Matthew Burns News

This outrageous musical comedy is lovingly ripped off from the film classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Tony Award winning, best musical Monty Python’s Spamalot is coming to Downtown Benton in search of the Holy Grail. Join King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table at the Historical Royal Theatre March 31st-April 10th. This production is made possible by the sponsorship of Stilwell Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. and Roberson & Associates Insurance. Dates are as follows: March 31st - April 2nd and April 7th-9th at 7pm.

Tallahassee, Florida natives Once Great Estate have shared the release of their first full-length album, 'Even The Undertaker.' As a follow-up of the widely successful EP, 'Saint Augustine,' 'Even The Undertaker' seeks to build off this momentum and put northern Florida music on the national radar.

Seattle Opera’s film of Puccini’s Tosca, that can be streamed starting June 25, opened with the escape of political prisoner Cesare Angelotti who was once a friend of Cavaradossi. Angelotti, sung by bass Adam Lau, was exhausted from running, surmounting walls, and crashing through fences. His clothes were tattered and he almost fell into the cooling water of the church’s Baptismal Font.

From a new streaming production of Tosca filmed at a historic Seattle cathedral, to live outdoor recitals at Seattle Center, and a conductor dialogue on race and gender, there's plenty of ways to engage with music through Seattle Opera's June offerings.

Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth today announced Utah Opera’s 2021-22 season, sponsored by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. In its upcoming season, Utah Opera presents four full-scale opera productions with live performances at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.

Goblin Theatre Company will present their Christmas musical The Ballad of Rudy for 2 performances only on Sunday 27th December at The Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel, Piccadilly, London at 1pm & 3pm. The show will also be live-streamed and available for 48 hours after the broadcast.

Full casting is announced for Once, which embarks on its first major UK tour in 2020, playing at Theatre Royal Brighton from Mon 20 a?" Sat 25 April.

Opera Omaha announces its third annual ONE FESTIVAL. The ONE Festival is a place for wild dreams, wilder execution, and exploration of those ideas on a grand scale. Programming is driven by the artists, not the executives. With an emphasis on experimentation and new worka?'yet not tethered to premieresa?'ONE fosters an environment that encourages and celebrates bold risks and transformative storytelling. At a glance, one might assume this is happening in NYC or LA; but this opera hothouse sizzles in the dead center of our country, far from the coasts. 

Following its phenomenal success on Broadway and in the West End, multi-award-winning musical Once sets off on its first ever UK tour in 2020, hitting the Belgrade Theatre from 10-14 March.

The Royal Players will take a journey down the yellow brick road in this stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum's beloved tale, The Wizard of Oz. In this timeless tale, Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz.  The Royal players will present this family friendly musical February 20-March 1, 2020 at 111 S. Market Street, Benton, AR, 72015.

Full casting has been confirmed for Once ahead of its run at the King's theatre, Glasgow next summer.

Full casting is announced today for Once, which embarks on its first major UK tour from January 2020, following a run at Fairfield Halls, Croydon from Thursday 19 December to Saturday 11 January.

The Royal Players present Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical at the historic Royal Theatre in Downtown Benton, Thursday December 5th at 7:00 p.m. and December 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th at 7:00 p.m,. as well as Sunday, December 8th and 15th at 2:00 p.m.

The Royal Players present their production of The Crucible, opening October 17th at the Royal Theatre. Performance dates and times are October 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th at 7:00 p.m. and October 20th and 27th at 2:00 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays

Earthquakes, sharks, and floating casinos, oh my! The Royal Players are proud to present Disaster! The Musical, Directed by Justin A. Pike and Music Direction by Christian Waldron, running August 15th-17th, 22nd-24th at 7:00 and August 18th and 25th at 2:00. Disaster! The Musical is written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, from a concept created by Seth Rudetsky and Drew Geraci, with additional material by Drew Geraci.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was 26 years old when his short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was first published in Collier's Magazine. It tells the tale of Benjamin, a man born in unusual circumstances. Instead of growing old, he becomes younger, trapped into a body he doesn't recognise as his own and forced to experience his life backwards. 

'City on the Hill,' an intense drama for young actors by John Haman, will see its debut produced by the Young Players company at the historic Royal Theatre in downtown Benton, AR March 7-10.

The Young Players of Benton proudly present A Charlie Brown Christmas Dec. 14-16 at the historic Royal Theatre, 111 South Main Street, in downtown Benton, AR.  Show times are 7 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 15, with 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 15 and 16.  This show is made up of the Young Players Early Stages group which includes students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.  The production is directed by Izzy Hammonds and Matthew Burns. 

Written by Tony-nominated composer/lyricist, Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), and Brian Crawley (Violet), A Little Princess is based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which was honored by School Library Journal as one of the 'Top 100 Chapter Books' of all time. This re-imagined version of the classic tale expands beyond the confines of Victorian England to Africa, giving the writers ample opportunity to include lively African music and dance, exotic locales like Mali and Timbuktu and creating an unforgettable journey around the world.

With a script adapted to the stage by Lori Allen Ohm, directed by Koty Mansfield and Assistant Director Mason Newberry, this production pays homage to the original movie while incorporating special effects and influences from the "Zombie" culture that has become so well known since the original work began the genre.  This play is produced by Phoebe Earles and Erin Marchese, stage managed by Matthew Burns and assistant stage manager, Hayden Griffis.