Christopher Castanho News

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC's LGBT themed production of the classic musical 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying' will premiere at the Lincoln Theatre in DC on March 10, 11 & 12, 2017 at located at 1215 U Street NW. This is the first LGBT production of 'How To Succeed' to date. Famous songs like 'I Believe in You,' 'Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm' and 'Brotherhood of Man.' all appear in their original composition, just with a little more glitter! How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tells the story of J. Pierrepont Finch and his rise to the top of the corporate ladder with the aid of a simple self-help book. Along the way, he learns how to find your name on the executive door and win the secretary's heart quicker than you can say "nepotism." I had an absolutely wonderful conversation with the show's director and the organization's artistic director Thea Kano about her background and why this production is so important.

Happy Friday, BWW Dance! Here are the top dance stories from around the BroadwayWorld you might have missed this week!

As relevant today as it was when it debuted in 1937, 'The Cradle Will Rock' electrifies the Tansill Theater stage at Connecticut College, with performances Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m, Saturday, March 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. The infamous musical, a biting critique of unrestrained capitalism and income inequality, features musical styles that leap from classical to jazz to pop and capture a story as satirical as it is uplifting and empowering.

Chris Rice, a current swing in the Broadway company of 'The Book of Mormon' had no idea that when he uploaded his tap rendition of Anna Kendrick's 'Cup Song' on YouTube it would go viral, three years later is has accrued over three million views. I was lucky enough to chat with him during an evening he was not swinging in about his current choreography project featured in 'Broadway Backwards' a fundraiser to benefit Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids and the LGBT center in Manhattan, also teasing his newest dance video.

Winchester, Virginia's very own Shenandoah Conservatory's production of Guys and Dolls runs this weekend only, from Friday, February 24th through Sunday, February 27th in the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre on the campus of Shenandoah University. The boisterous and witty musical is led by Carolyn Coulson (Director), with Rick Edinger (Music Direction), and Jacob Brent (Choreography). I was lucky enough to sit down with four of the show's leading guys and dolls: Taylor Bloom (Sky Masterson), Adia J Seckel (Sarah Brown), Stevie Bovo (Nathan Detroit), and Freya Falkenstein (Miss Adelaide) and hear about their personal experiences working on the Shenandoah production.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature THE SNEETCHES in Minneapolis, THE GREAT GATSBY in ORLANDO, Andrew Lippa's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SNOOPY in Austin and more. Check out our top features below!

Drew Redington is one of the lucky few who decide to take a break from their college theatre program and study abroad on Broadway. An Elon Musical Theatre student, Redington just wrapped up his jump-roppin', tap dancin' role in the ensemble of 'Holiday Inn: The New Irving Berlin Musical' I was lucky enough to sit down with Drew and hear about the journey from his hometown of St Louis, Missouri to the Grand White Way.

BIG NEWS in the world of Broadway Podcasts: Natalie Noack, freshman Musical Theatre major at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford will releases her new podcast 'On My Way to a BFA'. The show will chronicle Noack's experience obtaining her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree for Musical Theatre, while getting to hear from other performers or individuals that she admires.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature CABARET in Pittsburgh, transgender PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT in Chicago and more. Check out our top features below!

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature IN THE HEIGHTS in Detroit, ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE in North Carolina, THE LAST FIVE YEARS in Los Angeles and more.  Check out our top features below!

Are you or your child auditioning for a college Musical Theatre program and have some questions? NEVER FEAR- It is I: Christopher, a current senior Musical Theatre student at Shenandoah Conservatory, here to help the college audition process go as smoothly as possible!

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC is breaking ground as they announce their production of the classic musical 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying' but with an LGBT twist.  An LGBT production of this famous show is to perform at the Lincoln Theater in our nation's capital on March 10, 11 & 12, 2017 at located at 1215 U Street NW.

When scheduling an interview with Broadway and now West End star: Marisha Wallace, I was quickly reminded that London is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, so when we found an appointment that was congruently free; it was a little early for me... Flash forward to a 7am interview that started my day on the highest of notes: Marisha's bubbly and down to earth personality drew me in the first moment I saw her perform in the hit musical 'Something Rotten!'

Julia Hoffmann is currently swinging her way across the United States in the national tour of 'Once' understudying Girl, Ex-Girlfriend, and Reza. Based on the Academy Award-winning film, the Tony Award-winning musical 'Once' shares the story of how music not only composes melodies but also love between different people from around the globe. With an incredible score by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and book by Enda Walsh, audiences have been falling (slowly) in love with this beautiful and honest production since its first performance on Broadway in 2012.

Shenandoah Conservatory's popular web series The Dream Team returns for a second episode this past week. Picking up where we left off: we follow all of the kooky and familiar faces, like Freya Falkenstein's Nora and Emma Benson's eccentric Sierra Farris, but also discover new characters, like Will Westray's Chad. Set at the big Halloween party of the year, things are bound to get a little crazy.

I'm often a very positive person, being able to see the silver lining of every situation, and do not like to admit or submit to hardships in my life. But to be completely honest, 2016 has been a difficult year. As life can be tumultuous sometimes, it can also be magnificent. Alas, here we are, at the conclusion of our year, and I thought I'd do a little 'Year In Review' of my 2016.

Currently spooking audiences as a ghostly apparition and other ensemble roles is performer Spencer S Lawson. Being in his senior year at The Hartt School at The University of Hartford, Spencer joins fellow Hartt students in the production as well as veteran ensemble members, many of whom have been performing in the annual production since its conception in 1998. While donning his Hartford Stage 'A Christmas Carol' apparel and flashing a charming smile, Lawson expressed his sadness that the run is coming to an end, but also thankful that he was able to be a part of it.

Musical Theatre educator and performer Sheri Sanders is teaming up with young trailblazer Christopher Castanho on a series of articles called 'Musical Theatre: The Wild Side' The pair will talk about 'tricky to discuss, but necessary' social topics through the lens of Student and Teacher in the Musical Theatre community.

Katie Davis, a recent graduate from Belmont University's Musical Theatre program, is portraying the featured ensemble member 'Star To Be', a young and optimistic actress who just moved to the dazzling 'NYC'. Davis has been noted as being a 'standout' ensemble member from the Chicago Theatre Review. I was lucky enough to sit down and check in with Katie on how her experience being on the Annie National Tour is going.

Sheri Sanders is not only a trailblazing educator when employing pop/rock music in Musical Theatre, but she has also been surviving death-defying acts as the 'Company Cover' in the workshop of a new Broadway-bound musical 'Chix 6'. While Sanders is about to launch exciting things in January for her online training program 'Rock The Audition', she's been embodying a plethora of comic book superheroes by day.