Mark O'Donnell News

It's 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore. He's a bad boy with a good cause -- truth, justice, and the pursuit of rock and roll.

The Actors Fund and Playwrights Horizons announced today that New York City playwright Iyvon Edebiri is the 2019 recipient of a?oeThe Mark O'Donnell Prizea??, an annual prize presented to an emerging theater artist in recognition of her or his talent and promise.

It's 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore. He's a bad boy with a good cause -- truth, justice, and the pursuit of rock and roll.

From the vibrant opening number (The Anti-Polio Picnic), the cast let rip with power and passion that does not drop throughout.  Each performer grabs every moment with intensity and commitment to showcase their learning and talent while displaying their devotion to the craft.  The lyrics are crisp, witty and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny if not cringe-worthy. (I dare anyone not to watch a?oeGirl, Can I Kiss Youa??.?a?? through their fingers.)  The rockabilly score adds energy and pep and the music (with band skilfully led by Musical Director, Kate Marshall) is immaculate.

The full cohort of Whitireia's Musical Theatre students are rehearsing their bobby socks off in preparation for New Zealand's first ever season of Cry-Baby The Musical. Adapted from the John Waters film of the same name, this campy and wickedly subversive show will run for eight outrageous nights at Te Auaha a?" The NZ Institute of Creativity from 5-14 September.

Pantochino Summer Teen Theatre will present the musical a?oeCry-Babya?? at the MAC (Milford Arts Council) in Downtown Milford for three performances, August 9-11th.

Red Bull Theater today announced the cast for their ninth annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes, featuring two brand new commissions from Kia Corthron and Marcus Gardley, alongside six brand new plays that have been chosen from hundreds of submissions from playwrights across the country: Kate Abbruzzese, Terry Glaser, Eric Pfeffinger, Bridgette Dutta Portman, David Lerner Schwartz, Sofya Levitsky Weitz, and Matthew Wells.

Bay Area Musicals is thrilled to announce the full cast and creative team for the final production of the Company's 2018-2019 season, the international smash hit HAIRSPRAY (Winner of 8 Tony Awards including 'Best Musical'). Based on the 1988 John Waters film, HAIRSPRAY features music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman & Mark Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan. 

Bay Area Musical's production of HAIRSPRAY rocks the house early 1960s style, with lacquered bouffants and non-stop music, dancing and comedy – all wrapped up in a story about spunky, plus-sized teen Tracy Turnblad of Baltimore and her dream to be a dancer on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show.”

Bay Area Musicals (Matthew McCoy, Founder & Artistic Director, and AeJay Mitchell, Managing Director) is thrilled to announce the full cast and creative team for the final production of the Company's 2018-2019 season, the international smash hit HAIRSPRAY (Winner of 8 Tony Awards including "Best Musical"). Based on the 1988 John Waters film, HAIRSPRAY features music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman & Mark Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," has announced casting for its 29th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, which opens with the return of the wild, comic rock musical CRY-BABY,  based on the iconic John Waters film, a show which New Line first produced in 2012 in its American regional premiere, running Sept. 26-Oct. 19, 2019. The season continues with the electrifying new rock musical fresh from Broadway, in its regional premiere, HEAD OVER HEELS, a high-energy, adult romp about gender and sexuality, based on a 16th-century novel and using the songs of the 80s rock band The Go-Go's, running March 5-28, 2020. And the season closes with the return of one of New Line's biggest hits, which the New Liners first presented in 2007, the pitch dark satire URINETOWN, the hilarious, outrageous fable of greed, corruption, love, revolution, and urination, running June 4-27, 2020.

HAIRSPRAY opens THIS Saturday and runs through August 11th at the Victoria Theater from Bay Area Musicals! Go behind the scenes of the show!

City Springs Theatre, Atlanta's newest professional theatre company, presents the fantastically fun 'HAIRSPRAY The Broadway Musical,' winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, playing the beautiful Byers Theatre at The Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center (1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs) July 12th through the 21st. Tickets are $30-$62, with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and active and retired military personnel. Visit www.CitySpringsTheatre.com or call 404-477-4365 for more information.

A memory play in the vein of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, Chenango River Theatre is proud to produce the world premiere of the unforgettable comedy Incident At Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Red Bull Theater today announced the selections for their ninth annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes, featuring two brand new commissions from Kia Corthron and Marcus Gardley, alongside six brand new plays that have been chosen from hundreds of submissions from playwrights across the country: Kate Abbruzzese, Terry Glaser, Eric Pfeffinger, BrIdgette Dutta Portman, David Lerner Schwartz, Sofya Levitsky Weitz, and Matthew Wells.

Bay Area Musicals has announced the full cast and creative team for the final production of the Company's 2018-2019 season, the international smash hit HAIRSPRAY (Winner of 8 Tony Awards including "Best Musical"). Based on the 1988 John Waters film, HAIRSPRAY features music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman & Mark Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan.

Good morning Memphis! HAIRSPRAY is coming to Theatre Memphis from June 7 to 30, 2019.

It has just been reported that the hit musical Hairspray will return to the West End! 

konverjdans, the Brooklyn-based contemporary ballet company founded and directed by Tiffany Mangulabnan (former principal dancer with the Philippine Ballet Theatre), Jordan Miller (formerly of the New York City Ballet), and Amy Saunder (formerly of Suzanne Farrell Ballet), three female dancers/choreographers, launches its third spring season with 'konverjdans: III', presenting three world premieres:

Norte Maar, a committed Brooklyn-based think-tank dedicated to the creation, promotion, and presentation of collaborations in the visual, literary, and the performing arts, presents the seventh season of Counterpointe, a curated performance series of new choreographic works by female artists and the pointe shoe. Six women choreographers have been paired with six NY metro-based female visual artists to collaborate and create both a new physical and visual work by each while investigating the process of creation, inspiration and development. Presented in partnership with Brooklyn Ballet, the annual series will be presented April 26-28 at The Mark O'Donnell Theater at the Actors Fund Arts Center in downtown Brooklyn.