George Hearn News

'The Diary of Anne Frank', presented by Inland Valley Repertory opens tonight, Wednesday, April 22, and will run through May 6, 2015 at the Candlelight Pavilion, 455 West Foothill Boulevard, Claremont, California 91711.

Inland Valley Repertory to present 'The Diary of Anne Frank' April 22-May 6, 2015 at the Candlelight Pavilion, 455 West Foothill Boulevard, Claremont, California 91711.

A massive 12,000-pound moving steel platform – and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra – will dominate the Queen Elizabeth theatre stage for VO's innovative new production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, opening April 25, 2015 for only 6 performances through May 3.

Bring home 6 Sondheim classics in a new DVD box set!

Tomorrow is a day for celebration, musical theatre fans, as Image Entertainment releases THE STEPHEN SONDHEIM COLLECTION. This collection includes some of the most glorious productions of the musical theatre icon's works. Ranging from original Broadway casts to starry-concerts, THE STEPHEN SONDHEIM COLLECTION includes DVDs of five of Sondheim's most influential shows, and a sixth disc of the master's 80th Birthday Concert.

BAD WITH MONEY, Ben Rimalower's new play about spending beyond his means - performed in rep with his first piece PATTI ISSUES - will be extended at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) through June 21. Ben was featured in today's New York Times and a recent interview on WNYC / New York Public Radio, available to listen here. In a recent four star review from Time Out New York, BAD WITH MONEY was hailed as "light, funny" and "vividly personal," as well as "courageously honest, keenly specific and emotionally naked" by The Advocate. PATTI ISSUES, which ran for a year at the same venue and subsequently toured the country and abroad, explores his obsession with Broadway diva Patti LuPone and his relationship with his troubled gay father. The pieces will be performed on alternating Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM through April 29 and then various days and times through June 21. Both shows are written and performed by Ben Rimalower and directed by Aaron Mark.

Guys and Dolls, featuring a number of the finest Guys and Dolls in Kansas City performing arts, opened on Saturday night at the Musical Theater Heritage of Crown Center. Sarah Crawford directs the musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, and a pre-show talk by Executive Director George Harter. Guys and Dolls is based on two short stories, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure" by Damon Runyan.

Revenge will be delicious in the final production of Vancouver Opera's 2014-2015 season: Stephen Sondheim's brilliantly thrilling Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, onstage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for 6 performances April 25 - May 3, 2015.

'If music be the food of love, play on.' Even before the invention of the musical comedy (more on that later), William Shakespeare knew the importance of music in telling stories on stage. For our March feature, my colleague Jeff Walker and I thought that instead of marking the Ides of March with songs about murder, betrayal, and fate, we would focus on the synergy between showtunes and Shakespeare.

Ben Rimalower's new play about spending beyond his means -- will be performed in rep with his first piece PATTI ISSUES at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) through April 29. PATTI ISSUES, which ran for a year at the same venue and subsequently toured the country and abroad, explores his obsession with Broadway diva Patti LuPone and his relationship with his troubled gay father. The pieces will be performed on alternating Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. Both shows are written and performed by Ben Rimalower and directed by Aaron Mark.

Ed Watts, the current El Gallo in THE FANTASTICKS talks about SCANDALOUS, SUPERMAN and his current role in Off-Broadway's longest running musical

After seeing the new INTO THE WOODS movie twice over the holidays, I posted on Twitter about how two of the songs had stuck with me. After a tweet conversation, my BWW colleague Jeff Walker and I decided to put our heads together to try and come up with a list of Sondheim's most hummable tunes. Despite not discussing it beforehand, Jeff ended up picking songs from the 1960s and 70s, and I filled in the gaps with numbers from the 80s and 90s.

The Tony-winning Signature Theatre, which has been working for several years with Arlington County and its lenders to develop a sustainable operating model, has successfully reached a deal that will help the company continue to produce great work.

After the critically acclaimed, Grand Opening Main Season production of the Musical Comedy, 'AIN'T RETIREMENT GRAND!', Jimmy Ferraro's STUDIO THEATRE (5732 Main Street, New Port Richey, FL) presents a Celebration to the Holidays with the glittering musical/comedy revue, 'A CHRISTMAS CABARET'.

Ben Rimalower's addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In BAD WITH MONEY he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem-or get rich trying.

BEN RIMALOWER: 'PATTI ISSUES' -- the hit solo play -- will return to The Duplex for two performances only, this weekend, November 21 and 22 at 9:30 PM.

Today we are shining a solo spotlight on a multi-Tony Award-winning Best Musical that is eyeing a revival just in time for its 20th anniversary, SUNSET BOULEVARD.

BEN RIMALOWER: "PATTI ISSUES" -- the hit solo play -- will return to The Duplex for two performances only, November 21 and 22 at 9:30 PM.

Continuing its ongoing efforts of supporting new musical theatre, Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA held invitation only readings of two world premiere musicals, Midwestern Gothic by composer Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine, A Minister's Wife) and librettist Royce Vavrek (Dog Days, Twenty-Seven) and Silver Belles by composer/lyricist Matt Conner (Nevermore, Crossing) and book writer Ally Currin (Caesar and Dada, Benched), on November 6 and November 8, 2014.