Shakespeare In The Park's Hair Opens

The Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair opens at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park tonight. The revival of the groundbreaking Off-Broadway (and later Broadway) hippie musical has already been playing at the Delacorte for a couple weeks and will continue playing until the end of this month. There has been a great deal of speculation about whether or not this production will transfer to an open Broadway run, but that is still up in the air.

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.

Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare in the Park

The Public Theater has just announced full casting for its first Shakespeare in the Park offering, and it looks like this year won't be the star-studded affair of past years (see: Meryl Streep in Mother Courage and Her Children last summer). The biggest names in Romeo and Juliet, which begins performances on June 5, are Lauren Ambrose and Camryn Manheim, who will play Juliet and her Nurse in Shakespeare's iconic love story. Having a more low profile cast is likely a blessing in disguise, since it means we'll get to enjoy the Bard's beautiful text being performed by trained professionals rather than struggling movie stars (obviously I'm not referring to Ms. Streep, who was a knockout). It also means that ticket demand won't be as high, so you'll have a better chance of snagging tickets. For the uninitiated, Shakespare in the Park tickets are absolutely free, and they're distributed at 1PM on the day of the performance in front of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and also in front of the Public Theater downtown. Demand varies, but it's usually a good idea to join the line by 8 or 9 in the morning (when Meryl was doing the show, people often camped out the night before!)