David Kaplan News

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce that its final production in the 2018 - 2019 "lost" musicals in staged concert series Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys will now include a special event with Minnie's Boys composer Larry Grossman, "A Conversation with Larry Grossman," Thursday, May 23 at 4:45 p.m. and feature a new song added to this Chicago premiere.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce that its final production in the 2018 - 2019 'lost' musicals in staged concert series Porchlight Revisits MINNIE'S BOYS will now include a special event with MINNIE'S BOYS composer Larry Grossman, 'A Conversation with Larry Grossman,' Thursday, May 23 at 4:45 p.m. and feature a new song added to this Chicago premiere. Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys, book by Groucho Marx's son Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Grossman and lyrics by Hal Hackady with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by Christie Chiles Twille, is presented for three performances Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Each Porchlight Revisits production begins with the 'Behind the Show Backstory' multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber, discussing that evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and much more. Single tickets are $37 for the performance and 'A Conversation with Larry Grossman' is free to the public. Both are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

Boston Court Pasadena continues its mission of fostering new musical talent with the 3rd Annual Emerging Artists Series, May 30 June 9, 2019. The series will feature up-and-coming pianists, as well as vocalists who have been through a rigorous mentoring curriculum with some of Los Angeles' most prominent musicians and coaches including Mark Robson, Gloria Cheng, Lisa Sylvester, Vicki Ray, Brent McMunn and Paul Floyd.

As Porchlight Music Theatre is set to launch its 25th Anniversary Season as Chicago's center for music theatre, it celebrated 24 years and announced its 25th Anniversary co-chairs at the 2019 ICONS Gala Sunday, March 31 at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, 160 E. Pearson. The 2019 ICONS GALA set a new attendance record with 300 guests in attendance and raised more funds that directly benefit Porchlight's artistic and educational programs than previous events. The elegant Gala Brunch, chaired by Tamara Sims, included performances from Chicago's leading talents celebrating the legendary career of Jerome Robbins, the presentation of The Luminary Award to Jean Klingenstein, introduced the 25th Anniversary chairs: RIck and Deann Bayless and Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra and silent and live auctions.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is pleased to announce that Kathleen Turner, a living legend of the stage and screen, will be the guest of honor at this year's Performance Gala, the festival's annual fundraising dinner.

Porchlight Music Theatre's final production in its 2018 - 2019 'lost' musicals in staged concert series is Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys,  with book by Groucho Marx's son Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Hal Hackady with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by Christie Chiles Twille.  Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys is presented for three performances Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and  7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival has announced two upcoming shows in its 14th annual season, as well as a workshop series sharing the craft of Japanese theater arts. Festival patrons from New York can now travel directly to Provincetown for the Festival on a round-trip charter bus.

Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), has launched a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family via Marquis Classics. Kutik has commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble. He envisions the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories, home, and belonging. Each track has been released digitally weekly, and the full EP CD, produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis, will be released on March 22, 2019. Kutik will make his Kennedy Center debut presented by Washington Performing Arts on April 23, performing selections from Meditations on Family and his previous project, Music from the Suitcase.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is pleased to announce the return of the Tennessee Williams Birthday Bash for its second year.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is pleased to announce that its Annual Dinner will return on Saturday, June 1, 2019.

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

Palm Beach Opera celebrated the company's upcoming gala and its Gala Host Committee with an intimate performance by Palm Beach Opera Apprentice Artists at Lee Ann and Jeffrey Alderton's Palm Beach home on Jan. 8.

Melissa Errico (My Fair Lady, Amour, Sondheim Sublime) will star in the concert presentation of the new David Shire and Adam Gopnik musical OUR TABLE at Feinstein's/54 Below on Monday, January 21st, 2019, at 7:00pm.

Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), will launch a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family in 2019. Kutik has commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble. He envisions the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories and tradition. The first recording will be released on January 18, 2019, with one new piece coming out each Friday, and the full EP to be released on March 8, 2019, on Marquis Classics. The recordings were produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center starts its 2019 winter/spring season in Alice Tully Hall with two exciting performances. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, a Meet the Music!concert for families based on Paul Goble's haunting tale of a Native American girl who understands horses on a mystical level, will be presented on January 13. Led by series creator and host Bruce Adolphe, the performance features flutist Sooyun Kim, clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, cellist Mihai Marica, pianist David Kaplan, percussionist Eduardo Leandro, and a free instrumental petting zoo in the lobby for kids. It will be followed by Esteemed Ensemble, which reunites close friends and colleagues pianist Wu Han, violinist Daniel Hope, violist Paul Neubauer, and cellist David Finckel,performing piano quartet classics by Suk, Brahms, and Dvo?ak on January 27 and 29.

Drury Lane Theatre's Disney's Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, direction by Alan Souzaand choreography by Ron De Jesus runs November 9, 2018 - January 27, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Get a first look at the cast in action!

Drury Lane Theatre presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, direction by Alan Souza and choreography by Ron De Jesus. Disney's Beauty and the Beast was originally directed by Robert Jess Ross and originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Disney's Beauty and the Beast runs November 9, 2018 - January 27, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening was scheduled for Thursday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m.

Drury Lane Theatre's Disney's Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, direction by Alan Souzaand choreography by Ron De Jesus runs November 9, 2018 - January 27, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Get a first look at the cast in action!

In an era when stage adaptations of animated films are seemingly a dime a dozen, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has stood the test of time, and for good reason. When the 1991 Disney film was adapted for Broadway in 1994, composer Alan Menken nearly doubled the number of songs, and the additions that he wrote with lyricist Tim Rice are every bit as stunning as the originals (with lyrics by the late Howard Ashman). Further, Linda Woolverton's book for the musical lends depth to characters previously left underdeveloped in her film screenplay, especially the Beast and his household. Drury Lane Theatre's new production honors both the film and Broadway versions, but director Alan Souza and his creative team deliver a refreshingly original vision, giving the talented cast space to breathe new life into familiar characters. The result is a beautifully designed, thoughtfully staged, and strongly acted fairy tale that should delight audiences of all ages.

Drury Lane Theatre announces the cast for Disney's Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, direction by Alan Souza and choreography by Ron De Jesus. Disney's Beauty and the Beast was originally directed by Robert Jess Ross and originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Disney's Beauty and the Beast runs November 9, 2018 - January 27, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m. Check out clips in the video below!