BroadwayWorld.com Vermont Stories

AMERICA 250 BLOCK PARTY to Celebrate Nation's Anniversary at Town Hall Theater

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:24:24 PST

Town Hall Theater (THT) invites the public to a free, festive block party on Friday, July 3, from 3:00–8:00pm at the Maloney Public Performance Plaza on the Tilly Stage, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The event is part of THT's America 250: Expressions of Liberty initiative and is supported by a National Endowment for the Arts grant, the Vermont Arts Council, and a generous grant from anonymous donors.

The afternoon kicks off at 3:00pm with 5 Above, the woodwind ensemble from Vermont's Own 40th Army Band, performing a full chamber music program centered on the theme "Heroes: A Musical Journey of Courage."

At 4:30pm, join in a festive bike parade with prizes for the best-decorated bike — a perfect way to get the whole family into the patriotic spirit before the evening's main musical act.

At 5:30pm, Knoxville, Tennessee's Redd & The Paper Flowers take the stage, bringing their irresistible Appalachian folk-grass sound featuring upright bass, cello, mandolin, guitar, and stunning vocals.

The event will also share brief readings of original student poetry on the theme “What Does Freedom Mean to Me?” – part of the America 250: Expressions of Liberty Poetry & Art contest sponsored by the Vermont Arts Council. Kids and teens are also invited to make art at the event on this theme and enter the contest.

Adding to the celebration's festive atmosphere, food offerings include Joe's Chili Hut (hot dogs, hamburgers, and chili), Good Times Co. charcuterie, sweet treats, and more. Bar offerings will also be available for purchase.

The July 3 Block Party is part of THT's 5 Fridays Concert Series, a free, grant-funded outdoor music series running on the first Friday of each month from June through October at the Maloney Plaza. The series coincides with Middlebury's popular First Friday downtown series, when local businesses stay open late and the town comes alive. The event is free and open to the public — registration is appreciated, but not required.

Town Hall Theater is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary performing arts center and historic landmark in Middlebury, Vermont, offering more than 250 events and classes annually. THT's mission is to contribute to a thriving region by presenting artistic work that educates, entertains, and inspires, while ensuring broad accessibility for all.

Author James Tabor to Discuss LIGHTNING BENEATH THE SEA at Town Hall Theater

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:15:58 PST

Vermont Book Shop and Town Hall Theater will present James M. Tabor and his new book, Lightning Beneath the Sea: The Race to Wire the World and the Dawn of the Information Age, on Wednesday, July 1, at 6:30 PM in the Anderson Studio in partnership with Town Hall Theater.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of 19th-century ambition and innovation, Tabor's latest work follows an epic undertaking with consequences that echo directly into the modern world. Readers of adventure, exploration, and history alike will be drawn to the story of a visionary businessman's high-stakes campaign to lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable—a feat that helped lay the groundwork for today's global communications.

The evening begins with a Cocktail Hour from 5:30–6:30 PM, followed by a book talk from 6:30–7:30 PM. The program will be followed by a question-and-answer session, giving attendees the chance to engage directly with the author. Copies of Lightning Beneath the Sea will be available for purchase, and Tabor will sign books after the event.

James M. Tabor is a New York Times bestselling author and longtime Waitsfield resident. He is the author of six books, including the award-winning Forever on the Mountain and the best-selling Blind Descent. Tabor is also the creator of the History Channel series Journey to the Center of the World and has written for Time, Smithsonian, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other major publications.

Tickets for the event are $8 and may be secured via townhalltheater.org or by calling 802-382-9222.

ABOUT TOWN HALL THEATER

Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, Vermont, is a vibrant cultural hub presenting theater, music, film, literary events, and community programming that enriches the region through the performing arts.

Around The BroadwayWorld: Top News, Reviews, Interviews & More from May 2026

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:03:21 PST

Around the BroadwayWorld is our monthly snapshot of the biggest stories making waves across the global theatre community. In this May 2026 edition, we're bringing you a fresh batch of standout reviews from regional stages across the country - from Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles to The Phantom of the Opera at Seattle's Paramount Theatre and Pippin at Signature Theatre in DC.

Diane Paulus directs an immersive, David Bowie-inspired Life on Mars at American Repertory Theater, the producers of Japan's Gypsy revival walk back a planned title change, and we go behind the scenes with interviews spanning Adam Fields of the Beetlejuice national tour, The Muny's casting director Michael Baxter, Richard Kind on finally taking on Edna in Hairspray, and BWW's Kid Reporters chatting with the touring Von Trapp kids of The Sound of Music. Plus, get a first look at exciting new productions through performance videos and photos, including Anastasia at La Mirada Theatre, Dear Evan Hansen at Arden Theatre, Pippin at Signature Theatre, and the Manila cast of Jesus Christ Superstar - and so much more from across the BroadwayWorld.

Diane Paulus Will Direct Immersive David Bowie Inspired LIFE ON MARS at American Repertory Theater

Joshua Wright | Boston

Diane Paulus will direct Life on Mars, an immersive theatrical production set to David Bowie's music, as the inaugural production at the Goel Center for Creativity & Performance in May.

GYPSY in Japan: Producers Walk Back Title Change Ahead of 2026 Revival

Joshua Wright | Japan

The Japanese revival of GYPSY will retain its original title when it returns to the stage in 2026, reversing an earlier decision to present the production under the name 'Rose.'

Interviews

Interview: Adam Fields of BEETLEJUICE National Tour

Brock Mills | Jacksonville

For Adam Fields, returning to Jacksonville with the national tour of Beetlejuice the Musical isn’t just another stop, it’s a full-circle moment. The production will play in Jacksonville from May 12–17 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.

Interview: BWW’s 'Kid Reporters' Chat With THE SOUND OF MUSIC’s Touring Von Trapp Kids

Melissa Heckscher | Los Angeles

BroadwayWorld Los Angeles' kid reporters talk with the young touring cast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC to find out what it's like to be part of one of Broadway’s most iconic shows and what actually happens behind the curtain.

Interview: Chatting with The Muny's Casting Director Michael Baxter

James Lindhorst | St. Louis

Michael Baxter’s work will shine on The Muny stage during all 50 performances this summer. He led the efforts and had a hand in hiring every one of the 194 actors who will fill the principal and ensemble roles.

Interview: Richard Kind Talks Finally Taking on Edna in The Muny's HAIRSPRAY

James Lindhorst | St. Louis

When The Muny opens their production of Hairspray on June 15, 2026, the legendary Richard Kind will don Edna Turnblad’s housecoat and step into her fuzzy house slippers. Kind, star of stage, screen and film, calls it bucket list moments to get to perform at The Muny and play Edna all at the same time.

Reviews

Review: BRIGADOON at Pasadena Playhouse

Andrew Child | Los Angeles

Brava to Alexandra Silber for capturing all the heart and humor of Lerner’s original book with her thoughtful new adaptation and brava to Katie Spelman for dreaming up a Brigadoon that is as ebullient and spirited as it is deeply human.

Review: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Paramount Theatre

Shelley Dean | Seattle

It’s almost unbelievable for me to admit that this was my first time seeing The Phantom of the Opera. Of course, I knew the iconic songs and had seen countless clips over the years, but experiencing the production live on stage for the first time was entirely different, haunting, and spine-chilling in the best way possible. From the chandelier drop to the monumental set pieces, the show truly lives up to its legendary reputation. The 2026 tour, directed by Harold Prince, serves as a revitalized version of the original production, featuring Maria Björnson’s iconic designs, musical staging, and choreography by Gillian Lynne. It is absolutely ravishing, and Seattle audiences are lining up hours early to witness the spectacle for themselves.

Review: PIPPIN at Signature Theatre

Aidan O'Connor | Washington, DC

Certain facets of the human condition are foundational to our very existence – change, connection, desire. One such particularly toxic universal truth is a constant need to be something more than we currently are. To search for happiness in external achievement rather than within ourselves, in our simple joys. Pippin at Signature Theatre breathes within that precise virulence, relatively orchestrated by a troupe of impeccably costumed and choreographed players. A feast for the eyes in all senses, Matthew Gardiner’s production surpasses even the highest of expectations.

Videos

Video: Watch La Mirada Theatre's ANASTASIA Star Lena Ceja Perform 'Journey to the Past'

Michael Major | Los Angeles

La Mirada Theatre has released new video footage of Lena Ceja rehearsing 'Journey to the Past' from their upcoming production of Anastasia. The production features Dillon Klena as Dmitry, a role first played on Broadway by his brother Derek Klena.

Photos/Video: DEAR EVAN HANSEN At Arden Theatre

A.A. Cristi | Philadelphia

Arden Theatre Company is now presenting DEAR EVAN HANSEN as the final production of its 2025/26 season, with performances continuing through July 5. New production photos and video have been released from the Philadelphia production, including footage of Evan A. Kaushesh performing “Waving Through a Window.”

Video: Watch 'Corner of the Sky' From Signature Theatre's PIPPIN

Michael Major | Washington, DC

Watch a video of Brayden Bambino performing 'Corner of the Sky' in Signature Theatre's production of Pippin. The in-the-round production is now running through July 26 with tickets available now.

