Benai Boyd News

A Little New Music will spotlight a diverse array of artists performing new and unheard musical theatre songs in a classic cabaret setting at Hollywood's historic Catalina Jazz Club on Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30pm.  Audiences of A Little New Music's concert series discover firsthand pieces of musical theatre that could become Broadway hits.

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, is thrilled to announce that the first show in its 2017-2018 season, the critically acclaimed hit musical, The View UpStairs, book, music and lyrics by Max Vernon, choreography by Cate Caplin, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Michael A. Shepperd is extending through Sunday, November 12 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

The west coast premiere of THE VIEW UPSTAIRS bursts with a high-energied hodge-podge of some great vocals, charming performances and wonderfully executed choreography. Playwright Max Vernon, through the eyes of a present-day electronically dependent fashion designer, retells the stories of victims of a fire by arson at the gay bar UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans back in June of 1973.

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the first show in its 2017-2018 season, the Off-Broadway hit musical, The View UpStairs, book, music and lyrics by Max Vernon, choreography by Cate Caplin, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Michael A. Shepperd. The View UpStairs will begin previews on Thursday, September 15 at 8pm; will open on Friday, September 22 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, October 29 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the first show in its 2017-2018 season, the Off-Broadway hit musical, The View UpStairs, book, music and lyrics by Max Vernon, choreography by Cate Caplin, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Michael A. Shepperd.

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the first show in its 2017-2018 season, the Off-Broadway hit musical, The View UpStairs, book, music and lyrics by Max Vernon, choreography by Cate Caplin, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Michael A. Shepperd.

A LITTLE NEW MUSIC returned to the historic Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on Monday, August 21st with its fifteenth concert featuring emerging musical theatre artists. Co-hosts, Tony Award winner Marisa Jaret Winokur (HAIRSPRAY) and Ryan O'Connor ('BIG LITTLE LIES,' 'LADYWATCH' podcast), delighted the audience with context and humor between numbers. Gregory Nabours and the dynamic ALNM band (Eric McCann, Emily Rosenfield, and Greg Sadler) provided excellent backup to the singers performing the next generation of musical theatre songs. 

On Monday, August 21 at 8:30pm, A Little New Music will present its 15th concert collaboration with an eclectic array of artists performing original musical theatre songs at the historic Catalina Jazz Club. Those who attend A Little New Music will be some of the first to discover new pieces of musical theatre that could potentially become Broadway hits. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal!

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the first show in its 2017-2018 season, the Off-Broadway hit musical, The View UpStairs, book, music and lyrics by Max Vernon, choreography by Cate Caplin, musical direction by Jake Anthony and directed by Michael A. Shepperd.

HIT SONG! Announces completion of casting and preparation for start of rehearsals, and Industry Presentations on June 10 and 11 in Los Angeles, CA.

Broadway stars, Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins, Beauty & the Beast), who is currently starring as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music at the Ahmanson Theater, and Marla Mindelle (Cinderella, Sister Act) will sing the songs of Lee, Long & Burns and sometimes Duncan in "Musi-Cal" at The Rockwell LA Table and Stage on Monday, October 5th at 8pm.

The world premiere of WHEN STARS ALIGN possesses and blends together all the ingredients of a perfect time at the theatre - a brilliant cast; a formidable director; a solid, realistic script flowing at a comfortable, steady pace; and top-notched production elements. Then intermission interrupts.

When Violet first premiered off-Broadway in 1997, it created a stir winning two prizes for Best Musical but didn't make waves until 2014 when it transferred to Broadway in an all new production starring Sutton Foster. It heartfully tells the story of a disfigured girl from Spruce Pine, North Carolina Violet Karl who makes a journey to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the hopes of being physically transformed by a faith healer. An accident occurred when she was a teen - a blade that her father was using cut her face, leaving an ugly scar - and Violet always blamed her father proclaiming that he did not want her to be pretty. She would have no male prospects and be forced to stay on to live with him on their small farm. The scar runs deep - 'it reaches to your heart' new acquaintances tell her, so the journey to find a brand new 'glamorized' look means everything to Violet who will sacrifice just about anything to have it all.

Kelrik Production's upcoming production of the award-winning off-Broadway hit musical VIOLET, a powerful and heartwarming story of a vulnerable young woman's challenges, loves and emotional journey, will now be staged today, May 15 - 31st, 2015 at the Monroe Forum Theater @ El Portal in North Hollywood.

Kelrik Production's upcoming production of the award-winning off-Broadway hit musical VIOLET, a powerful and heartwarming story of a vulnerable young woman's challenges, loves and emotional journey, will now be staged May 15 - 31st, 2015 at the Monroe Forum Theater @ El Portal in North Hollywood. With a score by Jeanine Tesori (FUN HOME, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, SHREK THE MUSICAL, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE) and book and lyrics by Brian Crawley. VIOLET is directed by Joshua Finkel.

In the rolling world premiere of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea; playwright Nathan Alan Davis has vividly created strong empathetic characters; some very wise, some very witty, all someone you'd like to get to know better in your own life.

Warp Graphics has announced a world premiere industry reading of MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH: A MUSICAL THRILLER with book and lyrics by Wendy Pini, music and additional lyrics by Gregory Nabours, and directed by Calvin Remsberg, on Monday, October 27 at 7:30pm at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood, CA.

The world premiere of PSYCHE: A Modern Rock Opera is undeniably impressive, especially when you consider the scope of the author's vision and the level of detail that has gone into its execution.

Psyche Productions, LLC in association with Greenway Arts Alliance present the world premiere of, PSYCHE: A Modern Rock Opera, book, music and lyrics by Cindy Shapiro (based on the Greek myth of 'Psyche and Eros'), with musical direction by Jack Wall, choreography by Janet Roston and directed by Ovation Award-winner Michael Matthews. PSYCHE: A Modern Rock Opera will begin previews on Friday, August 22 and will open on Friday, August 29 at 8pm and run through Sunday, September 28 at the Greenway Court Theatre, 544 North Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood.