Hamlet

Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle just announced the nomination slate of the fourth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards,theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.

'My Insane Shakespeare', a solo performance by award-winning actor and director Arthur Elbakyan, has won the prestigious Untied Solo and Backstage Audience Award.

Brrr . . . Does just thinking of the weather in January make you shiver? Then make your reservations now to escape to a sunny French seaside resort with Noel Coward's comedic masterpiece, Private Lives, directed by Artistic Director and 2014 Tony Award-winner Darko Tresnjak, from January 8 to February 8 at Hartford Stage.

Natalie Dew will play football crazy Jess with Lauren Samuels as Jules, a player with the Harriers, a local women's football team, and Jamie Campbell Bower as their coach Joe. Opening at the Phoenix Theatre on 24 June 2015, London previews for Bend It Like Beckham begin on 15 May 2015. Ronni Ancona will play Paula, Jules's Mum, with Jamal Andreas as Jess' good friend Tony. Preeya Kalidas plays Pinky, Jess' sister, with Tony Jayawardena and Natasha Jayetileke as her parents, Mr and Mrs Bhamra.

Pioneer Theatre Company, Salt Lake City's major resident Equity theatre, will present the world premiere of Kenneth Jones' dramaAlabama Story today, January 9-24, 2015, as part of its eight-title 2014-15 season. PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg will direct.

A diverse group of panelists, including an acclaimed stage and TV actor, a Drama Desk winning writer/actor, a five-time TONY Award nominated actress, a highly heralded playwright and a veteran actress and comedienne will assemble next Monday, January 12, at 6 PM to participate in the Drama Desk's first panel discussion of 2015, entitled 'Art Imitates Art: The Enduring Appeal of Theater About Theater.'

This month, ?Joe's Pub at The Public presents showcases from a range of artists including writer Dan Hoyle to orchestral indie band Mother Falcon to downtown darling Erin Markey to a slew of French jazz musicians, as part of the Paris Jazz Club's French Quarter Festival, coinciding with APAP|NYC, the annual Association of Performing Artists Presenters conference. The performances will occur nightly from tonight, January 8 through Tuesday, January 13.

Always a bridesmaid, appearing off-Broadway and as a Broadway understudy, Elise Kibler is now the Broadway bride, with her upcoming debut in The Heidi Chronicles. During the months of rehearsal leading up to her Broadway debut, Elise will also star in William Shakespeare's THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET as the title character, Juliet at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street), which begins previews Wednesday, January 14th and opens on Sunday, January 18th.

Three Day Hangover partners with the Emelin Theatre to bring their critically acclaimed boozy retelling of Romeo and Juliet to Mamaroneck in Westchester County, New York.

Theater Reconstruction Ensemble (John Kurzynowski, Artistic Director; Reed Whitney, Producing Director) proudly presents the World Premiere of You On The Moors Now, written by Jaclyn Backhaus and directed by John Kurzynowski. You On The Moors Now runs from February 13 - 28, 2015 in a limited engagement at HERE, located at 145 6th Avenue (Enter on Dominick, 1 block south of Spring) in New York City.

The world premiere of the new British stage musical Bend It Like Beckham, directed by Gurinder Chadha, with original music by Howard Goodall, lyrics by Charles Hart, a new book by Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha, has found its leading lady. The Daily Mail writes that newcomer Natalie Dew will star as 'Jess' at the Phoenix Theatre this summer.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 50th anniversary celebration with An Iliad, directed by Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Producing Director Jerry Genochio and starring the return of former Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Resident Director Kyle Hatley.

Neil Patrick Harris guest stars on the next episode of FX's AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW titled 'Show Stoppers.'

Tarragon Theatre presents the English-language premiere of Abyss, written and translated by Tarragon's first-ever International playwright-in-residence Maria Milisavljevic and directed by Artistic Director Richard Rose. This poetic thriller about a missing woman premiered (as Brandung) at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, winning the prestigious 2013 Kleist Promotional Award for Young Dramatists. Abyss opens February 11 and runs to March 15, 2015 (previewing from February 3) in Tarragon's Extraspace, and marks the Canadian debut of German playwright Milisavljevic.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the world premiere of White Guy on the Bus by Bruce Graham, directed by BJ Jones. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from January 23-February 28, 2015. The press opening is Friday, January 30, 2015 at 7:30pm.

Today's spotlight falls upon Michael Bouson and Joe Correll, two of the loveliest people I've ever known. Creative and imaginative, they brought their hilarious hijinks to the stage when they founded The Avante Garage Comedy Repertory Theatre, a comedy improv/musical theater company that set stages afire throughout Music City, introducing some of the region's best-loved performers to audiences who still remember every joke, every laugh and every song. Now living in Los Angeles, where they are both involved in television production, Michael and Joe made a triumphant return to Nashville in late August, when they were saluted at The First Night Honors of 2014.

What happened this year in SB theatre? Here's 2014 in review, and a preview of what's next for 2015.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its nightly performances over the next couple weeks, January 6 -18. Details below!