Photos

Photos: Get a First Look at JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in Manila

Oliver Oliveros | Philippines

The 2017 Olivier Award winner for Best Musical Revival, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' has officially opened at The Theatre at Solaire.

Northern Stage Adds Three New Members to Its Board of Directors

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:28 PST

Northern Stage has elected three new board members. Shoshana Belisle, David Finnerty, and Holly Kania have joined the theater's 19-member Board of Directors effective May 28, 2026.

Shoshana Belisle

is an enthusiastic advocate for widespread arts education. Her children have performed in numerous productions at Northern Stage. She is a psychotherapist for Counseling Associates in downtown Hanover and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA), New York University (MSW), Columbia University Teachers College (MA), and Saybrook University (PhD). An avid holistic health advocate, she is also a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and an advanced yoga instructor. A love for the arts permeates her extracurricular activities and philanthropic interests.

David Finnerty

is the President & CEO of Claremont Savings Bank. A lifelong supporter of the arts, David's connection to theatre began when his parents brought him to see Les Misérables—an experience that sparked an enduring appreciation for live performance and the role the arts play in shaping community identity. He believes theatre strengthens communities by fostering connection, expanding perspective, growing vibrant local economies, and creating shared experiences that bring people together. A retired U.S. Marine and Army National Guard veteran, David brings a deep sense of service, integrity, and stewardship to every leadership role. He is passionate about supporting organizations that strengthen communities and is honored to contribute his experience in governance, strategy, and organizational leadership in service to the arts.

Holly Kania

Three things light up Holly Kania's spirit: a great story, inspirational teaching, and embodied arts––theater, dance, music. Since arriving in the Upper Valley in 2020, she's been wowed by the quality of programming at Northern Stage. Holly began her professional work in communications at Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett, where her clients included United Airlines and Keebler Foods (elves!). While raising a family, she transitioned to freelance work, building a successful practice in communications strategy and content development. Also an educator, Holly taught writing and theater at the high school level, improv to summer campers and corporate trainees, and youth choir. She holds degrees from Princeton (B.A.), Trinity College Dublin (H.Dip), and Harvard (Ed.M). A lifelong performer, Holly trained in improv at Second City's Player's Workshop in Chicago, and once earned a single Equity point in summer stock theater! She performs with Boston-area vocal ensemble “Broadband,” with whom she has sung the national anthem at Fenway Park and the TD Garden. In retirement, Holly continues teaching Nia technique (holistic dance), writes, studies contemplative mysticism, and volunteers at the Hartford Center for Restorative Justice.

Northern Stage recently announced its 26/27 Main Stage Season, which opens with the Broadway smash hit John Proctor is the Villain, and continues with a dazzling new production of Disney's Frozen, the world premiere of The Getaway Driver, the haunting Irish play The Weir and Shakespeare's timeless Much Ado About Nothing.

BroadwayWorld Launches Producer Fantasy Game

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:05 PST

Ever watched the weekly Broadway grosses roll in and thought you could pick the winners? Now you can put it to the test. BroadwayWorld has launched the Producer Fantasy Game, a free, season-long competition that lets theatre fans build a roster of Broadway shows and earn points based on how those productions actually perform at the box office. The draft window is open now.

How It Works

The setup is simple. During the draft window, you pick any six Broadway productions that opened this season. Drafting is non-exclusive, so there is no need to race a rival for a hot title. Any number of players can roster the same show.

From there, your shows go to work for you. Every week, each production on your roster earns fantasy points based on its reported box office grosses and capacity percentages. When Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations and wins are announced, your shows bank bonus points on top of that. And each week you can answer our Fantasy Forecast prediction questions for up to five bonus points per correct call.

Weekly Scoring

Each week, a show earns one base point for every $50,000 it grosses, so a $1 million week is worth 20 base points. On top of that, shows can earn bonuses: up to five points for filling seats (based on how close to full capacity the house ran), six points for grossing $2 million or more (or three points for grossing between $1 million and $2 million), and eight points if its gross jumped at least 15 percent from the week before. A show loses four points if its gross dropped at least 15 percent. If a show goes dark and reports no gross for a week, it scores zero for that week with no penalty.

The Fantasy Forecast

The Producer Fantasy Game is really two games in one. The first is the box office game: drafting shows and earning points from their weekly grosses and awards. The second is the Fantasy Forecast, a weekly set of prediction questions about what's happening on Broadway, where each correct answer is worth up to five points. You can play one or both.

We track them separately so you can shine at either. Your Producer score covers the box office game, your Forecast score covers your prediction results, and your Combined score adds the two together for the overall championship ranking. The leaderboard lets you toggle between Overall, Producers, and Forecasters, so a sharp predictor can top the Forecasters board even during a rough season for their roster, and a roster powerhouse can lead the Producers board without answering a single question.

Managing Your Roster

Your lineup stays at six shows all season, and you have plenty of room to maneuver. You get one free drop every week, three additional season drops to use anytime before the trade deadline, and free replacements whenever a show on your roster closes. New productions open throughout the season and become available the moment they start reporting grosses, so it pays to keep a transaction in your pocket for that buzzy new opening.

Join the Game

The Producer Fantasy Game is free for all BroadwayWorld users, and you can join any time the draft window is open. Draft within the first two weeks of the season and your roster is scored from opening week, so the earlier you get in, the more weeks you bank. Build your roster, make your predictions, and start climbing the leaderboard today.

A DRAG QUEEN CHRISTMAS to Return for 12th Year With 39-City National Tour

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:57:07 PST

“A Drag Queen Christmas” will return for its 12th year, launching a 39-city national tour this November - December. The 2026 edition is hosted by returning fan favorite and theatre star Nina West, and features an all-new merry lineup of drag superstars from the Emmy-winning RuPaul's Drag Race franchise.

Artist pre-sale begins Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. (local time) with the code “TWELVE,” and general on sale begins Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. (local time) at dragfans.com.

This year's cast includes:

Myki Meeks, Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Nini Coco, Runner-up, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Darlene Mitchell, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Juicy Love Dion, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Discord Addams, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Crystal Methyd, Drag Race All Stars Season 11 (2026) & Drag Race Season 12 (2020)
Silky Ganache, Drag Race All Stars Season 11 (2026), Drag Race All Stars Season 6 (2021), Drag Race Season 11 (2019)

“A Drag Queen Christmas” is the world's premiere holiday drag showcase and a sensational theatrical experience that delivers high camp, over-the-top lip-sync performances, side-splitting comedy, elaborate costumes, Broadway-style staging, and a whole lot of heart—something we all seek during the chaos of the holiday season. With plenty of spectacular surprises in store, the show offers audiences a chance to see drag queens at the top of their game perform showstopping numbers of epic holiday proportions on revered theater stages across America. Each year, “A Drag Queen Christmas” provides an annual tradition for folks from all walks of life to come together and connect, find community, and celebrate the season with joy and laughter.

This dazzling, 18+ holiday extravaganza runs two hours and offers fans the chance to add-on a VIP Meet & Greet Experience—including early access to the venue, photos with the queens on stage, autographs, and exclusive tour merchandise.

A Drag Queen Christmas 2026 Tour Dates:

November 11 - Detroit, MI (Fisher Theatre)

November 12 - Rochester, NY (Kodak Center)

November 13 - Rutland, VT (Paramount Theatre)

November 14 - Portland, ME (Merrill Auditorium)

November 15 - Boston, MA (Emerson Colonial Theatre)

November 17 - Red Bank, NJ (Count Basie Center for the Arts)

November 18 - Morristown, NJ (Mayo Performing Arts Center)

November 19 - Washington, DC (Warner Theatre)

November 20 - Durham, NC (Durham Performing Arts Center)

November 21 - Wilmington, NC (Wilson Center - Cape Fear Community College)

November 22 - Philadelphia, PA (Fillmore)

November 24 - Pittsburgh, PA (Byham Theater)

November 25 - Columbus, OH (Palace Theatre)

November 27 - Chicago, IL (Riviera Theatre)

November 28 - Appleton, WI (Fox Cities Performing Arts Center)

November 29 - Omaha, NE (Orpheum Theater)

November 30 - Oklahoma City, OK (The Criterion)

December 1 - Des Moines, IA (Hoyt Sherman Place)

December 2 - Kansas City, MO (Uptown Theater)

December 4 - Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)

December 5 - Salt Lake City, UT (Kingsbury Hall)

December 7 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)

December 9 - Sacramento, CA (Channel 24)

December 10 - San Francisco, CA (Golden Gate Theatre)

December 11 - Stockton, CA (Bob Hope Theatre)

December 12 - Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)

December 13 - Santa Rosa, CA (Luther Burbank Center)

December 15 - Mesa, AZ (Mesa Arts Center)

December 16 - Tucson, AZ (Fox Tucson Theatre)

December 17 - El Paso, TX (Plaza Theatre)

December 19 - Austin, TX (ACL Live at The Moody Theater)

December 20 - Dallas, TX (Winspear Opera House)

December 21 - Wichita, KS (Orpheum Theatre)

December 22 - St.Louis, MO (The Factory)

December 23 - Knoxville, TN (Tennessee Theatre)

December 26 - Tampa Bay, FL (Straz Center for the Performing Arts)

December 27 - Fort Myers, FL (Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall)

December 28 - West Palm Beach, FL (Kravis Center for the Performing Arts)

December 29 - Jacksonville, FL (Florida Theatre)

Miles Donahue Quartet to Perform at Town Hall Theater

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:37:58 PST

Jazz Middlebury and Town Hall Theater will present the acclaimed Miles Donahue Quartet on Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 PM. Featuring celebrated jazz trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and educator Miles Donahue, the evening promises an unforgettable mix of jazz standards, original works, and beloved classics in the intimate setting of Town Hall Theater.

