Interview: A New Musical Photos - Off-Broadway

I first discovered the Dollface Dames troupe of high-class, Burlesque entertainers in 2017 and have enjoyed their show-stopping style of entertainment at several venues around town since then. But 2020 brought on major changes for all in-person entertainment, so how have the Dollface Dames been keeping their unique brand of Burlesque available to audiences during the shutdown and what's next for them? To find out, I spoke with Lola Boutée who founded the group in 2008.

Orlando was a deeply engaging, intriguing and thought-provoking exploration whose pondering, messages, striking soundscapes and visuals reverberated and lingered long after the curtain had closed. It is a highly ambitious undertaking but Neuwirth and her colleagues were up for the challenge. What is most exciting is what has now been established for a venue such as The Wiener Straatsoper as we move into a new decade of uncertain times when it is vital that radical expressions of art and activism combined are given such a grand stage with which to proclaim their truths.

This week I got the opportunity to speak with Eddie Noel on the phone as he wraps up the final 2 weeks of the National Tour of ON YOUR FEET! The Musical, closing in Fort Worth April 10-14th. As the interview began, I was so pleased to find such an easygoing, humble, and joyful person on the other end of the line. Gratitude for the experience of being part of this show just flowed from him- I lost track of the number of times Noel called this opportunity a blessing.

There's a fairly good chance that Lynn Ahrens wrote one of your favorite songs. Over the past few decades, she's written songs for beloved titles such as Schoolhouse Rock, Anastasia, Once on This Island, Seussical, and Ragtime. Alongside longtime collaborator Stephen Flaherty, she's been part of pretty much every theatre lover's life.

As the world prepares for the Centennial of legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein this August, La Mirada Theatre and VPAC present perhaps his greatest musical and one of the most memorable love stories of all time, WEST SIDE STORY. Director Richard Israel shares his vision for the production, as powerful, poignant, and timely as ever, with the thrilling Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim score including "Tonight," "Maria," "America" and the classic "Somewhere" remaining one of the best ever written. In it, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City with two lovers, Tony and Maria, caught between warring street gangs; the Italian-American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

It was an exciting evening at the State Theatre, where a capacity crowd heard Gina Vernaci, architect of the Key Bank Broadway series, announce the 2017-2018 season.

Molly is fierce. She's a brassy know-it-all, but she's always fighting for the greater good. She lost a parental figure at a very young age, and it's shaped her into a different person than she might have been otherwise. She's also at a turning point in her life during the course of this play. She's learning about what it means to be an adult, and to make the difficult decisions, even if you don't feel ready to. She has some of the wittiest lines in the show, and gets to be unapologetically confident. Especially when it comes to putting boys in their place.

Bill Rudman, Artistic Director of the Musical Theater Project who hosts the radio show 'Footlight Parade' and often co-hosts the MTP live performances, has had an interest in musical theater since he was five and his parents let him stay up late to watch Mary Martin in Peter Pan on television. As Rudman said in a recent interview, 'That did it!'