David Allen News

Closing Aurora's 20th season is the World Premiere of SALOMANIA, Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross's first new play commission for the company, written and directed by award-winning Bay Area auteur Mark Jackson (Metamorphosis, Salome, Miss Julie). Workshopped and developed at Aurora in 2010, SALOMANIA features Madeline H.D. Brown (Metamorphosis), Mark Anderson Phillips (Small Tragedy), Alex Moggridge (Betrayed), Liam Vincent (California Shakespeare Theater), Anthony Nemirovsky (Awake and Sing!), Marilee Talkington (Crowded Fire), and Kevin Clarke (Shotgun Players). SALOMANIA plays tonight, June 15 through July 22 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) presents a revival of Neil Simon's 1965 comedy classic THE ODD COUPLE starring Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak and veteran TV news anchorman Joe Moore - real life friends since their tour of duty in Vietnam. Performances begin June 21 at The Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre at Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) presents a revival of Neil Simon's 1965 comedy classic THE ODD COUPLE starring Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak and veteran TV news anchorman Joe Moore - real life friends since their tour of duty in Vietnam. Performances begin June 21 at The Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre at Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

Imagination Stage, in a collaboration with The Washington Ballet, has announced casting for its world premiere summer production, THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE. In this fusion of theater, dance, and puppetry, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, the roles of the four children are played jointly by an actor and a dancer, and the courageous lion Aslan is portrayed by a life-size puppet operated by three actor/puppeteers, similar to the puppets used in the Broadway production WAR HORSE.

Monday night, at the National Corporate Theatre Fund's (NCTF) 2012 Annual Chairman's Awards Gala at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, NCTF launched its "Impact Creativity" campaign - a $5 million fundraising effort to support theatre education programs in 19 American cities impacting more than 500,000 youth - with a launch gift of $200,000 from Ernst & Young LLP and its partners and principals.

Closing Aurora's 20th season is the World Premiere of SALOMANIA, Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross's first new play commission for the company, written and directed by award-winning Bay Area auteur Mark Jackson (Metamorphosis, Salome, Miss Julie). Workshopped and developed at Aurora in 2010, SALOMANIA features Madeline H.D. Brown (Metamorphosis), Mark Anderson Phillips (Small Tragedy), Alex Moggridge (Betrayed), Liam Vincent (California Shakespeare Theater), Anthony Nemirovsky (Awake and Sing!), Marilee Talkington (Crowded Fire), and Kevin Clarke (Shotgun Players). SALOMANIA plays June 15 through July 22 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

A slim moon and dark scenery set the mood for Marin Theatre Company's production of Othello. The foreboding atmosphere reminds audiences that, even during the happier moments of Shakespeare's classic tragedy, they are in for an intense, soul-stirring two and a half hours.

Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As With Your Favorite Broadway Stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on! In this next edition, we caught up with Bruce Dow who is starring as the outrageous 'King Herod' in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR- currently playing at the Neil Simon Theatre!

The puppet and its master are one. Gracefully and poetically, they move together. The puppet's face remains still, but seems to convey a hundred emotions. The puppeteer's face changes with the puppet's character, mimicking what the character feels. Yet the character has another master. The Devil has made a deal with this character and will manipulate him like a puppet until he owns him. No, this puppet's name is not Pinnochio, and his master is not Gepetto. Prima ballerina Muriel Maffre controls Joseph the puppet in Aurora Theatre Company's innovative production of "The Soldier's Tale," which follows a soldier and his deals with the Devil and includes music by Igor Stravinsky (known for "The Rite of Spring" and "The Firebird Suite").

There's an old showbiz cliche that says that you shouldn't work with kids or animals. Luckily, both contribute an enjoyable, charming quality to 3D Theatricals' gargantuan stage production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, its latest stage offering that performs at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, CA through October 30. Despite being haunted by an onslaught of technical glitches and unfortunate gaffes, the show still manages to be fairly fun and lively in its attempt to recreate a beloved novel and film for the stage.

Dallas Theater Center presents To Kill a Mockingbird at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Oct. 21 - Nov. 20. Wendy Dann will direct the play, which is the first ever co-production between DTC and Casa Mañana Theatre. This classic story will also be the focus of an area-wide Community Read lead by DTC in partnership with the Dallas Public Library and other organizations.

Dallas Theater Center presents To Kill a Mockingbird at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Oct. 21 - Nov. 20. Wendy Dann will direct the play, which is the first ever co-production between DTC and Casa Mañana Theatre. This classic story will also be the focus of an area-wide Community Read lead by DTC in partnership with the Dallas Public Library and other organizations.

A partnership 52 Years in the making, Casa Mañana and Dallas Theater Center unite to co-produce an adaptation of the Harper Lee classic To Kill a Mockingbird.

Aimee Allen Band will play the Iridium on Tuesday, September 13th at 9:00pm

Aimee Allen Band will play the Iridium on Tuesday, September 13th at 9:00pm

Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys announced today the band will be releasing their second CD titled 'Country My Whole Life' at The Intersection in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Jazz vocalist Aimée Allen's new album Winters & Mays is that rare combination of soulful, sensitive, and swinging. An eclectic collection of original jazz compositions and reinterpretations of standards, it seamlessly navigates complex waters between bossa nova, tango, jazz, blues, and swing, with a few detours into pop and poignant ballad.

'Love Who You Love', the haunting melody that is sung multiple times throughout A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, truly encompasses the message of this heartfelt production currently running at the 4th Wall Theater in Bloomfield.

Janet Jackson will be bringing her JANET JACKSON Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on March 31 at 8 p.m. The legendary Icon took the suggestions of her fans to heart and after her start in Asia she will be bringing the tour to the United States and Canada. Janet will be performing songs from her 35 number one hits in 35 global cities. Fans submitted suggestions to www.janetjackson.com to have their city selected.