Billie Wildrick News

Under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, The 5th Avenue Theatre presents a fresh and exciting new take on the tempestuous romance, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. In its fourth major collaboration with Spectrum Dance Theater, The 5th is thrilled to welcome Tony Award-nominated choreographer Donald Byrd to the creative table, and a host of Seattle's theatrical royalty to its stage.

This exciting new staging will star the radiant Laura Griffith as Julie and 5th Avenue favorite Brandon O'Neill as Billy in his first Seattle production following his Broadway debut in Disney's Aladdin. The cast also includes local luminaries Anne Allgood, Eric Ankrim, Allen Fitzpatrick, Sean G. Griffin, Cynthia Jones, and Billie Wildrick, and marks The 5th Avenue debut of rising talent Joshua Downs.

Accomplished Twin Cities actor Dieter Biebrauer is playing an iconic character in a show based on an iconic, now classic Christmas movie. But don't expect him to be just like the one you remember from the film.

St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is returning to its tradition of an original and (mostly) locally cast production during holidays, rather than the touring productions that often come through. In fact, the last Ordway Original holiday production was 2011's CINDERELLA. This year's production of the new musical based on the cult holiday movie A CHRISTMAS STORY is worth the wait. I am usually skeptical of movies turned into musicals, because often it doesn't work or it just simply isn't necessary. But I saw a preview of A Christmas Story (which officially opens on Friday and runs through December 28) last night and was pleasantly surprised; I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. In fact I loved pretty much every minute of it. The creators did a wonderful job of retaining the movie's unique tone of humor, silliness, and nostalgia while creating something new that stands on its own merits, whether you're a fan of the movie or not. And best of all, director James Rocco and his team have created a wonderful production that showcases some of the Twin Cities' finest talent, as well as giving a chance for talented local youngsters to play and shine on stage. The Ordway's A CHRISTMAS STORY is a wonderful, fun, extravagant, poignant, top-notch production of a new musical based on a beloved classic.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is excited to present its 2014 holiday show, A Christmas Story, the Musical. The Ordway-produced musical comedy will run Nov. 29-Dec. 28, 2014, for a total of 36 performances. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office.

The new performance/rehearsal/training space in town launched last night with their inaugural performance by hosting an evening of the works of local musical theater composer Richard Gray with "Here's to the Ladies". Gray and some of the most talented women in town got together to explore Gray's work and send off this new space with a bang. And all those in attendance knew they were watching something extra special.

It's a musical theater nerd's paradise and as a nerd one of my favorite times of the year. Village Theatre has once again brought together an incredible weekend of new works for workshop readings and one full production. Five shows put up for one performance as readings with music stands and scripts in hand and then one larger production put up for two weekends. And while the weekend may be over (and only for members anyway) there's still time to see the larger production and I've got some wonderful photos for you all. But let's start with the production you can still see and then we'll move onto the workshops.

Over one jam packed weekend, today, August 8 -10, six new musicals will be brought to life with help from more than 100 artists and one dozen directors and authors from across the country.

Over one jam packed weekend, August 8 -10, six new musicals will be brought to life with help from more than 100 artists and one dozen directors and authors from across the country.

Seattle / Mainstreet Festival of New Musicals will take over Fremont's West of Lenin Theatre, presenting three brand new musicals, three late-night trivia cabarets, an evening of pitch sessions for fresh, up-and-coming musicals; and a final concert featuring all-Seattle talent performing pieces written by all-Seattle composers!

Seattle / Mainstreet Festival of New Musicals will take over Fremont's West of Lenin Theatre, presenting three brand new musicals, three late-night trivia cabarets, an evening of pitch sessions for fresh, up-and-coming musicals; and a final concert featuring all-Seattle talent performing pieces written by all-Seattle composers!

