Just Fancy 1920

Steinway & Sons presents It Takes One to Tango, the extraordinary new album from pianist Jeanne  Golan. Golan describes the album as “a collection featuring tango-inspired gems that are largely unknown. 

For the past several summers, I have attended the Festival of Arts and The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. But this year, I also decided to also visit two other art festivals along Laguna Canyon Road rather than spend any time cruising the town as I had done before. The full-day of exploring all the artistic delights on display this year at all three locations left me dazzled by all the talent on display, while wishing I had lot of extra income to purchase and bring home many of the awe-inspiring items that caught my fancy. But the real highlight of the day was viewing the abundance of 'local color' on display in this summer's 'Under the Sun' themed Pageant of the Masters.

Once in a while, you come across a stage show that, on paper, may not have had the buzz that other high-profile shows may have had initially, but then you see it … and it just completely surprises you in the best possible way. That pretty much sums up my recent experience with the oh-so delightful NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, Musical Theatre West's buoyant and sublime new regional production of the 10-time Tony Award-nominated 2012 musical comedy now on stage at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach, CA through April 22. An irresistibly silly and infectiously tuneful stage show that will have you smiling from start to finish, this roaring 20's throwback with modern sensibilities provides lots of zany antics, lots of witty one-liners, and lots of spectacular song-and-dance showstoppers that will have you wondering---where has this show been all my life?

Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) production of 45 SECONDS FROM BROADWAY is a hoot. Thanks to Lance Phillips-Martinez's imaginative direction and the Broadway-quality lead performances (backed by an able supporting cast), theatregoers are almost guaranteed to laugh their heads off.

You say that you're feeling a little blue, or maybe just experiencing some 'non-specific' sadness? Then a sure cure for your condition can be found by attending STAGES St. Louis' scintillating presentation of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. This is an incredible and uproariously funny show that pokes gentle fun at the very core of musical theatre conventions. Everything is fair game in Bob Martin and Don McKellar's witty script, which even manages to lampoon opening blackouts and intermissions. This revival is a much welcomed and thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I can't remember the last time I've laughed so hard!

Imara Savage's (Director) staging of Noel Coward's HAY FEVER for Sydney Theatre Company proves the farcical comedy of manners, written in 1925, is truly timeless.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Turkeys are on-sale at your local supermarket, so there's no better way to know Thanksgiving is just around the corner - yep, less than two weeks away! - which means that local theater companies will be unleashing their holiday season productions with enough productions of A Christmas Story (both the musical and the play), It's A Wonderful Life and Ebenezer Scrooge-led shows that you could shake a stick at!

Thus, we are happy to present the return of one our most popular features: The Nashville Theater Calendar, a comprehensive - maybe even exhaustive (lord knows we're exhausted from putting it together, gathering all the info from all over the interwebs!) - listing of theatrical openings for the 2015/16 season. We'll update the calendar every Monday, clearing out the shows that have closed and adding additional information on the shows still to come. Something's missing? That's an easy fix: just send us a message here, on Facebook, or by email at jeffreyellis37215@att.com.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

We choose Employees Only as our 'Bar of the Week.' This distinctive spot has the charm of a speakeasy with great food and drink.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

National Center Performing Arts in Mumbai has announced its upcoming September 2013 events. Details below!

National Center Performing Arts in Mumbai has announced its upcoming September 2013 events. Details below!

So which of Santa's lists are you on? The Naughty or the Nice? Well for those of you that lean toward the Naughty then I probably saw you last night at the most interesting holiday diversion I've seen in awhile, "Mezzo Lunatico" at Teatro ZinZanni. Burlesque and Drag acts coupled with irreverent holiday songs and you have a fun evening that'll make you stop thinking about your visiting in-laws for a little while. And while the show lacked some focus at times, all in all it was a deliciously decadent good time. Hosted by Seattle's Premiere Fancy Lady Ben DeLaCreme, and Santa of course, this late night holiday offering shows us that Christmas doesn't have to be all sugar plum fairies and candy canes and that there's room for sex, booze and tits at this time of year. Burlesque performers Iva Handfull and The Heavenly Spies were on hand for the later of those. I especially liked Iva's ode to Black Friday shopping. Even DeLaCreme managed to doff her frillies as the naughtiest girl to ever sit on Santa's lap. Breakdancing crew the Massive Monkees gave us a lesson in dealing with bullies (although I'm still uncertain what that one had to do with the holidays). But the highlights of the evening I'd say had to come from the singers. A Capella singing group, Captain Smartypannts offered us the most interesting rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas" as well as every Christmas special ever made told in just a few minutes. And recently thawed from a block of ice 1920's singing duo, The Vaudevillians had us on the floor with their antics and reclaimed song stylings. And I have to mention host DeLaCreme and her hilarious retelling of the nativity story set to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". So the booze was flowing, the performers as well as the waiters and waitresses were quite scantily clad and the acts kept us hooting for more. Seriously, if you weren't on the naughty list before the show, you would be after. So if you're looking for a break from the visiting family, you could do a lot worse than a night of debauchery at Teatro ZinZanni's holiday offering "Mezzo Lunatico". Or you could bring the in-laws with you. Either they'll love it as much as you or they'll be so offended they'll never visit again. Either way, it's win-win. "Mezzo Lunatico" performs at Teatro ZinZanni December 16th and 17th. For tickets or information on this or future shows, contact the Teatro ZinZanni box office at 206-802-0015 or visit them online at www.dreams.zinzanni.org.

WEST SIDE STORY is definitely back in a big way - in the last two weeks alone it has had its very own tribute episode on GLEE featuring four of the show's most famous songs, and, also, Fathom re-released the new HD remastering of the film in movie theaters nationwide for a one-night-only showing - so, given its 50th anniversary, the time has definitely come to pay tribute to one of the finest American movie musicals ever manufactured, which itself was based on one of the most innovative, controversial and progressive Broadway shows in history. From 'A Boy Like That' to 'Tonight' to 'Somewhere' and beyond, this is a score that has enraptured two or three entire generations - with very, very good reason; these songs are simply musical and lyrical magic. Truly, this is as good as musical theatre gets, and, furthermore, the 1960 film version by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise is just as good. The combination of the two? Transcendent. No, never before has WEST SIDE STORY presented the power, potency, prescience and put forth the plosive overall 'pow!' to the system - heart, mind and body - than it does, here, now, on the absolutely sensational new 3-disc 50th Anniversary Blu-ray edition, which will be released on Tuesday. I was lucky enough to get a copy early and I was simply blown away in every single imaginable way. A red, hot and blue all-American movie masterpiece given its full, magnificent, ecstatic due on Blu-ray. Be prepared to be blown away. Bam!

Dundalk Community Theatre will hold auditions for their production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, with direction and choreography by Tom Wyatt. The audition accompanist will be Doug Lawler.

If you're feeling a little blue, or maybe just experiencing some 'non-specific' sadness, a sure cure for that condition can be found by attending Stages St. Louis's sparkling presentation of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. This is an uproariously funny show that pokes gentle fun at the very core of musical theatre conventions. Everything is fair game in Bob Martin and Don McKellar's witty script, which even manages to lampoon opening blackouts and intermissions.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) celebrates its fifth year with 24 full productions, a dance series, a developmental series, concerts and special events.