Pippin Revival 00/00/0000 - Articles Page 20

Pocket Opera's 32nd season is decidedly different. We're presenting six operas at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco (we've done that before), three at the Napa Valley Opera House (again, not new) and four at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley (New!) Pocket Opera audiences have a fondness for Offenbach, so we're inaugurating the season with his 'La Belle Helene'. We are also staging two of Donald Pippin's brand new translations: 'La Favorita' by Donizetti and Moniuszko's 'The Haunted Manor', considered by many in Poland to be their national opera. We're thrilled to announce that we're co-producing Moniuszko's opera with the National Endowment for the Arts (New!) and The Polish Arts and Culture Foundation (Even Newer!). With the exception of Handel's Alcina, all the operas will be performed in English, using Donald Pippin's acclaimed translations. Our season usually wraps up with one razzle-dazzle blockbuster- this year we offer two: 'The Barber of Seville' and 'Carmen'.

The Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre opened Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles January 25. Composer Stephen Schwartz and original cast members Ben Vereen and John Rubenstein joined in on the celebration.

After selling more than 65 million records worldwide as the star of THE MONKEES TV show, Micky Dolenz has continued to make his mark in other areas of the entertainment business, through his varied career as an actor, director, writer, producer and performer. January of 2004 found Micky back on Broadway, co-starring in the Elton John/Tim Rice Tony Award winning musical, 'Aida'. Then, after a short, but exciting, stint as the morning DJ on CBS-FM in The Big Apple, Micky was once again treading the boards in the revival of the Stephen Swartz musical, 'Pippin'.

After selling more than 65 million records worldwide as the star of THE MONKEES TV show, Micky Dolenz has continued to make his mark in other areas of the entertainment business, through his varied career as an actor, director, writer, producer and performer. January of 2004 found Micky back on Broadway, co-starring in the Elton John/Tim Rice Tony Award winning musical, 'Aida'. Then, after a short, but exciting, stint as the morning DJ on CBS-FM in The Big Apple, Micky was once again treading the boards in the revival of the Stephen Swartz musical, 'Pippin'.

Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009 season on Sunday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Michael Arden, Jonah Blechman, Dan Callaway, Bryan Terrell Clark, Nicolas Conway, Rodrick Covington, James Royce Edwards, TL Forsberg, Sara Gettelfinger, Tyrone Giordano, Harriet Harris, Rebecca Ann Johnson, Troy Kotsur, Jos? F. Lopez, Jr., John McGinty, Anthony Natale, Aleks Pevec, Victoria Platt, Ty Taylor, Nikki Tomlinson, Melissa van der Schyff and Alexandria Wailes.

BroadwayWorld gave the cast of Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' a FLIP video camera and then set them free backstage during rehearsals as they prepared for opening night on January 25th. This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. BWW TV is proud to bring you this very special video feature, stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon! 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures.

Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009 season on Sunday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Michael Arden, Jonah Blechman, Dan Callaway, Bryan Terrell Clark, Nicolas Conway, Rodrick Covington, James Royce Edwards, TL Forsberg, Sara Gettelfinger, Tyrone Giordano, Harriet Harris, Rebecca Ann Johnson, Troy Kotsur, Jos? F. Lopez, Jr., John McGinty, Anthony Natale, Aleks Pevec, Victoria Platt, Ty Taylor, Nikki Tomlinson, Melissa van der Schyff and Alexandria Wailes.

The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, is proud to present the World Premiere of a new musical comedy cabaret, Three Joisey Tenors, on Thursday, January 29, at 2 p.m. Performances continue Thursdays at 2 p.m. on February 12, March 12, March 19 and March 26. Moving from the waiting room at the NJ Dept. of Motor Vehicles to the grand concert stage of the Suds & Studs Launderama & Chop Suey Parlor, these Garden State guys prove they're willing to 'let it all hang out' as they hilariously entertain with the best of Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Engelbert Humperdinck, and showstoppers from Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Anything Goes, Pippin, Man of La Mancha, and much more. Three Joisey Tenors opens the Bickford Theatre's 2009 A La Carte Series and stars Christopher Budinich, David Scott Miller, and Michael St. John. All performers are NJ residents with major National Tour and Regional Theatre credits.

Multi-award winning Foothill Music Theatre presents the hilarious Off-Broadway musical comedy hit, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. This campy, off-the-wall parody inspired by a supermarket tabloid story of a half-boy, half-bat keeps both tongue and fang firmly in cheek. The exuberant score mixes rock, Broadway, gospel, and country music in a smart, witty, self-aware comical confection. Award-winning director Jay Manley helms this fabulous cult hit with musical direction by Spencer Williams, and choreography by Andrew Ceglio (also the production's star). The talented cast of BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL includes Andrew Ceglio as both Bat Boy and the production choreographer (credits include Pippin at Foothill Music Theatre, Marquee Productions at Childrens Musical Theater San Jose, Theater on San Pedro, and Forever Plaid at Cabrillo Stage as director and choreographer); Kateri McRae returns to the Foothill stage as Bat Boy's young love, Shelley (previously seen as Mae in Foothill Music Theatre's The Pajama Game, other credits include Broadway By the Bay and the Palo Alto Players); Ariel Buck as Shelley's mother and Bat Boy's tutor (credits include North Shore Music Theatre, MA, Marquee Productions at CMSTSJ, and an international tour with Tokyo Disney Sea); Tim Reynolds as the veterinarian, Dr. Parker (credits include Bobby in Company at Foothill Music Theatre, and roles at TheatreWorks and Broadway By the Bay); Todd Wright returns to Foothill as the Sherriff (previous roles include Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Mr. Hasler in The Pajama Game and numerous roles with the Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival). Also featured in the cast of BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL are David Cates, RaMond Thomas, Michael Rhone, Sarah B. Griner, and Monique Hafen in rotating roles as the various citizens of Hope Falls, West Virigina.

