Broadway Jukebox 1981 - Articles Page 1.8

Emmy Award-nominated writer Laurence Maslon is the co-author of the musical theater tome 'Broadway: The American Musical'. The third edition of the fascinating, comprehensive book has just been published, updated through last season to include The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, and more!

There is certainly a dramatic story to be told behind the highly successful '60s folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, from their brief high school success that got them on 'American Bandstand' to their later 1960s stardom, their love/hate relationship and mutual artistic dependence. All of that is barely mentioned, though, in the nationally touring 'The Simon & Garfunkel Story,' currently in a three show run at the National Theatre.

Two years ago, I revisited French Woods Festival of the Arts (which I attended from 1999 to 2002 as a camper/teen actor and then as an assistant director/stage manager) and BroadwayWorld kindly published an article I wrote about the experience. In light of my responsibilities at work (attorney by day, theater critic by night) and at home (including a hyperactive toddler and commuting daily between NY and NJ), I was not planning on visiting again this past summer, but that instantly changed when I learned that the camp was planning on presenting 1776 for the first time in nearly two decades - and with an all-female cast.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is a Tony nominated 1981 musical written by the performance group of the same name. The group, Pump Boys and Dinettes, consisted of John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. The members also jointly directed and starred in the original Broadway production. The show is basically a series of standalone songs rather than a conventional story tied together with music. The book for this musical is very thin and really only exists to get to the next song. Each song represents some element of small-town life: the sacredness of fishing, the fun of owning a pair of "Drinkin Shoes," and other assorted blue collar tales including growing up with with their grandma, whom they called Mamaw. The company tosses off 21 short-form songs with performances that harken back to simpler, more straight forward times with good natured knee-slapping, song, dance and humor. They shatter the fourth wall by talking directly to the audience and eventually coming right out into it and the end result is a refreshing blast from the past.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is a jukebox musical that uses the recording of an impromptu jam session that involed Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash as its basis. The recording was discovered in the vaults at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee in 1981. The recording itself was made on December 4, 1956. This session is considered a seminal moment in rock and roll. The musical opened on Broadway in 2010, after several tryouts and regional productions, and spawned a 2011 West End production. It uses 23 songs,not all of which are from the Sun Records catalog.

Actor Patrick Cassidy, best known for his roles in musical theatre and television, headlines Some Enchanted Evening ~ A Night of Broadway Song & Dance to benefit Inland Pacific Ballet, the professional ballet company based in the Inland Empire. This 2nd annual intimate cabaret evening features song and dance by Inland Pacific Ballet dancers and Academy students, cocktails, hor d'oeuvres, dessert, silent/live auction, and is hosted by IPB Associate Director Jonathan Sharp (The Red Shoes, Carousel, The Rocky Horror Show Live, The Dance of the Vampires, Fiddler on the Roof). Some Enchanted Evening takes place on Saturday, September 22 at 6 p.m., at Inland Pacific Ballet located at 9061 Central Avenue, Montclair, 91763.

Star of stage and screen, Jonah Platt has signed on to play Country Songwriter Hall of Famer, Dean Dillon, in the upcoming musical Tennessee Whiskey The Musical: The Story of Dean Dillon, written by Dewey Moss featuring the songs of Mr. Dillon.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the state's largest nonprofit professional theatre, is proud to announce its 2018-19 Season. Beginning in September, the new season exemplifies The Rep's mission of producing diversified work of the highest artistic standards.

LA based The Launchpad Group partners with writer/producer Dewey Moss of DMoss Productions andWildcatters Network to bring the story of Dean Dillon and his music to the stage in the new jukebox musical, Tennessee Whiskey The Musical. Dates, theatre and cast TBA.

The 86 th Annual HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE, the largest Christmas event in America, announces the 2017 talent lineup for its landmark anniversary celebration, which will take place on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on Sunday, November 26, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. PT.

The 86th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, the largest Christmas event in America, announces the 2017 talent lineup for its landmark anniversary celebration, which will take place on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on Sunday, November 26, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. PT. With Dr. Oz as Grand Marshal, musical performances will be featured during the parade, and national telecast, and will include the following artists: a special 40th Anniversary performance by The Village People, CeeLo Green, Ruben Studdard, The Band of Merrymakers featuring Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees), Zach Barrett (American Authors), Jeremy Ruzumna (Fitz & The Tantrums) and Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), Nickelodeon star Breanna Yde of School of Rock, American Idol winner from Season 14, Nick Fradiani, Tom Dixon and The Tearaways. For the telecast only, additional appearances will include performances by The Tenors, Donny and Marie and Human Nature. The parade will also feature a special tribute for Marine Toys for Tots from Ludacris; and magic performances by the stars of The CW hit series, Masters of Illusion Tommy Wind and Farrell Dillon.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced the first production in the fifth season of Chicago's lost musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits Woman of the Year, starring Meghan Murphy and Brandon Dahlquist, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Peter Stone, with direction by Porchlight's Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreography by Florence Walker Harris and musical direction by David Fiorello.

This November, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced the first production in the fifth season of Chicago's lost musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits Woman of the Year, starring Meghan Murphy and Brandon Dahlquist, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Peter Stone, with direction by Porchlight's Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreography by Florence Walker Harris and musical direction by David Fiorello.

