Lainie Sakakura News

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 40 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2020 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 15 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

The Little Dancer… a holiday family musical is currently playing a limited run at Theatre 71 (152 W. 71st Street, 10023, right off Broadway) throughout the month of December. For more information, visit thelittledancermusical.com. For tickets, visit the Box Office. Scroll down for production photos.

On Sunday, December 1, 2019, The Little Dancer... a holiday family musical will make a triumphant return to New York City for its second production at Theatre 71 on the Upper West Side, right off Broadway on 71st Street.

The 5th Avenue Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Company and Ann Ramsay-Jenkins presented a 29 Hour industry reading of Corner of Bitter and Sweet featuring a book by Lainie Sakakura, music & lyrics by Paul Fujimoto on October 23 at Theatre 71 in New York. Lainie Sakakura directs. Scroll down for photos from the reading.

The 5th Avenue Theatre and the Abingdon Theatre Company, will present a 29 Hour reading of a beautiful new musical, Corner of Bitter & Sweet, book by Lainie Sakakura, music & lyrics by Paul Fujimoto on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 2:30pm Theatre 71 | 152 West 71st Street, NYC.

Broadway actors Julia Haubner and Ian Saraceni have joined the cast of The Perfect Fit, a new family musical featuring book, music and lyrics by twelve-year-old musical sensation Joshua Turchin (The Little Mermaid Live-To-Film, Forbidden Broadway Salutes Carol Channing, A Christmas Story National Tour, TrevorLive, The Pill). The production will be making its world premiere in a staged developmental production that will run August 11 - 23 as part of the Rave Theater Festival.

The Tyler Clementi Foundation was honored at Moving with the Spirit, a dramatic performance and fundraiser organized by the Gay Fellowship at Blessed Sacrament Church. The event was be a celebration of New York City Pride Week and the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

At Pioneer Theatre Company, ONCE is luminous. Working hand-in-glove, Director Pirronne Yousefzadeh and Music Director Tom Griffin have guided the full cast and production team to stage a heart-piercingly beautiful production of the Tony-winning Best Musical.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Pioneer Theatre Company presents the romantic, Tony Award-winning musical Once, with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and book by Enda Walsh. Based on the motion picture written and directed by John Carney, the Sundance film-turned-Broadway-hit won eight Tonys, including Best Musical. The touching love ballad, 'Falling Slowly,' also won the Oscar for Best Song. It runs February 15 through March 2, 2019.

Directed by Richard Vida and choreographed by Lainie Sakakura, The Little Dancer is dazzling Upper West Side audiences with the poignant story it has to tell. This musical has every lovable quality a person can ever desire: from the children who comprise the Musical Theater Geek Chorus, to the graceful dancers that prove these actresses, too, strive just as hard for perfection as the characters they play, This production captures the very essence of magic that exists in a child's heart when she is given reason to hope; during a time of self-reflection and the wonder of the holiday spirit, we see just how important a place The Little Dancer will continue to hold in the hearts of all those who are fortunate enough to see it.

Equality, inclusion and joy permeated the performances at this year's poignant and record-breaking Red Bucket Follies. The show celebrated six weeks of enthusiastic fundraising by 67 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring shows for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The Little Dancer, a new holiday family musical written by Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY)'s Founder and Artistic Director Steven Fisher, had its world premiere on December 1st at Theatre 71, off Broadway. Helmed by Richard Vida,The Little Dancer tells the heart-warming story of how fourteen-year-old Marie Van Goethem, the model for Edgar Degas' one and only sculpture, became the most famous ballerina in the world.

Six weeks of fundraising will culminate in an extravaganza of Broadway stars, extraordinary ensembles and one-of-a-kind performances at Red Bucket Follies at 4:30 pm on Monday, December 3, and at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 4. The show is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

America's Got Talent's Jeffrey Li made his musical theater debut in the developmental reading of Lainie Sakakura (producer/book) and Paul Fujimoto's (music/lyrics) CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, a musical adaptation of The New York Times Best Selling novel, HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford at The Playroom Theater in New York on September 17.

Sakakura is presenting an invitation-only developmental reading of Lainie Sakakura (producer/book) and Paul Fujimoto's (music/lyrics) The Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a musical adaptation of The New York Times Best Selling novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 17 at The Playroom Theater, 151 W. 46th Street in New York.

Broadway vets Lainie Sakakura and Alex Sanchez ushered in the Year of the Dog at P.S. 87 - William T. Sherman School's Annual Pan Asian Lunar New Year celebration, with a little help from their Asian American Broadway friends on February 9, 2018.

TONGUES Reading Series presents a Staged Reading of AFTERMATH, a play created through the #Pages4PuertoRico collaboration to benefit the INDESTRUCTIBLE Campaign for Hurricane Maria relief efforts on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 6:00PM at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street in New York.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, just presented its first annual 'SDC Foundation Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Directing and Choreography.'

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, announces its first annual 'SDC Foundation Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Directing and Choreography.'

Brimming with painfully amusing puns, by gag writers Larry Gelbart and Bert Shevelove , who bring a bit of borscht belt humor and a sprinkling of vaudeville to the proceedings, and adorned with the wonderful music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is an incredibly engaging and entertaining show, and it's the current attraction at The MUNY. It's a great match, and a perfect show for a summer evening, filled with sparkling, bawdy jokes, and brought to life with considerable energy by a stellar cast. I highly recommend this classic musical!