Alessa Neeck News

Following over two months of weekly staged readings of developing and classic plays, The Circle Series announces their first staged reading of a musical.

In a brief engagement at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Mass. (which ended this Sunday), the national tour of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's southern musical BRIGHT STAR flickers between down-home country charm and maudlin storytelling. Strong performances and a kickin' on-stage bluegrass band, though, manage to knock off the tarnish of this tepid tale of hope and redemption to deliver an uplifting message in the end.

Bright Star, the new musical from Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award-winning Steve Martin and Grammy Award-winning Edie Brickell, is coming to Houston from Theatre Under The Stars beginning March 13 through March 25 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. To purchase tickets, visit TUTS.com, call the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office at 713-558-8887, or come by the box office in person at 800 Bagby Street, Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm or Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

Producer Joey Parnes announced today new casting for the US Tour of Bright Star, the new musical from Grammy®, Emmy® and Academy Award®-winning Steve Martin and Grammy Award®-winning Edie Brickell.

The Tony Award nominated musical 'Bright Star' is currently running through November 19, 2017 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Presented by Center Theatre Group, the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, with music, lyrics and story by Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell, will be directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbieand choreographed by Josh Rhodes. See the Carmen Cusack and the cast of the show in a new music video for the opening number, 'If You Knew My Story' below!

BRIGHT STAR at Ahmanson Theatre plays through November 19. This original musical tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and '40s. Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and powerfully moving performances.

Presented by Center Theatre Group, 'Bright Star' opened at the Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, October 20. Go inside opening night below!

Presented by Center Theatre Group, 'Bright Star' will open at the Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, October 20. The Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, with music, lyrics and story by Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell, is currently in previews and is directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. Performances will continue through November 19, 2017. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first look at the cast onstage in Los Angeles below!

'Bright Star' begins previews tonight, October 11, opens October 20, and runs through November 19, 2017 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Presented by Center Theatre Group, the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, with music, lyrics and story by Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell, will be directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

Rehearsals have begun and the full cast is set for 'Bright Star' at the Ahmanson Theatre. Presented by Center Theatre Group, the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, with music, lyrics and story by Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell, will be directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. It begins previews October 11, opens October 20 and runs through November 19, 2017. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

This March, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. Scroll down for details!

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Michael Campayno, Will Roland, and many more in 54 Loves You: A Concert for Mental Health on Sunday, March 26th 2017 at 9:30pm.

HH Productions, LLC, in association with The York Theatre Company will present a special staged reading of the new musical HOWARD, written by Frank Evans (Book and Lyrics) and James Scully (Music), directed by Jennifer Paulson-Lee, conducted by Jeff Saver and musical supervision/arrangements by Scott Cady.  HOWARD will be presented at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (248 West 60 Street, NYC 10023) on Wednesday, January 27th at 1PM; Thursday, January 28th at 1PM; and Friday, January 29th at 1PM. Limited amount of tickets are available to the public, and are FREE of charge. To reserve tickets please RSVP HowardMusical@gmail.com.

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2015 which I did not cover. This list is based only on what I saw and reviewed. (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories) No set, costume, or technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.

Audiences in Orange County were treated to live performances of shows featured in the 2015-2016 season at the Segerstrom Center. The shows featured were THE LION KING, CABARET, NEWSIES, CINDERELLA, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and THE ILLUSIONISTS. Scroll for performance photos below!

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presented its annual Season Preview event, highlighting the blockbuster 2015-16 Broadway Series this Monday, August 17 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Scroll down for photos of the performances!

What do the 1950s have in common with 1912? Ages of innocence, both. When Meredith Willson wrote his story with Franklin Lacey about a con artist bamboozling an Iowa town in 1912, which formed the substance of his musical The Music Man (1957), the effect became like that of N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker. People were jubilant, ecstatic and welcomed Professor Harold Hill, as they craved a good old-fashioned love story coated with ironic excitement. He was a charmer, and they saw way past his bad side. Now in a spirited new production at Moonlight Amphitheatre, Vista , the company pulls out all the stops and yet presents a delightfully down.to.earth show that keeps the flavor of Meredith Willson in tact. With fast-paced direction from John Vaughn and a splendid cast led by David Engel as Hill , The Music Man offers an unrealistic yet refreshing look at the way life should be.

Moonlight Stage Productions presents 'The Music Man,' a classic that is as American as apple pie. The show follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boy's band that he will lead. The catch is he doesn't know the difference between a trombone and a treble clef! Before he can skip town, the town librarian steals Hill's heart and transforms him into a respectable citizen. 'The Music Man' is family entertainment at its very best. Scroll down for a first look at the cast onstage!

 Moonlight Stage Productions presents "The Music Man," a classic that is as American as apple pie. The show follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boy's band that he will lead. The catch is he doesn't know the difference between a trombone and a treble clef! Before he can skip town, the town librarian steals Hill's heart and transforms him into a respectable citizen. "The Music Man" is family entertainment at its very best. "The Music Man" runs July 15 through August 1, 2015 under the stars at Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, Calif. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single tickets are priced $24 to $52. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (760) 724-2110 or visit http://www.moonlightstage.com.

Moonlight Stage Productions presents 'The Music Man,' a classic that is as American as apple pie. The show follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boy's band that he will lead. The catch is he doesn't know the difference between a trombone and a treble clef! Before he can skip town, the town librarian steals Hill's heart and transforms him into a respectable citizen. 'The Music Man' is family entertainment at its very best. 'The Music Man' runs July 15 through August 1, 2015 under the stars at Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, Calif. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single tickets are priced $24 to $52. To purchase tickets or for more information, call(760) 724-2110 or visit http://www.moonlightstage.com.