Paul Kolnik News

It's not every rock band or musical act that could successfully create musical based on its many widely varying songs. There has to be a certain uniformity, power and resonance to the music, all of the music, carrying through many songs, rather than just one or two 'greatest hits.' And they have to be songs that can be strung together to create a cohesive whole that works as a musical with a plot, story, characters, etc. If there's any proof that it can be done, and done smashingly well, it's found in We Will Rock You, the 'rock theatrical' created through the combination of British writer Ben Elton and the music of Queen.

Ladies and gentleman, Susan Stroman is back.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include a peek inside the closing night party for Encores! THE MOST HAPPY FELLA!, a look at the IF/THEN and ALADDIN casts in the recording studio, and a first look at A.R.T.'s THE TEMPEST!

Producers Letty Aronson and Julian Schlossberg present the world premiere production of the brand new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film. Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY officially opens tonight, April 10, 2014 at The St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

Producers Letty Aronson and Julian Schlossberg present the world premiere production of the brand new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film. Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY began preview performances on Tuesday, March 11 and will officially open tomorrow, Thursday, April 10, 2014 at The St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Producers Letty Aronson and Julian Schlossberg present the world premiere production of the brand new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film. Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY began preview performances on Tuesday, March 11 and officially opens tonight, Thursday, April 10, 2014 at The St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street).

Blue Man Group returns to Salt Lake City from tonight, April 1 to Sunday, April 6. Get a sneak peek at the show below!

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Fisher Theatre today, April 1 and runs through April 13.

Blue Man Group returns to Salt Lake City from Tuesday, April 1 to Sunday, April 6. Get a sneak peek at the show below!

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 and will stage seven performances through Sunday, May 25 (a full performance schedule is below). We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

Society for the Performing Arts welcomes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater back to Houston for three performances in Jones Hall, tonight, March 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m.; and Today, March 15 at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek below!

NETworks Presentations, LLC and Blue Man Productions are pleased to announce a new theatrical touring production will visit Sacramento from today, March 11 - 16.

As a welcome surprise during the New York City Ballet matinee on Saturday, March 1st 2014 at the Koch Theater, the recently renovated orchestra pit rose so that Interim Music Director Andrews Sills could give us an interesting history lesson with the musicians in full view. Under the direction of Guest Conductor Henrik Vagn Christensen, they played passages from Debussy's "Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun" and from works by Saint-Saens, Wagner, and Chopin while Sills explained that Debussy was "a bridge" between the legacy of the romantic age and the modern era.

Musical Theatre West just announced yesterday that for its 2014-15 season of shows, they will be presenting the first production of the Broadway musical BIG FISH since its New York debut. The California show will also feature the original Broadway sets and costumes. BIG FISH will run October 31 - November 16, 2014. Based on the film by Tim Burton, the musical features music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by John August.

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 and will stage seven performances through Sunday, May 25 (a full performance schedule is below). We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

Balanchine once said, "See the music, hear the dance". The audience at the Koch Theater on the afternoon of February 22nd 2014 had the opportunity to do exactly that when the works of three very different choreographers brought treasured violin concertos to life. Kudos to Concertmasters Arturo Delmoni and Kurt Nikkanen, who offered admirable solo violin performances.

NETworks Presentations, LLC and Blue Man Productions are pleased to announce a new theatrical touring production will visit Sacramento from March 11 - 16. Tickets for Blue Man Group are on sale now. The theatrical tour features brand new content highlighted by classic Blue Man favorites. The new sound, set, and video design centering around a proscenium-sized LED curtain and high-resolution screen create an entirely new, high-impact visual experience for Broadway houses across the nation.

Society for the Performing Arts welcomes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater back to Houston for three performances in Jones Hall, Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m.; and Friday, March 15 at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek below!

With Fashion Week 2014 under way in the tents at Lincoln Center from February 6th to 13th, New York City Ballet dusted off Peter Martins' 2012 tribute to iconic designer Valentino for the evening performance at Koch Theater on Saturday, February 8th. A description of 'Bal de Couture' on the company's web site enthused that we would feel as though we were 'on a runway at the ballet'. Not so much. The unwieldy black and white ball gowns with red petticoats, described in a handout available in the lobby as 'dazzling', managed to make the svelte ballerinas appear to be thick-waisted as they maneuvered through Peter Martins' uninspired choreography along with male dancers in black suits. Three dancers in tutus darted in and out of the scenes set to the waltz and the polonaise from Tschaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, looking as though they had ended up at the wrong party. The central section, a cliched love triangle to Tschaikovsky's Elegie in G for Strings, went on far too long - as often happens in ballets by Martins.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will feature many exciting events as part of its April-June calendar.