Based on the ballet Fancy Free by Leonard Bernstein
As we move toward the end of February, I hope your entertainment plans include attending a couple of shows at any one of our several theatre and live performance establishments that ply their trade here on the California Central Coast!
Pulling together all the roots and branches of Art Garfunkel's career in music, THE SINGER is a 40-song collection of songs hand-picked by the artist himself. Spanning the years from the first Simon & Garfunkel album of 1964 (Wednesday Morning, 3AM) up through 2007's Great American Songbook album (Some Enchanted Evening), this two-CD retrospective will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting April 10th through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.
California Musical Theatre Executive Producer Richard Lewis has announced the line-up of shows for the 2012 summer season of Sacramento Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The five-show season will include the Music Circus premiere of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID and the return of four musical theatre classics that are consistently among the most requested shows by Music Circus patrons, GREASE, THE MUSIC MAN, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and CRAZY FOR YOU.
The San Francisco Arts Education Project (SFArtsED) and its nearly 50 musical theater performers ages 9 to 14 revive the Broadway hit Destry Rides Again at the Eureka Theatre February 11 - 26.
The San Francisco Arts Education Project (SFArtsED) and its nearly 50 musical theater performers ages 9 to 14 revive the Broadway hit Destry Rides Again at the Eureka Theatre February 11 - 26.
Acclaimed actress Jessica Chastain, winner of 2011 New York, Los Angeles and Chicago Film Critics and National Board of Review Awards and recently nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, will make her Broadway debut starring in the Tony Award®-winning play The Heiress.
The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the fourth production of its 37th season of shows - the Los Angeles Premiere of TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, written by Graham Greene, adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, and directed by David Dean Bottrell.
In celebration of the artist's 85th birthday, Columbia Records/RPM Records/Legacy Recordings will release Tony Bennett - The Complete Collection, an extraordinary compilation chronicling the entire career of the great American pop vocalist as documented in the albums and singles he's made for Columbia Records (beginning in 1952 through the present), as well as his recordings for Roulette (an historic encounter with Count Basie and Orchestra in 1959), MGM (1972-73), Improv (Bennett's own label from 1973-76) and Fantasy (a pair of sublime titles with pianist Bill Evans, released in 1975-76).
In celebration of the artist's 85th birthday, Columbia Records/RPM Records/Legacy Recordings will release Tony Bennett - The Complete Collection, an extraordinary compilation chronicling the entire career of the great American pop vocalist as documented in the albums and singles he's made for Columbia Records (beginning in 1952 through the present), as well as his recordings for Roulette (an historic encounter with Count Basie and Orchestra in 1959), MGM (1972-73), Improv (Bennett's own label from 1973-76) and Fantasy (a pair of sublime titles with pianist Bill Evans, released in 1975-76).
The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the fourth production of its 37th season of shows - the Los Angeles Premiere of TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, written by Graham Greene, adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, and directed by David Dean Bottrell.
The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The Equity Jeff Awards, Sondheim comes to town, 'Gypsy' and 'The Sound Of Music,' stars of 'The Lawrence Welk Show,' Betty Buckley teaches and 'A Christmas Story' rehearses...and more!
The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the fourth production of its 37th season of shows - the Los Angeles Premiere of TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, written by Graham Greene, adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, and directed by David Dean Bottrell.
Today, in an extension of the FLASH FRIDAY column, we are sharpening our focus on the six upcoming revivals of musicals that are soon to hit the boards in the next few months (post-FOLLIES) and battle it out for the Best Revival as the Broadway season heats up just when the weather begins to cool: the classic Jule Styne/Bob Merrill musical that originally starred that star-of-stars, Barbra Streisand - FUNNY GIRL; the groundbreaking rock opera that rewrote the theatrical rulebook thanks to young creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR; the hippie, flower child take on the Christ story covering some similar Biblical ground to that of SUPERSTAR, with this one being the composing debut of WICKED songwriter Stephen Schwartz - GODSPELL; another Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice collaboration that won seven Tony Awards and acted as the vehicle for Patti LuPone's blazing Broadway debut in a starring role - EVITA; the significantly reworked, revised and rewritten new version of the beautifully scored time-travel musical by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, this time starring a male movie star crooner - ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER; and, the landmark American opera composed by the Gershwins with DuBose Haywerd - PORGY & BESS. While each and every one of these entities has a huge hit song or two that nearly everyone on the planet knows by heart - "Don't Rain On My Parade", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Day By Day", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "On A Clear Day…" and 'Summertime' included - each of these revivals also comes after a film version (or two) that, in more than a few of these cases, will be relatively difficult to top as far as expectations of many audience members undoubtedly will go. So, by taking a listen to the smash hit crossover songs from these musicals as well as looking at their respective film version's trailers - as well as a couple of surprises, too - perhaps we can glean some insight into what makes these generally pretty terrific properties so well worth reviving on Broadway, here, now, today, in 2011. Furthermore, all of this crystal ball commentary is not even taking into account the starry assortment of performers that have already been announced for these productions so far - especially with FUNNY GIRL's Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, GODSPELL's Hunter Parrish, SUPERSTAR's lauded Josh Young, EVITA's Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris, PORGY's Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald, as well as the leading man in what was once a leading lady's role (that of Barbara Harris) in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, Harry Connick, Jr.! What a tight race it is turning out to be for these new productions, particularly come Tony time in June! With rock to rhumba and borscht belt comedy to messianic hosannas and even full-out opera, seemingly every conceivable customer base is more than covered by this packed, potentially, well, awesome, season of shows - and many Broadway babies around BroadwayWorld are undoubtedly looking most forward to these six forthcoming revivals - with particularly good reason given the relative dearth of new musicals announced so far. So, let these revivals revive your flagging spirits as we leap into the 2011-2012 season with this comprehensive prospective and retrospective all about what makes them work so well in the first place and so worthy of another look!
