Matthew Kacergis

Dear Readers, if you know me at all you know my disdain for most things Andrew Lloyd Webber. With so much repetition and borrowing from other’s works, I just don’t see the appeal. But many love him and so it should come as no surprise that Showtunes Theatre would choose to dust off one of his grander works, “Sunset Boulevard” for their latest concert. And while the leads certainly got to show off their talents, I question the choice of this one and the presentation, beyond it being an ALW work.

Monday evenings are in general a dead night for the arts in the DC area but on September 19th, some of the area's best performing artists will come together for a very worthy cause.

The Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor, MI has announced the cast and creative team for its upcoming production of Godspell.

Returning to the role of Patsy Cline is Cayman Ilika, who has performed on stages throughout the country including the 5th Avenue Theatre and Village Theatre in Seattle, Musical Theatre West in Los Angeles, and The Asolo Repertory Theatre in Saraosota.

George M. Cohan has been attributed to being the father of the American Musical, whose works are the very roots of Broadway and musical theater that we know today. Without his numerous contributions to the American theater, Broadway as we all know it probably wouldn't even exist. This is the idea that's drummed rather loudly and patriotically by the ending of YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, the 2004 stage musical now in the midst of its Southern California regional premiere via Musical Theatre West. A fairly entertaining, if inescapably old-fashioned jukebox musical that paints rather broad strokes rather than giving a deep dive into Cohan's life story, this new production continues performances at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through July 22, 2018.

Previous attempts have been made to bring George M. Cohan's life to the stage. None is remembered, however, as much as the 1942 film starring James Cagney. Book writer David Armstrong has constructed a much more realistic account of Yankee Doodle Dandy, tryimg to avoid the traps of Hollywood glamor and tinsel, currently onstage at MTW Long Beach at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts through July 22 In spite of the fantastic cast and sturdy direction and scintillating choreography by James Rocco, it turns in a rather weak account of the father of the American musical comedy (1878-1942). Not that you shouldn't see it; go for the cast and the sheer entertainment value of the music alone that set the scene for Rodgers nd Hammerstein and others to follow.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is a vibrant hive of musical theater activity as the projects of NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals have started rehearsals this week. A three-week musical theater intensive development cycle, NextFest has played a role in the creation of musicals ranging from Persuasion by Harold Taw and Chris Jeffries (Taproot Theatre, 2017) to  Come From Away by Irene Carl Sankoff and David Hein (Broadway). Nationally recognized for its contribution to the contemporary musical theater cannon, The 5th Avenue Theatre is a celebrated incubator for new musicals. Each year, the nationally renowned theater company connects writers at all stages of development with some of the region's most brilliant performers, giving life to the words on the page and allowing book writers, composers and lyricists to see their work in action. This year's various works are brought to life by Alexandria Henderson, Justin Huertas, Matthew Kacergis, Shaunyce Omar, Brandon O'Neill, Timothy Piggee, Hannah Schuerman, Billie Wildrick and many more.

Dear Readers, it's been quite a year and, hopefully, we've come through it unscathed. God knows we've needed some shows to help us escape and others to make us think. But through it all we've had several shows that have proven to shine as some of the best of the year. Out of all the shows I was fortunate enough to see this year, I've selected a few that stood out. Here are those stand outs, a few honorable mentions and a few special mentions about which I just couldn't help myself but to mention in their own special way.

Broadway star Patrick Cassidy is making his Wick Theatre debut as Stephen Kodaly in She Loves Me, playing the role that won his father, Jack Cassidy, a Tony Award. He will be joined by Julie Kleiner, Matthew Kacergis and Lauren Weinberg in this this romantic musical comedy, which debuted on Broadway in 1963 and was revived in 2016.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting an evocative new production of Ragtime, now through November 5, 2017. A tale of family, heart and perseverance at the turn of the 20th century, Ragtime is a vital story about the headstrong and determined individuals and their families who helped make the United States a diverse and thriving nation. Below, watch Joshua Carter (Tateh) perform 'Gliding' from the show!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting an evocative new production of Ragtime, now through November 5, 2017. A tale of family, heart and perseverance at the turn of the 20th century, Ragtime is a vital story about the headstrong and determined individuals and their families who helped make the United States a diverse and thriving nation. Below, watch Douglas Lyons (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.) and Danyel Fulton (Sarah) perform 'Wheels of a Dream' from the show!

RAGTIME runs at 5th Avenue Theatre through November 5, and the critics are weighing in!

RAGTIME runs at 5th Avenue theatre through November 5! With scintillating music and an intensely compelling story of love at its core, RAGTIME is a musical theater masterpiece that will inspire and touch your soul. It's the turn of the century; everything is changing. Set in the volatile melting pot of New York City, three distinct American stories are woven together: an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician, all three united by their desire and belief in a brighter tomorrow.

Back in 1997 a somewhat younger Broadway Geek became obsessed with the musical Ragtime . I even travelled to other cities to see it as many times as I could and basically became obsessed. I tell you this so you'll understand, Dear Readers, my deep love for this show which is firmly one of my top ten desert island shows and how amazingly picky I am with any production of it. With that in mind you'll understand, after reading this review, why you MUST go and get tickets to the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre. A production that brought up almost all the feels from my initial viewing of this sublime show and even a few new ones.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is creating a rich and evocative new production of Ragtime, a tale of family, heart and perseverance at the turn of the 20th century that is a timely story about the immigrants who helped make the United States the diverse and thriving nation it is today.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting an evocative new production of Ragtime, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is presenting an evocative new production of Ragtime, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced full casting for its evocative new production of Ragtime, which begins rehearsals today. A tale of family, heart and perseverance at the turn of the 20th century, Ragtime is a vital story about the headstrong and determined individuals and their families who helped make the United States a diverse and thriving nation.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is creating a rich and evocative new production of Ragtime, a tale of family, heart and perseverance at the turn of the 20th century that is a timely story about the immigrants who helped make the United States the diverse and thriving nation it is today.

The 5th Avenue Theatre presents an evocative new production of Ragtime, which recently began rehearsals. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at a read/sing rehearsal for the show in the video below!