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Altar Boyz Ends Off-Broadway Run

The long-running Off-Broadway musical comedy Altar Boyz will end its run at New World Stages on January 10, 2010.

In a letter posted on his website, producer Ken Davenport writes, "All GREAT must things must come to an end. Altar Boyz will close Jan. 10th. It is with great sadness that my partner, Robyn Goodman, and I officially announce that Altar Boyz, the longest running Off-Broadway musical to open in more than a decade, will play its final performance at New World Stages on Sunday, January 10th at 7:30 PM."

When it closes, the production will have played 2,032 performances. January 10th, the final performance day, is Altarholics Appreciation Day with special $35.00 tickets to the 3:00 PM show. Go to broadwayoffers.com or go directly to the New World Stages box office and use code ABAMEN1 to receive this special rate.

After the show, the cast is cleaning out their closet and putting it all on sale for purchase. There will also be a pizza party to follow.

A 2005 Outer Critics Circle winner, Altar Boyz is directed by Stafford Arima with choreography by Christopher Gattelli. Originally birthed as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Altar Boyz opened Off-Broadway March 1, 2005.

Altar Boyz has music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker with book by Kevin Del Aguila. The musical is based on a concept by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport.

New World Stages is located at 340 West 50th Street, just west of Eighth Avenue. Get tickets for the final perfomance here: http://broadwayspace.broadway.com/shows/tickets/category/off-broadway/

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter opens tonight, December 3, 2009!

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, written by Rebecca Gilman, based on the novel by Carson McCullers, and directed by Doug Hughes, officially opens tonight at 7pm at the New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) and will run through Sunday, December 20th.

A beautiful and timeless tale about the universal need for human connection, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter tells the story of John Singer, a deaf man, as he navigates the world without his dearest friend who has recently been committed to an insane asylum. When Singer, initially isolated and alone, moves to a small Southern town, the locals-a café owner, a rebellious teenager, a black physician, and an idealistic labor organizer-flock to him as a newfound confidant, seeking compassion and understanding from the one person who needs it most. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter intertwines the lives of these characters in a surprising way that results in a deeply moving story of outcasts in the South during the Great Depression.

The production stars Bob Braswell, Jimonn Cole, Michael Cullen, James McDaniel, Cristin Milliotti, Randall Newsome, Roslyn Ruff, I. N. Sierros, Henry Stram, and Andrew Weems.

New York Theatre Workshop is located at 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. The regular performance schedule is Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday through Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. There will be special student matinees on Wednesday, November 25 at 12pm and Wednesday, December 16 at 1pm.

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/shows/the-heart-is-a-lonely-hunter.html Check it out!

THIS opens Off Broadway tonight, December 2, 2009!

Melissa James Gibson's new play THIS opens off-Broadway tonight at Playwright's Horizons. Previews for THIS began November 6th and will play through December 13th. The cast features "Law and Order's" JuliAnne Nicholson, as well as Louis Cancelmi, Eisa Davis (Obie Award winner for Passing Strange), Darren Pettie, and Glenn Fitzgerald. THIS is directed by Daniel Aukin.

THIS follows the story of Jane, a promising poet without a muse, a single mother without lessons to pass along. Her dating life's a shambles, and her helpful friends are only helping make things more complicated. This un-romantic comedy captures the uncertain steps of a circle of friends backing their way into middle age.

The creative team includes scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Maiko Matsushima, lighting design by Matt Frey, sound design by Matt Tierney, and features original music by Peter Eldridge. Kasey Ostopchuck  stage manages.

Nicholson has appeared in Stranger at The Vineyard and was most recently seenin the film "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men". Davis won an Obie Award for her performance in Passing Strange and was last seen in Angel's Mix Tape. Cancelmi has been seen in The Singing Forest and Blasted. Pettie was last seen at Playwrights Horizon's in Spatter Pattern and was featured in the Broadway play Butley, starring Nathan Lane. Fitzgerald received a Lortel Nomination for his performance in Playwrights Horizon's Lobby Hero and is featured on ABC's drama "Dirty Sexy Money."

Tickets for THIS may be purchased at http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/shows/this.html. Performances for THIS take place Tuesday through Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 2:30 & 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:30 & 7:30pm. 

For more information, visit www.playwrighthorizon.com