The world premiere of TREVOR the musical opens tonight at Writers Theatre. The production is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway), with book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis, music direction by Matt Deitchman, orchestrations by Greg Pliska and choreography by Josh Prince, by special arrangement with U Rock Theatricals. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

If you belong to a particular subset of music aficionados, you may love this show. Vocally and instrumentally, the performers do an excellent job of animating beloved legends.Their musicianship is impressive and Musical Director Amy Jones has done a terrific job creating authentic-sounding renditions of well-known songs. JP Coletta's athletic interpretation of Jerry Lee is absurdly fun to watch. As Elvis, Travis Artz is enthusiastic and delivers excellent footwork. Adding some feminine energy to the show, Elvis' girlfriend 'Dyanne,' portrayed by Bella Muller in a saucy, sultry performance, blows the audience away singing 'Fever.'

Es ist wieder Zeit fur ein Roundup die letzten Neuigkeiten aus dem Londoner West End. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei dieses Mal die Olivier Awards, deren Nominierungen bekannt gegeben wurden, sowie Ankundigungen fur eine Großzahl neuer Shows, die demnachst auf den Londoner Buhnen zu sehen sein werden, von Revivals von Klassikern wie Show Boat, West End Premieren von Hits wie Dreamgirls, bis hin zu Transfers von aktuellen Broadway Erfolgsshows wie Finding Neverland. Lest selbst:

Two world premieres, one by the “Lion King,” Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and the other by Fagan's muse, rehearsal director and “Bessie Award” winner Norwood Pennewell, are among the highlights of Garth Fagan Dance's 45th anniversary celebration that takes place at The Joyce Theater, November 3-8.

Two world premieres, one by the “Lion King,” Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and the other by Fagan's muse, rehearsal director and “Bessie Award” winner Norwood Pennewell, are among the highlights of Garth Fagan Dance's 45th anniversary celebration that takes place at The Joyce Theater, November 3-8.

Theater in Tennessee has never been busier nor has it been more diverse than what you'll find onstage this weekend throughout the Volunteer State. From frothy and fun summer musicals that are sure to make you think - like All Shook Up at Chaffin's Barn and A Chorus Line at Cumberland County Playhouse - to new plays from Shawn Whitsell (his latest, Songs For Our Sons, premieres at Darkhorse Theatre on Friday night) and emerging playwright Che Pieper (his new script based on the book The Man With the Light in His Window debuts at The Theater Bug this weekend)…the magic of live theater is all around you…even in this heat and humidity! So pull your seersucker suits and sundresses out of the closet, get all gussied up and make your way to the relative cool of a darkened theater for some midsummer magic!

Jacaranda will perform 'The Knee Plays' by David Byrne, the famed driving force of the 'art rock' band the Talking Heads. This program of 1980s film, theater and ceremonial music is part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's citywide 'Minimalist Jukebox' (March 16-May 4). Robert Wilson's ambitious, unfinished opera 'the CIVIL warS' was intended for the 1984 Olympics Arts Festival in Los Angeles. 'The Knee Plays' was conceived as a set of 14 short interludes between sections of the opera to span an entire day. Jacaranda's offering of the entire set, which Byrne toured widely and recorded, will complement the L.A. Phil's two performances of the opera's 'Rome Section' by Philip Glass. Together, they constitute the only two completed parts of 'the CIVIL warS' - united in Los Angeles for the first time ever. 'The Knee Plays' tour ended in 1988.

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post this morning that Patrick Cassidy is at work on a new piece about his father, the late musical actor Jack Cassidy, who died in an accidental fire at the age of 49. The younger Cassidy is developing a one-man show about Jack, with the help of some of Jack's old friends, including Hal Prince and John McMartin.

In a feature out in the LA Times today, Stephen Sondheim opened up about his year in the spotlight, The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway, the upcoming revival of Merrily We Roll Along and more.

Today we kick off our series on the 2010 New York Musical Theater Festival with the warm and fuzzy memories - as well as some less than fond remembrances - of the life and career of Broadway triple-threat leading lady Brenda Braxton. From the original company of DREAMGIRLS on Broadway under the direction of Michael Bennett to CATS and LEGS DIAMOND and George C. Wolfe's JELLY'S LAST JAM all the way up to her many stints in the Broadway revival of CHICAGO - as well as directing and recreating the original Bennett/Avian/Peters choreography for the post-9/11 star-studded DREAMGIRLS concert starring Audra McDonald, Lillias White and Heather Headley - we talk it all, plus all the exciting new musicals she is participating in - such as her NYMF starrer TRAVELIN' and another new musical reading, as well as projects of her own creation - both onstage and, now, behind-the-scenes! Ms. Braxton was generous enough to spend some time on a rainy afternoon earlier this week to discuss her career, the state of Broadway, the necessity of new musical theatre voices, working with Michael Bennett, and all the details on the new musical she is starring in that premieres this Friday at the NYMF, TRAVELIN' as well as some exciting news of what lies ahead!

The Copperstate Dinner Theater, the Valley's oldest dinner theater, has found a new home with Arizona Broadway Theatre, the Valley's newest dinner theatre. Copperstate will present the world premiere of Country Jukebox, the world's most unique musical revue, in ABT's Encore Room.