The opening of theather season for Broadway, off-Broadway, and lesser recognized shows began last Monday across a few theatre houses in New York with other releases expected in the coming weeks. In each of the established companies and the lesser knowns, a rotation of performances take place approximately until next June. The scheduling of these production is sequenced for each company who normally offer several in a season and will play for about a month before another production will begin and cycle through for another month or so until being replaced by another play. An average number of performances may be 4 to six shows each week until the programming dictates a change over. The rotation continues as each theater tries to book as many sales as possible within the defined window of performances. Of course each company and venue has different itineraries for the duration and number of weekly showings but knowing what to look for before deciding on which play to see is important. An insiders help on the hundreds of shows to choose from is a great idea before randomly plunging into the decision to occupy an afternoon or evening on a particular viewing. For a short stay visitor to New York especially, it's more rewarding to review the actors, actresses, directors, theaters and stories that are competing with one another for ticket sales before making the decision of what to watch. To rely on your preplanned wisdom to guide you rather than jumping on the first suggestion by a street hustler for tickets to go see a show like Cats' or Phantom of the Opera will leave any attendee more satisfied with their experience. Take a few moments to read through some summaries below.

The 1977 classic "Annie" set during the 1920's about the orphan who is a magnanimous leader and inclined to overcome the abuses of the facility's supervisor Miss Hannigan. The musical ran for six years and spawned the popularity of the songs, "Tomorrow" and "Hard Knock Life." It's returning to Broadway with previews starting October 3 and opening November 8 at the Palace Theater. It's expected to take big sales numbers and director, James Lapine, sees no similar fate for this revision as to what occurred to the 1997 remake which was a big disappointment. The musical score and acting has been constructed beautifully according to the show's producers.

"The Heiress" is a largely talked about adaptation of the Henry James novel "Washington Square" that recants the story of an emotional relationship dilemma among the lone daughter Catherine and her overly protective, somewhat judgmental father Dr. Sloper. He is a successful pyschian and having dealt with loss of his own wife and other daughter intends to prevent a marriage between Catherine's suitor who he feels has greedy ambition in pursuing his daughter's hand in marriage. In a saga that involves the Doctor's sister as well, sensitivities run deep. Much anticipation surrounds this play which is one of only a few that the emerging film actress Jessica Chastain has performed in. Her fame was achieved recently from her Academy Award nomination in "The Help." A graduate from Julliard and taking center stage in the Broadway production is big time. Previews begin October 7 with opening night on November 1 at the Walter Kerr Theater until February 10. Recently at Walter Kerr was the hit Clybourne Park adapted from the novel Raisin in the Sun about social adaptation in Chicago that includes an Act 1 setting of 1959 and Act 2 setting of fifty years later. The show ran for five months from April until September 2, achieving consistent top weekly sales figures for Broadway shows. Playwright Bruce Norris won a 2011 Pulitzer for Best Drama, a 2012 Tony for Best Play and three other Tony nominations. The award list included Pulitzer Prize for best play. It's original off Broadway premier was at Playwright's Horizon two years ago.

David Schwimmer acts alongside Amy Ryan in a Pulitzer Prize finalist from last year about a couple accustomed to life in their hometown of "Detroit" that has been effected by financial downturn. Upon arrival of a new family in the neighborhood, events become more unsavory than before. The theme weaves through the manufacturing industry's troubles and ideological conflict. The show's premier took place at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater and traveled to London's National Theater earlier this year under the director Austin Pendleton who is at the helm in New York. Performances begin at Playwright’s Horizons opening September 18 through October 7.

A young talent named Rob Mclure was picked from the auditions of many aspiring stage performers to play the cherished part of Charley Chaplin in a documentary role of the actor's life. McClure is said to have made several trips from Philadelphia to audition, via a commute on Amtrak train. During travel he rehearsed scenes and one that had a big part in him landing the lead role was his animated defense swatting against a bumblebee with music from an iphone in the background. The on looking passengers didn't know what to think and likely questioned his sanity. Aspects of the play cover the man behind the animated character that people know him by and ofcourse scenes take on the infamous persona which McClure is expected to have uncanny likeness to the original. This broadway performance at the Barrymore Theater began September 10 has not fulfilled expectations as a storyline however the acting that McClure offers has been described as remarkable. The director and choreographer Warren Carlyle also will be busy working on the Broadway appearance of "A Christmas Story," the revised stage version of the unforgettable movie about Ralphie and the bb gun.

