Give Me Your Answer, Do! 1999 - Articles Page 14

Thola Antamu is a theatre-maker and performer, as well as a fearless blogger. Currently preparing for her performance in BLACK & WHITE at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective, she found time to answer some questions about the production and her views of theatre in South Africa.

'Perfect Penny is assisting me in helping spread positivity into the lives of children and adults. You'll love the tenacity of Perfect Penny. We can all learn from her!' Les Brown

I am most concerned with what the audience sees, as they are the viewers/hearers of our story, so what they gather from our performance must be paramount. I come in with a strong image of what I want the show to look like. I then block the show right away to get it on its feet. I call this building the skeleton. The rest of the rehearsal process is about fleshing out that skeleton. I do not have the actors wander the stage looking for what feels right for them. It may end up being more “true to life” by letting two people do what comes naturally, but that does not make for a good presentational performance. I block to keep things visually interesting and I work to use the entire stage.

Over the years, as we all orbit in the same Broadway Asian community, I got to know Ali Ewoldt and see her perform various roles, including Carrie in CAROUSEL, Tuptim in THE KING AND I, and Luisa in THE FANTASTICKS. Always happy to be supporting part of the Tribe and seeing someone who looked like me starring in these iconic shows, it became evident that Ewoldt possesses one of the most pristine soprano voices out there today. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before her next big Broadway break, and that brings us to today. She stars as Christine in the long-running mega-hit THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and will be making her solo debut at Feinstein's/54 Below with FROM PHANTOM TO PHANTOM on March 12. Ahead of the show, Ewoldt was kind enough to take time to answer a few questions for us.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Taming of the Shrew(d), an adaptation of Shakespeare's original text by Kristen Tregar and Kyle Donnelly, directed by Kyle Donnelly.

When Linda Gray won the part of Dallas's Sue Ellen Ewing in 1978, she thought she was signing on for a five-episode guest role as J.R. Ewing's long-suffering wife. Sue Ellen's penchant for vodka was rivaled only by her love for younger men, and soon tens of millions of viewers tuned in each week to watch their favorite little Texas Tornado self-destruct.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Taming of the Shrew(d), an adaptation of Shakespeare's original text by Kristen Tregar and Kyle Donnelly, directed by Kyle Donnelly.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Taming of the Shrew(d), an adaptation of Shakespeare's original text by Kristen Tregar and Kyle Donnelly, directed by Kyle Donnelly.

BWW caught up with acclaimed YouTube sensation, Christina Bianco as she prepares to perform her hit solo show DIVA MOMENTS at The Alex Theatre St Kilda and The Hayes Theatre in Sydney. It couldn't be harder to put into words an interview with the effervescent star as she launches into her famous impressions left right and centre but here's what she had to say:

When I wrote Blacklisters, I was focusing on fascism and totalitarianism through the perspective of the individual in relation to absurdism. It's strange now considering the relevance a lot people who've been involved with the script have given it. On one hand it bugs me that the current events are being very tightly tied to the story when it was not my intention, but I can't deny that interest in it has picked up as a result. As I see it, what I wrote in this show was designed to be slightly unreal and terrifying but not beholden to a specific time period. I also can't deny that inspiration comes from weird places and like most people I was obsessively watching last years politics unfold, largely in horror, so it probably affected me.

The heart-wrenching, audience-inclusive comedy on depression EVERY BRILLIANT THING arrives at The Edye at The Broad Stage February 2nd.  These ten performances culminate a four-year international tour, which included a taped version of the show premiering on HBO last December. BRILLIANT star and co-writer Jonny Donahoe made time to chat with BroadwayWorld and myself.

The lovely Diedrie Henry who will be playing the iconic Billie Holiday in Actors Theatre's production of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL took the time to answer a few questions about the show, herself, and her incredibly diverse career!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Interim Executive Director; David McCoy, Chairman of the Board), dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, has announced Robert Creighton (Cagney), and Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) will join some of Broadway's best - Carolee Carmello (Finding Neverland), Sutton Foster (Anything Goes), Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago), Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon), and Bernadette Peters (George M) (all subject to change) - scheduled to appear as guest performers to honor legendary Oscar® and Tony® Award-winner Joel Grey with the 25th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at the 2016 Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala on Monday, December 5, 2016 at The Asia Society (725 Park Avenue).

