David Shire News

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit lead the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20. Check out a first look at highlights below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit to the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story. Performances at Pasadena Playhouse take place now through June 28, 2015.  Let's see what the critics had to say...

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit lead the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20.  Check out a first look below!

Go inside opening night below!

The Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director Sheldon Epps) presents the World premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, starring Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit and featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20.  

If you have a hankering for romance and you love the old-fashioned musicals of a by-gone era, Waterfall is a perfect fit. Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire have created a beautiful glimpse of passionate love that develops amidst the turmoil of divergent cultures, east and west before WWII. Currently onstage at the Pasadena Playhouse, Waterfall is sumptuously breathtaking with an extraordinary director and ensemble.

The World Premiere Musical WATERFALL is set in Bangkok and Tokyo between the turbulent years of 1933 and 1939, as a monarchy falls in Thailand and Japan is on the brink of war.  A young Thai student named Noppon (Thai superstar Bie Sukrit) falls in love with Katherine (Emily Padgett, 2014 Broadway Revival of Side Show), the American wife of a Thai diplomat, and the story of their forbidden love parallels history as the new democracy of Siam moves into the vortex of Japan prior to WWII. With a gloriously romantic score from Tony Award-winner Richard Maltby Jr. (Miss Saigon) and Academy Award-winner David Shire,WATERFALL is a modern love story of timeless scale.

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit to lead the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20. Performances at Pasadena Playhouse take place tonight, May 29, through June 28, 2015, followed by a Seattle run October 1-25, 2015.

Ghostlight Records will release two previously-unreleased tracks from stage and screen star MELISSA ERRICO as a special digital exclusive on May 18, 2015.

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in announcing that Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit will lead the cast of the world premiere of Waterfall, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20.

A distinguished international creative team is coming together to create WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway musical love story, which will have its US premiere at The Pasadena Playhouse, where preview performances begin June 2, 2015 with the official press opening on June 7, 2015. It will then play Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in Fall 2015, prior to reaching Broadway in 2016.

The Kleban Foundation is pleased to announce that the 25th annual Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist has been awarded to Sam Willmott and the 25th annual Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Sam Carner. The 2015 prizes will be presented on Monday, June 22, 2015, in a private ceremony (by invitation only) hosted by ASCAP and BMI at ASCAP.

Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) presented BEYOND BROADWAY: COMPOSERS GO CHORAL at the DiMenna Space for Classical Music last night and broadwayworld was there.

Today, April 8, 2015 at 7:30 pm, Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) presents BEYOND BROADWAY: COMPOSERS GO CHORAL at the DiMenna Space for Classical Music, 450 West 37 Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), New York City.

The Pasadena Playhouse announced their 2015-2016 Season today, which includes the award-winning REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES by Josefina Lopez; the World Premiere of the new musical BREAKING THROUGH with a book by Kirsten Guenther and Music and Lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz; the return of Panto at The Playhouse with Lythgoe Family Productions' PETER PAN AND TINKERBELL A PIRATE CHRISTMAS, Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan's FLY produced in association with Crossroads Theatre Company; the West Coast Premiere of Harvey Fierstein's CASA VALENTINA; and an Artistic Director's Choice to be announced at a later date.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, presented an unforgettable one-night only benefit Monday night, The 100 Musicals in Mufti Concert Celebration. The evening honored the acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series and its landmark 100th production. All proceeds will benefit The York Theatre Company and the Musicals in Mufti Series.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, presented an unforgettable one-night only benefit Monday night, The 100 Musicals in Mufti Concert Celebration. The evening honored the acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series and its landmark 100th production. All proceeds will benefit The York Theatre Company and the Musicals in Mufti Series.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will present an unforgettable one-night only benefit, The 100 Musicals in Mufti Concert Celebration. The evening will honor the acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series and its landmark 100th production, this evening, March 30, 2015 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in The Sanctuary at Saint Peter's Church (619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of East 54th Street). All proceeds will benefit The York Theatre Company and the Musicals in Mufti Series.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will present an unforgettable one-night only benefit, The 100 Musicals in Mufti Concert Celebration. The evening will honor the acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series and its landmark 100th production, on Monday evening, March 30, 2015 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in The Sanctuary at Saint Peter's Church (619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of East 54th Street). All proceeds will benefit The York Theatre Company and the Musicals in Mufti Series.

Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) just presented BEYOND BROADWAY: COMPOSERS GO CHORAL at the DiMenna Space for Classical Music, 450 West 37 Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), New York City. The evening featured ensemble music and conversation with composer/lyricists who have worked closely with conductor and music director Judith Clurmanand her Essential Voices USA. Guests attending included Sheldon Harnick, Larry Hochman, Andrew Lippa, Richard Maltby, Joshua Schmidt, Stephen Schwartz, David Shire, Georgia Stitt, Jonathan Tunick, and Maury Yeston.