MetroStage to Present ELLA FITZGERALD: FIRST LADY OF SONG, 1/23-3/16
Carolyn Griffin has announced that MetroStage will be presenting the musical Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song, conceived and directed by Maurice Hines, with book by Lee Summers, Jan. 23-Mar. 16, 2014. Ella Fitzgerald, her cousin and traveling companion Georgiana, and her manager and jazz impresario Norman Granz tell her story both backstage and onstage. From a homeless street dancer to winning amateur night at the Apollo Theatre at the age of 15, from headlining with Chick Webb and his Orchestra at the Savoy Ballroom to performing Live at the Cote D'Azur, from discovering she could "scat" to mastering a new art form called "bebop," this musical tells the fascinating journey of this legendary artist. Maurice Hines is the director. Mel Johnson Jr. is the associate director, and William Knowles is the music director, arranger, and orchestrator.
Photo Flash: Katori Hall and More on Opening Night at THE MOUNTAINTOP at Arena Stage
Last night, April 4, was the opening night celebration for THE MOUNTAINTOP at Arena Stage. Opening night fell on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. Scroll down for photos from the festivities, featuring notable guests playwright Katori Hall, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congresswoman Donna Edwards and Former Congressman Harold Ford, Sr.!
Photo Flash: PERFECT HARMONY Finds New Home at Acorn Theatre
The return of 'PERFECT HARMONY,' a hit of the 2006 New York International Fringe Festival and a 2008 sold-out summer run on Theatre Row is now back on track after a dispute between the theatre manager at 45 Bleecker Theatres (the show's recent home) and the space's landlord resulted in a closing of that complex on October 13. Theatre Row General Manager Erika Feldman came to the show's rescue and offered the production a new home - The Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) in the Theatre Row complex. 'PERFECT HARMONY' is conceived and directed by Andrew Grosso, and written by Grosso and The Essentials. Performances resume at The Acorn on Thursday, October 21 and the official opening performance is set for Wednesday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for the Off Broadway run are available through Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com, and on sale through November 13, 2010. (The producers are planning to move the show to another space following this run at The Acorn.)
