Roger Bean News

SH-BOOM! Meet fledgling doo-wop singing group the Crooning Crabcakes as they prepare to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest and realize their dreams of making it to the big time, International City Theatre opens its 34th season with the delightful, award-winning jukebox musicalLife Could Be A Dream, written and created by Roger Bean. Directed byJamie Torcellini and with musical direction by Bill Wolfe, performances take place Feb. 22 through March 10 at ICT's home in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Two low-priced previews are set for Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. 

The highly anticipated UK and European Premiere of Off-Broadway smash-hit comedy musical The Marvelous Wonderettes is being produced at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village, from 9 April until 12 May 2019, with Press Night on 11 April 2019 at 7.30pm.

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier, Broadway actor Derek Keeling's family announced his recent passing on December 12, 2018. As we mourn the loss of this young talent, BroadwayWorld looks back on Derek's appearances on the Great White Way. See photos from Derek's Broadway appearances below.

Move over Thelma and Louise! The Maine premiere of Honky Tonk Laundry, a boot-scootin', musical jukebox-treat hits all the right notes at the Bangor Opera House from January 31 - February 24.

BroadwayWorld is sad to share an obituary for Derek Keeling, released today by the family that reveals his passing on December 12, 2018. No cause of death or further information has been released.

  Located at The Wilke Center inside First United Methodist Church at 330 N. Broadway is the Forum Theatre Company. I had the pleasure of attending The Winter Wonderettes during their final week of shows. Kathy Page Hauptman directed four leading ladies to direct the audience, dubbed pseudo employees of Harper's Hardware Store, in an evening of crowd-pleasing participation at Harper's 'Annual Holiday Happening.'

Farmers Alley Theatre is proud to announce that our current smash-hit production of MARVELOUS WONDERETTES: DREAM ON is extending with a special holdover weekend full of performances January 3rd through the 6th. This delightful jukebox musical by creator Roger Bean has won over audiences and critics alike, and now you've got even more opportunities to catch this "crowd pleaser". (Revue West Michigan). Performed in Farmers Alley Theatre's famous cabaret setting with desserts & coffee included with each ticket.

 Coyote StageWorks, the Coachella Valley-based award-winning Actors' Equity professional theater company, announced that it has added three more FREE plays to its popular free "Play Dates" Reader's Series. Play Dates is a free Educational Community Outreach Program that features fresh or classic, compelling scripts read by new and established actors and are offered at the Camelot Theatre/Palm Springs Cultural Center. The upcoming new Play Dates are "Eugene Walter At Large" (a new, original work) on December 16, "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" (a revisiting of a modern classic on the 25th anniversary of its original Off-Broadway production) on February 24, and "A Doll's House, Part 2" (a 2017 Tony Award winner and recently listed as 'The most produced play of the season in the US.') on June 2.  All events start at 2 PM and are free and open to the public. Tickets are available on the day of the reading at the Palm Springs Cultural Center/Camelot Theatre on a 'first-come, first-served' basis.

Farmers Alley Theatre is proud to announce that our current smash-hit production of MARVELOUS WONDERETTES: DREAM ON is extending with a special holdover weekend full of performances January 3rd through the 6th. This delightful jukebox musical by creator Roger Bean has won over audiences and critics alike, and now you've got even more opportunities to catch this "crowd pleaser". (Revue West Michigan). Performed in Farmers Alley Theatre's famous cabaret setting with desserts & coffee included with each ticket.

Bright colors and jingle bell music magically appear on the Lyric Arts Main Street Stage while the time of year leaps back into December, 1968. Harper's Hardware holds their end of year Holiday Happening, or the company's seasonal party, and everyone in the audience attends!  Lyric Arts presents both the inviting entertainment for the company's happening in sync with their own December production through this charming, kitschy in the best way, girl group musical revue: 'Winter Wonderettes.' Written and created by Roger Bean in 2003, with lyrics and arrangements by Brian Baker, this 'juke box musical' features catchy tunes to hum or rock out to while smiling 'all the way' through the evening, and then 'all the way home.' 

WINDER WONDERETTES is playwright Roger Bean's new sequel to his previous hit jukebox musical comedy The Marvelous Wonderettes, which the Castle Craig Players produced last year.  The same brilliant director Ian Galligan brings back the same four extremely talented actresses who gel together with tighter harmonies and stronger stage chemistry than many touring bands have ever attained.  Chelsea Dacey, Emma Czaplinski, Jessica Engster, and Jennifer Del Sole reprise their roles of Suzy, Missy, Betty Jean, and Cindy Lou, respectively.  Musical director Chris Coffee leads the three piece backstage live band that accompanies the singers, enhancing the quality of this show that is marvelous all around with excellent acting, singing, dancing, and stage antics.

Get a first look at the Castle Craig Players' production of "THE WINTER WONDERETTES', running through December 15 only!

On Sunday January 6th, The Marvelous Wonderettes, currently playing Off-Broadway at Theatre Row, will take its final bow after 567 performances. The final cast includes Kristen Alderson (Emmy Winner, One Life to Live) as Cindy Lou, Michelle Dowdy (Broadway's Hairspray) as Betty Jean, Amy Hillner Larsen (First National and RCCL Hairspray) as Suzy , Maggie McDowell (Broadway's Disaster and Kinky Boots) as Missy, and Amy Toporek in her Off-Bway debut as the 'Wonderstudy'.

Walnut Street Theatre's 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 season continues with the wacky holiday musical revue, WINTER WONDERETTES. Directed by Richard Parison, the production begins with previews on November 13th, opens November 15th, and continues through December 30th.

The Winter Park Playhouse decks the halls with holiday fun for the whole family in their professional production of Winter Wonderettes featuring a score of seasonal classic favorites! The production runs November 16 through December 16 , 2018. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Saturday matinee performances at 2 p.m. and select Friday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Walnut Street Theatre's 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 season continues with the wacky holiday musical revue, WINTER WONDERETTES. Directed by Richard Parison, the production begins with previews on November 13th, opens November 15th, and continues through December 30th.

The Board of Directors and Artistic Director, David Leidholdt, present the Millbrook premiere of HONKY TONK LAUNDRY, a new musical written by Roger Bean creator of The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could Be A Dream. HONKY TONK LAUNDRY will begin performances on Friday, October 19, and perform through Sunday, October 28 in the Poorman Cabaret.

Coyote StageWorks, the Coachella Valley based award-winning Actors' Equity professional theater company, announced that its Tenth Anniversary season will include productions of three highly entertaining stage plays, presented at the Palm Springs Art Museum's Annenberg Theater, an increase of the popular free Play Dates Reader's Series, and the debut of the Palm Springs Young Playwright's Festival.

Art is alive and thriving in Oakland County with Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan's largest producing professional theatre located on Oakland University's campus in Rochester. The theatre operates as a non-profit and employs a staff of over 40 local artists. Each season, sets, costume, lighting and sound are designed and executed in house for a truly unique theatre experience.

International City Theatre has announced its 2019 season of five plays at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, where ICT is the resident professional theater company.