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, has announced that several of Broadway's best - Carolee Carmello (Finding Neverland), Sutton Foster (Anything Goes), Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago), Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon), and Bernadette Peters (George M) (all subject to change) - are scheduled to appear as guest performers to honor legendary Oscar- and Tony Award-winner Joel Grey with the 25th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at the 2016 Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala on Monday, December 5, 2016 at The Asia Society (725 Park Avenue).

Ask Celia Berk what she loves about New York and she'll give you a list. Or, better yet, an album. Corporate executive by day, cabaret chanteuse by night (and a damn good one), Berk has won a MAC Award (New York Debut – Female), a Bistro Award (Vocalist), a BWW Award (NY Cabaret Debut), and The Margaret Whiting Award from The Mabel Mercer Foundation since her 2014 debut album You Can't Rush Spring. Her latest, Manhattan Serenade, is an eclectic collection of New York and New York-esque songs steeped in nostalgia and romance, complete with arrangements by Alex Rybeck and a stunning orchestra. Extended by popular demand, Berk will celebrate its release once more at the Metropolitan Room this Friday, October 14 at 7:00 pm. Before the show, we sat down for a discussion on her love note to New York, carving out a space for yourself in the city, and typical New York resilience.

British playwright Shelagh Delaney was a precocious young woman with a keen eye for detail and a gift for naturalistic dialogue. She reached the height of her literary fame at 19 with the premiere of her play A TASTE OF HONEY which she wrote in just two weeks. Much to her dismay, Delaney was often called 'an angry young woman' since she grew up in working class Salford, a gritty industrial neighbor of Manchester. And much of that environment is reflected in her Tony Award winning play which tells the story of Jo, a teenage girl abandoned in a working class town by her slatternly mother and her lover, a gentle black sailor who leaves her pregnant when he returns to sea. But it is another outcast, a homosexual man, who cares for her and provides the only true solace Jo has ever known, though he, too, is destined to leave.

DELUSION is the premiere first-person horror experience where audiences are an essential part of the storyline. In order for the Sullivan children to make good on their quest, they must interact with their environment by unearthing clues, engaging with the strange and surreal characters of the villa - all the while doing our best to survive and not stumble on precariously dark staircases while dealing with many surprise characters who pop out of the most unexpected places. But the experience is more than just vampires popping out. YOU are part of the action and can wield incredible personal power to hold off danger, especially when the entire audience of 12 works together. You really will feel you are part of the unfolding story.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will honor legendary Oscar and Tony Award winner Joel Grey with the 25th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at 2016 Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala to be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at The Asia Society (725 Park Avenue).

This holiday season, the answer to the question 'Ever wonder what your pets do when you're not home?' is answered when The Secret Life of Pets comes to Digital HD November 22, 2016 and 4K Ultra HD , Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand December 6, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Fan favorite champion ballroom dancer, choreographer and fitness guru Maksim Chmerkovskiy returned to ABC's DANCING WITH THE STARS for the show's 23rd Season. Chmerkovskiy partners with model and actress Amber Rose as he attempts to reclaim the coveted mirror ball trophy.

Hamilton: The Revolution is not just a book: it's a whole shelf in a library or bookstore.

There are people who eat and there are those who get eaten. This fall, Arena Stage serves up Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, a delicious drama about family greed and betrayal. Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Marg Helgenberger, known for her 12 seasons as Catherine Willows on CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, stars as Regina Giddens under veteran director Kyle Donnelly, who has directed more than 20 productions at Arena Stage. The Little Foxes runs tonight, September 23, through October 30, 2016 in the Kreeger Theater.

Irish Repertory Theatre presents the New York premiere of AFTERPLAY, by Tony and Olivier Award winner Brian Friel. Directed by Joe Dowling (Tartuffe), and starring Irish stage and screen stars Dermot Crowley and Dearbhla Molloy.

Irish Repertory Theatre will present the New York premiere of AFTERPLAY, by Tony and Olivier Award winner Brian Friel. Directed by Joe Dowling (Tartuffe), and starring Irish stage and screen stars Dermot Crowley and Dearbhla Molloy.