Only Yesterday Opens @ 59E59

Tommy Crawford, Christopher Sears

Premiere of Only Yesterday, a new play by Bob Stevens, looks at one night in the lives of Paul McCartney and John Lennon before they were famous.

September 13, 2019: Northern Stages is presenting the NY premiere of Only Yesterday, a new play by Bob Stevens, which opened last night at 59E59 Theaters for a limited engagement through Sunday, September 29^th. Paul McCartney and John Lennon are together again in the playwright’s intimate look at them, one night, in Key West just before fame changes everything. Stevens, best known for The Wonder Years, Murphy Brown, and Malcolm In the Middle, focuses on an obscure night when John and Paul were just about to become the most famous young men in the world.

L.O.V.E.R. Opens

Lois Robbins

Karen Carpenter directs Lois Robbins’ solo show, L.O.V.E.R., a witty and self-deprecating look at the actress’ life journey that is both engaging and enlightening.

September 9, 2019: Kaleidoscope Creative partners is presenting the premier of Lois Robbins’ witty and inspirational tale, L.OV.E.R., directed by Karen Carpenter. The solo play opened last night at The Pershing Square Signature Center’s Alice Griffen Jewel Box Theatre for a limited run through November 2^nd. The confessional tale, performed by the actress, is both engaging and enlightening. She reveals her truths about life, love and yes, sex, in a witty and self-deprecating style that goes behind closed doors and under the sheets to explore one woman’s journey to fulfillment and ultimately, motherhood. Robbins has said, “75 per cent of the story is true, but the names, most of them, have been changed. The title is an acronym that has two different meanings during Robbins’ life and probably, most women, as well as men, would agree.

Authors Night

Bridget Moynahan, Candace Bushnell

East Hampton’s Library 15^th Annual Authors Night Benefit

August 11, 2019: On Saturday East Hampton’s Library hosted their 15^th annual Authors Night to benefit the Library’s essential programs and services throughout the coming year. Press arrived around 4:30 and the authors started trickling in shorty after for a brief meet and greet with the press, before heading off to their assigned spots and their respective dinners afterwards. Honorary Founding Chair, Alec Baldwin, was one of the first to arrive along with Honorary Co-Chairs, Candace Bushnell, Douglas Brinkley, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Robert A. Caro, Rosanne Cash, and Bridget Moynahan.

Annie Get Your Gun @ Bay Street

Mathew Saldivar, Alexandra Socha

Sarna Lapine’s delightful staging of the Irving Berlin classic, infused with Blue Grass Melodies, lights up the stage at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor.

August 4, 2019: Sarna Lapine’s delightful staging of Irving Berlin’s beloved musical, Annie Get Your Gun, opened last night at Bay Street Theater, centered by a luminous Alexandra Socha as Annie. Every element of this streamlined production, infused with Blue Grass melodies, shines beautifully, lighting up the intimate stage in Sag Harbor with rollicking good fun. To hear these classics songs like, “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Anything You Can Do,” and “They Say It’s Wonderful,” sung with a Blue Grass Band that sits elevated at the back of the stage is simply wonderful and a unique surprise.

In The Penal Colony

Jamar Brathwaite, Dhari Noel, David Glover Photo: Erica B. Sneider

Miranda Haymon’s conceptual adaptation of Franz Kafka’s short story opened Next Door @NYTW

July 17, 2019: In The Penal Colony, loosely based on Franz Kafka’s short story of the same name, opened Next Door @NYTW where Miranda Haymon’s fragmented and highly conceptual take on the classic tale will run through July 28. In this ambitious new staging, three black men convene in an unnamed penal colony and challenge the presumptions of the worth of a human body, asking what it means for black men to exist in the media.

Bay Street Summer Gala

Joel Grey

Joel Grey honored at Bay Street Theater’s 28^th Annual Summer Gala

July 7, 2019: Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor presented their 28^th annual summer gala, “If Your Friends Could See You Now,” at the Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York. The event, which honored Academy and Tony Award winner Joel Grey and Andrea K. Wahlquist, celebrated Bay Street Theater and Broadway musicals from the 1960s. There were cocktails, dinner and a live auction by celebrity auctioneer, Richard Kind. Afterwards, the gala celebrity emcee, designer Isaac Mizrahi, hosted an inspiring live show with appearances by some of Broadway’s best including Steven Skybell, Mauricio Martinez, Samantha Massell, John Peterson and more. Accepting his award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, Mr. Grey dazzled the guests by singing “Cabaret,” from the hit musical and film.
Photography: Barry Gordin

Safe Space @ Bay Street

Rodney Richardson, Mercedes Ruehl, Sasha Diamond

Tony winner Jack O’Brien directs the World Premier of a provocative new play with Mercedes Ruehl.

