Can-Can Revival 1988 - Articles Page 29

Few moviegoers were thinking about the musical potential of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS when it was released as a movie in 1988. However, the movie producers were.

Today we are saluting one of Broadway's best-loved leading ladies in honor of her new cabaret show kicking off this week at 54 Below, the one and only Patti LuPone.

Not since Carrie. A phrase that has haunted creators of musicals ever since Ken Mandelbaum's famous 1991 book that looks at 40 years of Broadway musical flops. The original Broadway production in 1988 was a disaster, partly due to the writing, but more to do with original director Terry Hands' disastrous approach and minimalist concept. Closing 5 performances after the official opening night, Carrie cleaned up its blood, but not its money and went on to become one of the most famous and financial flops (although a certain Bono-tuned superhero of recent memory has surpassed that).

'The Gospel According to Judas: A Handbook on Life' is the new book by John H. Doe, available now on Amazon. John H. Doe is his real name. And he claims that he can make sense of the world. All of it, even the parts that don't make sense at all. The cosmos is scrutinized between the covers of this nonfiction book. This volume may be slim, but it is dense, and covers ground from what it means to exist to the existence of God, and what it could possibly be: to love. It is a philosophy as one does not usually imagine, the experience first hand as one who was lost became found. On October 7, 1988 JD was drafted as a soldier in what could be known as the War in Heaven. A war between angels. A war in eternity. He didn't realize at the time what he had gotten into. But as it was ending (some 25 years later in the fight, off and on through those years), he discovered it was one of the keys that unlocked an understanding of why the things of the world are as they are: why there is pain, why there is so much injustice, what is the meaning of life. Why so much goes wrong when God is good. This book does not have the answers as much as puts you on your own path to find your own answers. It is come of visions from God. Sound crazy? Yeah, you could say there's a little of that. But you will find that it is the truth that really sounds crazy. If you would like to look for yourself, get it on Amazon by searching for 'gospel judas john doe.' Find out for yourself what it all means. About the Author John H. Doe ('Doe' being a rare Korean last name) researched artificial intelligence for over a decade, when certain events blasted him out of that orbit. You wouldn't know it by looking at him that he had routinely talked to angels. He has written one other book, 'The Sinner's Prayer Book,' and has had his poetry published. Currently residing in Manhattan, recovering from why he wrote his latest book. Or trying to.

Bon Jovi will marks the group's 30th anniversary with a re-release of their classic 1988 album 'New Jersey' on July 1st.

The packaging for the DVD release of ABC's long-running comedy THE WONDER YEARS has been released. You can check it out to the left!

John Behlmann, Melissa Errico and Will Swenson will star in BULL DURHAM, the new musical based on the beloved 1988 film, which Sports Illustrated proclaimed the '#1 Greatest Sports Movie of All-time.' BULL DURHAM will premiere at the Alliance Theatre on September 3, and will run until October 5. Season tickets are on sale now and single tickets go on sale in July, visit www.alliancetheatre.org or call 404-733-5000. The Alliance Theatre is located in the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.

Closing Aurora Theatre Company's 22nd season is David Mamet's powerful, fast-paced drama AMERICAN BUFFALO. Tony-nominated director Barbara Damashek, who helmed Aurora Theatre Company's acclaimed productions of Fat Pig and Private Jokes, Public Places, returns to direct AMERICAN BUFFALO, featuring James Carpenter (John Gabriel Borkman, The Master Builder, The Birthday Party, The Homecoming), Paul Vincent O'Connor (Death Defying Acts, National Tour August: Osage County), and Rafael Jordan. AMERICAN BUFFALO plays June 13 through July 13 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-60) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org. For mature audiences.

