Chris Smith News

“The Montaners” follows the iconic family of the Montaners: Ricardo, Marlene, Mau, Ricky and Evaluna, and their significant others Stefi, Sara and Camilo, which have become a veritable phenomenon on social media and whose father is one of the greatest icons of Latin music. Watch the new video trailer now!

In a dynamic live return of The 24 Hour Plays flagship intensive for early-career artists, a select group of 43 actors, directors, playwrights, producers and a composer created new work written, rehearsed and performed in 24 hours. See photos from the plays!

The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals will take place in person in New York City for the first time since 2019 at Theatre Row on Monday, July 25th. Tickets for The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals 2022 performance will be offered exclusively through a lottery system.

Full cast and crew have been announced for Midsommer Flight’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, to be performed free in five Chicago Parks District parks from July 15 – August 21. The company’s Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf (she/her/hers), will direct the magical play.

Another lovely early evening of pure dance bliss. Sun still shining on another ideal California spring day; the final performance in the three-part dance series by nine talented and soul-sharing dancers included Shari Washington Rhone, Justin Edmonson, Latrice Postell, Kacy Keys, Chris Smith, Tashara Gavin-Moorehead, Laura Ann Smyth, Alex Rasmussen and Bernard Brown; all a part of JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble. They performed mainly outside on the grounds surrounding the Library.​​​​​​​ This was the third and final performance of the Brand Associates Dance series that included Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Tropicaleiza and 4 weekends of workshops. Pat Taylor is a master at her craft. She created and is Artistic Director/Choreographer for the prestigious jazz dance company established in 1993. She not only chooses her music, dancers, production people, etc. to gel with her initial idea for a dance piece; she develops it with input from all the dancers as well, and creates through her emotions, her knowledge, love and history in Dance, and what she draws from each of her full-of-joy/life dancers... and they are into it! The program consists of excerpts from a new work they are now continuing to develop, after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, entitled “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” which, Pat Taylor explained, “celebrates music and reflections by renowned African-American women that are jazz artists, activists and engagers. It is a celebration of community, and a soul-stirring shout-out to living, learning and loving.

Arthur Giron, playwright, passed away February 2, 2022. A memorial for Giron will be taking place at the Cherry Lane Theatre, Thursday, May 26 at noon, open to the public. 

“Los Montaner” follows the iconic family of the Montaners: Ricardo, Marlene, Mau, Ricky and Evaluna, and their significant others Stefi, Sara and Camilo.  Ricardo the patriarch, has been one of the most prominent figures in Latin music for the past 40 years.  More recently, Ricardo became a social media phenomenon.

Today, The 24 Hour Plays announced that the 11th annual application for The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals are now open and will run through April 18, 2022. The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals will take place in person in NYC for the first time since 2019.

Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe's tragic death spawned conspiracies and rumors for decades, often overshadowing her talent and shrewdness. By piecing together her final weeks, days and hours through previously unheard recordings of those who knew her best, this feature illuminates more of her glamorous, complicated life.

On Monday 28th February at 11am, the Cambridge Theatre London, home of Matilda The Musical, will host World Book Day Live with Matilda and friends a special livestreamed event to celebrate World Book Day's 25th birthday. Long-term partners Roald Dahl Story Company, Royal Shakespeare Company and Puffin are working together to ensure children everywhere can join in the fun.

Netflix has unveiled the trailer for Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. New York’s strangest scandal exposed. Millions of dollars, immortal dogs, and secrets lead to a twisted tale of love turned criminal. The series was created by Chris Smith of Tiger King and Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened. Watch the new trailer now!

On Sun, Feb 27 at 7:00 p.m., New Yorkers of all ages will take the Zankel Hall stage to showcase their original music, art, and poetry in AfroCosmicMelatopia.

Opening night of the first play of the Shoreside's Auckland Shakespeare in the Park - and it's a clever comedy, its controversy eloquently driven by polarised emotions: friendship, revenge, love, hate, justice, mercy. Whether this is your first time or another of many viewings, there is much to surprise, engage and amuse you in the superb and imaginative direction by the director, Trevor Sharpe. Shakespeare meant his audiences to be addressed directly and to feel as if the thoughts being spoken, are being spoken immediately and spontaneously to us. His text is dialogue not poetry.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is thrilled to welcome Jefferson Starship for the band's Sarasota show on Friday, December 31 at 8 p.m.

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired the exclusive North American to the action drama The Way, directed, written and produced by award-winning filmmaker Dastan Khalili of Alliance of Light Films.

The live show, which was made possible by a City Artist Corps grant from the New York Foundation of the Arts, will offer a rare and exciting look under the hood of audio drama -- with practical sound effects being performed on stage. But the show has been designed with theatre in mind.

Last Friday the Birdland Big Band returned to the scene of their two-decade-long residency, and the patrons of the legendary nightclub could not have looked (or sounded) happier.

The first four episodes are currently available to stream on HBO Max.

The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, now in its 10th year, once again brought together an extraordinary group of young artists for a free professional intensive culminating in their own production of The 24 Hour Plays — available for streaming through Saturday, July 31.

Under the new banner, the company is producing the new original series Pamela Anderson’s Home Reno Project (working title) for HGTV Canada with iconic Baywatch star Pamela Anderson returning to her Canadian roots to rebuild the family home of her dreams.