Media Theatre, Media Pa. Celebrates 20 Years of Theatre!!
The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Davenport's serves up the holidays, Theo Ubique's January Cabaret Series, Kevin Cole on the Marvin Hamlisch PBS special, the Muellers make the 'Post,' BET announced rep, and a listing of Chicago shows to catch this week, plus the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards and more!
Ah, yes. 2013 was indeed an outstanding year for theater in Southern California. Even better: Orange County---my home base---boasted some of the best shows, period---marking an exciting theater renaissance in brilliance and artistry that I hope continues to grow here inside L.A.'s next door neighbor. With that said, here is my Top 10 Stage Shows of 2013 from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby, followed by my picks for the year's best performances.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents American Voices hosted by Renee Fleming, a groundbreaking festival of performances, master sessions, and symposia celebrating the rich diversity of American singing, today, November 22-24, 2013. Curated and hosted by world-renowned American singer Renee Fleming, American Voices will bring together some of the biggest names in vocal music for a genre-spanning, landmark concert with the National Symphony Orchestra.
It has been 20 years since Andew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton's SUNSET BOULEVARD made its West End premiere. Fast forward to 2013, and South Africa finally has a production of SUNSET BOULEVARD to call its own.
Mo Brady and Nikka Graff Lanzarone announce the release of The Ensemblist's 11th episode: "Gypsy Robe."
Broadway San Jose, a partnership between the Nederlander Organization of New York and Team San Jose, have announced the six shows in its 2013-14 Season. Headlining the Broadway San Jose season will be a three-week run of WICKED, the Tony Award winning musical that maintains its position as the top selling musical on Broadway, nine years after its premiere.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents American Voices hosted by Renee Fleming, a groundbreaking festival of performances, master sessions, and symposia celebrating the rich diversity of American singing, November 22-24, 2013. Curated and hosted by world-renowned American singer Reneee Fleming, American Voices will bring together some of the biggest names in vocal music for a genre-spanning, landmark concert with the National Symphony Orchestra.
CABRILLO MUSIC THEATRE welcomes Davis Gaines (Southern California's Longest-running PHANTOM) and Victoria Strong in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza premiere of Cole Porter's most raucous, sexy, and best loved musical ever, KISS ME, KATE! Cabrillo Music Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season kicks off with the popular favorite tonight, October 18th, 2013, playing until Sunday, October 27th, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
LAS CANCIONES -- DOMINGOS 6,13 Y 20 DE OCTUBRE; DOMINGOS 10, 17 Y 24 DE NOVIEMBRE.
CABRILLO MUSIC THEATRE announces its full cast to join the previously announced Davis Gaines (Southern California's Longest-running PHANTOM) and Victoria Strong in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza premiere of Cole Porter's most raucous, sexy, and best loved musical ever, KISS ME, KATE! Cabrillo Music Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season kicks off with the popular favorite on Friday, October 18th, 2013, playing until Sunday, October 27th, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Signature Theatre presents an evening of cocktails and a special one-night-only concert starring one of Broadway's living legends, Betty Buckley, tonight, September 30 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street) to support the Legacy Program in honor of Horton Foote.
LAS CANCIONES -- DOMINGOS 6,13 Y 20 DE OCTUBRE; DOMINGOS 10, 17 Y 24 DE NOVIEMBRE.
Bay Area Cabaret, devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, enters its 10th season this fall with a gala series at the Fairmont San Francisco's historic Venetian Room. To celebrate this significant milestone, Bay Area Cabaret presents a star-studded lineup of performers making their Bay Area Cabaret debuts, as well as the return of a few favorites from the past decade. Opening the seas tonight, September 21, 2013 with a bang is Broadway's Megan Hilty, known to millions as the powerhouse 'Bombshell' on NBC's television program Smash. The season continues October 20, 2013 with Tony nominee Norm Lewis (The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) and November 10, 2013 with 'America's romantic piano sensation,' multi-platinum selling recording artist Jim Brickman, joined by special guest Broadway heartthrob David Burnham.
When The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's producers were working on putting together the 2013 Season, they decided to include shows that were hits both on the stage and the silver screen. 2013 became the year that Broadway and Hollywood met at the Frederick dinner theater, the area's only theater open and producing shows 52 weeks of the year. Following Way Off Broadway's productions of Steel Magnolias, 9 to 5 - The Musical, and Legally Blonde, Way Off Broadway's creative team knew they needed to find the perfect show to fill the fall slot and cap off the 'Broadway Meets Hollywood' Season before moving into the holidays.