Ryan Smith, one of the new voices of his generation, shares the creativity of a remarkable journey in this work of poetry. Ryan Smith speaks to readers from his creative mind, emotionally and rawly, but also very insightfully. This is a book to value, a book about seeing his vision, about using past and future experiences, about the power of the word, and about the power of inspiration to move and motivate one's life. Lyrically and visually, Ryan Smith's new timeless work displays a shift of the youth on every page. 'I've always loved to write since school. Maya Angelou and many other great poets have inspired me to become a better, wiser writer and Poet. I hope that my Poetry can help and inspire many...My Goal is to become a worldwide known poet and I'm determined to do so,' says the author. 'Many call Ryan Smith an inspiration and a new leader for this generation, praising his abilities to create a powering touch between lyrics, writing and creativity,' Alberto Ibarra. 'Motives and Thoughts of a Battered Soul' is available in both print and ebook formats. Book Information: Motives and Thoughts of a Battered Soul Author: Ryan Smith Publisher: Xlibris ISBN: 978-1493114054 Published: October 2013 Pages: 122 Genre: Poetry, Personal Reflections About The Author: Born on December 2, 1988 in Farmville, Virginia, Ryan began writing poetry while a student at Prince Edward County High School, which during that 4 year span he decided to make writing a future career path. Good friend Jason Paris was one of the first to notice Ryan's ability with writing and gave him the nickname Ryan the Poet. At age 15, Ryan began entering Poetry Contest placing in the top 20 in each of his writing entries. Ryan once stated 'Writing for me has become a huge part of my life for me to express myself through poetry and storytelling.' Today, he continues to write poetry as well as being an activist and helping others when in need. For more information, review copies, or interviews please contact: Ryan Smith Email: onebuck_08@yahoo.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/smithrc1988 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-C-Smiths-Poetry/108998542460329 Instagram: http://instagram.com/poeticman1988

There's a Hollywood great in our midst. Famous for his many starring roles including his defining performance along side Robert De Niro in the 1988 classic Midnight Run, Charles Grodin is the recipient of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards alike. A resident of Wilton, CT and a stellar member of the entertainment industry for more than 50 years, Grodin has a lot of wisdom and humor to share about his career as a celebrated actor, comedian, author and talk show host. He is also a natural storyteller who will share his journey through Hollywood on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. The Connecticut Press Club is giving Charles Grodin the Mark Twain award for humor. Ironically, Charles Grodin was born twenty five years to the day after Mark Twain passed away. Other film credits include Rosemary's Baby, Clifford, Beethoven, The Heartbreak Kid, Catch-22, Heaven Can Wait, Taking Care of Business, Seems Like Old Times, The Great Muppet Caper, The Woman in Red, The Lonely Guy, Ishtar The Couch Trip and more. Ticket holders will enjoy a special $45 prix-fixe menu at Bernard's (20 West Lane, Ridgefield), or a free glass of wine with dinner, the day of this event when tickets are presented; reservations suggested. This event is part of The Ridgefield Magazine Broadway & Cabaret Series.

Dancer, anthropologist, singer, songwriter, academic, activist and French knight. Whilst all of these tags are fitting for Johnny Clegg, none of them can accurately describe the energetic, passionate human being who has become one of South Africa's greatest musical exports. He has campaigned against the injustice of apartheid and been instrumental in putting the new South Africa on the map as a cultural ambassador. His concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse tonight, April 2, at 8 p.m., will be his only Connecticut appearance and promises to be a unique evening of Western pop fused with African Zulu song and dance.

Bailiwick Chicago will present the Chicago premiere of the 2012 Off-Broadway revival version of CARRIE: The Musical, with book by original screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Academy Award-winner Dean Pitchford, music by Academy Award-winner Michael Gore, based on the novel by Stephen King, directed by Collective Member Christopher Pazdernik with music direction by Collective Member Aaron Benham. This unique resurrection of 1988's CARRIE: The Musical will play May 29 - July 12, 2014 at the Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