England's most storied rivalry takes center stage at Folger Theatre in Friedrich Schiller's classic drama Mary Stuart from January 27- March 8, 2015.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF will hold its 7th Annual Mock Trial on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Based on Shakespeare's laugh out loud comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, the Margeson Theater will transform into an interactive courtroom as Mistresses Ford and Page are put on the stand, charged with the false imprisonment of the opportunistic old bachelor, John Falstaff. Tickets ($25 - Regular; $15 - Students) will be available starting Tuesday, January 13 by calling (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at www.orlandoshakes.org, or in person at 812 East Rollins Street.

Jessica Lange stopped by this morning's GOOD MORNING AMERICA to talk about her role of Madam Elsa, a manager of a troupe of side show freaks with a sinister flaire on the FX hit AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW.

Full casting is announced for the Royal Shakespeare Company's summer productions of The Jew of Malta and Love's Sacrifice, continuing a commitment to celebrate the work of Shakespeare's contemporaries in the RSC's intimate Swan Theatre.

Theatrical Outfit continues its "Season of Compassion" with the awe-inspiring regional premiere of Lauren Gunderson's Silent Sky, which reveals the astonishing personal and professional discoveries awaiting real-life female American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921).

This month, ?Joe's Pub at The Public presents showcases from a range of artists including writer Dan Hoyle to orchestral indie band Mother Falcon to downtown darling Erin Markey to a slew of French jazz musicians, as part of the Paris Jazz Club's French Quarter Festival, coinciding with APAP|NYC, the annual Association of Performing Artists Presenters conference. The performances will occur nightly from Thursday, January 8 through Tuesday, January 13.

Swift advance sales have prompted the Stratford Festival to extend the runs of four productions, just as the box office has opened to the public. Performances of Carousel, The Alchemist, The Physicists and The Last Wife have been added to the schedule.

In anticipation for the year ahead, RISK AGAIN! takes a look at NTI's New Year's Resolutions!

Rice University presents Bob: A Life in Five Acts, Feb 13-21. Bob is an absurdist tale of the American dream and one man's odyssey from a White Castle hamburger stand through the rest stops of America on his way to find himself.

Upcoming Non-Equity Auditions from Sunday, January 4, 2015.

Roundabout Theatre Company will conclude its limited engagement of Tom Stoppard's Tony Award-winning play, The Real Thing, today, January 4, 2015.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Tony Award-winning play The Real Thing, directed by Sam Gold is one of many shows that will take its final Broadway bow tomorrow, January 4, 2014. The Real Thing, starring Ewan McGregor as 'Henry,'Maggie Gyllenhaal as 'Annie,' Cynthia Nixon as 'Charlotte' and Josh Hamilton as 'Max,' officially opened on Thursday, October 30, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). Below, BroadwayWorld salutes the show with a special flashback of its trip to Broadway!

Tony nominees Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana present a musical theatre performance workshop January 21st in Phoenix.

'Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike' will be onstage at Paper Mill Playhouse from January 21st through February 15th. Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview Mark Nelson who stars as Vanya in this touching and comical Tony Award winning play.

Below, check out the rundown of Broadway stars and theater-related nominees hoping to receive one of Hollywood's most distinguished awards this evening. Who will you be rooting for?

Upcoming Equity Auditions from Sunday, January 11, 2015.

Last night, at the stroke of midnight, Disney Studios released a sneak peek at its highly anticipated upcoming film CINDERELLA

?Australia's largest independent theatre company the Australian Shakespeare Company (ASC) is delighted to announce a colourful new production of the bard's satirical musical comedy As You Like It.

2014 is almost over, which means that BroadwayWorld South Africa is in the midst of taking a look back at the past year in theatre. This third column of five in this retrospective series on South African theatre in 2014 raises the curtain on six more of the best plays that have been produced on stages around the country.

Happy Birthday, Jude Law! In 1995, Law starred in The National Theatre transfer of Broadway's Indiscretions at the Barrymore Theater. In May 2009, Law returned to the London stage to portray the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Donmar Warehouse West End season at Wyndham's Theatre. In September 2009 the production transferred to the Broadhurst Theatre in New York.

Swarovski has collaborated with the Academy Award winning costume designer Sandy Powell to add some fairy tale sparkle to Disney's new enchanting live action film Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Lily James in the title role, Cinderella is due for release on March 13 th, 2015.

The theatre community lost one of our own on Christmas Day. Actor David Ryall, best recognized in America as Elphias Doge in Harry Potter, has died at age 79, according to reports.

This summer, London's Globe Theatre thrilled Prescott and area audiences with its presentation of 'Hamlet,' the only Canadian stop on its current international tour. Today at 12 noon (December 27th) in Toronto, the esteemed company, in partnership with MEI Events International and Arts Alliance, will continue to spread the Bard's good word in a screening of six plays starting with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' part of its very popular 'Shakespeare's Globe on Screen' series. It will be 'A Midwinter Afternoon's Treat.'

Joe Sirola will perform his acclaimed presentation of Shakespeare's 'Ages of Man' - a montage of Shakespearean soliloquy, describing in Shakespeare's words humanity's journey through life - tonight, December 27, 2014 as part of Theatre 80's A Tribute To Joyce Randolph on the occasion of her signing the concrete of the Walk of Fame. The event will also feature Tandy Cronyn performing Tall Boy, a compelling tale of displaced children in the aftermath of WWII.

From a Milli Vanilli opera to Hamlet, Charles Quittner recounts the boldest theatrical pieces from 2014.

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Nashville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Louisville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Houston Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Detroit Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!