A musical about imprisonment, homosexuality, fascist regimes, revolutionaries, morphine addiction and a movie star; must be Kander and Ebb because only they could pull it off so beautifully. But their "Kiss of the Spider Woman" is not often produced possibly due to its harsh themes but also that it's a very difficult show to stage and perform with its rich nuances. And while the current production at SecondStory Repertory has some wonderful performances, ultimately the choices and in some cases additions to the show made it lack the passion and danger the show needs to up the stakes of its story.

SecondStory Repertory will present Kander and Ebb's rarely produced masterpiece, Kiss of the Spider Woman, a sensual musical set all at once in the brutal reality of a Latin American prison, and in the airily glamorous world of the silver screen that plays endlessly in the mind of long-time prison inmate, Luis Alberto Molina. With a book by Terrence McNally, and based on the Manuel Puig novel 'El Beso de la Mujer Araña', Kiss of the Spider Woman won the 1993 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. Running today, March 28 through April 13, 2014, Kiss of the Spider Woman is directed by Billie Wildrick who recently returned to Seattle after her Broadway debut in Kathy Lee Gifford's Scandalous.

SecondStory Repertory will present Kander and Ebb's rarely produced masterpiece, Kiss of the Spider Woman, a sensual musical set all at once in the brutal reality of a Latin American prison, and in the airily glamorous world of the silver screen that plays endlessly in the mind of long-time prison inmate, Luis Alberto Molina. With a book by Terrence McNally, and based on the Manuel Puig novel 'El Beso de la Mujer Araña', Kiss of the Spider Woman won the 1993 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. Running March 28 through April 13, 2014, Kiss of the Spider Woman is directed by Billie Wildrick who recently returned to Seattle after her Broadway debut in Kathy Lee Gifford's Scandalous.

Second Story Repertory presents Kiss of the Spider Woman. The book was written by Terrence McNally and directed by Billie Wildrick. The music and lyrics are by Kander and Ebb. Kiss of the Spider Woman will run from March 27 to April 13.

This winter The 5th Avenue Theatre presents a singing and dancing spectacular not to be missed: Lionel Bart's beloved classic, Oliver!, the holiday treat that will have audiences saying "Please sir, I want some more." The iconic musical returns to the celebrated 5th Avenue stage for the first time in 20 years, and will feature stunning costumes, dazzling sets, and a massive local cast of 66 (including 36 youngsters), singing and dancing their way through the streets and alleys of Victorian London. Based on the classic Charles Dickens novel, Oliver! is filled with memorable tunes including "Who Will Buy?", "I'd Do Anything," and "As Long As He Needs Me." Oliver! features direction by David Armstrong and will starDavid Pichette as Fagin, Grayson Smith as the Artful Dodger, Hans Altwies as Bill Sikes, and Merideth Kaye Clark as Nancy. Oliver Twist will be played by Jack Fleischmann and Mark Jeffrey James Weber at alternating performances.

Michael Thomas Holmes (The Producers, Oklahoma!) and Dominique Plaisant (The Nutty Professor, The Wild Party) have joined the cast of UnsungMusicalsCo.'s new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ("The Phil Silvers Show," Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again).

UnsungMusicalsCo. presents the new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again). Emilee Dupre (Venice, Chaplin), Jacob Hoffman (I'll Be Damned), Aaron Kaburick (Billy Elliot), Brent McBeth (White Christmas),Christopher Ryan (Young Frankenstein) and Clifton Samuels (Follies) join Jeremy Benton (Anything Goes), Jennifer Lee Crowl (Young Frankenstein), Ruth Pferdehirt (Finding Nemo: The Musical), Lindsay Roberts (Memphis) and Billie Wildrick (Scandalous) in the cast. Directed by UMC artistic director Ben West (The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad), the limited three-week engagement will run now through Oct 5 at The Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Emilee Dupre (Venice, Chaplin), Jacob Hoffman (I'll Be Damned), Aaron Kaburick (Billy Elliot), Brent McBeth (White Christmas),Christopher Ryan (Young Frankenstein) and Clifton Samuels (Follies) have joined the cast of UnsungMusicalsCo.'s new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again).