The charming Jonathan Groff (pictured above), whose voice is featured in the current Disney animated film Frozen (Kristoff), also stars in the new HBO series Looking, which premieres on January 19. Groff was nominated for a 2007 Tony Award for his performance in the musical Spring Awakening. In 2010, he made his London West End debut in Deathtrap. In 2012, he starred opposite Alfred Molina in the Los Angeles production of the two-hander play by Josh Logan, Red. Molina had originated the part in the Broadway production portraying famed abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko.

Niagara University senior theater major Patrick Tighe will join Paul Todaro (as Rothko) in the upcoming local production of Red (March 13-30), presented by Musicalfare at 710 Main Theatre, directed by Randall Kramer. Red won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play, Molina was nominated for Best Actor, and his co-star, Eddie Redmayne, won for Best Featured Actor. That was the same year that Steve Henderson was nominated in the same category for Fences. Redmayne is a British actor who starred in the original London production of Red. By the way, Kramer returns to Artpark next summer to direct the musical Mary Poppins, which will be choreographed by Anne Nicole Beck (nee Biancofiore).

Yasmina Reza’s very popular play Art opens at Kaleidoscope Theatre on February 6, directed by Melissa Leventhal, starring Chris Andreana, Matt Mooney Galantowicz, and Michael Votta. The show will play on Thursdays and Sundays at 7:30pm, with a talk-back after every performance. Interestingly, Alfred Molina was also in the original 1998 Broadway production and received a Tony nomination for his performance as Yvan, the role being played by Votta.

Tim Joyce, Tom Owen, and David C. Mitchell will star in the world premiere drama To the Top by Ron Radice at the Alleyway, February 6-March 1. Neal Radice (no relation to the playwright) directs.

Set and costume designer Ken Shaw has also written the stage adaptation for TOY’s upcoming production, Nancy Drew & The Mystery at Lilac Inn. Based on the book by Carolyn Keene, the show is directed by Meg Quinn, starring Kerisa Yvonne Bonville, Arin Lee Dandes, Maria Droz, Danica Riddick, Kerrykate Abel, Joyce Carolyn, Darryl Hart, Kurt Guba, and Guy Balotine. Nancy Drew runs January 31-February 16 at the Allendale.

Next fall, the Irish Classical Theatre plans to offer Corneille’s classic The Liar, adapted by David Ives, and Arthur Miller’s classic Death of a Salesman. Don’t forget, the company’s annual fundraiser The Wake is on March 7.

David Bondrow is playing Noah (of the Ark fame) in Two by Two, the seldom seen musical by Richard Rodgers and Martin Charnin, which opens this week at the Lancaster Opera House. Based on the play The Flowering Peach by Clifford Odets, the original 1970 Broadway production starred Danny Kaye.

Charles Busch’s hilarious Tony-nominated play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife will be presented by RSDP Productions at the Lancaster Opera House April 25-May 4. The show will star Susan Toomey, Pamela Rose Mangus, Peter Palmisano, and the fabulous Dolores Mendolia. Linda Lavin and Michele Lee both received Tony nominations for their performance in the original 2000 Broadway production.

Alan Trinca (pictured right) joins Chris Kelly and Jimmy Janowski in the staged reading of Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party, presented by BUA to celebrate its 22nd birthday, Sunday January 26 at 7pm at the Evergreen Commons (corner of Prospect and Georgia). Caitlin Coleman and Lisa Ludwig return to reprise the roles they played in the BUA productions of 1998 and 2001. They will be joined by Kevin Craig, Kurt Erb, Jessica Rasp, and Michael Seitz. Busch’s latest play, The Tribute Artist, begins previews next week at Primary Stages in New York City. Busch stars as an out-of-work female impersonator.