Christopher West

The ’80s delivered endless iconic pop culture trends like leg warmers, neon, Walkmans, Whitney, and Madonna. Broadway in the ’80s also saw a unique culture shift as British mega musicals like LES MISERABLES and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA began to take over the American stage. First on the scene, though, was CATS, which uniquely married the worlds of theater, ballet, spandex, and synthesized music in 1982. And although CATS has purrhaps only grown more hair-raising with age (not to mention enhanced audience expectations), the song-and-dance spectacle continues to mesmerize and mystify audiences more than 40 years after its inception.

The post-documentary will discuss issues impacting the transgender community. The town hall will be co-hosted by transgender activist and award-winning writer Raquel Willis and KGO-TV reporter Reggie Aqui.

Fort Salem Theater is thrilled to announce their 2021 Summer series! The COVID-conscious productions will mark both the theater’s reopening from the global pandemic, as well as the official grand reopening under new venue owners and management. The curtain rises on the theater’s mainstage with The Marvelous Wonderettes (June 18-27), followed by Next to Normal (July 23-August 1). Limited tickets are available now at www.FortSalem.com.

According to a note on The Firehouse Theatre’s website, dated November 20, 2020, Artistic and Education Director has formally resigned from his duties at the theatre. New leadership positions have not been announced.

Salem for Social Justice will be showing 'Harriet' at the Courthouse lawn on October 2nd. On Sunday, October 11th, the group will be holding an Abolitionist Underground Railroad Walk from 1-3PM led by local historian Clifford Oliver starting at the Greenwich Public Library. Both events are free.

This week, PBS announced DRIVING WHILE BLACK: RACE, SPACE AND MOBILITY IN AMERICA – a ground-breaking, two-hour documentary film by acclaimed historian Dr. Gretchen Sorin and Emmy–winning director Ric Burns – will air on PBS on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings).

PBS announced today  DRIVING WHILE BLACK: RACE, SPACE AND MOBILITY IN AMERICA – a ground-breaking, two-hour documentary film by acclaimed historian Dr. Gretchen Sorin and Emmy–winning director Ric Burns – will air on PBS on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

After seven years of producing live theatre in Fort Worth, Tarrant Actors Regional Theatre (TART) has announced their plan to cease operations on all mainstage productions, effective immediately. With a mission to a?oeentertain, inspire, challenge, and educate its audiences through live theatre,a?? TART has produced both plays and musicals at The Fort Worth Community Arts Center since 2013.

Texas Woman's University's College Audition Prep Program is back better than ever this year with two great options for high school musical theater and acting students: a new two week Intensive stay camp hosted by Texas Woman's University on their beautiful Denton, Texas campus OR a four day Weekend event packed with master classes, dance classes, mock auditions and college program overview presentations.

The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, the arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, has announced highlights of its 2020 Spring season, a rich mix of theater, film, music, author's nights, gallery exhibitions, and talk events featuring artists and thought leaders including Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal columnist and author Peggy Noonan; New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks, and Director of The Philanthropy Roundtable's Character Initiative and author Anne Snyder; Director of the Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ; a rousing evening of gospel music from Vy Higginsen's Sing Harlem choir; celebrated composer and big bandleader Darcy James Argue plus the New England Conservatory Alumni Big Band; Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico and multi-award winning New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik; singer, songwriter, and acclaimed clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn and genre-bending composer, guzheng virtuoso and vocalist from Beijing Wu Fei; and events tackling thought-provoking topical themes including justice in underserved communities, the protection of immigrants to America, and the inspiration of Sr. Thea Bowman and other Servants of God.

Welcome to the Bennet household, where love is a game and the stakes are higher than ever. MainStage Irving-Las Colinas kicks-off the new year with Kate Hamill's inventive adaption of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice directed by Dennis Yslas Trainor. Performances run January 24-February 8 in the Dupree Theatre at Irving Arts Center. Tickets range from $19-$28 and are on sale now at the Irving Arts Center Box Office (972-252-2787 / www.IrvingArtsCenter.com).

Newcomer Mariah Lyttle hasn't exactly pounded the New York City pavement quite yet, but it's not a reflection on her motivation or hard work. In fact, the young actress barely crossed the graduation stage before headlining a regional production of THE WIZ, which closed only moments before she booked the coveted role of Celie in the latest THE COLOR PURPLE national tour. While back at home for the holidays with her family, Ms. Lyttle sat down to share how the role has helped her find her voice, and how this classic story inspires hope and faith in audiences of all backgrounds and beliefs.

It wasn't long after moving to New York City before actress Courtnee Carter made her Broadway debut understudying the lead character Ti Moune in the highly celebrated revival of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. This week, we caught up with Ms. Carter while on tour with the show from Charleston, North Carolina where she now performs the role full time. She spoke about breaking down barriers and building a better community through love and hope. Read our full conversation below.

It's beginning to look a lot like Broadway at the Irving Arts Center as MainStage Irving-Las Colinas returns with their second annual holiday fundraiser, HAVE YOURSELF A BROADWAY LITTLE CHRISTMAS. Get ready to deck the hall with your favorite local performers, because this cheerful winter concert is even bigger and better than before.

It's been 38 years since Andrew Lloyd Webber's mega-hit CATS made its stage debut. 42 years earlier, T.S. Eliot had unknowingly penned the musical's lyrics in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, his 1939 collection of feline inspired poetry. While his poems were an unexpected source material for a song-and-dance operetta, the family-friendly musical quickly became a Broadway landmark, adopting the tagline a?oeNow and Forevera?? during its impressive 18-year New York City run.

Written in 2002, the Queen and Ben Elton musical WE WILL ROCK YOU has taken the globe by storm, featuring record-breaking pop and rock hits of the 1970s and beyond. Following the success of the Oscar®-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” WE WILL ROCK YOU, recently returned to North America and is currently en route to Irving's Toyota Music Factory for one night only on Tuesday, October 22nd.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL, presented by the Grand Prairie Arts Council, opens at the historic Uptown Theater on Friday, October 4, 2019, and runs through Sunday, October 13, 2019. The beautifully restored 1950's theater is located at 120 E Main St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050.