Benjamin Howes News

Take a look at the teaser trailer for the world premiere musical Trading Places at Alliance Theatre! Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, Trading Places is a hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable. The cast is led by Aneesa Folds and Bryce Pinkham.

Alliance Theatre is presenting the world premiere musical, Trading Places. Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, Trading Places is a hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the set of Alliance Theatre's world premiere musical, Trading Places. Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, Trading Places is a hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable.

The Alliance Theatre has announced the cast and creative team of its world premiere musical, TRADING PLACES. Inspired by the iconic and beloved 1983 Paramount Pictures film, TRADING PLACES is a hilarious and contemporary musical reimagining of the prince and pauper fable.

Crystal Kellogg (Broadway's Finding Neverland), Nathaniel Hackmann (Broadway's Les  Misérables) and Terra C. MacLeod (Broadway's Chicago and The Lizzy Maguire Movie) head Tuacahn Amphitheatre's 2021 season. For the 25th anniversary season, Tuacahn is  producing their biggest season ever with popular productions Disney's Beauty and the  Beast and Annie.

The Australian Theatre Festival - NYC has announced the upcoming 2020 online season, which includes 5 commissioned short plays, an online cabaret and an industry panel. The program will run December 4th and 5th, 2020, featuring Australian artists and stories over a virtual festival weekend.

Special guests have been announced for the [title of show] show Vineyard Theatre Virtual Variety Show show hosted by Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Jeff Bowen.

Redhouse Arts Center presents A Syracuse Christmas Carol. This musical treat infused with Syracuse flavor by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty is a family- friendly take on the Dickens' classic that is sure to put you in a festive mood this holiday season.

For the 2019 holiday season Redhouse Arts Center has brought an entertaining and new musical production of A Syracuse Christmas Carol to their stage under the direction of Hunter Foster. The musical is of course inspired by the classic Holiday story of Scrooge and it incorporates everything and anything related to the city of Syracuse and the surrounding areas. It is a delight for those born and raised in Syracuse as all those familiar people, products, and locations pop up throughout the show. The production charms if you are from or have ever lived in the Syracuse area.

Redhouse Arts Center continues its commitment to fresh, innovative work with a musical written especially for Central New York, A Syracuse Christmas Carol. This musical treat infused with Syracuse flavor by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty is a family- friendly take on the Dickens' classic that is sure to put you in a festive mood this holiday season. The a?oeLove Boat's' Fred Grandy returns to the Redhouse Stage to star as Ebenezer Scrooge along with Artistic Director Hunter Foster, who will once again direct, following his recent successful Redhouse Directorial debut of RENT in September. The show is choreographed by veteran Lisa Shriver, who worked with Foster on a similar show they created for The Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. With hummable Christmas tunes and a Broadway style score, you can be the first to experience this memorable show which runs from December 12th thru 22nd. 

The chocolate factory is coming to a city near you! The tour for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has made stops in Cincinnati, Toronto, Boston and more!

As the first familiar notes of 'The Candy Man' wafts across the audience in Carol Morsani Hall, I feel a strong sense of nostalgia. I grew up watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on television and am curious how a show with so many special effects could translate to the stage.

This week, [title of show] celebrates eleven years since this original musical became part of it all on Broadway! In honor of the occasion, we're looking back at the show's opening night featuring Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Susan Blackwell! Check out the video to see why the show is definitely more than nine people's favorite thing!

Join the 'world of pure imagination' as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory plays at the Orpheum Theatre Nov. 5-10, 2019.

Despite its general pleasant nature, many cute moments, and a plethora of genuine talent on stage, this stage musical adaptation of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY---Roald Dahl's beloved 1964 children's novel about a sweet, affable kid who wins a meet-and-greet (and more!) with an eccentric Candy Man named Willy Wonka--- comes off less magical and whimsical than one would hope it would be considering its source material. Is this national tour production---now continuing performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through June 9---joyful enough for kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy? Sure. But, overall, something about it feels just slightly under-baked, as if all the additional necessary ingredients that would have made this musical extraordinary didn't quite make it into the mix.

The producers and Segerstrom Center for the Arts are pleased to announce casting for the national tour of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, which will play Segerstrom Hall May 28 - June 9, 2019. As previously announced, Broadway veteran Noah Weisberg (South Pacific, Enron, Elf, Legally Blonde) will star as the extraordinary chocolate maker, Willy Wonka, with Henry Boshart (age 10), Collin Jeffery (age 11) and Rueby Wood (age 11), alternating in the title role of Charlie Bucket.

A-D-D-D-D-F#-A were the first notes of the show last night as the Actors Fund brought back the beloved fan favorite and critically acclaimed musical [title of show] in a reunion concert at The Broadhurst Theatre. This one-night only reunion starred original cast members Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff and Jeff Bowen along with musical director Larry Pressgrove. All proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund.

It was a week full of candy and sweets for me personally. First my work life was full of a sugar high with the grand opening of Candytopia at Mall of America - shameless plug but it's incredible so you should go check it out - and then it was the opening night of a new musical. The adaptation of Roald Dahl's story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has arrived in Minneapolis and will be here for nearly two weeks.

Sometimes a show completely defies expectations. And in the case of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, that's a good thing. I settled into my seat at the Durham Performing Arts Center Tuesday night and drew forth my pen, my weapon choice, completely prepared to obliterate this production. Then the music started. Cue the ensemble. "Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew…" Suddenly there I was, smiling, strangely finding comfort in the familiar, when I heard a sound that would completely disarm me. A nine-year-old kid behind me named Blake laughed, an infectious sort of laugh that served as a bit of a wake-up call that this show wasn't calculated for me. This show, this moment, and this performance belonged to him and every other dewy-eyed kid in the audience.