Rita Martin

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley is a meaningful, thoughtful production that resists excess in its storytelling as it exudes warmth.

Ballet Concerto en Miami, FL cerrara sus puertas despues de 55 años. Una de las escuelas de ballet clasico de mayor calidad en Miami, Ballet Concerto abrio sus puertas en 1961 y posteriormente fundo la primera compañia de ballet profesional en el sur de la Florida en 1964. La escuela produjo nombres reconocibles en el mundo de la danza, mas destacadamente Fernando Bujones, y la compañia creo un precedente para el ballet clasico en Miami al invitar a los mas extraordinarios artistas del ballet del siglo veinte al sur de la Florida por primera vez. Artistas invitados incluyeron a Rudolph Nureyev, Carla Fracci, Cynthia Gregory, Natalia Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Gelsey Kirkland y Alexander Gudonov para nombrar solo algunos. Ballet Concerto se conservara como una institucion clave en el desarrollo de las artes y la cultura en el sur de Florida, especialmente entre de la comunidad hispana. Las directoras Sonia Diaz y Martha del Pino, que se exiliaron del Ballet Nacional de Cuba, donde bailaron junto a Alicia Alonso y bajo la direccion de Fernando Alonso, implementaron y mantuvieron el plan de estudio riguroso que hoy en dia destaca al ballet clasico cubano. No hay duda de que el cierre de esta gran institucion deja un enorme vacio, sobre todo en el corazon de las tres generaciones que estudiaron y bailaron en Ballet Concerto y en la memoria de los que fueron testigo de la evolucion de las artes culturales en Miami entre los años sesenta y ochenta, cuando la escuela y compañia estaban en la cima.

Ballet Concerto School in Miami, FL will close after 55 years. One of the oldest and arguably one of the highest quality classical ballet schools in the region, Ballet Concerto opened its doors in 1961 and subsequently Miami's first professional ballet company, Ballet Concerto Company, in 1964. The school produced some recognizable names, most notably Fernando Bujones, and the company set a precedent for classical ballet in the area by bringing the most extraordinary ballet artists of the twentieth century to South Florida for the first time. Guest artists included Rudolph Nureyev, Carla Fracci, Cynthia Gregory, Natalia Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Gelsey Kirkland, and Alexander Gudonov to name a few. Ballet Concerto will be remembered as a key player in the development of arts and culture in South Florida, especially within the Hispanic community. Artistic Directors Sonia Diaz and Martha del Pino, who defected from Ballet Nacional de Cuba, where they danced alongside Alicia Alonso and under the direction of Fernando Alonso, implemented and maintained the rigorous classical curriculum that Cuban ballet has since become known for. There is no question of the void left by the closing of this Miami establishment, mostly in the heart of the three generations, and thousands of students who studied and danced at Ballet Concerto and in the memory of those who witnessed the evolution of the cultural arts in Miami between the 1960's and 1980's, when the school and company were at its peak.

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston's 2015-16 season closes with an acclaimed new play (partly inspired by the theatricality of Nicholas Nickleby) that uses ingenious stagecraft, the talents of a dozen of our favorite actors, and the limitless possibilities of your imagination to create theatrical magic.

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston presents DEATH OF A SALESMAN, running tonight, February 14 - March 15, 2014. The play, by Arthur Miller, will be directed by Spiro Veloudos.

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston presents DEATH OF A SALESMAN, running February 14 - March 15, 2014. The play, by Arthur Miller, will be directed by Spiro Veloudos.

Casting has been announced for The 3rd Annual Boston One-Minute Play Festival, onstage at Boston Playwrights' Theatre today, Jan. 4-6.

Casting has been announced for The 3rd Annual Boston One-Minute Play Festival, onstage at Boston Playwrights' Theatre Jan. 4-6.

Bridge Repertory Theater opens its first full season, in collaboration with Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company of NYC, with an ambitious production of Stephen Jeffreys' play about the life of 17th century poet John Wilmot. The complex story is overweight, but the acting is topnotch, as are the costumes and staging. Bridge Rep remains a theater company to watch.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit which brought new life to the historic Theatre By The Sea for the past five years, concludes their Inaugural Season with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical masterpiece, The King and I, which opens in previews on Wednesday, April 24.

F.I.T.R. Productions presents The Pillowman, an award-winning drama by Martin McDonagh. Laura Moss directs a cast of four including Jon Dalin as Tupolski; Matt Kelley as Ariel; Priyank Rastogi as Katurian; Orlando Rivera as Michal. The Pillowman will run at the historic landmark The Barrow Mansion, 83 Wayne Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 for nine performances from May 17-26, 2013. Complimentary wine and beer will be provided.

Love. War. Conspiracy. Sex. Betrayal. Death. Could all these things truly amount to Nothing? In Shakespeare's beloved comedy Much Ado About Nothing, Don Pedro and his men return victoriously from war to the house of Leonato, Governor of Messina. Proven in battle, Claudio proposes to Leonato's dutiful daughter Hero, to the dismay of his comrade, Benedick, who wittily battles with the Lady Beatrice on the demerits of love. The stage is set for merry conflict as those who jest at love are caught in a hilarious conspiracy to make them fall in love. Meanwhile a sinister plot brews to unmake Claudio and Hero's nuptials, setting in motion a series of events that challenge loyalties, test character, and examine the fickleness of life and love.

If you had the opportunity to see RIVERDANCE at the Fox this past weekend, then you were treated to a fine display of Terpsichore and musicianship. If you didn't, then you may have missed your chance to see it at all, since it was, in all likelihood, the troupe's final trip to St. Louis. It's a shame, because the show is really an entertaining mix of song and dance. I saw it last year, and I took my wife and son with me this year, and we all enjoyed it tremendously. The sheer athleticism of the dancers, backed by the superb interplay of some world class musicians, is not one that should be missed. The audience in attendance certainly responded very favorably to this unique production.

RIVERDANCE draws on Irish traditions and the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music to the present day capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. The show will take its last steps in June 2012.

What is it about Ireland that we Americans love so much? Is it the rich, green land? Is it the unique culture? The music? And for young, unmarried women, is it the handsome accent of a dreamy, far off man? Or maybe, it is the dance. Whatever it is, it has clearly rubbed off on Riverdance, the phenomenon Irish dance show that has toured all over the world.

It's the final technical rehearsal of the 9th Annual Community Celebration of the Messiah at The Grand Theatre. B Murphy, co-conductor and co-creator of this production, happily greets Grand Voice choir members as they enter the theater. Not only is there great respect for Murphy, but there is also great friendship and camaraderie.

It's the final technical rehearsal of the 9th Annual Community Celebration of the Messiah at The Grand Theatre. B Murphy, co-conductor and co-creator of this production, happily greets Grand Voice choir members as they enter the theater. Not only is there great respect for Murphy, but there is also great friendship and camaraderie.

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation held the 9th annual Best of Parks (BOP) Awards on October 28th in the City's newest waterfront park, Brooklyn Bridge Park.