Shakespeare In The Park To Perform In Rep In 2010

The Public Theater has already announced the two productions that it will present for 2010's "Shakespeare in the Park" series at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Next year, the summer tradition will truly live up to its name, presenting two of the Bard's plays (rather than one Shakespeare paired with a classic or modern classic, as has been the recent pattern), The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. Even more interesting is that the Public has decided to run the two Shakespeare in the Park shows in rep, which hasn't been done in nearly 20 years. Both productions will feature the same company of actors and designers, with Daniel Sullivan directing The Merchant of Venice and Michael Greif directing The Winter's Tale.

Anthony Mackie To Head Cast of The Bacchae

The Public Theater has completed casting for its second and final Shakespeare in the Park production this summer, Euripides' The Bacchae. Anthony Mackie will play Pentheus in the classic Greek tragedy, which will play August 11-30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Mackie has been seen on Broadway in productions such as Drowning Crow and the revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and is currently on screen in the acclaimed independent film The Hurt Locker. Other actors previously announced to star in the production include Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, The Singing Forest) as Dionysus, Andre de Shields (The Full Monty, Impressionism) as Teiresias, and George Bartenieff as Cadmus. JoAnne Akalaitis directs this 90-minute version (adapted by Nicholas Ruddall) of The Bacchae, which features an original score by Philip Glass.

Broadway Hit Hair To Tour Next Year

Can't make it to New York City to see all the best Broadway shows? Then don't worry, at least one of this season's biggest smashes may be coming to a theater near you. The hit Broadway revival of the 'tribal love-rock musical' Hair is set to launch a national touring production in the 2010-2011 season, though no dates or cities have been announced yet. Hair is currently playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, following its run last summer as part of the Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" season at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Hair, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1967, went on to a successful Broadway production at the Biltmore Theatre the following year. The loosely structured musical is about a group of East Village hippies and one of their members, Claude, who gets drafted to go to Vietnam. The show features a number of songs that went on to become classics, including "Good Morning Starshine," "The Age of Aquarius," "Easy To Be Hard," "Let the Sunshine In," and the title song "Hair". The Broadway revival has been a big hit with Broadway critics and audiences alike, and the show actually invites audiences onstage at the end of the show each night to dance with the cast.

Shakespeare in the Park Kicks Off With Hamlet

The Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" season begins at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre tonight with the first performance of Hamlet. Michael Stuhlbarg, who has appeared on Broadway in plays such as The Invention of Love and The Pillowman, is starring as the troubled title character. Stuhlbarg is ably supported by a talented cast, including Lauren Ambrose (Broadway's Awake and Sing!) as Ophelia, Sam Waterston (Law & Order) as Polonius, Andre Braugher as Claudius, and Margaret Colin (seen on Broadway last season in Old Acquaintance) as Gertrude.