Kyle Christopher West - Page 11

When IF/THEN debuted on Broadway in March 2014, it reunited original RENT stars Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp with RENT director Michael Grief. Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, whose 2008 rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL had received the Pulitzer Prize, wrote the much-anticipated show, and New York celebrated the team's brisk New York return. Although the show received mostly mixed-to-positive reviews, it lasted a mere 430 performances, despite mother-daughter duos flocking to see Menzel upon the icy heels of FROZEN's success.

Over the past few years, the theatre community has been quietly buzzing about the stage work of Jackie Burns, the young actress whose credits include Elphaba in Broadway's WICKED, a soloist in the tribe of the 2009 HAIR revival, the original off-Broadway production of ROCK OF AGES, and most recently, as standby to IDINA MENZEL (WICKED, RENT) in the 2013 Broadway musical IF/THEN. This week, during her lunch break from rehearsals in New York City, Jackie sat down to chat with me about revisiting the show, and the pressure of stepping in for the FROZEN star.

Fortunately, for one weekend only, the gods of Uptown Players and Turtle Creek Chorale present a worthy 'concert version' that shouldn't be missed.

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves, which is why you should audition for Shakespeare Dallas' 2016 summer & fall season. Auditions for the 45th season of Shakespeare in the Park are being held on Saturday, January 23rd and Sunday, January 24th, 2016. The lineup for this season includes the summer performances of Shakespeare's Richard III, The Tempest and a hilarious production of She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith.

The Firehouse Theatre is proud to announce casting for Thoroughly Modern Millie, which runs February 18th-March 6th. Joining previously announced Janelle Lutz as Millie Dilmount is Tyler Jeffrey Adams as Jimmy Smith; Sarah Comley Caldwell as Mrs. Meers; Rebecca Paige as Miss Dorothy Brown; Mark Quach as Ching Ho; Hunter Lewis as Bun Foo; Marilyn Setu as Miss Flannery; Kimberly M. Oliver as Muzzy Von Hossmere; and Derek Whitener as Trevor Graydon.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director and Loop Executive Producer Terry Martin today announced the line-up for the 2016 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival, February 25 - March 6, 2016, at the Addison Theatre Centre. Six world premieres highlight this year's diverse Festival as well as 2 one-woman cabarets, 4 dance works, 1 circus act, 3 solo shows, 1 musical reading, 2 play readings, 9 theatre productions, 1 interdisciplinary piece, 1 spoken word performance, a 24-hour play festival, and many returning favorites. The Festival is made possible, in part, through the generous support of The Town of Addison and the Texas Commission on the Arts as well as media sponsors, TheaterJones.com and the Dallas Observer. The Festival is produced by Terry Martin and Kelsey Leigh Ervi.

Texas Ballet Theater Breaks Records with 2015 Production of The Nutcracker

Be sure to ring in the holiday season with Ben Stevenson's critically-acclaimed version of The Nutcracker. Relauched as a new production last year, this beloved ballet follows teenage Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker Prince on a thrilling adventure to the Kingdom of Sweets.

Well, DFW, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas with lights lining tree limbs, crowded mall parking lots, and holiday show ads stuffing mailboxes like they were stockings on December 25th. Still, even the grumpiest Grinch will have a hard time ignoring the "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" cheer spread by Buddy The Elf in Dallas Summer Musical's current presentation of ELF! THE MUSICAL.

Tempe's Stray Cat Theatre is certainly not the Valley's only alternative theatre, but their stellar show selection and quality showmanship makes them arguably the best. The group, run by locally celebrated actor and director Ron May, will soon vacate their home at the Tempe Performing Arts Center, leaving behind nearly a decade of unique, creative history that is art in the truest sense. However, with their current production of HEATHERS, Stray Cat gets ready to depart the venue (literally and figuratively) with quite a bang!

On Monday, I caught up with Daniel Patrick Smith, who plays Buddy in the national tour of ELF. Daniel had just arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for a one-week stop on the show's brief holiday tour. A proud 8-year New York City veteran performer (and graduate of New York University's prestigious Tisch School), Daniel spoke about stepping into Will Ferrell's iconic shoes, being away from home over the holidays, and his joy of improvising every night onstage.

