John Irving News

Lincoln Center Theater has announced the first two productions of its 2015-2016 season: DADA WOOF PAPA HOT, a new play by Peter Parnell, to be directed by Scott Ellis, beginning performances Thursday, October 15 and opening Monday, November 9 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; and the LCT3 world premiere production of KILL FLOOR, a new play by Abe Koogler, to be directed by Lila Neugebauer, which will begin performances Saturday, October 3, open on Monday, October 19, and run through Sunday, November 15 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street).

Paper Mill Playhouse presents The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which first played to rave reviews in La Jolla). Inspired by the classic Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is directed by Scott Schwartz and choreographed by Chase Brock.

Paper Mill Playhouse presents The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which first played to rave reviews in La Jolla). Inspired by the classic Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is directed by Scott Schwartz and choreographed by Chase Brock.

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced the full cast for its production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which first played to rave reviews in La Jolla). Inspired by the classic Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is directed by Scott Schwartz and choreographed by Chase Brock.

Cape Town is in for a treat when a powerhouse creative trio presents the local premiere of CRAZY IN LOVE at the inaugural Cape Town Fringe Festival this year. Theatre legend Andrew Buckland and multiple-award winning visual theatre innovators, Rob Murray and Liezl de Kock, bring this Standard Bank Ovation Award winner to the Mother City for only six performances. Devised and performed by the inspirational pairing of Buckland and de Kock, the production is directed by Murray, with design by Jayne Batzofin.

After winning $428,100 over 21 appearances, JEOPARDY champion Julia Collins' lengthy winning streak came to an end last night, Monday June 2nd.

Amazon today introduced Kindle MatchBook, a new benefit that gives customers the option to buy--for $2.99, $1.99, $0.99, or free--the Kindle edition of print books they have purchased new from Amazon. Print purchases all the way back to 1995--when Amazon first opened its online bookstore--will qualify once a publisher enrolls a title in Kindle MatchBook. Over 10,000 books will already be available when Kindle MatchBook launches in October, including best sellers like I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch, with many more titles to be added over time. Customers can learn more by visiting www.amazon.com/kindlematchbook.

Dan Brown's latest 'Robert Langdon' novel, INFERNO, debuted at the top of Amazon's best seller list this week, though it failed to place on The New York Times' fiction list. James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's 12TH OF NEVER took that top spot, with David Baldacci's THE HIT falling to second place. On the non-fiction front, Glenn Beck's latest book CONTROL took the top spot.

PFLAG National will celebrate The Fifth Annual Straight for Equality Awards, hosted by comedian/writer/producer Lizz Winstead (Co-Creator, THE DAILY SHOW). The organization will present the Straight for Equality in Entertainment Award to Sir Patrick Stewart (X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION; MATCH), the Straight for Equality in Literature Award to award-winning author John Irving (THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP; IN ONE PERSON), the Straight for Equality in Sports Award to Brendon Ayanbadejo (Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens) and Chris Kluwe (Minnesota Vikings), and the Straight for Equality in the Workplace Award to Whirlpool Corporation.

PFLAG National will celebrate The Fifth Annual Straight for Equality Awards, hosted by comedian/writer/producer Lizz Winstead (Co-Creator, THE DAILY SHOW). The organization will present the Straight for Equality in Entertainment Award to Sir Patrick Stewart (X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION; MATCH), the Straight for Equality in Literature Award to award-winning author John Irving (THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP; IN ONE PERSON), the Straight for Equality in Sports Award to Brendon Ayanbadejo (Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens) and Chris Kluwe (Minnesota Vikings), and the Straight for Equality in the Workplace Award to Whirlpool Corporation.

PFLAG National-the nation's largest grassroots-based non-profit for families, friends, and straight allies of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people-will honor NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Superbowl Championship-winning Baltimore Ravens and Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings (Straight for Equality in Sports), and award-winning author John Irving (Straight for Equality in Literature) at the fifth annual Straight for Equality Awards Gala. Additional honorees will be named in coming weeks. The evening will be hosted by comedian/writer/producer Lizz Winstead, co-creator of THE DAILY SHOW and co-founder of AIR AMERICA radio.

As part of the 2012-2013 Readings & Conversations series, The Cabin welcomes best-selling author, health advocate and physician Abraham Verghese to the Morrison Center tonight, November 5 at 7:30 pm.

This story tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch and the complex father-son relationship he develops with the young orphan Homer Wells.

As part of the 2012-2013 Readings & Conversations series, The Cabin welcomes best-selling author, health advocate and physician Abraham Verghese to the Morrison Center on November 5 at 7:30 pm.

Talk Show Listings For Thursday, June 21

Talk Show Listings For Thursday, June 21

Today we are talking to an actor who has appeared in over fifty feature films and starred in plays on Broadway and in the West End all about his career thus far, looking ahead to his new role as John Sculley in the forthcoming jOBS, co-starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, directed by Joshua Michael Stewart - the one and only Matthew Modine. In this all-encompassing chat tracing the past to the present, Modine also manages to give us the scoop on his featured role in the final part of Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and shares his candid impressions of working with Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the rest of the starry cast of the sure-to-be blockbuster of the summer. Additionally, Modine illustrates his experiences working with director Robert Altman on screen and stage projects as diverse as SHORT CUTS and STREAMERS on film, Arthur Miller's FINISHING THE PICTURE in Chicago and RESURRECTION BLUES at the Old Vic in the West End and Modine expresses his overall general enthusiasm for acting and reveals deeply probing insight into many of his most memorable and famous roles to date - ranging from roles in Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET to Alan Parker's BIRDY to his work with Oliver Stone, Tony Richardson, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Mike Figgis, John Schlesinger and others. All of that, a thorough discussion of his recent roles in the theatrical productions of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE MIRACLE WORKER, as well as recollections of working on many of his most beloved projects to date, such as AND THE BAND PLAYED ON, THE REAL BLONDE, ORPHANS, CUTTHROAT ISLAND, BYE BYE LOVE, THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE, WEEDS - and much, much more!

Simon & Schuster Audio today announced that Tony Award-winning actor John Benjamin Hickey will narrate John Irving's highly anticipated audiobook, IN ONE PERSON, due out May 8, 2012. The audiobook will be available unabridged in both CD and download formats.

THE WRITERS STUDIO READING SERIES celebrates The Pushcart Press and the release of the 2012 Pushcart Prize XXXVI, Best of The Small Press with readings by LYDIA DAVIS, SIGRID NUNEZ, MARK STRAND and SUSAN WHEELER.

Blake Robison, a highly accomplished director and producer, has been named the next artistic director of the two-time Tony Award-winning Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in a unanimous vote by the Playhouse's board of trustees.