The quartet will perform favorites including Take 5, Stand by Me, Dream a Little Dream, Cantaloupe Island, Caravan, and more, blending timeless repertoire with virtuosic improvisation and dynamic musical interplay.

A renowned performer and recording artist, Miles Donahue has collaborated with jazz legends including Woody Herman and recorded more than 20 albums. Praised by Jazz Magazine as “a jazz treasure,” Donahue has appeared at major international festivals and venues throughout the world and currently serves as Affiliate Artist at Middlebury College.

Joining Donahue are an exceptional group of musicians:

Steve Hunt – piano, known for his work with Allan Holdsworth, Stanley Clarke, and Billy Cobham
Larry Finn – drums, former drummer for the national tour of Rent and longtime collaborator with Paula Cole
Ervin Dhimo – bass, an accomplished Albanian jazz musician and educator at University of Massachusetts Boston.

Tickets are $25 general admission, $35 cabaret table seating, and $50 generous supporter tickets. THT's bar will be open throughout the evening, offering cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages.

RING OF FIRE to Open Weston Theater Company's 90th Anniversary Season

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:08:26 PST

Weston Theater Company launches its 90th Anniversary Season with the return of a Weston favorite, RING OF FIRE, playing June 10 – July 11 at Walker Farm. Recently extended by popular demand, this electrifying musical celebration of Johnny Cash brings together more than 30 of the legendary artist’s most iconic songs in a powerful evening of storytelling, rebellion, and live music performed by a company of actor-musicians.

Forged from the passions and poetry of Cash’s rebellious spirit, RING OF FIRE journeys through the life, love, and legacy of one of America’s most enduring voices. Featuring unforgettable songs including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Jackson,” and “A Boy Named Sue,” the musical captures the grit, humor, heartbreak, and humanity behind the Man in Black while celebrating the enduring power of gathering together through music.

Directed by Weston Executive Artistic Director Susanna Gellert, the production revisits a title deeply connected to the theater’s recent history. Weston first produced RING OF FIRE in 2021 as an outdoor production under a tent during the company’s return from the pandemic, when a limited audience gathered under extraordinary circumstances to reconnect through live performance. This new staging returns to the material with renewed scale, intimacy, and celebration as Weston begins its milestone 90th season.

Says Gellert, “There’s something deeply communal about Johnny Cash's story and his music. These songs hold memories of struggle, resilience, love, defiance, humor, and hope – all wrapped inside music that invites people to lean in and sing along together. Returning to RING OF FIRE during Weston’s 90th season feels especially meaningful because this musical reminds us exactly why live Theater Matters: gathering together, sharing stories, and feeling connected to one another through music. The show is raw, joyful, rebellious, and alive with extraordinary actor-musicians who bring their whole selves to the stage every night.”

The cast features Larry Tobias reprising the role he previously performed in Weston’s 2021 production before going on to play Cash at both Florida Rep and Mountain Playhouse; Seth Eliser, also reprising the role he previously performed at Weston in 2021, was recently seen Off-Broadway in The Jonathan Larson Project and is currently starring in the international tour of The Phil Collins Story; Angel Lin (Once National Tour, The Vermont Farm Project); Emily Mikesell (Woody Sez, Pump Boys and Dinettes); Tarif Pappu (Million Dollar Quartet, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and Allie Seibold (at Weston: Jersey Boys, The Twelfth Night Show).

The creative team includes Choreographer Tuan Malinowski, whose recent work includes The Drowsy Chaperone at Carnegie Hall starring Laverne Cox and Jonathan Van Ness, as well as the upcoming Broadway revival of The Full Monty at Roundabout Theatre Company. Also returning to Weston are Costume Designer Jessica Crawford, whose previous Weston credits include White Christmas, Pippin, Singin’ in the Rain, and Hair, and the Tony-nominated Scott Zielinski, serving as both Scenic and Lighting Designer following celebrated Weston work on productions including Pippin, Hair, The Fantasticks, and the original 2021 production of RING OF FIRE.

The production team also includes Music Director Seth Eliser, Sound Designer Stephen Jensen, Production Stage Manager Kelsy Durkin, and Assistant Stage Manager Ty Danhaus.

RING OF FIRE to Open Weston Theater Company's 90th Anniversary Season

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:08:26 PST

The production team also includes Music Director Seth Eliser, Sound Designer Stephen Jensen, Production Stage Manager Kelsy Durkin, and Assistant Stage Manager Ty Danhaus.

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION to Open Parish Players' 60th Season in Vermont

Fri, 29 May 2026 15:44:04 PST

Parish Players will present Circle Mirror Transformation, a quietly poignant story by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker, directed by J. Bailey Burcham, to kick off its 60th Season.

Running June 11 - 21 at the Eclipse Grange Theater on Thetford Hill, Circle Mirror Transformation takes place in the fictional small town of Shirley, Vermont, where five strangers gather for an adult acting class at a small community center. What begins as a simple creative escape slowly turns into something much more personal as the group reveals parts of themselves they never expected to share. Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation is funny, tender, and quietly profound, capturing the awkwardness and beauty of human connection with remarkable honesty.

"This play feels like the perfect introduction to making theater in the Upper Valley," says J. Bailey Burcham, who's making his directing debut in the Upper Valley at Parish Players. Burcham is a longtime performer and director who recently relocated to Vermont from Los Angeles, where he served as Executive Director of the Shakespeare Youth Festival and Operations Manager at Pasadena Playhouse. He currently serves as Director of Sales and Marketing at Northern Stage and appeared this past season in the company's production of Come From Away as Oz Fudge, the warmhearted local constable in Gander, Newfoundland.

"Circle Mirror is small and simple on the outside, but underneath that simplicity is this deeply funny, aching exploration of loneliness, time, reinvention, and the quiet ways people change each other. It's exactly the kind of intimate, actor-driven storytelling that makes live theater feel magical and I'm proud to have found a theater community that celebrates that."

Serendipitously, Circle Mirror Transformation takes place in Vermont. Established in 1966, Parish Players was one of the first theater communities in the Upper Valley, paving way for many other organizations down the line, including Opera North and Shaker Bridge Theater Company. With many connections to theater artists and lovers in this region, and now Burcham's involvement as the director, Parish Players will open its 60th season with a piece that explores the power of theater in shaping inter-human connectivity, celebrating 60 years of community-based theatermaking in the heart of Vermont.

Parish Player's production features a cast beloved to the local theater community:

Darby Hiebert (The Art of Dining at BarnArts, Other Desert Cities, Brighton Beach Memoirs) will play Marty, the theater class instructor who leads the group. Jon Protas, who was most recently seen in Eureka Day at Shake Bridge, will play Marty's husband James. Gwendolyn Dae Roland will make her Parish Players debut with the role of Theresa, the disillusioned actor from NYC seeking respite. Sean Dabney and Chloe Jung will return to Parish Players after sharing the stage for King Lear, playing the shy woodworker Schultz and the eager teen Lauren, respectively.

The creative team, led by Burcham, includes Brandy (Yijin) Zhang (Producer), Hannah O'Neil (Scenic Designer), Bella Granlund (Costume Designer), Jason Monmaney (Lighting Designer), and Eva Hymes (Stage Manager).

SONIC LIVE IN CONCERT to Launch Global Tour With US and UK Premieres

Wed, 27 May 2026 20:59:39 PST

As Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates 35 years as one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, Senbla and SEGA today announced Sonic Live In Concert (www.sonicliveinconcert.com). This new concert experience brings the music and moments of the beloved video games to the stage.

Featuring iconic moments and music from the very first game in 1991 through today, the production will debut in the U.S. at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on September 26, 2026, before making its European premiere at London's Eventim Apollo on September 30. The U.S. tour will visit more than 30 cities nationwide, and a UK tour will follow in February 2027. More European dates will be announced at a later time. Tickets will go on sale May 29, 2026, with pre-sale tickets going on sale on May 28, 2026.

As part of a global rollout celebrating the franchise's milestone anniversary, Sonic Live In Concert features the most recognizable music from the Sonic universe, performed by a live ensemble alongside rock musicians, vocalists, and electronic elements. The setlist includes fan-favorite tracks and an incredible array of music from the very first game through to today accompanied by synchronized HD footage of iconic levels, moments and boss battles from the franchise. Audiences can expect musical Easter eggs woven into the arrangements, adding an extra layer of discovery that brings Sonic's world vividly to life on stage.