Dancer, anthropologist, singer, songwriter, academic, activist and French knight. Whilst all of these tags are fitting for Johnny Clegg, none of them can accurately describe the energetic, passionate human being who has become one of South Africa's greatest musical exports. He has campaigned against the injustice of apartheid and been instrumental in putting the new South Africa on the map as a cultural ambassador. His concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Wednesday, April 2, at 8 p.m., will be his only Connecticut appearance and promises to be a unique evening of Western pop fused with African Zulu song and dance. Johnny Clegg's latest album is entitled Human (2010). He is a 1993 Grammy nominee for best World Music Album (Heat, Dust and Dreams) and a Billboard music award winner. Special guest is his accomplished son Jesse Clegg, a South African alternative rock artist whose 2008 debut album, When I Wake Up, and his 2011 follow up, Life On Mars, have both made the 25-year-old a Platinum-selling success in his home country. A wine tasting of South African Wines and a reception with local artist Caron Schwartz, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, will take place in the lobby at 7:15 p.m. This event is underwritten by Ayindisa?with support from Starfish Greathearts Foundation USA and is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter and Xfinity Rock Series. An AllShows.com VIP Party Pass ($25 addt'l per person), which includes a pre-show cocktail party 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. with open bar, hors-d'oeuvre and priority parking, is available for this show by calling the box office (203-438-5795).

Internationally renowned Grammy nominated Johnny Clegg promises a great evening celebrating South Africa's rhythms when he is in concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Wednesday, April 2, at 8 p.m. Dancer, anthropologist, singer, songwriter, academic, activist and French knight, Johnny Clegg is considered by many as South Africa's greatest musical export. Whilst all of these tags are fitting, none of them can accurately describe the energetic, passionate Clegg. According to NPR Music, 'Johnny Clegg is one of South Africa's celebrated sons. Performer Johnny Clegg is a singer, songwriter and dancer who might also be described, without irony, as an anthropologist and a musical activist.' Many credit Clegg as being 'the man who popularized the fusion of Western pop and African Zulu rhythms'. Special guest is his accomplished son Jesse Clegg. To kick off the evening at 7:15 p.m., a wine tasting of South African Wines and a reception with local artist Caron Schwartz, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, will take place in the lobby. This event is underwritten by Ayindisa?with support from Starfish Greathearts Foundation USA and is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter and Xfinity Rock Series. An AllShows.com VIP Party Pass ($25 addt'l per person), which includes a pre-show cocktail party 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. with open bar, hors-d'oeuvre and priority parking, is available for this show by calling the box office (203-438-5795).

The evening will be co-hosted by two of the company's alumni actors: two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce (at PH in Richard Greenberg's The Maderati in 1987) and two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Obie Award winner and 2012 Special Drama Desk Award winner Mary Testa (at PH in William Finn's In Trousers in 1979, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Lucky Stiff in 1988, Tom Donaghy's From Above in 1998/Obie Award and Kathleen Tolan's The Wax in 2000).

Nominations are being accepted through Friday, February 14, 2014 for Actors' Equity Association's annual Rosetta LeNoire Award. The award, established in 1988, recognizes an individual or institution that has made outstanding contributions to American theater while also holding an exemplary record in hiring or promoting ethnic minorities, female actors, senior actors and actors with disabilities. Nominees must have a working relationship (and history) with Equity.

Pacific Symphony announces what is perhaps its most significant season to date for the 36-year-old orchestra-the 2014-15 Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Classical Series and special events, celebrating Music Director Carl St. Clair's 25 years at the helm. Filled with giant stars and giants of the repertoire that have moved listeners for centuries, the season is pure St. Clair-embracing and celebrating all that great music can mean to the human heart.

Bang on a Can's exhilarating marching band Asphalt Orchestra has been invited to join the Pixies on their 2014 winter tour, bringing selections from the radical performance Asphalt Orchestra Plays the Pixies: Surfer Rosa

When it comes to modern musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS is definitely among the most beloved. The show had its world premiere in 1986, opened on Broadway in 1987, and won the 1988 Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress in a Musical in a year that was otherwise dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. With a handful of revivals and countless regional productions, INTO THE WOODS is a show that both audiences and theater companies love, and Main Street Theater's beautiful production of the classic perfectly illustrates why.