Multi-award winning Foothill Music Theatre presents the hilarious Off-Broadway musical comedy hit, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. This campy, off-the-wall parody inspired by a supermarket tabloid story of a half-boy, half-bat keeps both tongue and fang firmly in cheek. The exuberant score mixes rock, Broadway, gospel, and country music in a smart, witty, self-aware comical confection. Award-winning director Jay Manley helms this fabulous cult hit with musical direction by Spencer Williams, and choreography by Andrew Ceglio (also the production's star). BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL plays February 27 (press opening February 28, 8pm & March 1, 2pm) through March 22, 2009 at the Lohman Theatre at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For tickets ($18-26) and information, the public may visit www.foothillmusicals.com, or phone the box office at 650 949-7360. Called 'exuberant, campy fun' by the San Francisco Chronicle, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL, ripped from the headlines of The Weekly World News tabloid, is a dark but whimsical parable on the secret desires and depravities of a small West Virginia town. While visiting the caves outside of Hope Falls, West Virginia, three young explorers find a bat-boy hiding among the caverns. The local sheriff, unsure of what to do with the dangerous captive, who could be connected to the strange illness killing off the local cows, takes the bat-boy to the veterinarian. While the townspeople clamor for his destruction, Bat Boy, who is taken in by the veterinarian and his family, learns to read, speak, and even fall in love. A wickedly slick satire that spoofs convention, BAT BOY chronicles the struggles of a boy with fangs who just wants to be loved. The show premiered at Tim Robbins' Actors Gang Theatre on October 31, 1997, and has since been produced Off-Broadway, in London's West End, at the Edinburgh Festival and in scores of productions throughout the world. The New York Times declared, 'It's remarkable what intelligent wit can accomplish, even within an outlandish frame,' of this Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for Best Off-Broadway Musical.

BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL plays February 27 (press opening February 28, 8pm & March 1, 2pm) through March 22, 2009 at the Lohman Theatre at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For tickets ($18-26) and information, the public may visit www.foothillmusicals.com, or phone the box office at 650 949-7360.

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is proud to present Kander and Ebb's Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret. Cabaret opens for the press on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 and plays through February 1, 2009 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in the Charles Mosesian Theater.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner as Cervantes/Quixote. Julia Migenes, the renowned opera and theatre performer, will play Aldonza/Dulcinea; Valerie Perri will play the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea at matinee performances; and Tony nominee Lee Wilkof will play Sancho Panza.

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is proud to present Kander and Ebb's Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret. Cabaret opens for the press on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 and plays through February 1, 2009 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in the Charles Mosesian Theater.

Jeffrey Finn Productions announces a special return holiday engagement of THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER for two weeks only at the Kennedy Center's newly-renovated Eisenhower Theater, Tuesday, December 23, 2008 through Sunday, January 4, 2009. The engagement marks the first return of the special concert since a sold out holiday run at the Kennedy Center Opera House in December 2004.

Casting has been announced for the much anticipated San Francisco return of the smash hit musical WICKED, which begins Tuesday, January 27, 2009 for an open-ended engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. This production is a significant homecoming for WICKED, which premiered in San Francisco before casting its spell on Broadway, winning 20 major awards, including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards.

DC's Signature Theatre has announced casting for their production of the Tony Award-nominated comedy The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane's satire of Hollywood ambition, truth, and illusion. The Little Dog Laughed is scheduled to play Jan. 13-March 8, 2009.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with 'I Love My Wife' with book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, December 2 to 14 at the Brentwood Theatre. Lea Thompson and Patrick Cassidy join Vicki Lewis and Jason Alexander. 'I Love My Wife' will be directed by Larry Moss with choreography by Lee Martino and music direction by Michael Skloff.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with 'I Love My Wife' with book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, December 2 to 14 at the Brentwood Theatre.

New Yorkers will get an early listen of the first opera by Stephen Schwartz, Seance on a Wet Afternoon when American Opera Projects hosts a New York workshop on November 21 & 22. Opera Santa Barbara will present the world premiere in 2009.

Center Theatre Group and Deaf West's PIPPIN will star Michael Arden and play the Mark Taper Forum, January 15th through March 15th, 2008.

Old Globe Executive Producer Lou Spisto recently announced that the theatre will present a special one-night engagement of Stephen Schwartz and Friends.. This delightful event, featuring the Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer/lyricist of the smash Broadway musicals Wicked, Godspell, Working, Pippin and many others, will be performed in the Old Globe Theatre on Monday, March 9 at 7:30pm. Schwartz will be center-stage for an evening of unforgettable music and memories, with some of Broadway's best singer/actors, including, Debbie Gravitte, Liz Callaway and Scott Coulter, performing Schwartz's most beloved songs.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner, written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Cout.

New Yorkers get early listen of first opera by Stephen Schwartz, Séance on a Wet Afternoon American Opera Projects hosts New York workshop November 21 & 22. Opera Santa Barbara to present world premiere in 2009.

American Opera Projects, the Brooklyn-based company 'known for bringing cutting-edge vocal productions to the masses' (New York Magazine), presents the final New York workshop of Stephen Schwartz's new opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon at the end of November in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Manhattan performance (The Angel Orensanz Center, 172 Norfolk St.)