The concert also highlights the creative legacy behind Sonic's music from legendary composers Jun Senoue and Tomoya Ohtani, whose work has helped define Sonic's sound across generations.

"Sonic has some of the most distinct and celebrated music in gaming," says Ollie Rosenblatt, CEO of Senbla. "We wanted to create a live show that stays true to what the fans love about Sonic's music, from the electronic and melodic themes to high-energy rock."

“Music has always been a core part of Sonic's identity, shaping how fans experience this world across generations," said Ivo Gerscovich, Chief Business & Brand Officer at SEGA of America, Inc. "With this concert, we're looking forward to celebrating that legacy in a live setting; bringing together the energy, emotion, and creativity of Sonic's music in a way that both longtime fans and new audiences can enjoy together.”

Since his debut in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has become a global entertainment icon spanning video games, film, television, and consumer products. With renewed momentum driven by recent film releases, new game titles, and a global brand campaign tied to the 35th anniversary, the franchise continues to reach new generations of fans worldwide.

The performance schedule includes:

September 20, 2026 – Spokane, Washington – First Interstate Center for the Arts
September 22, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre (preview)
September 23, 2026 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium (preview)
September 25, 2026 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theatre (preview)
September 26, 2026 – Hollywood, CA – Dolby Theatre
September 27, 2026 – Riverside, CA – Fox Performing Arts Center
September 29, 2026 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theater
September 30, 2026 – London, U.K. – London Eventim Apollo
October 1, 2026 – Las Vegas, NV – Resorts World Theatre
October 2, 2026 – Fresno, CA – Saroyan Theatre
October 3, 2026 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
October 4, 2026 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
October 6, 2026 – Denver, CO – Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
October 8, 2026 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
October 9, 2026 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
October 10, 2026 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
October 11, 2026 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
October 13, 2026 – Wichita, KS – Orpheum Theatre
October 15, 2026 – Omaha, NE – Orpheum Theater
October 16, 2026 – Peoria, IL – Prairie Home Alliance Theater
October 17, 2026 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace Theatre
October 18, 2026 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
October 19, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 20, 2026 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
October 22, 2026 – Brandon, MS – City Hall Live
October 23, 2026 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
October 24, 2026 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
October 25, 2026 – Greensboro, NC – Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts
October 27, 2026 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
October 28, 2026 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center
October 29, 2026 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
October 30, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FL – Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater
October 31, 2026 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Au Rene Theater
November 1, 2026 – Orlando, FL – Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
February 17, 2027 – Glasgow, UK – Royal Concert Hall
February 18, 2027 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall
February 19, 2027 – Manchester, UK – Bridgewater Hall
February 20, 2027 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall

For more information, tour dates, and tickets, visit www.sonicliveinconcert.com.

Dorset Theatre Festival to Complete 2026 Summer Season Casting With Broadway Veterans

Wed, 27 May 2026 20:04:34 PST

Dorset Theatre Festival has announced the final leading cast members for its 49th Main Stage summer season. Nayib Felix joins the New England premiere of Advice by Brent Askari, while the season finale, Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, will feature Tobias Segal, Lee Aaron Rosen, Ugo Chukwu, and Carmen Flood. Additionally, W. Tré Davis joins the cast of The Understudy, replacing David Mason.

“These are incredible actors,” said Will Rucker, Executive Artistic Director. “They are Broadway veterans and stars of some of the most acclaimed shows on television today, bringing a level of craft and energy that Dorset audiences have come to expect. We are thrilled to see these stories come to life with such a high caliber of talent.”

About the Stars of Advice

Nayib Felix joins the company of Advice fresh off acclaimed regional and Off-Broadway appearances, bringing his dynamic Stage Presence to this New England premiere. He stars alongside Katie Lowes, who is widely recognized for her seven-season run as Quinn Perkins on ABC's Scandal and her starring role in Netflix's Inventing Anna. They are joined by Adam Shapiro, currently seen in the Emmy-winning series The Bear. Shapiro's extensive credits also include The Lincoln Lawyer, Never Have I Ever, and the film She Said.

About the Stars of Lobby Hero

The Festival's season finale features an ensemble of actors celebrated for their work in major film franchises and critically acclaimed dramas. Tobias Segal is a Drama Desk and Drama League nominee who made his Broadway debut in The Miracle Worker. He is well known to film audiences as Earl in the John Wick franchise (Chapters 2 & 3) and for his standout television roles in FX's Atlanta and Mindhunter.

Lee Aaron Rosen is a Broadway veteran of The Normal Heart, Angels in America, and The Big Knife. His screen presence includes roles in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Blacklist, and The Good Wife. Rounding out the cast is Ugo Chukwu, a prolific talent whose work spans major national tours, including the role of Cord Elam in the Tony-winning Broadway National Tour of Oklahoma!. His extensive Off-Broadway credits include What To Send Up When It Goes Down (Playwrights Horizons/BAM), Primary Trust (Roundabout Theatre Company), and Lunch Bunch (The Play Company), with screen appearances in The Night Agent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Inventing Anna. Carmen Flood, widely known for her starring role as Sarah in the Netflix comedy series Brews Brothers, completes the powerhouse four-person ensemble. Her television credits also include HBO Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls, NBC's Chicago Med, and Law & Order.

Updates to The Understudy

In The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck, W. Tré Davis steps into the production, replacing David Mason. Davis is widely recognized for his recurring role as Freddy Mills in the hit CBS drama Fire Country and as Jimmy Kam in The CW's Valor. His extensive television resume includes performances on Shades of Blue, Orange Is the New Black, S.W.A.T., Chicago P.D., and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Davis joins the previously announced company alongside celebrated stage veterans Jeffrey Bean and Elizabeth Heflin.

Tickets and Information

The 2026 season begins with Deceived, a chilling new adaptation of the classic thriller Gaslight (June 19-July 4). All performances take place at the historic Dorset Playhouse. Subscriptions and single tickets are currently on sale. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dorsettheatrefestival.org.

Complete Cast Set for 2026 Dorset Theatre Festival

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:44:21 PST

Dorset Theatre Festival has revealed the final leading cast members for its 49th Main Stage summer season. Nayib Felix joins the New England premiere of Advice by Brent Askari, while the season finale, Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, will feature Tobias Segal, Lee Aaron Rosen, Ugo Chukwu, and Carmen Flood. Additionally, W. Tré Davis joins the cast of The Understudy, replacing David Mason.

"These are incredible actors," said Will Rucker, Executive Artistic Director. "They are Broadway veterans and stars of some of the most acclaimed shows on television today, bringing a level of craft and energy that Dorset audiences have come to expect. We are thrilled to see these stories come to life with such a high caliber of talent."

About the Stars of Advice

About the Stars of Lobby Hero

Updates to The Understudy

Tickets and Information

THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE to Open at Lost Nation Theater

Fri, 22 May 2026 08:11:22 PST

Lost Nation Theater will present the comedy made famous by Lily Tomlin: The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe – in a limited engagement - just two weeks only: Wednesdays-Sundays, June 4 – June 14th, at City Hall Arts Center, downtown Montpelier.

Lily Tomlin won a Tony Award for her work in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe – a show written especially for her by Jane Wagner. Lost Nation Theater is mounting its production especially for favorite collaborators Maura O'Brien and Stoph Scheer – who've worked with the company for 27 and 17 years, respectively. And this is the First Time they're working together? O'Brien and Scheer launch us into laughter, longing, love, and confounding conundrums as they play 15 different characters between them.

Through the eyes of Trudy (played by Maura O'Brien), an eccentric sharp-witted “homeless woman with a heart as vast as the cosmos she ponders, writer Wagner weaves a rich comic tapestry of interconnected stories. Trudy, explaining earth to her alien space chums, introduces us to a host of quirky characters (all played by Stoph Scheer). Search for Signs celebrates all the beauty, chaos, & contradictions of humanity, revealing the invisible threads that connect us all! It's brilliant, satirical, & hilarious.

“I love Trudy. She is smart, sassy and street-wise. She describes herself as crazy but I wonder if she is not more enlightened than the rest of us. As we hustle and bustle through our days, Trudy takes time to have fun, to live in the moment, and to enjoy and appreciate life and all its mystery. She teaches all of us lessons about life that we need to hear.”- Maura O'Brien.

Directed by LNT Founding Artistic Director Kim Bent, LNT's production of this masterwork features stellar design with Costumes by Jessica Della Pepa Clayton (Prom, Our Town), Scenery by John Paul Devlin (Drowsy Chaperone), Lighting & Video by Avi Sheehan (Our Town), sound by Andrew Vachon (Complete Works) and production stage management by Anna Blackburn.

“The Search for Signs... became an instant, era-defining Broadway phenomenon in the late 1980's, and revisiting it gives us a bird's-eye, rear-view mirror perspective of the bumpy road our ‘baby-boomer' generation traveled to get us to where we are today. The plays sharp, insightful, three-dimensional humor is profound and revelatory, and its final statement of faith that our common humanity will eventually be our salvation is deeply convincing and joyfully reaffirming. It's the kind of Theater experience we need now more than ever!” – Kim Bent

Search for Signs won multiple Drama Desk Awards and is celebrated as a “work of genius” for its blend of uproarious social commentary with poignant, emotional sketches of diverse characters. Among the characters are the aptly named Agnus Angst, a troubled, misunderstood teen; the storytelling prostitutes Brandy and Tina; the jaded, privileged Kate; and Lyn, Edie, and Marge - activists from the early days of the women's movement.

Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, is a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. Onstage for just 2 weeks!

THE NOTEBOOK North American Tour Adds 26 Cities to 2026-27 Route

Tue, 19 May 2026 08:13:15 PST

The North American Tour of THE NOTEBOOK hasannounced engagements for the 2026-27 season, adding 26 cites to the previously announced route, including stops in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston. The tour began performances on September 6, 2025, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, and has welcomed over 500,000 patrons to date.

Read the reviews for the touring production of The Notebook.

Allie and Noah, two people from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love. Based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that is one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of THE NOTEBOOK played Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre from March 2024 to December 2024 following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 2022.

THE NOTEBOOK features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake). The production is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (Aida, The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman (Associate Choreographer on Moulin Rouge! The Musical).

The creative team for the tour includes scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon. The production's music supervisor is Carmel Dean, who also collaborated on arrangements with Ingrid Michaelson and on orchestrations with John Clancy, and the music director is Tina Faye. Casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin, CSA.

The production was recognized with three 2024 Tony Award nominations (Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical), Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical, two Distinguished Performance Awards and the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.

2026-2027 Tour Dates:

Detroit, MI — Fisher Theatre
September 22 – October 4, 2026

Dayton, OH — Schuster Center
October 6 – 11, 2026

Grand Rapids, MI — DeVos Performance Hall
October 13 – 18, 2026

East Lansing, MI — Wharton Center
October 27 – November 1, 2026

Richmond, VA — Altria Theater
November 3 – 8, 2026

Pittsburgh, PA — Benedum Center
November 10 – 15, 2026

Schenectady, NY — Proctors
December 1 – 6, 2026

Boston, MA — Emerson Colonial Theatre
December 8 – 20, 2026

Oklahoma City, OK — Civic Center Music Hall
December 29, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Houston, TX — Hobby Center
January 5 – 10, 2027

Dallas, TX — Winspear Opera House
January 12 – 24, 2027

New Orleans, LA — Saenger Theatre
January 26 – 31, 2027

Hershey, PA — Hershey Theatre
February 3 – 7, 2027

Providence, RI — PPAC
February 9 – 14, 2027

Rochester, NY — Auditorium Theatre
February 16 – 21, 2027

Fayetteville, AR — Walton Arts Center
February 24 – 28, 2027

Huntsville, AL — Von Braun Center
March 2 – 7, 2027

Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Broward Center
March 9 – 14, 2027

Ft. Myers, FL — Barbara B. Mann Hall
March 16 – 21, 2027

Naples, FL — Artis—Naples
March 23 – 28, 2027

North Charleston, SC — North Charleston PAC
March 30 – April 4, 2027

Birmingham, AL — BJCC Concert Hall
April 6 – 11, 2027

Atlanta, GA — Fox Theatre
April 13 – 18, 2027

Tucson, AZ — Centennial Hall
April 27 – May 2, 2027

San Jose, CA — Center for the Performing Arts
May 4 – 9, 2027

Sacramento, CA — SAFE Credit Union PAC
May 11 – 16, 2027

Review: NEW STAGE PLAYERS 2026 COMEDY PLAY FESTIVAL at Grange Hall Cultural Center

Fri, 15 May 2026 01:43:54 PST

Nine original short comedies are served up with a slice of laughter on the side at the New Stage Play Festival, featuring local actors and directors in the Grange Hall Cultural Center’s black box theatre in Waterbury Center.

The hilarity starts in “the room where it happens”, that is, the office where the figures of speech we all know, love or wonder at, are approved for circulation to the general public in A New One by David Carkeet, directed by Monica Callan. Curiously, the characters have numbers instead of names. Linda Iannuzzi as “37” manages the assessment of a proposed “new one” with impressive comedic timing and flair, with outstanding support from veteran actor Adam Cunningham as “12”, Meredith Vaughn as “44” and the bewildered but “all in” intern, played by the talented Lila Stratton.

There are more office antics to tickle your funny bone in Talk Like a Pirate, written by Keith Whalen and directed by Bob Carmody; and Precipice written by Alex Dremann and directed by Bridget Edwards. Notably, Susan Loynd’s performance in Love, Lysol & Other Delusions by Brian Brijbag, as a wise, been-around-the-block cockroach (yes, you read that right) is a standout as she blends wry humor with humanistic reflections on domestic relationships.

Susan Lerner’s Alarmed, directed by Jeanne Beckwith, features the delightful Cynthia Seckler as a homeowner whose house alarm is set off by a bold and bustling burglar, played with alacrity by Lila Stratton. Dustin Spence as the befuddled policeman is an effective foil for Seckler and Stratton in Lerner’s bustling slapstick comedy.

In On Golden Pond Break, by Rick Boyle and directed by Bob Carmody, a retired couple’s beach vacation takes a turn for the fantastical as the husband, played persuasively by David Lagala, achieves mastery as a surfer in the blink of an eye. The astounded wife, played by the vivacious Mary Scripps, must deal with the consequences of her husband’s surfer status as a “ripper”.

Many of the actors, all local to northcentral Vermont, play several roles. The indefatigable Adam Cunningham, who is most often found on-stage or directing in Vermont, said “It’s been a tremendous amount of fun and a huge challenge to play three different characters whose arc must be traversed in ten minutes. It’s also exciting to work on new material, particularly plays that are so well-structured and depict vivid, and hilariously unique, situations”.

Presenting a total of nine plays, the Festival features original plays by Vermont playwrights Rick Boyle and Kevin McElroy and David Carkeet, as well as New York playwrights Susan Lerner and Keith Whalen, Alex Dremann from Pennsylvania, Brian Brijbag from Florida, Rand Higbee from Oregon, and Michael Waterson from California.

Local directors include Jeanne Beckwith, Rick Boyle, Monica Callan, Paul Calvaliere, Bob Carmody, Bridget Edwards, and Roger Keller. Produced by Grange Theatre co-founder Monica Callen with technical direction and lighting by co-founder Peter Holm, with the support of stage manager Mo Seivwright and assistant stage manager Mary Woodruff.

2026 Comedy Play Festival continues May 15, 16, & 17. Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Suggested donation of $20. Tickets online at: Sevendaystickets.com. For reservations by phone, call 802-244-4168.

StageMag Launches Programmable PDF Editor for Digital Theater Programs

Thu, 21 May 2026 10:04:02 PST

StageMag, the digital show program platform from BroadwayWorld, today launched its new PDF Editor to all producers and stage managers using the service. The tool gives editors granular, real-time control over how their digital program renders as a downloadable or printable PDF - the format most often used in lobby printouts, accessibility packets, and press kits.

Until now, the StageMag-to-PDF path was a one-shot export: whatever fit, fit. The new editor turns the export into a configurable surface. Each section of a program including the cast list, song list, director's note, bios, advertisements, sponsor pages, articles, listings and more — can be individually told how to paginate. Editors choose between three strategies per section:

Flow: natural pagination, sections may split across pages.
Own page: start the section on a fresh page.
Fit one page: start fresh and scale the section to occupy the whole page.

A live preview pane re-renders the PDF on every change, so editors see the final printed result as they work rather than guessing and re-exporting.Beyond the strategy picker, the editor exposes a set of advanced controls familiar to anyone who has hand-tuned a long-form print document: hide-element selectors (drop sponsor strips or vestigial nav from the print version), forced page breaks before or after named elements, a draggable section-order list, custom header/footer/watermark text, and a custom-CSS escape hatch for theaters whose programs follow a house style.

The release also includes paper-level controls including US Letter or A4, portrait or landscape, three margin presets, three type scales, and a "booklet" mode that adds a binding gutter for stapled lobby printouts.

The PDF Editor is available now to all StageMag-enabled productions at no additional cost, under the Share PDF tab in the program editor. Existing programs render with sensible defaults; the new controls are opt-in and per-production.

About StageMag

StageMag is BroadwayWorld's digital playbill platform, used by Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, university, and community theater productions to publish interactive programs that audiences open on their phones from a QR code in the lobby. StageMag is offered as a free service to participating productions.

About BroadwayWorld

Founded in 2003, BroadwayWorld is the largest theater website in the world, covering Broadway, the West End, and theater news, reviews, interviews, and resources across all 50 US states and 45 countries.

TRANSFIXED! A Youth-Driven Magical Coming-of-Age Show To Be Presented at NEYT

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:15:16 PST

This one-of-a-kind, youth-driven devised production is led by Director and Writer Kelindah Bee, with Assistant Director and Co-writer Shannon Ward. It explores what it means to come of age in a world shaped by power, pressure, and possibility.

Set in a magical realm of witches, wizards, warlocks, and other self-proclaimed "magical weirdos," Transfixed! follows a group of young people learning to wield their powers and decide what those powers will stand for. As a nearby human regime tightens its grip, banishing dissenters and threatening freedom, the boundaries between worlds begin to blur. Magicals and humans alike are forced to confront questions of identity, agency, and resistance in this bold, imaginative coming-of-age story filled with spell-casting, portal-making, and shape-shifting, alongside moments that feel strikingly close to home.