Like THE WIZARD OF OZ or CINDERELLA, PETER PAN is the kind of story reinvented as frequently as is it remembered. In a story packed with pirates, Indians, fairies, and flying, Peter's plan to never grow up is relatable to every kid and every kid-at-heart alike. In its newest incarnation, PETER PAN 360, producers Herrick Entertainment and Threesixty Entertainment bill the show as an 'undeniably impressive as a stage spectacle [with] fast-paced, action-packed staging. [This show features] 22 actors, stunning puppets, epic music, dazzling flying sequences, and the world's first 360 degree CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) theatre set.'

Somehow, it seems unfair to call Dixie Longate a 'drag queen.' Sure, she's an over-the-top personality in a tall wig and high heels, but her act is so much more than glitter and gossip (of which there is plenty). Her new show, NEVER WEAR A TUBE TOP WHILE RIDING A MECHANICAL BULL AND SIXTEEN OTHER THINGS I LEARNED WHILE I WAS DRINKING LAST THURSDAY is the kind of show that makes you laugh, makes you cry, and then makes you laugh until you cry. But how can you describe it?

Earlier this week, I had the chance to chat with Dixie Longate, the hilarious entertainer whose famous Tupperware Party has conquered just about all of the world. Dixie's new show, NEVER WEAR A TUBE TOP WHILE RIDING A MECHANICAL BULL opened this week at Bass Hall's McDavid Studio in Fort Worth. Dixie told me all about her love for the South, and what kind of person makes the perfect party guest at her shows. Check out our conversation below. This article contains adult content and may not be suitable for young readers.

Last night, at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch, the smash-hit Disney musical MARY POPPINS opened to a packed house. With an eager cast of nineteen singers and dancers, the recently converted industrial building was overflowing with energy and enthusiasm.

I think it's safe to say that everyone, by now, has heard that the hills are alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The Broadway musical, which starred Mary Martin in 1959 (and Julie Andrews on film six years later), is easily one of the most familiar titles in the musical theater catalog. With family audiences fawning over more contemporary classics like WICKED, THE LION KING and MATILDA, bringing back an old chestnut comes with a risk.

Ashley Brown is no stranger to the stage, having originated the role of MARY POPPINS in New York City after making her Broadway debut in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST a few years earlier. Ashley is also no stranger to Dallas, as she is returning to town after recently being here for an engagement with the Dallas Symphony, not to mention a visit to Music Hall at Fair Park with the MARY POPPINS national tour several years ago. In addition, Ashley is not quite a stranger to me, as we have a quirky New York connection! Almost a decade ago, I briefly held a management position at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, where I'd leave Ashley a case of water in her dressing room weekly. I recently had the chance to catch up on Ashley's new adventure in THE SOUND OF MUSIC playing a role she wasn't sure she was ready for! Check out our conversation below.

The timeless musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has moved audiences to 'happiness and tears' for more than five decades in theatres all over the world. The current production at Casa Mañana seemed to arouse those same emotions in theatregoers on opening weekend, even if this particular production isn't up to Casa's typical standards.

In a way, theatre is a bit like pizza: a good slice is heavenly; but often, even a bad pizza is better than no pizza at all. On the other hand, sometimes the best pizza can turn into mediocre leftovers when you microwave it after it's sat around. On stage, sometimes the same can be a true…even the best Broadway shows don't always 'reheat' well on the road.

Last Friday, at a restaurant in downtown Dallas, the cast of Broadway's newest hit musical, MOONSHINE: THAT HEE HAW MUSICAL, celebrated their crowd-pleasing opening night amidst cocktails and cheers. Except it wasn't the celebration of their Broadway opening night they were celebrating: it was a party celebrating the press opening of Dallas Theatre Center's exciting new local production, currently being produced in hopes of soon landing on the Great White Way. Still, with the amount of talent on stage, and the brilliant writing, staging, costumes, set design, etc., this production felt a lot more 'Big Apple' than 'Big D.'