Go Behind the Scenes with Gene Kelly, Take a Seat in The Dining Room & More Cross-Country Highlights

The New York theater scene is buzzing with spring openings, but Broadway.com is here to take you on a cross-country trip to check out hot shows all over the USA! This week’s best regional offerings include everything from a Singin’ in the Rain-themed musical to a Venus in Fur revival.


NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
Venus in Fur Hits Jersey
David Ives’ dark, seductive comedy Venus in Fur made a Tony-honored splash in New York last season. Now, the play is getting a new mounting at  George Street Playhouse, directed by Kip Fagan. Mark Alhadeff, an understudy in the Broadway production, takes on the starring role of playwright and director Thomas, and Jenni Putney stars as mysterious actress Vanda. This sizzling show is set to run from April 23 to May 18.

WESTPORT, CT
Westport Sets the Table for The Dining Room
Save your appetite for a witty drama! A.R. Gurney’s celebrated play The Dining Room begins performances at Westport Country Playhouse on April 30. Mark Lamos directs a cast of New York theater vets (including Heidi Armbruster, Keira Naughton and Charles Socarides) who shift ages, roles and personalities as 50 years pass in the course of a single day. Take a seat in The Dining Room through May 18.


MUNSTER, IN
Gene Kelly Dances Again
Head to the Chicago suburbs for the premiere of What a Glorious Feeling, a dance musical that pays homage to Singin’ in the Rain. The new show explores the film's behind-the-scenes drama (including a love triangle involving Gene Kelly!) and revives favorite dances and songs. The nostalgic and revealing What a Glorious Feeling will play from April 25 through June 2 at the Theater at the Center.


LOS ANGELES, CA
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone Comes to L.A.
August Wilson's gorgeous drama Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is headed to Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum in a production starring Tony winner Lillias White, John Douglas Thompson and Keith David, directed by Tony winner Phylicia Rashad. Set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911, the second play in Wilson's Century Cycle charts the Great Migration of African-Americans. See it from April 24 through June 9. 

PORTLAND, OR
Ten Chimneys Pulls Back the Curtain in Portland
Fresh off a New York run, Jeffrey Hatcher’s Broadway-centric Ten Chimneys is making its West Coast debut. The play chronicles the offstage drama of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne as they rehearse Chekhov’s The Seagull at their Wisconsin estate. Tensions mount and relationships are tested in this classic-style comedy, which will run from April 23 through May 26 at the Artists Repertory Theatre.