The NY Times reports that James Franco will not be participating in the upcoming revival of Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth alongside Nicole Kidman, as had previously been set. While no dates had been announced for the production, Kidman had been attached to the production officially as 'Alexandra', while the last reports indicate that Franco had all but signed on the dotted line for the role of 'Chance'. Back in January he told MTV that he planned to participate in the production, while later in the winter the revival's director David Cromer told the New York Times that he believed it was a done deal.
In celebration of the artist's 85th birthday, Columbia Records/RPM Records/Legacy Recordings will release Tony Bennett - The Complete Collection, an extraordinary compilation chronicling the entire career of the great American pop vocalist as documented in the albums and singles he's made for Columbia Records (beginning in 1952 through the present), as well as his recordings for Roulette (an historic encounter with Count Basie and Orchestra in 1959), MGM (1972-73), Improv (Bennett's own label from 1973-76) and Fantasy (a pair of sublime titles with pianist Bill Evans, released in 1975-76).
In celebration of the artist's 85th birthday, Columbia Records/RPM Records/Legacy Recordings will release Tony Bennett - The Complete Collection, an extraordinary compilation chronicling the entire career of the great American pop vocalist as documented in the albums and singles he's made for Columbia Records (beginning in 1952 through the present), as well as his recordings for Roulette (an historic encounter with Count Basie and Orchestra in 1959), MGM (1972-73), Improv (Bennett's own label from 1973-76) and Fantasy (a pair of sublime titles with pianist Bill Evans, released in 1975-76).
Dallas Theater Center launches its 2011-2012 season with Shakespeare's beloved final play, The Tempest, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Sept. 9 - Oct. 9.
Gwen Verdon, one of Broadway's biggest stars during its golden era and beyond, and winner of four Tony Awards, was recently honored by the Dancers Over 40 organization in New York at the star-studded tribute 'Gwen Verdon: I'm not Lola.'
The producers of the Tony Award® winning LA CAGE AUX FOLLES have announced that Palm Beach's favorite son George Hamilton will star in the new production that will run next year at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The show was one of the Great White Way's biggest hit in 2010 and is coming here as part of the 2011-2012 Kravis On Broadway series.
Audiences of all ages will fall in love with Pittsburgh CLO's production of The Sound of Music, July 19-31 at the Benedum Center. T
The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. We've got the Mosh Pit 'Top Ten Hot Topics' for January-June, 2011, including the 'Company' concert, 'The Original Grease,' 'Next To Normal,' 'Working' and more!
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall presents An Evening of Pop and Doo Wop inside the 750 seat Sam's Town Live! venue on Saturday, July 30 at 8 p.m.
MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE announces their EXHIBITION AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW for JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011
On Friday June 24 at 8:00 PM, The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St.), Times Square's landmark concert venue, presents A Blue Note Jazz Festival Event, 'To Billie With Love A Celebration of Lady Day' by famed jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater with guest artist Chrisette Michelle, who is produced in association with Jill Newman Productions. Dee Dee Bridgewater will perform a tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday that will feature selections from Bridgewater's latest recording, 'Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee,' for which Ms. Bridgewater received the 2011 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She will sing and scat her way to a fresh interpretation of Holiday's signature melodies, accompanied by the quartet of Edsel Gomez (Piano), Kenny Davis (Bass), Jaz Sawyer (drums) and Craig Handy (reeds). Tickets are on sale now for $50 and $45 and are available through Ticketmaster (800) 982-2787 or www, ticketmaster.com or by visiting The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6PM (except Sundays).
Long Wharf Theatre will present the improv and sketch comedy show The Best of Second City from June 15-19 on the Mainstage.
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