Ken Adams

What did our critic think of LIZZIE: THE ROCK MUSICAL at Actors Community Playhouse?

Theatre in Our Schools (TIOS) Month is a campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs for all students. While activities may take place any time, March is designated the official month for TIOS.

'Throughout the years, we have encountered voluminous situations that highlight the frustrations and humor of the commuting experience,' say authors Joe Stables and Ken Adams. With their book, they chronicle a wide variety of these incidents for readers' amusement and enlightenment, all while telling the guilty parties who have earned their ire to go 'Commute This!%@#!' (published by Xlibris).

Will you look back on your life fondly or regretfully? For Stoogie Lucotch or "Stuart Lucas" it's a dilemma for the ages. Combining personal reflections with Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, Ray Olderman's Big Expectations (first performed in 1983) at Broom Street Theater examines the correlation between happiness and success.

Benjamin Grier--currently co-starring in, and serving as dance captain for Chip Deffaa's musical comedy 'Mad About the Boy' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater--has won the theater's 'Matthew Nardozzi Award,' which recognizes professionalism, a strong work ethic,  and reliability, as well as talent. Nardozzi flew up from Florida to present Grier with the honor.  ASCAP  Award-winner Deffaa, the theater's most widely produced playwright, emceed the award ceremony, the first of several award ceremonies to be held at the theater this year.  

Jon Peterson has a lot to celebrate right now. Peterson, who won numerous honors when he starred in Chip Deffaa's Off-Broadway musical play 'George M. Cohan Tonight!' at the Irish Repertory Theater, will celebrate today his tenth year of starring in the show, which--since its debut in New York--has taken him all across the country.

Jon Peterson has a lot to celebrate right now. Peterson, who won numerous honors when he starred in Chip Deffaa's Off-Broadway musical play 'George M. Cohan Tonight!' at the Irish Repertory Theater, will celebrate on Friday his tenth year of starring in the show, which--since its debut in New York--has taken him all across the country.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will present a teach-in on the history of gay musical theater, and gay songs in pop music, following the performances next Sunday (April 26th) at 2 pm and 7 pm of its current hit musical 'Mad About the Boy.' The presentation will be moderated by ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa (creator of 'Mad About the Boy'), and will feature members of the cast, joined by a special surprise guest.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will honor the woman widely considered to be the world's greatest blues singer by making Sunday, April 19th, 'Bessie Smith Day.' The theater will be offering free admission to its new hit show, 'Mad About the Boy' (which includes a tribute to Smith) to anyone who can sing a chorus of a song recorded by Smith. ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa, who's created and produced 'Mad About the Boy,' will also award prizes to those who do the best job of singing Smith's songs. Deffaa--who profiled Smith in the book 'Harlem Speaks: A Living History of the Harlem Renaissance' (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and has lectured on her (most recently at the University of Idaho)--will be the judge, assisted by members of his theater company.

ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa will host talkback sessions--in which audience members can ask any questions they wish of the cast or creative team--after the following performances of his new musical comedy 'Mad About the Boy' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC).

Casting has been announced for ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaaa€s next musical production, a€oeMad About the Boy,a€ which is set to open April 12th at the 13th Street Repertory Theater, 50 W. 13th Street.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will present an 'Irving Berlin Teach-In,' immediately following the Sunday (November 23rd) matinee performance of Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue.' The 'Ragtime Revue,' which has been selling out at the theater, will begin at 3 pm. The teach-in is expected to begin at 4:30 pm. Michael Townsend Wright, who previously co-starred at the theater with Giuseppe Bausilio in 'Irving Berlin's America' (as seen in the photo) will be one of the special guests at the teach-in, singing a rare Berlin ballad as well as sharing recollections and insights. (Wright may also be heard on the cast album for 'Irving Berlin's America,' which includes some never-before-recorded material.) Surprise guests with ties to Berlin and his world will be joining Wright, the cast of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' pianist Richard Danley, and playwright Chip Deffaa in the teach-in.

ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue'-currently playing at the 13th Street Theater in repertory with Deffaa's long-running 'One Night with Fanny Brice'--is to receive a cast recording. The cast album will feature all of the singing actors currently appearing in the show: Rayna Hirt, Ken Adams, Michael Cyzz, Maite Uzal, Michael Kasper, Jonah Barricklo, Emily Bordonaro, Missy Dreier, K.W. Andersson; Andrew Lanctot, Ann Marie Calabro, Brandon Pollinger, and Timmy Thompson, with musical direction by Richard Danley. Deffaa will produce the album; Slau Halatyn will be the recording engineer; with production to begin later this month at Be-Sharp Studios in Astoria. The album will be released in the United States on the Original Cast Records label. It will be the sixth show of Deffaa's to get a cast album.

Award-winning cabaret, theater, and concert star Carolyn Montgomery-Forant will be a special guest at select performances of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC). Montgomery-Forant-who has won the MAC Award, the Bistro Award, and the New York Nightlife Award--will take time out from her own concert schedule to make guest appearances in the revue at the following performances: Sunday, November 16th at 3 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday November 23rd at 3 p.m.

ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa will be joined by special guests, including noted showbiz biographer Herb Goldman, writer/entertainer Brian Gari, and actor Michael Townsend Wright, for special audience 'talkback' sessions, following select performances of Deffaa's shows 'One Night with Fanny Brice' and 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' which are playing in repertory this fall at the 13th Street Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC).

When ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa's "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue" opens November 9th at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC), it will include some Berlin rarities and rediscoveries unheard in a century, including some never-recorded Berlin numbers.

Audiences attending the musical comedy 'Theater Boys' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater might notice a camera or two--or three!--filming this week. Brian Gari is shooting an archival video of the entire two-hour show; Sam Donnenberg continues on-location shooting for his documentary about the making of the show, 'For the Theater'; and award-winning independent filmmaker Max Galassi, from Newtown, Connecticut, will be shooting a short film in connection with the show.

Famed gossip columnist Liz Smith -- 'the Grande Dame of Dish' -- has won countless honors, including an Emmy Award, in her long career. But she's never before been depicted on the stage. In 'Theater Boys' -- the new musical comedy by ASCAP Award-winner Chip Deffaa, now playing at the 13th Street Repertory Theater -- she's not only a character in the show, she's the subject of a whole song about her, a rousing fast-boogie simply titled 'Liz Smith.' That song will also be heard on the show's cast album (sung by Ricky Schroder and the ensemble), being released today, October 18th.

Famed gossip columnist Liz Smith -- "the Grande Dame of Dish" -- has won countless honors, including an Emmy Award, in her long career. But she's never before been depicted on the stage. In "Theater Boys" -- the new musical comedy by ASCAP Award-winner Chip Deffaa, now playing at the 13th Street Repertory Theater -- she's not only a character in the show, she's the subject of a whole song about her, a rousing fast-boogie simply titled "Liz Smith." That song will also be heard on the show's cast album (sung by Ricky Schroder and the ensemble), being released October 18th.

Most playwrights would be happy to have one script of theirs produced in New York in a year. "Theater Boys"--which opens tomorrow, September 21st at the 13th Street Repertory Theater--is the third show by ASCAP award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa to open this year.