True to NEYT's collaborative spirit, Transfixed! features costumes created by the cast in partnership with adult design facilitators Sandy Klein and Eli Coughlin-Galbraith. The production also features set design by David Regan, lighting and sound design by Francesca Bourgault, and a student crew supporting technical theatre, stage management, and costumes.

Audiences can expect an electrifying theatrical experience that blends movement, storytelling, and music. Featuring lip-synching and choreography set to a powerful lineup of beloved songs, the production creates a high-energy, crowd-pleasing performance that invites audiences to feel, laugh, and maybe even sing along. "If you're transfixed by magic, cults, revolution, or music," say the creators, "this tale is for you." Audiences are encouraged to lean into the spirit of the show and wear your tails, your wings, your wands, and your whimsy.

Tickets are on sale now at: neyt.org/transfixed

Dates & Times: Friday, May 29 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 30 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, May 31 at 2 p.m.; Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m.

Location: New England Youth Theatre, 100 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT. For more info about NEYT visit our website or call 802-246-6398.

THE WAVERLY GALLERY Will Come to Shaker Bridge Theatre

Fri, 08 May 2026 08:26:58 PST

Shaker Bridge Theatre has announced the opening of The Waverly Gallery, a provocative comedy from Pulitzer Prize finalist and Academy Award nominee Kenneth Lonergan. May 7 - 24.

Gladys, the elderly matriarch of the Green family, has run an art gallery in a small Greenwich Village hotel for many years. The management wants to replace her less-than-thriving gallery with a coffee shop. Always irascible but now increasingly erratic, Gladys is a cause of concern to her daughter, her son-in-law, and her grandson, from whose point of view this poignant memory play is told.

A wacky and heartrending look at the effect of senility on a family, The Waverly Gallery was a success in its premiere at New York's Promenade Theatre, winning an Obie for legendary Eileen Heckart in the role of Gladys. Nineteen years later, the play premiered on Broadway, earning a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play and a Tony Award for 86-year-old leading actress Elaine May.

The cast of The Waverly Gallery brings both returning favorites and new faces to Shaker Bridge. SBT founder and artistic director Bill Coons will direct this production, one of many in his 18 seasons since opening Shaker Bridge.

Additional Creative Team includes Ben Montmagny, Production Stage Manager and Sound Designer; Craig Mowery, Set Designer; Martie Betts, Costume Designer; and Clif Rogers, Lighting Designer.

Review: RHINOCEROS at Vermont Stage

Tue, 05 May 2026 13:32:13 PST

Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Cristina Alicea for Vermont Stage, is a relevant play about the dangers of conformity and anger in times of change. Originally written as part of the “Theatre of the Absurd” movement in 1959, the play follows Berenger, a kind-hearted drunk who works at a local newspaper, as he navigates his life during an outbreak of people turning into Rhinoceros. The production opened at Main Street Landing on April 30th and runs until May 17th.

For this production, the theater has been rearranged into a thrust configuration, where the audience is placed on three sides of the stage, giving the play a more intimate feeling and positioning the audience well within the action. The scenic design by Chuck Padula is visually simple but effective, with a European architectural influence. The many height levels of the set, both immediately obvious and later revealed, work well to create tension, chaos, and surprise. There is a moment in the play where the set moves in a clever and unexpected way to great effect, and many audience members gasped in delighted surprise, myself included. The innovation on display was extremely satisfying.

The play begins when Berenger, played with humor yet tact by Jordan Gullikson, arrives late for a meeting with his friend, Jean, played with perfect poshness by Fred Patchen, at the cafe. He is hungover, tired, without a tie, and covered in dust. Jean reprimands Berenger for his behavior, knowing that he drinks heavily every day and night. Berenger expresses his exasperation at his eight hour work day, but Jean counters that he works the same amount and never drinks nor feels the need to complain. Suddenly, a rhinoceros appears and rampages past the cafe, throwing everyone in the area into a total panic. The townspeople work to calm each other, while Jean immediately begins exclaiming that they should protest the rhinoceros’ rampage to the town council. Berenger tries to use logic to explain where the animal might have come from, and Jean expresses his frustration with this, “Certain things enter the minds of even people without them.” When Daisy, Berenger’s workplace crush, played with well crafted poise and naivety by Abby Maurice, arrives, Berenger admits to the reason behind his drinking, “Conscience of my body all the time… I don’t recognize myself… and then I drink.” When a second, or maybe the same, rhinoceros rampages past the cafe again, this time flattening a housewife’s pet cat, the argument and chaos of the play truly begins.

The rest of the plot unfolds as the characters discover they are entering a new era where their friends, neighbors, and coworkers are all transforming into rhinoceros through some sort of rhinoceritis. Every member of the ensemble cast was absolutely brilliant, giving memorable performances that worked well with the play's absurd humor as metaphor for larger issues. The sound design for the large pachyderms by Stefán Örn Arnarson had wonderful subtle nods to the true meaning of becoming a rhinoceros, while maintaining the animalistic characteristics. Another stand out element was the choreography by Carissa Bellando, which turned scene changes into compelling visual images that warp into animalistic nightmares as more and more rhinoceros appear. This play is a theatrical challenge that balances humor and important societal themes, and Vermont Stage has certainly succeeded in meeting that challenge.

If you’re looking for a good laugh and a reminder to stay true to your “moral center,” it's time to see Vermont Stage’s Rhinoceros.

Photos by Lindsay Raymondjack Photography

Dorset Theatre Festival Reveals Cast for DECEIVED and THE UNDERSTUDY

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:23:07 PST

Dorset Theatre Festival has announced the first two casts for its upcoming 2026 season, featuring returning Dorset favorites and acclaimed stage veterans.

Highlights: DECEIVED: a gripping psychological thriller starring Lucas Dixon, Caitlin Clouthier, Kelly McAndrew, and Ellen Grace Diehl. THE UNDERSTUDY: Theresa Rebeck's sharp-witted backstage comedy featuring Jeffrey Bean, David Mason, and Elizabeth Heflin.

"We are thrilled and honored to bring such extraordinary talent to the Dorset stage this year," said Will Rucker, Dorset's executive artistic director. "These ensembles bring a depth and energy that will make these plays truly unforgettable. And the second half of the season promises to be just as exciting!”

The 2026 season opens with Deceived (June 19–July 4), a new adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's classic thriller, Gaslight, by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson.

Lucas Dixon returns to Dorset after appearing in last season's The Book Club Play. He was recently revealed as young Tobias Fornell on the new series NCIS: Origins, and his extensive stage credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Bucks County Playhouse, Assassins at Yale Rep, and Dial M for Murder at Gulfshore Playhouse. He is joined by Caitlin Clouthier, another Festival alum who appeared in The Book Club Play, Baskerville, and The Norman Conquests trilogy.

Kelly McAndrew returns to Dorset following her acclaimed turns in Misery and the solo play Sidekicked. Her massive resume ranges from Broadway (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) to notable Off-Broadway runs in The Thin Place at Playwrights Horizons and Men on Boats. Her television work includes recurring and guest roles on Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and The Good Fight. Completing the quartet is Ellen Grace Diehl, who has performed at major regional houses, including Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Cleveland Play House. She is also the creator of the award-winning show Singin' in a Rainstorm, which recently premiered at NYC's 54 Below.

The season continues with The Understudy (July 10–July 18), written and directed by Dorset's Resident Playwright and Pulitzer Prize Nominee Theresa Rebeck.

Jeffrey Bean and David Mason reunite in Dorset after starring in the award-winning world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Dig, which successfully transferred to an Off-Broadway run at Primary Stages.

Jeffrey Bean is a veteran of the stage with Broadway credits in Amadeus and Bells Are Ringing. A Resident Company member at The Alley Theatre for 25 seasons, his recent screen work includes The Diplomat, Billions, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He stars alongside David Mason, whose previous Dorset credits include Thirst and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Mason's Broadway credits include Pictures From Home, and he has appeared on television in The Blacklist, The Leftovers, and Law & Order: SVU.

Elizabeth Heflin rounds out the cast, bringing a storied career that includes Broadway's The Government Inspector and a national tour of The Odd Couple with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. A company member at the REP at University of Delaware and a 13-year Resident Company member at The Alley Theatre, she has appeared in regional productions of August: Osage County and The Taming of the Shrew, and has a long history in television on programs such as As The World Turns and Days of Our Lives.

DECEIVED and THE UNDERSTUDY Casting Announced for Dorset Theatre Festival 2026 Season

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:32:09 PST

Dorset Theatre Festival has revealed the casts for its upcoming 2026 season, featuring returning Dorset favorites and acclaimed stage veterans.

Highlights include DECEIVED: a psychological thriller starring Lucas Dixon, Caitlin Clouthier, Kelly McAndrew, and Ellen Grace Diehl. THE UNDERSTUDY: Theresa Rebeck's backstage comedy featuring Jeffrey Bean, David Mason, and Elizabeth Heflin.