Big name director David Mamet takes on two plays hitting the stage this season. First the rendition of "Glen Gary Ross" about competitive salesmen who take it to a higher level in a competitive winner take all environment. Set in the eighties during the blustering free market heyday of the Reagan era, egos and motives are revealed. The predominate male cast of characters include John C. McGinley, the cynical doctor form Scrubs, Al Pacino plays a tenured staff member along with others. It's being held at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater beginning November 11 and previews October 16.

"The Anarchist" flips the gender spectrum of new Mamet releases in his two character Broadway show starring the renowned Debra Winger known for onscreen roles dating back to the eighties such as "Urban Cowboy," "Terms of Endearment" that catapulted her career to stardom then her choice to relinquish the profession in the nineties for six years. Upon return she took the part in a documentary about the portrayal of women in movies that ascended her as a outspoken leader on the subject. Her recent performances on the HBO drama, "In Treatment" cast her as a psychiatrist. The apparent simplicity of the play with her as the warden in the female prison and the incarcerated, played by acting veteran Patti Lapune known for her star in Evita and others. "The Anarchist" shows at the John Golden Theater beginning December 2, previewing begins Nov. 13.

When Katie Holmes isn't dodging headlines about such nefarious topics as her recent divorce to Tome Cruise she's often busy filling television and movie roles. Most recently she’s found herself starring in the onstage performance playing the sister of a young man recently returned to his home in Cincinnati after living for several years in New York. The plot of the family and the older parents being cared for by Lorna(Holmes)has become immersed in a illegal corruption scheme that includes other families in town. "Dead Accounts" is a dark comedy that claims to center around Felonies and Families. Performances begin November 3 on Broadway at the Music Box.

One of the distinguished off Broadway theaters among the many spread intermittingly around town is Public, www.publictheater.org and claims a fine list of several upcoming shows for this season including "Fun Home" a paradoxical title about the loss of a father and proprietor of the family funeral business. The young daughter comes to grips with the awkwardness sadness of the situation. It's a musical choreographed and written by two highly acclaimed industry veterans, Jeanine Tesori, four-time Tony Award nominated composer and Lisa Kron, a Tony-nominated author. The shows is set to run from October 17 to November 4.

"Wild with Happy" is a nonmusical, staged with a small cast of just four including first time playwright, Colman Domingo, who has had several performances including a tony award nomination alongside in the 2011 "Passing Strange" about a work force of black railroad laborers that become victims of prejudice turned hostile in the pre-civil rights era of 1930's. His performances have also included "Chicago" and Domingo is scheduled to begin the production of a film called "The Butler" which will star a top cast including Oprah, Denzel Washington, John Cusak, Matthew McConahay, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding Junior and Jane Fonda. But his current play is a dark humor about the spreading of his recently deceased mother's ashes at her favorite place, Disney World. Previews of "Wild with Happy" can be caught beginning Oct. 9 with regular scheduling from Oct. 29-Nov. 11.

November 6, debuts the production of "Sorry", the third play in the trilogy that is based upon the Apple Family who sort through confusion and problems on election day. It's part of the theater's Public Lab series that is meant to introduce upstart writers and actors with lower budgets and less rehearsal time.
November 13, the performances for "Giant" begin which originally shown in 2009 at Signature Theater is a musical about the lifestyle within a deep Texas oil and cattle ranch community. The Tony award nominee Kate Baldwin for her performance in the 2009 "Finian's Gold" will play Leslie, the wife of the wealthy town local Bick, played by Brian d'Arcy James. Previews begin October 26.

Much later in the season on April 2 to May 5, a pop musical that includes dance beats by David Byrne and big name DJ's based on a story about a Philippine president's wife. Public Theater is located at Astor Place on Lafayette St. between Soho and Union Square.