Melissa Lyons News

On Sunday September 29 at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Los Angeles theatre actor/singer Will Collyer presented Will Collyer in Concert directed by Mandy Kaplan and with musical direction by Brett Ryback. The 75-minute set featured guest appearances from Kaplan and Melissa Lyons. Collyer is an exceedingly affable 34 year-old openly gay actor who looks more like 19. Cute, drole and consistently mobile, Collyer did a retrospective of his life so far, which included his birth - very amusing segment on the music his mother was listening to in hospital when she gave birth to him - boyhood background, college days, his first kiss with another boy, local musical theatre, and a tribute to his life partner of 14 years... a mixture of banter and songs that he grew up with, some of which he actually performed in shows.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will present OUR BROADWAY SCRAPBOOK, a benefit concert at their new venue: Santa Monica's Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre. OUR BROADWAY SCRAPBOOK, a celebration benefit introducing the Musical Theatre Guild, will be presented September 22, 2013 at 7:00 pm, two months in advance of their inaugural Moss Theatre season opening. All proceeds from this one-night-only event will benefit the New Roads School

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers present concert-staged readings the international hit CHESS. The opening performance took place, February 11, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum. BroadwayWorld has a first look below.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 17th season with the international hit CHESS. The opening performance will take place tonight, February 11, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 17th season with the international hit CHESS. The opening performance will take place on Monday, February 11, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will conclude its 16th season with SHENANDOAH, a production commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. The opening performance will take place on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum.

Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 16th season with LITTLE WOMEN, the first of two productions in the MTG 2011-2012 season commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.

Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 16th season with LITTLE WOMEN, the first of two productions in the MTG 2011-2012 season commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.

Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 16th season with LITTLE WOMEN, the first of two productions in the MTG 2011-2012 season commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will close their 15th season with Larry O'Keefe, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming's BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will close their 15th season with Larry O'Keefe, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming's BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL.

Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein - The West Coast premiere of the chamber musical by Tony Award winners Stephen Flaherty and Frank Galati, adapted from the writings of Gertrude Stein. A musical about loving life, loving thinking, loving making art, and loving love, Loving Repeating explores Stein's capricious love affair with language, self expression, and her lifelong companion, Alice B. Toklas. Following Stein from her student days in the late 19th century to the height of her artistic era in Paris as one of the 'lost generation,' the distinctive score illuminates Stein's world, bringing fresh perspective to her poetic texts and illuminating her deep love of the way American language perpetually changes to reflect the voices of the people. A perplexing, exhilarating, hilarious, and emotionally giddy musical as unique as Stein herself.

Casting is complete for the West Coast premiere of Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, directed by caryn desai [sic] at International City Theatre.

The Heritage Forum of Anaheim, California presented 'Broadway Rocks Anaheim' on Saturday, November 27 at 8 p.m. The performances benefitted the Anaheim Performing Arts Foundation (APAC) and will feature John Lloyd Young (Tony Award JERSEY BOYS), James Barbour (Broadway's JANE EYRE and DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), James Snyder (Broadway's CRYBABY), Julie Garnye, Joan Ryan, Derek Klena ('American Idol'), Erich Bergen, Jenna Leigh Green (WICKED), Doug Carpenter, Aleks Pevec, Lesli Margherita (Olivier Award winner, ZORRO), Nicole Parker (WICKED), David Engel, Erica Ash, Berlando Drake, Crystal Starr Knighton, Jenna Leigh Green (WICKED), Jennifer Aedo, Vicki Lewis, Mary Ann Mobley (Miss America), Caitlin Baunoch, Tyler Milliron, Nathan Shrake, Jeremy Davison, the Kids Next Door from the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) and the cast of The Marvelous Wonderettes - Bets Malone, Beth Malone, Misty Cotton and Darcie Roberts. Songs from upcoming Broadway shows included BABY IT'S YOU, HEATHERS, LEAP OF FAITH, ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

Reprise Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' plays at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The production began May 11 and runs through May 23. Opening night for the production is tonight, May 12.

It has been quite a year for director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who was recently nominated for Tony Award for her direction of the Broadway revival of RAGTIME last fall. A workhorse by admittance, Dodge has left herself little time to celebrate, as she finishes prep for the Reprise Theatre Company's production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, which opens tomorrow May 12 and runs thru May 23 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Nicole Parker, best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show 'MADtv' will play the role of Rosemary and Melissa Fahn, who starred on Broadway in 'Wicked,' will play the role of Hedy LaRue in Reprise Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' at UCLA's Freud Playhouse May 11 to 23 (Press Opening May 12).

Nicole Parker, best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show 'MADtv' will play the role of Rosemary and Melissa Fahn, who starred on Broadway in 'Wicked,' will play the role of Hedy LaRue in Reprise Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' at UCLA's Freud Playhouse May 11 to 23 (Press Opening May 12).

Megan Hilty (9 to 5, Wicked) and 2009 Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita (Zorro) join multi-award winning composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver to bring sexy schoolteachers, provocative rent-boys, obsessive homicidal teenagers, and fairy dust to rock out at Theatre at Boston Court on Dec. 4 (8pm) and Dec. 5 (4pm and 8pm).

Megan Hilty (9 to 5, Wicked) and 2009 Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita (Zorro) join multi-award winning composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver to bring sexy schoolteachers, provocative rent-boys, obsessive homicidal teenagers, and fairy dust to rock out at Theatre at Boston Court on Dec. 4 (8pm) and Dec. 5 (4pm and 8pm).