Megan Mullally is a two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will & Grace, and recent star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein. On August 28 & 29 she returns to Provincetown by popular demand - for two shows only - after her sold-out Art House debut last summer. Patti LuPone won her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, as well Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, for her performance as Rose in the most recent Broadway production of Gypsy, and created the title role in Evita on Broadway with her now legendary performance, for which she won her first Tony and Drama Desk Awards. On August 31 and September 1 she makes a triumphant Provincetown return for 4 shows only, after debuting at The Art House last summer. Chita Rivera is a living Broadway legend and a two-time Tony winner as Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Anna in The Rink. She originated the Broadway roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and appeared in the original casts of Guys and Dolls, Can Can, Seventh Heaven, Mr. Wonderful, Jerry's Girls, and many others. She makes her Provincetown debut on Sept. 7 & 8 with two shows only. Series host and SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky joins each of these three leading ladies at the piano. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com, or call 1-800-838-3006.
The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's 2013 Season is the year Broadway and Hollywood meet with all of the productions at the theatre being hits both on the silver screen and Great White Way. For the fall, Way Off Broadway will be producing what can be called the epitome of a movie musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard.
Bay Area Cabaret, devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, enters its 10th season this fall with a gala series at the Fairmont San Francisco's historic Venetian Room. To celebrate this significant milestone, Bay Area Cabaret presents a star-studded lineup of performers making their Bay Area Cabaret debuts, as well as the return of a few favorites from the past decade. Opening the season Saturday, September 21, 2013 with a bang is Broadway's Megan Hilty, known to millions as the powerhouse 'Bombshell' on NBC's television program Smash. The season continues October 20, 2013 with Tony nominee Norm Lewis (The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) and November 10, 2013 with 'America's romantic piano sensation,' multi-platinum selling recording artist Jim Brickman, joined by special guest Broadway heartthrob David Burnham.
Les Mis. A French title, and a show so popular it has its own nickname. When the show premiered in London in 1985, some people wondered how on earth Victor Hugo's masterpiece of a novel could be turned into a musical. Those people have long since been silenced. Les Miserables has become one of the world's most beloved musicals, and Maine State Music Theatre's current production proves exactly why.
Signature Theatre (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) will present an evening of cocktails and a special one-night-only concert starring one of Broadway's living legends, Betty Buckley, on Monday, September 30 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street) to support the Legacy Program in honor of Horton Foote.
Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, June 23, 2013 - Sunday, June 23, 2013.
Seth Rudetsky's and Patti LuPone's encore at the Leicester Square Theatre sent audiences into a frenzy Thursday night, June 20. Patti and Seth performed 'With One Look', marking the second time last week that LuPone had sung the number since her final performance of Sunset Boulevard in London in 1994. Click below to watch LuPone's performance!
Bay Area Cabaret concluded its 2012-2013 season by honoring the memory and legendary career of composer Marvin Hamlisch on June 2, 2013. Selections from his work (A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, They're Playing Our Song) were performed by special guests, including Broadway stars Lisa Vroman (The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd) and Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard), Grammy Award winner Billy Stritch, 2012 Bay Area Teen Idol winner Bobby Conte Thornton, Academy Award-winning songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and more. Scroll down for photos from the celebration!
Bay Area Cabaret will conclude its 2012-2013 season by honoring the memory and legendary career of composer Marvin Hamlisch. Selections from his work (A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, They're Playing Our Song) will be performed by special guests including Broadway stars Lisa Vroman (The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd) and Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard), Grammy Award winner Billy Stritch, 2012 Bay Area Teen Idol winner Bobby Conte Thornton, Academy Award-winning songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and other guest artists to be announced. Having performed with Bay Area Cabaret for the grand re-opening of the Venetian Room in 2010, Mr. Hamlisch will always hold a special place in Bay Area Cabaret's history. This tribute to his legacy will take place on the late composer's 69th birthday, tonight, June 2, 2013, at 8pm in the historic Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco (950 Mason Street). Tickets ($75 - $100) are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.
Two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone headlines the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's 2012-13 NJSO POPS season finale in Newark and New Brunswick, tonight, June 1 and tomorrow, June 2.
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