Triple threat Broadway legend Chita Rivera will bring her iconic class and showmanship to the Valley Performing Arts Center January 25 for one performance only at 8 pm. In our chat she tells us a little bit about the new show and talks in great detail about the joys of her career.

Jasper, in association with Teatro Paraguas, presents a night of twisted and hilarious personal storytelling from Jennifer Jasper in I Can Hear You ... But I'm Not Listening. Unscripted and improvised, Jasper explores her experiences as the middle daughter in a family of five girls with colorful (and off-color) stories. From her early efforts at speech therapy to her Laura Ingalls Wilder obsession to her discovery of her grandfather's 'interesting' hobby, Jasper's expert comic skills and her gift for wringing laughs from the dark and uncomfortable moments of growing up make each performance unique and revealing.

"Write what you know", they say. One thing the great playwright David Mamet knows is the inside story of Hollywood movies. Bergen County Players continues its "From Page to Stage" season with Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, a no-holds-barred look at the cutthroat world of the Hollywood film industry, over four weekends beginning Saturday, January 11th and concluding Saturday, February 1st. Performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 pm and Sunday performances are at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road during regular box office hours. Please note that this production contains mature language and themes.

Jennifer Holliday is undeniably one of R&B and Broadway's greatest voices. Endowed with a commanding and irresistible voice, immeasurable range and artistry that few can rival, Holliday has long stood in a class by herself. The dynamic songstress' now legendary show-stopping, heart-wrenching performance of the torch ballad "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" in the smash hit Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, made her a household name and introduced her big soulful voice to the world. Her portrayal of Effie "Melody" White, a role she co-created, not only brought theatergoers to their feet for eight performances a week, but also garnered her a Tony-Award for Best Actress in a Musical and her first Grammy-Award for Best R&B Female Vocalist. From Broadway to major TV appearances including (Ellen, Ally McBeal and Touched By An Angel) and half-a-dozen soundtrack credits, Jennifer Holliday is one of the most distinctive, enviable and revered voices in modern music. Through the years, Holliday has collaborated with everyone from Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, David Foster and Paul Simon, to Michael Jackson, Maurice White and Foreigner. She has also sung with the Boston Pops and The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra with Peter Nero, among numerous other esteemed orchestras. She considers herself to be a Broadway Baby and theater continues to be a significant part of her career. Her illustrious resume includes such theatre credits as Sing Mahalia Sing: The Mahalia Jackson Story, Downhearted Blues: The Bessie Smith Story, Harlem Suite (with Aretha Franklin), Chicago (starring as "Mama Morton"), Grease (starring as "Teen Angel") and Black Nativity (starring as the "Angel of God"). The in-demand star has also been invited to participate in Chaka Khan's induction into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame ceremony to take place June 10 at the Apollo Theatre and broadcast later on BET. Considering herself a "bi-partisan songbird," Jennifer is both honored and grateful to have performed at the White House for President Ronald Reagan, President George Bush, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.

Jasper, in association with Teatro Paraguas, presents a night of twisted and hilarious personal storytelling from Jennifer Jasper in I Can Hear You ... But I'm Not Listening. Unscripted and improvised, Jasper explores her experiences as the middle daughter in a family of five girls with colorful (and off-color) stories. From her early efforts at speech therapy to her Laura Ingalls Wilder obsession to her discovery of her grandfather's "interesting" hobby, Jasper's expert comic skills and her gift for wringing laughs from the dark and uncomfortable moments of growing up make each performance unique and revealing.

Elf, the Christmas musical now on stage at London's Grand Theatre is an endearing show, thanks to a funny, well-written script, and a six foot four Elf who can deliver the lines. Liam Tobin is perfect as Buddy the Elf: He's taken the best that Will Ferrell had in the movie version of Elf, but his portrayal of the 30 year old child-like character is more reminiscent of Tom Hanks in 1988 movie Big. Either way, Tobin has made Buddy very lovable and almost believable.