Cox as Billy Narracott, Todd Cerveris as Ted Narracott, Angela Reed as Rose Narracott, Jason Loughlin as Lieutenant James Nicholls, and Mat Hostetler as Private Schnabel.

BUBBLEOLOGY Returns to Ocean State Theatre, 5/11

(5/3/2013) - Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC) has announced that due to unprecedented popular demand, Keith Michael Johnson's enormously popular production, Bubbleology, will return to Ocean State Theatre, as part of OSTC's Family Fun Fest, for an encore performance on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 11:30 am.

Voting Opens for the 2013 BroadwayWorld Awards! Vote Now for the Best of the 2012-13 Theatre Season...

(5/2/2013) - The Tony Awards Nominators had their say earlier this week and now it's your turn! We're pleased to announce that voting has now opened for the 11th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's GOOD VS. EVIL Comes to PPAC Tonight

(5/2/2013) - Join Anthony Bourdain and his good friend, Eric Ripert - internationally renowned chefs, authors, and television personalities - as they share stories and muse on the place of food in our personal, community, and global life. Their Good vs. Evil tour will visit for one night only, tonight, May 2, 2013 at 7:30P at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC). It will be a truly engaging evening of storytelling and observation, providing frank and provocative insight into what really goes on behind kitchen doors.

The Gamm Stages THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, Now thru 6/2

(5/2/2013) - The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, directed by Judith Swift, will run at the Gamm Theatre, tonight, May 2-June 2, 2013.

Artists' Exchange 2013 One Act Play Festival Calls for Submissions

(4/30/2013) - Submissions are currently being accepted for the Artists' Exchange 8th annual One Act Play Festival.

NUNSENSE!, BUBBLEOLOGY and More Set for Theatre By The Sea's 2013 Summer Season

(4/29/2013) - The Theatre By The Sea (TBTS) box office will open Sunday, May 5 for the eagerly awaited 80th Anniversary Season produced by owner Bill Hanney. All tickets will go on sale at 10am by phone (401-782-8587), online (www.theatrebythesea.com) or in person at 364 Cards Pond Road in Matunuck, RI. Patrons who visit the box office in person on May 5 are encouraged to bring their family to enjoy complimentary light snacks and explore the beautiful seaside grounds.

Brown/Trinity Rep M.F.A. Programs Present JEDERMANN, 5/5

(4/29/2013) - Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs present a free outdoor performance of Jedermann, one performance only, May 5th at Ship Street Square in Providence.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 4/28/2013

(4/28/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 4/28/2013 for Rhode Island

BWW Reviews: OSTC Stages Terrific THE KING AND I

(4/27/2013) - Ocean State Theatre Company closes the inaugural season at its new Warwick location on a high note with a winning production of 'The King and I.'

Trinity Rep to Present Twin Plays HOUSE & GARDEN, 5/16-6/30

(4/24/2013) - From the author of Absurd Person Singular comes the theatrical event of the season: a pair of interlocking comedies that take place simultaneously, with one cast performing both shows in two different theaters at the same time. Directed by resident company member Brian McEleney, the shows open in previews on May 16 and then run simultaneously through June 30 in both the Chace and Dowling Theaters. Hailed by Timemagazine as "An audacious, crazy, altogether brilliant achievement, ' the Guardian UK calls the evening "much more than a romp, ' and states that the play just 'bursts at the seams with comedy, intrigue and calamity." Tickets are on sale now at the Trinity Rep box office, 201 Washington St.; by phone at(401) 351-4242; and online at www.trinityrep.com.

Ocean State Theatre Presents HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, May 4

(4/24/2013) - Melinda Long's best-selling book comes to life when Ocean State Theatre Company presents the unforgettable musical adventure, How I Became a Pirate on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 11:30 am. The production is part of Ocean State Theatre Company's Family Fun Fest, which is recommended for children 4 years and older.

BWW Reviews: Impressive Beatles Tribute RAIN Brings History and Harmony to Providence

(4/22/2013) - 'RAIN's' long history - dating back to the 1970s with both US and international tours, as well as a recent limited engagement on Broadway - attests to the high quality of the production. This tour boasts an amazing sound, a sharp, authentic look, and an impressively talented quintet of musicians.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 4/21/2013

(4/21/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 4/21/2013 for Rhode Island

The Gamm to Stage THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, 5/2-6/2

(4/19/2013) - The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, directed by Judith Swift, will run at the Gamm Theatre, May 2-June 2, 2013.

Ocean State Theatre Opens KING AND I, 4/24

(4/18/2013) - Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit which brought new life to the historic Theatre By The Sea for the past five years, concludes their Inaugural Season with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical masterpiece, The King and I, which opens in previews on Wednesday, April 24.