The 2026 season opens with Deceived (June 19-July 4), a new adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's classic thriller, Gaslight, by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson.

The Cast of DECEIVED

The season continues with The Understudy (July 10-July 18), written and directed by Dorset's Resident Playwright and Pulitzer Prize Nominee Theresa Rebeck.

The Cast of THE UNDERSTUDY

Jeffrey Bean and David Mason reunite in Dorset after starring in the award-winning world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Dig, which successfully transferred to an Off-Broadway run at Primary Stages.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

The 2026 season also includes the New England Premiere of Advice by Brent Askari (July 31-August 15) and Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan (August 21-September 5). All performances take place at the historic Dorset Playhouse. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

About Dorset Theatre Festival

Now in its 49th year, Dorset Theatre Festival produces a professional Main Stage season at the historic Dorset Playhouse in Dorset, VT, highlighting both new plays and classic works. Enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring audiences since 1976, the Festival's annual celebration of great plays runs June through September and features top theater-makers from around the country.

Increasingly known for producing high quality world and regional premieres, the Boston Globe dubbed the Festival, "Just north of the Berkshires, a new destination for playwrights" (2017). In addition to Main Stage productions of new plays, the Festival's new play development programs showcase works-in-progress and provide Southern Vermont audiences with an opportunity to play a key role in the evolution of new plays in consideration for future productions at the Festival and beyond.

LA TRAVIATA To Be Performed By Opera Company of Middlebury

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:57:38 PST

The Opera Company of Middlebury’s 23rd season finale begins with a new production of La Traviata.

OCM Founder and Artistic Director Douglas Anderson has previously directed La Traviata for the company in semi-staged form. This time, Anderson sets the opera in the 1920s. “Verdi set the opera in the 1700s, but Violetta has always seemed to me to be a very contemporary woman, taking control of her life and refusing to be hemmed in by social norms or the men surrounding her.” 

The 1920s inspired Anderson as a pivotal period in American history when women challenged social conventions. “They broke every taboo,” says Anderson, “wearing short skirts, cutting their hair, drinking and smoking in public. They wanted to shock the world out of its Victorian complacency.”

Costume Designer Debby Anderson has worked closely with her husband Douglas to dress the singers in vibrant period gowns. “It’s a sexy, outrageous period. You get the feeling that the world is changing, that anything can happen.” Anderson believes the tragedy of La Traviata is not only due to Violetta’s illness. “It’s because the men in her life can’t begin to deal with this new woman. In her famous aria, she sings, Sempre libera – ‘I will always be free.’ The men in La Traviata make sure that doesn’t happen."

For OCM’s Music Director, Maestro Filippo Ciabatti, preparing and conducting this iconic Verdi opera is thrilling. “La Traviata is one of the greatest operas ever written,” he explains. “It contains some of the most profound, moving, and heartfelt music ever composed and continues to reveal new depths each time you return to it. Living with this score is a lifelong project.” The OCM orchestra, led by concertmaster Brooke Quiggins-Saulnier, is composed of local musicians as well as professionals from around the region.

The cast of La Traviata includes professionals from across the country and incorporates local singers as well as members of the Young Artist Program in comprimario roles. The cast includes: Avery Boettcher as Violetta Valéry, Jared Esguerra as Alfredo Germont, Andrew Manea as Giorgio Germont, Nicholas Tocci as Baron Douphol, Matthew Soibelman as Doctor Grenvil, Alexandra Wiebe as Annina, Luisana Rivas as Flora Bervoix, Dylan Schang as Gastone de Letorières, Will Kim as Marquis d'Obigny, Cameron Steinmetz as Giuseppe, Nessa Rabin as Flora's servant and Neil Wacek as Messenger.

La Traviata performances will take place on June 5, 7, 11, and 13 at the Town Hall Theater located at 72-76 Merchant's Row, Middlebury, VT. Tickets for La Traviata can be purchased in person at Town Hall Theater or online at the Town Hall Theater website.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT Reveals 2026-27 Tour Dates and Cities

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:12:44 PST

OPERATION MINCEMEAT has announced the full 2026/27 season dates for the North American leg of its world tour. The news comes as OPERATION MINCEMEAT celebrates its 500th performance on Broadway this Saturday, May 2, after hitting 2,000 performances worldwide - now playing simultaneously in the West End, on Broadway, and on tour across the UK. Following the North American leg, further stops on its international journey will include Australia, China, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Read the reviews for the Broadway run here.

Producer Jon Thoday for Avalon said, “Launching our third OPERATION MINCEMEAT production, the North American leg of the world tour, as the show reaches 500 performances on Broadway and passes 2,000 worldwide is incredibly exciting. With its continued international growth and an expanding fanbase, we look forward to welcoming new audiences across the continent.”

The North American leg of the Mincemeat World Tour will launch at the Providence Performance Arts Center (Providence, RI), on September 20, 2026, before crisscrossing North America this upcoming season, with stops including Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.

Operation Mincemeat Tour Dates:

Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center
September 20–26, 2026

Chicago, IL – CIBC Theatre
September 29–October 11, 2026

Boston, MA – Colonial Theatre
October 13–25, 2026

Toronto, ON – Theatre TBD
October–December 2026

Philadelphia, PA – Forrest Theatre
December 15–20, 2026

Columbus, OH – Ohio Theatre
January 5–10, 2027

Detroit, MI – Fisher Theatre
January 12–24, 2027

Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
January 26–31, 2027

Eugene, OR – Hult Center
February 3–7, 2027

Seattle, WA – 5th Avenue Theatre
February 10–21, 2027

Tempe, AZ – ASU Gammage
February 23–28, 2027

Salt Lake City, UT – Eccles Theatre
March 2–7, 2027

San Francisco, CA – Orpheum Theatre
March 9–28, 2027

Los Angeles, CA – Pantages Theatre
March 30–April 18, 2027

San Diego, CA – Civic Center
April 20–25, 2027

Hartford, CT – Bushnell Center
May 4–9, 2027

Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
May 11–16, 2027

Greenville, SC – Peace Center
May 18–23, 2027

Fayetteville, AR – Walton Arts Center
May 25–30, 2027

Tampa, FL – Straz Center
June 1–6, 2027

Washington, DC – The National Theatre
June 8–20, 2027

Buffalo, NY – Shea’s Performing Arts Center
June 22–27, 2027

Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
July 6–11, 2027

Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
July 13–18, 2027

Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall
July 20–25, 2027

About Operation Mincemeat

In OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, it's 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they've got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), OPERATION MINCEMEAT tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.

Written by triple Tony Award nominees SpitLip (comprised of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts), OPERATION MINCEMEAT began performances on Broadway on February 15, 2025, and continues to play at the historic Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), where it has been extended eight times and will soon celebrate its 500th performance. The West End production, which has been playing at the Fortune Theatre since March 29, 2023, is widely recognized as one of the best-reviewed shows in West End history, holding the record for the most five-star reviews for a new musical, with a tally of 131. OPERATION MINCEMEAT has just launched its world tour, beginning with a UK leg before heading across the pond.

Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge, National Theatre – Best New Musical Olivier Award winner) will reprise his work for the tour, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. The creative team will include Olivier nominated Set and Costume Designer Ben Stones (Standing at the Sky's Edge), Tony and Olivier winning Lighting Designer Mark Henderson (The History Boys), Tony nominated Sound Designer Mike Walker (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), Tony nominated Orchestrator Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and Olivier nominated Music Supervisor Joe Bunker (Spring Awakening). Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Production Stage Management is by Geoff Maus, Casting is by Carrie Gardner, CSA, and General Management is by TT Partners.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT has been nominated for 64 awards since opening at the 77-seat New Diorama Theatre in 2019, winning 13, including Best Musical 3 times, from the Olivier Awards, WhatsOnStage Awards, and Off-West End Awards. On Broadway, the show was nominated for 4 Tony Awards in 2025, including Best Musical. The production won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Jak Malone's portrayal of Hester Leggatt, who previously won the Olivier Award in the same category. The production has also received nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical at the Drama League Awards, Outstanding New Broadway Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, Best Musical at the BroadwayWorld Theater Fans' Choice Awards, and Favourite New Musical at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards.

RAGTIME Will Launch National Tour in Fall 2027

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:00:22 PST

Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway revival of Ragtime, directed by Kewsong Lee Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, announced today that it will launch a North American Tour in the fall of 2027. The tour will premiere at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre in Buffalo, New York, before continuing onto cities across the U.S. and Canada. Additional tour stops and casting will be announced at a later date.

Lincoln Center Theater’s limited engagement of Ragtime has been extended twice by popular demand with performances now through August 2, 2026. The production set a new box office record at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and was recently nominated foreight Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Lear deBessonet), as well as five Drama League Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Lear deBessonet).

“Ragtime is one of the most ambitious musicals ever written, and it feels timelier than ever,” said producers Tom Kirdahy, Kevin Ryan, Robert Greenblatt, and Lamar Richardson in a statement. “What Lear deBessonet and this extraordinary company have created at Lincoln Center Theater is both epic in scale and deeply human. We couldn’t be more excited to share it with communities across North America.”