July 1, 2019: Three time Tony award winning director Jack O’Brien helmed the World Premier of Safe Space by Alan Fox, which opened at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. Feelings and politics collide with explosive consequences in Fox’s thought-provoking tale set at an exclusive liberal arts university in Anytown, USA. When a prominent African/American teacher gives his students a provocative essay assignment, he triggers an accusation of racism from a female student. Then the head of the college, played by Academy and Tony Award winning actress Mercedes Ruehl, informs the teacher inadvertently setting off a chain of events that threatens the foundation of the university. Fox has crafted an engaging, often explosive, examination of political correctness for today by pitting overly sensitive millennials against a pragmatic establishment.

2019 Drama Desk Awards

Santino Fontana, David Yazbeck, Robert Horn

The Prom Named Outstanding Musical at the 64^th Annual Drama Desk Awards, but Tootsie was the Big Winner with 4 Awards, followed by The Ferryman with 3, including Best Play.

June 2, 2019: The press room was jumping as the winners of the 64^th Annual Drama Desk Awards were brought from The Town Hall, where Michael Urie was hosting the show.

Photography: Barry Gordin
2019 DRAMA DESK WINNERS:

The Prompter @ Bay Street

Scott Schwartz, Tovah Feldshuh, Wade Dooley

A young actor rescues legendary actress, who can’t remember her lines, in World Premier of affecting comedy, The Prompter at Bay Street Theater.

June 2, 2019: By popular demand, The Prompter, a new comedy by Wade Dooley that was the audience favorite at Bay Street Theater’s New Works Festival last season, opened the Bay Street Theater’s Mainstage Summer Season in Sag Harbor. The world premiere of Dooley’s heartwarming tale about the relationship between a legendary actress and the prompter, she desperately needs after a 40-year absence from the stage, is deftly helmed by Scott Schwartz, Artistic Director of Bay Street Theater.

Chita Rivera Awards 2019

Chita Rivera and The Radio City Rockettes

Hadestown, Alice By Heart, & King Kong are Winners at Chita Rivera Awards, Honoring Choreography

May 20, 2019: Last night, Tony Award winners, Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen, co-hosted the third annual Chita Rivera Awards, honoring dance and choreography. Broadway’s Hadestown and the Off-Broadway production of Alice by Heart, took home the outstanding choreography awards in Theater.

The Drama League Awards

Bryan Cranston

Brian Cranston Awarded Distinguished Performance of the year and Hadestown named Outstanding Musical.

May 18, 2019: The Drama League announced the winners of the 85th Annual Drama League Awards at a star-studded luncheon ceremony at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Bryan Cranston was awarded the Distinguished Performance of the Year, an honor that can only be received once in a lifetime. The other winners announced at the ceremony were: Outstanding Production of a Musical, Hadestown; Outstanding Production of a Play, The Ferryman; Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Kiss Me, Kate; and Outstanding Revival of a Play, The Waverly Gallery.

Drama Desk: A Conversation with Celia Keenan-Bolger

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Michael Portantiere

May 11, 2019: The Drama Desk presented an informal conversation and Q&A session with Celia Keenan-Bolger on Friday, May 10, from 5:30 to 6:45 pm, at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Avenue,Studio 16FG. Keenan-Bolger, who plays Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, conversed with Drama Desk member Michael Portantiere.Photography: Barry Gordin For a Complete List of the 2019 Drama Desk Nominees Click Here

Live Out Loud Gala

18^th Annual Live Lout Loud Young Trailblazers Gala

May 8, 2019: On Tuesday evening Live Out Loud hosted their 18^th Annual Young Trailblazers Gala emceed by Judy Gold and Marquise Vilson at The Lighthouse, at the Chelsea Piers.
Photography: Barry Gordin

Meet The 2019 Drama Desk Nominees

Sarah Stiles Outstanding Featured actress in a Musical “Tootsie”

Press Reception for the 2019 Drama Desk Nominees at Green Room 42 in the Yotel New York.

May 8, 2019: Nominees for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards celebrated their honors with the press at Green Room 42 in the Yotel New York. The annual Nominees’ Reception is a festive event with lively conversation, where the press and Drama Desk members can meet the theater season’s most celebrated artists. The Drama Desk began presenting awards in 1955 and is the only critics’ organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway and Off Broadway in the same the same category.
Photography: Barry Gordin

Meet The 2019 Tony Nominees

Stephanie J.Block “The Cher Show

Press Junket for the 2019 Tony Award Nominees

May 1, 2019: On Wednesday morning, the day after The American Theatre Wing’ announced the 2019 Tony Nominations in 26 competitive categories, the nominees attended a press junket at the Sofitel New York Hotel on West 44^th Street. The casual event is an opportunity for the nominees to bask in the limelight of the press by posing for pictures and sharing stories about their Broadway Shows. The morning is a celebration of the best of Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.