John Krasinski to Receive Trinity Rep's 2013 Pell Award

(4/17/2013) - Trinity Repertory Company announced today that screen and television actor John Krasinski will be honored with the 2013 Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts. Krasinski is a Massachusetts native, known for his work on NBC's hit comedy The Office, and the recent film Promised Land with Matt Damon. Krasinski will be honored alongside recently announced Honorees Kate Burton (Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts), Tony Estrella (Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts), Joseph A. Chazan, M.D. (Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts), and Martha Douglas-Osmundson (Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts.) The 17th annual Pell Awards will be held on Monday, June 10, 2013 at Trinity Rep with a reception to follow next door at the Providence Public Library.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 4/14/2013

(4/14/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 4/14/2013 for Rhode Island

BWW Reviews: Local Talent Rises to Top of Daydream Theatre's HIGHER METHODS

(4/13/2013) - To paraphrase an old saying, you can't swing a dead cat in a Rhode Island theater without hitting a graduate of either Rhode Island College or University of Rhode Island. But don't worry, that's a good thing. RIC and URI have been consistently producing highly talented young theater professionals for a number of years. Local theaters, both on stage and behind the scenes, are teeming with these talented, enthusiastic, capable artists. And while there are other schools in the area producing similar talent, it seems that RIC and URI appear most frequently in the playbills of local productions. In the case of Daydream Theatre Company's current show, Higher Methods, talented young actors from the aforementioned schools happen to be the highlight of the evening. Rather than a daydream, the play is more of a fever dream, bordering on a nightmare. It is the tale of a young actor who travels to Los Angeles, Hollywood specifically, to find his long lost sister. In his efforts to hunt her down, he traces her steps, trying to experience everything she did. Along the way, he becomes lost in a strange world where little makes sense and nothing is what it seems.

Gamm Stages THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE to Conclude 29th Season

(4/12/2013) - The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) concludes its 29th Season with what promises to be a hilariously comic, aggressively dark and highly entertaining production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. The Irish-born playwright's multi-award-winning play, called 'Riveting...and cruelly amusing' by The New Yorker, focuses on the suffocating relationship between forty-year-old spinster Maureen (Jeanine Kane) and her aging and increasingly needy mother, Mag (Wendy Overly)--two seriously flawed characters locked in mutual loathing.

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs Present ROMEO & JULIET, 5/7-19

(4/11/2013) - The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs will present a dramatic reinvention of the Shakespearian classic Romeo and Juliet, directed by Ryan Purcell (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs '13). Experience this timeless tale of forbidden passion in a new way: a world filled with violence, jealousy, and ultimately loss transformed. Performances are May 7 through May 19 in the Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire Street, Providence. General admission is $12, with a $6 admission for seniors and students. Tickets are now on sale at the Trinity Rep box office, by phone (401) 351-4242, and online at trinityrep.com.

The Rhode Island Performance Exchange Launches

(4/11/2013) - The Rhode Island performance community-at-large has announced the formation of The Rhode Island Performance Exchange (RIPE). The community-based organization aims to create greater awareness about all activity in the Rhode Island performance community, while connecting people working in the sector to each other in hopes of encouraging new collaborations and resource-sharing, all with the ultimate goal of building better performance through a stronger community, and a stronger community through better performance.

Now Playing Onstage in Rhode Island - Week of 4/07/2013

(4/7/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 4/07/2013 for Rhode Island

BWW Reviews: Artists' Exchange Celebrates Opening of Theatre 82 with Touching OUR TOWN

(4/6/2013) - Artists' Exchange gathered a solid ensemble of local actors for their production of 'Our Town,' and this group makes the most of each and every character portrayed on stage.

Gamm Theatre's Artistic Director Tony Estrella to Receive 2013 Pell Award

(4/5/2013) - The Board of Directors of The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre congratulates Artistic Director Tony Estrella on his selection by Trinity Repertory Company as a prestigious 2013 Pell Award winner.

Artists' Exchange Christens New Community Space with OUR TOWN, Beg. Tonight

(4/5/2013) - Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is the story of a small community and the ordinary lives of its inhabitants, told with a sensitivity and quiet wisdom that ultimately captures the heart of the human experience and what connects us all.

Kate Burton, Tony Estrella, Joseph A. Chazan and Martha Douglas-Osmundson to Receive 2013 Pell Awards Honors

(4/4/2013) - Trinity Repertory Company announced today that three local Rhode Island residents will be receiving Pell Awards this year in addition to Kate Burton, who had previously been announced as the recipient of the 2013 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. The 17th annual Pell Awards will be held on Monday, June 10, 2013 at Trinity Rep with a reception to follow next door at the Providence Public Library.

Trinity Rep Celebrates Under35@TRC with a SOCIAL CREATURES Party Tonight

(4/4/2013) - Trinity Repertory Company previously announced their Under35@TRC Zombie Prom Night, the first in a series of Under35@TRC nights brought to you by The Onion. Tonight's April 4 event will begin at 6:30pm in the upstairs lobby with a pre-show party featuring complimentary cocktails from Sons of Liberty Spirits Company, catering by The Bradford, and a zombie prom photo booth. After the show, guests are invited to walk up street to Blake's Tavern for an Onion after-party with $2 Narragansett.