Emily Padgett News

OVERCASH & CHANGE 2: The Music of Drew Overcash will highlight new music from up-and-coming composer Drew Overcash at the Highline Ballroom on Monday, February 24, 2014. Featuring special guests Richard H Blake, Ariana DeBose, Jason Gotay and more.

Lincoln Center has announced its February 2014 lineup, including the American Songbook series with Michael John LaChiusa, Jessica Molaskey, and more, as well as Great Performers' 'Art Song on Film', Target Free Thursdays and Meet the Artist Saturdays. Details below!

Dominating the nominations in the musical category is the current Broadway sensation 'A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder,' which made its world premiere in February 2013 at San Diego's The Old Globe (a co-production with Hartford Stage). The musical racked up 11 nominations, including nods for New Musical, its versatile star Jefferson Mays (a UC San Diego alumnus) and its director Darko Tresnjak (former co-artistic director and Shakespeare Festival director at The Old Globe).

Ah, yes. 2013 was indeed an outstanding year for theater in Southern California. Even better: Orange County---my home base---boasted some of the best shows, period---marking an exciting theater renaissance in brilliance and artistry that I hope continues to grow here inside L.A.'s next door neighbor. With that said, here is my Top 10 Stage Shows of 2013 from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby, followed by my picks for the year's best performances.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts produces, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical closes at La Jolla Playhouse tonight, December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014. The musical features book and lyrics by Bill Russelland music by Henry Krieger who will revise the show before its debut at La Jolla.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, presents a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse now through December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, presents a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse now through December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014. BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you exclusive highlights from the show below!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, presents a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse now through December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014. The show was just featured in a special on KPBS, and you can go behind the scenes of the project below. Plus, check out the first video footage from the new production on stage!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in association with La Jolla Playhouse, presents a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical plays at La Jolla Playhouse now through December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014. The musical features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Kriegerwho will revise the show before its debut at La Jolla. Check out some costume sketches by designer Paul Tazewell and renderings for some of the "freak" character special makeup effects by Dave and Lou Elsey below!

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Side Show/book & lyrics by Bill Russell/music by Henry Krieger/directed by Bill Condon/La Jolla Playhouse/through December 15

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will produce, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse now through December 17 and will open at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014. The musical features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger who will revise the show before its debut at La Jolla. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will produce, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse November 5 through December 17 and will play the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014, according to an equity casting notice. The musical features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger who will revise the show before its debut at La Jolla.

'Come look at the freaks!' Celebrated cult musical SIDE SHOW is currently rehearsing for an out-of-town tryout at the La Jolla Playhouse under DREAMGIRLS feature film director Bill Condon's supervision, outfitted with a new book, new songs, new characters, a new look and a whole different attitude, making the Henry Krieger/Bill Russell musical a vastly rewritten, virtually new show, yet with the glimpses of greatness of the original ported over, as well.

The production just launched a Twitter re-tweet challenge for fans. They tweeted: 'RT this! 1st 'freak peek'at the #SideShow sisters singing: http://bit.ly/19WVt2t .' If the clip receives 200 retweets La Jolla Playhouse will release a clip of a brand new song sung by Erin Davie and Emily Padgett in rehearsal.

Kyle Froman has made the extraordinary transformation from dancer for America's premier dance company to one of the country's best -known dance and theater photographers.

From a montage of vintage MTV icons projected on a scrim before the opening number, until the final curtain falls, the show doesn't stop moving.

La Jolla Playhouse, in association with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has announced casting for its re-imagining of Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell's (book and lyrics) Side Show, produced in association with the Kennedy Center. Helmed by Academy Award-winning director Bill Condon and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, the production will run in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre November 5 - December 15, 2013 and will run in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater June 14 - July 13, 2014. Tickets for the Playhouse run go on sale September 8 and are available atLaJollaPlayhouse.org or by calling Patron Services at (858) 550-1010.

FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation, will perform at the Majestic Theatre for eight performances tonight, June 18-23. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, March 1.