Michael Kooman News

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announced today the 2019/2020 season, expanding its reach with twelve months of groundbreaking produced and presented works in dance, music, theater, cinema, and contemporary circus from renowned artists and companies around Southern California, the country, and the world. The season begins September 17, 2019, marking the fourth year of programming under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Crewes and Executive Director/CEO Rachel Fine, and the seventh for the institution.

BroadwayWorld has the exclusive sneak-peek of the duet that Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform in this Friday's new episode of 'Vampirina.'

Nigel Lilley serves as Music Director, part of a team who have worked alongside Stephen Sondheim and Jonathan Tunick on this production. Taking us back to his early experiences of Sondheim, Nigel also shares what it means to work with him and Jonathan today.

Founder Rosie O'Donnell and Artistic & Executive Director Lori Klinger of Rosie's Theater Kids recently held PASSING IT ON: An Evening of Mentorship on Sunday, March 24 at 7:00 PM at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. Get an inside look at the event below!

In just under a month, Rosie's Theater Kids will present  PASSING IT ON: An Evening of Mentorship taking place on Sunday, March 24 at 7:00 PM at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues).  

Multi-award-winning Davine Productions presents the Australian premiere of hilarious new musical comedy parody, Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court, in the 2019 Adelaide Fringe at The Parks Theatre, Angle Park.

Incoming Artistic Director Simon Godwin today announces Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2019-2020 Season. Godwin's debut season highlights his artistic aspirations for the company to create high quality, exciting, inclusive theatre. Godwin states, This is not my season, but ours, everybody's season.

Adirondack Theatre Festival announces the lineup for ATF's 25th Anniversary Season. The leading professional theatre in the Capital Region dedicated to new plays and musicals, ATF's season runs June 14 - August 9, 2019 with performances at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Downtown Glens Falls, NY.

Founder Rosie O'Donnell and Artistic & Executive Director Lori Klinger of Rosie's Theater Kids announce that tickets are now available for purchase to  PASSING IT ON: An Evening of Mentorship taking place on Sunday, March 24 at 7:00 PM at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues).  

The votes are in and the nominees have been announced! And now, the worthy recipients of the 2018 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards are finally able to get the recognition they richly deserve.

The Australian Discovery Orchestra, the world's first solely digital streaming orchestra, is proud to announce "16 STORIES" - a worldwide online vocal competition. Renowned musical theatre creators from around the world have contributed a song from a musical they have written that has never previously been recorded for commercial release; these 16 songs will comprise an upcoming Australian Discovery Orchestra album, to be released on the Broadway Records label.

Multi-award-winning Davine Productions presents the Australian premiere of hilarious new musical comedy parody, Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court, in the 2019 Adelaide Fringe at The Parks Theatre, Angle Park.

Seattle's critics' circle announces Nominees of Excellence in Seattle theatrical productions. Spanning dozens of theater companies and productions, from large and prominent to small and humble, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor the excellence found in the myriad of professional theater productions that we reviewers attend in a year.

Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell guest star as Vampirina's grandparents in a special holiday episode of Disney Junior's hit animated series 'Vampirina' premiering FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior.

The Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company will present the fourteenth annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Will Reynolds and Eric Price. The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, will be presented by Alan Cumming on Monday, November 26th from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lounge of The American Airlines Theater.

The world's leading theatrical publishing and licensing company, Samuel French, announced today that The Secret Garden (writing team Lucy Simon & Marsha Norman), Doug Wright, and Antoinette Nwandu will be honored at the third annual Samuel French Awards. A special acknowledgement will also go to Heidi Ettinger, originating producer and Tony Award-winning set designer of The Secret Garden. Created to recognize the great work and unparalleled passion of theatre artists, as well as applaud their significant contributions to the industry, the Samuel French Awards will be presented in a private ceremony on Monday, October 29, 2018.

City Theatre is excited to welcome the musical theater writing team of Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond back to Pittsburgh for A Holiday Homecoming. The pair met while studying at Carnegie Mellon and the cabaret marks their City Theatre debut. Fresh off the success of their work on the Disney Channel's VAMPIRINA, the duo will host a two night only event on the theater's main stage showcasing music from their award winning works including Dani Girl and Romantics Anonymous with a few holiday favorites sprinkled in. Music directed by Nick Stamatakis, A Holiday Homecoming will run on the City Theatre Main Stage, November 30 and December 1. Tickets are on sale now. 

A few years back, on one of my trips back to the Mothership (New York), I was going to see one of the many incarnations of "Forbidden Broadway", a series I've loved for years. I asked my travelling companion if he wanted to join me. And while he enjoys theater he's not what you would call a theater nerd and so he opted out feeling that many of the inside jokes would fly over his head. It turned out to be a good call. Village Theatre currently has their latest show brought up from the Village Originals Festival onto the Mainstage, "The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes" and while it has a few moments where the story drags or gets slightly mired down in its own joke, I found it to be super fun. But in retrospect, it's super fun to me and was super fun to the person I was with but we're both musical theater nerds. I think the inside jokey-ness of this one might be lost on your basic theatergoer.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is celebrating its 30th Annual Festival of New Musicals this year, and in recognition of that milestone, NAMT will host a month-long new musicals celebration this September. During New Musicals Month, NAMT will celebrate and honor the groundbreaking work their members do year-round to develop new work.

Legendary stage, film and television actress Carol Kane guest starring in tomorrow's new episode of Disney Junior's hit animated series 'Vampirina,' which follows Vampirina (aka 'Vee') as she faces the joys and trials of being the new kid in town after her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.