“It’s a real honor to kick off the North American Tour of Ragtime at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre,” said Buffalo presenter Al Nocciolino. “This is the kind of production people talk about long after the curtain comes down—remarkable in scale and deeply moving. We’re thrilled to welcome it to our stage and proud to share it with our community first.”

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Featuring a Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, Tony Award-winning book by Terrence McNally, and Tony Award-winning orchestrations by William David Brohn, Ragtime weaves fictional narratives with real historical figures and events, creating a rich tapestry that blurs the line between personal struggle and national identity, making history feel both intimate and epic.

The creative team for Ragtime includes Ellenore Scott (choreography), David Korins (scenic design), Linda Cho (costume design), Adam Honoré & Donald Holder (lighting design), Kai Harada (sound design), 59 Studio (projection design), Tom Watson (hair & wig design), Ann James (sensitivity specialist), and The Telsey Office, Craig Burns, CSA (casting).

OH, MARY! Reveals Tour Dates and Cities For 2026-27

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:23:47 PST

The North American Tour of Oh, Mary! has announced the dates and cities for its 2026-27 season. The tour of the Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning comedy will tech and launch at The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut, with performances beginning September 19, 2026. Casting will be announced at a later date. Check out the full list of tour dates below~

Written by Tony Award and Olivier Award winner Cole Escola and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, and continues to play at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theatre’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week. Oh, Mary! has since broken its own box office record twelve times and became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment. Oh, Mary! opened to rave reviews in London’s West End on December 18, 2025.

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).

The full creative team for the Broadway production includes dots (Scenic Designer), Holly Pierson (Costume Designer), Cha See (Lighting Designer), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design and Original Music), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Designer), Addison Heeren (Props Supervision), and David Dabbon (Musical Arrangements). Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA.

Oh, Mary! is produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg, and Showtown Productions.

Tour Dates

September 19–23, 2026
Hartford, CT — The Bushnell

September 29–October 4, 2026
San Diego, CA — San Diego Civic Theatre

October 6–11, 2026
Las Vegas, NV — The Smith Center

October 13–November 1, 2026
San Francisco, CA — Curran Theatre

November 3–8, 2026
Seattle, WA — The Paramount Theatre

November 10–December 6, 2026
Los Angeles, CA — Ahmanson Theatre

December 21, 2026–January 3, 2027
Boston, MA — Emerson Colonial Theatre

January 6–17, 2027
Saint Paul, MN — Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

January 19–February 7, 2027
Chicago, IL — CIBC Theatre

February 9–21, 2027
Washington, DC — The National Theatre

February 23–28, 2027
Detroit, MI — Fisher Theatre

March 9–14, 2027
Philadelphia, PA — Miller Theater

March 16–28, 2027
Charlotte, NC — Blumenthal Arts

March 30–April 4, 2027
Cleveland, OH — Connor Palace

April 6–11, 2027
Tampa, FL — Straz Center

April 27–May 9, 2027
Houston, TX — Hobby Center

May 11–16, 2027
West Palm Beach, FL — Kravis Center

Play Broadway Games Every Day in May and Win a Merch Prize Pack

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:30:20 PST

Broadway fans, your daily warm-up just got a whole lot more rewarding. BroadwayWorld is launching the May 2026 Games Challenge - a month-long streak competition open to fans across the U.S., with a $250 merch prize pack featuring merchandise from popular Broadway shows up for grabs.

The challenge runs all 31 days of May 2026 (Eastern Time), and all you need to enter is a free BroadwayWorld account.

How It Works

The rules are simple: play at least one BroadwayWorld game every day in May. That's it. Complete all 31 days and you'll earn one entry to win the prize pack. Tracking is automatic once you're logged in - your progress populates on the challenge page as you play, no manual check-ins required.

Any of these six games count toward your daily credit:

Make-Up Days: Because Life Happens

Miss a day? You're not out of the running. Play all six games in a single day and you'll earn a make-up credit, which automatically forgives your earliest missed day. You can bank up to three make-up credits over the course of the month - so a skipped Tuesday or a busy weekend doesn't have to end your streak. Credits are applied to your missed days in order, oldest first.

Ready to Start Your Streak?

The May 2026 BroadwayWorld Games Challenge runs May 1-31 (Eastern Time) and is open to U.S. residents only.

Click here to get started. Sign in with your free BroadwayWorld account and your tracking begins automatically - no registration beyond that required.

See full rules and regulations here.

NEWSIES Unseats LES MISÉRABLES to Win BroadwayWorld's 2026 Ultimate Movie Musical Bracket

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:26:32 PST

After six weeks of voting, BroadwayWorld readers have crowned Newsies the Ultimate Best Movie Musical in the 2026 edition of BroadwayWorld's Annual Bracket. The 1992 Disney film, directed by Kenny Ortega and featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, defeated Les Misérables in the final round, ending the Tom Hooper-directed film's two-year winning streak.

In both 2024 and 2025, Les Misérables was voted as the Ultimate Best Musical of all time, making it the title to beat heading into this year's competition. Newsies, a perennial fan favorite that developed a devoted following after its theatrical release and has since been adapted for the Broadway stage, advanced through six rounds of head-to-head matchups before claiming the title.

Now in its third year, BroadwayWorld's Bracket invites readers to debate, defend, and ultimately crown the greatest movie musical of all time from a field selected by BroadwayWorld editors. Voting in the 2026 edition opened on Tuesday, February 24 and concluded on Sunday, April 12, with new matchups released each week.

LEAR and MERRY WIVES Set for Shakespeare in the Woods 2026 Season

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:49:07 PST

Shakespeare in the Woods will present its 6th Repertory Season of outdoor theatre. The company will present two new adaptations of Lear and Merry Wives. Performances will occur during August 12- 30, on the idyllic Taconic Lawn at venue partner The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont. The 2026 Season will be one of "Chaos and Folly", exploring a variety of themes including love, control, jealousy, deception, nature, and community. Helming the productions are virtuoso directors Elizabeth Dinkova (Lear), returning for her third SitW season, and Jaz Hall (Merry Wives), joining for their first.

LEAR

By William Shakespeare
Adapted & Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova

A small secluded community has sworn off the rest of the world and built their own perfect haven in the woods. In this land of sacred hymns and mystical rites, matriarch Lear demands complete submission, but it's a small price to pay for utopia. When Lear decides to pass the reins to her daughters and a prodigal son returns, lines between cult and culture blur. As society strains under the weight of the old guard's expectations and the new guard's machinations, everyone's true self will be revealed.

MERRY WIVES

By William Shakespeare
Adapted & Directed by Jaz Hall

Ain't no party like a peafowl party cause a peafowl party don't... squawk?! Step right up, you don't want to miss the PEACOCK PROMENADE. Domesticity be damned; in this quick witted, anachronistic envisioning, our merry "Mistresses of Ceremony" manage the most (systemically) popular show on Earth. Step right up, it's burlesque.. it's drag... it's... the PERFORMANCE OF MASCULINITY! Thaaaaat's right, grounded in one of Mutha Nature's most fabulous displays of virility, this delightfully absurd production subverts societally expected and accepted expressions of "masculinity" simply with an exchange of modus operandi (the method of expression).

2026 TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION:

Tickets for Lear and Merry Wives will be available for advance online purchase starting June 1st, 2026, with same day purchase available at the box office day of performances. SitW uses a sliding scale ticket model with multiple price points, including a zero cost option. Early Bird Deal: $80 for a ticket bundle to both productions, when purchased before July 12, 2026 (single tickets for Lear and Merry Wives, valued at $40/ea).

All season performances take place outdoors on the Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa (3567 Main St, Manchester, VT 05254), and are rain or shine. In the event of severe weather conditions, SitW will provide time sensitive updates.

Repertory performances will occur August 12 - 30, Wednesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm, with a 2pm matinee closing performance on 8/30. Queer Affinity Night performance dates and additional Community Events TBA. For all season information and to plan your visit: www.shakespeareinthewoods.org

Vermont Repertory Theatre To Bring SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE To The Isham Barn

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:20:47 PST

Vermont Repertory Theatre will transform the Isham Family Farm for a limited run of the romantic comedy, Shakespeare in Love. This production will feature real-life couple Connor Kendall and Merrill Cameron in the leading roles, who met in the Vermont Theater scene.

Based on the 1998 Academy Award-winning film written by Tom Stoppard and adapted for the stage by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), the play follows a young William Shakespeare.

Mired in writer's block and under pressure to deliver a hit, Will finds his muse in Viola de Lesseps, a noblewoman who defies the law and disguises herself as a man to pursue her passion for acting. Viola's secret affair with the playwright ultimately inspires the creation of his greatest masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet.

The performance will open on June 10 and run for ten performances at the Isham Family Farm in Wilson VT. Pricing is $30 for General Admission, $25 for Seniors and $20 for Students. All tickets can be purchased on the Vermont Rep website.

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Operation Mincemeat Tour Dates:

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Tour Dates

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LEAR and MERRY WIVES Set for Shakespeare in the Woods 2026 Season

LEAR

MERRY WIVES

2026 TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION:

Vermont Repertory Theatre To Bring SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE To The Isham Barn