Brendan Milburn News

In an innovative collaboration between three Seattle theatres, Balagan Theatre will present the world premiere production of the Off-Broadway bound new musical, Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, in April 2014 on the Leo K stage at Seattle Repertory Theatre, and in workshop performances February 2-4, 2014, at ACT Theatre.

Due to unavoidable circumstances, Nirvanov has been replaced in Balagan Theatre's season. Fortunately, it is being replaced with another exciting show - something Balagan has been working on for over a year and finally get to bring your way. This April, at the Seattle Repertory Theater, Balagan presents, in association with ACT Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theater, the world premiere of Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, an off-Broadway bound new musical starring Valerie Vigoda (GrooveLily, Striking 12) and Wade McCollum (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Jersey Boys).

Red Mountain Theatre Company (RMTC) presents nationally acclaimed composers Milburn & Vigoda February 5-9, 2014 at the RMTC Cabaret Theatre (301 19th Street North). Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda, two-thirds of the band Groovelily, bring their luscious creation of classical, rock, and Broadway to Birmingham. The irresistible combination of Valerie's indomitable electric violin and Brendan's blazing piano make these Disney songwriters a must-hear.

Bloomington Theatre and Art Center will bring back Striking 12, a Bloomington Civic Theatre (BCT) holiday production directed by Christine Weber. Performances are Friday, Dec. 13 - Sunday, Dec. 29 with a special performance on Dec. 31.

Chance Theater has announced its 16th anniversary season, which will be the first in its new home at 5522 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim, which is double the size of its current space. Chance subscribers and audiences will enjoy a bold line-up that includes cheerleaders taking a stand, a "passio

An all-star cast will take the stage at The 5th Avenue Theatre this fall in the celebrated organization's 15th new musical, Secondhand Lions. Based on the beloved film starring Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, Secondhand Lions springs to musical life in Seattle with a superbly talented cast of Broadway stars and Seattle musical theater actors. Lead by Tony Award nominees Gregg Edelman and Mark Jacoby, this adventure story also features Jason Danieley, Jenny Powers, Kevin Earley, Jared Michael Brown, Kendra Kassebaum, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Justin Huertas. Johnny Rabe, star of Broadway's A Christmas Story, takes center stage as Walter.

It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. The weekend I get to spend three days listening to exciting new works as presented by some of the best performers Seattle has to offer. And this year Village Theatre did not disappoint as they invited members, performers, staff and press to partake of their Village Originals 13th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Some good, some maybe not so, some needing a little more work than others but all showing a deep love for the art and presented by some of the best voices in town. Now, I can't review them as they're still works in progress but I can tell you about the shows presented over the weekend and let you know about the one show that while still in development is still running one more weekend and can have tickets purchased to by non-members (that would be you, Dear Readers).

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 16th season with an extraordinary program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events from today, August 7 through 11, in Ojai, California.

An all-star cast will take the stage at The 5th Avenue Theatre this fall in the celebrated organization's 15th new musical, Secondhand Lions. Based on the beloved film starring Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, Secondhand Lions springs to musical life in Seattle with a superbly talented cast of Broadway stars and Seattle musical theater actors. Lead by Tony Award nominees Gregg Edelman and Mark Jacoby, this adventure story also features Jason Danieley, Jenny Powers, Kevin Earley,Jared Michael Brown, Kendra Kassebaum, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Justin Huertas. Johnny Rabe, star of Broadway's A Christmas Story, takes center stage as Walter.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 16th season with an extraordinary program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events from August 7 through 11, 2013 in Ojai, California. The OPC Summer New Works Festival will feature eleven events over five days with established and up-and-coming playwrights. Participating in this year's conference with new works are Luis Alfaro (winner of the National Hispanic Playwriting Prize), Lucy Alibar, Richard Cabral, Samuel D. Hunter, Sean Lewis, Jiehae Park, Laura Schellhardt and David Wiener. Alice Tuan will be this year's "Writer-In-Residence," and as always, there will be two unforgettable "Intersection Series" events: one featuring a first-ever musical theatre collaboration Walt Disney Imagineering, Creative Entertainment, and the other showcasing the talents of actors, writers, songwriters and storytellers in an evening of profound solo performances.

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance brings Broadway talent to Austin with the new musical, A Little Midsummer Night's Dream, for a free staged reading today, June 27 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC), one of the most acclaimed new play developmental programs in the country, announces its 16th season with an extraordinary program of playwrights, new play workshops and special performance events from August 7 through 11, in Ojai, California. The OPC Summer New Works Festival will feature eleven events over five days with established and up-and-coming playwrights. Participating in this year's conference with new works are Luis Alfaro, Lucy Alibar, Richard Cabral, Samuel D. Hunter, Sean Lewis, Jiehae Park, Laura Schellhardt and David Wiener.

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance brings Broadway talent to Austin with the new musical, A Little Midsummer Night's Dream, for a free staged reading on June 27 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre.

It's hard to believe, but Stages Musical Theatre Festival will be almost twenty years old this year. This perennial musical theatre event returns to Los Angeles the weekend of August 23-25, hosted by the New Musicals Initiative at the Academy for New Musical Theatre at the Lonny Chapman Theatre (10900 Burbank Blvd in North Hollywood) and the Academy, 5628 Vineland in North Hollywood, featuring eight new musicals, in concert.

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the full cast and community events for A Wind in the Willows Christmas, a new musical inspired by Kenneth Grahame's children's classic, written by composer Mike Reid, lyricist Sarah Schlesinger, and bookwriter Mindi Dickstein. The world-premiere production is directed by Amanda Dehnert, with music direction by James Sampliner.

Performance Network Theatre and Eastern Michigan University Theatre will be popping the champagne on this year's New Year's Eve with a collaborative staged reading of Striking 12, a jazzy holiday musical with an eclectic, vibrant pop/rock/jazz score, on the Performance Network stage on December 31st starting at 9pm, then followed by a champagne reception at the stroke of midnight.

Nominations for the 40th Annual Annie Awards have been announced. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony which will take place on February 2 at UCLA's Royce Hall.