Hard Times Photos - West End

Even if you have seen it before, I cannot stress enough how miraculous the current production of ANNIE is at the Hollywood Bowl, directed with creative ingenuity by Michael Arden. Featured in the cast of incredibly talented triple-threat (acting, singing, dancing) performers are Ana Gasteyer as the ruthless headmistress Miss Agatha Hannigan, David Alan Grier as the refined, generous billionaire Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks, Lea Salonga as his dedicated and caring assistant Grace Farrell, with newcomer Kaylin Hedges as Annie, who won the role over hundreds of other young girls from across the country who submitted video auditions to win role. Miss Hedges is the cornerstone of the production and her soaring, pitch-perfect voice and effervescent stage presence setting the jubilant tone for the entire ensemble.

Stepping into the Tobacco Factory Theatre this Christmas and you're immediately transported to an eerie forest in rural France for a re-telling of this classic French fairy tale.

This year, the Bowl's annual staged musical visits the 2001 international phenomenon about a young woman's plot to uncover the identity of her father among three of her mother's former loves, all of whom are invited to her wedding on a Greek island. But which man turns out to be her father and walks her down the aisle? Filled with ABBA's timeless songs, including 'Dancing Queen' and 'Voulez Vous,' get ready to have the time of your life July 28-29-30 seeing MAMMA MIA! at the Hollywood Bowl, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and conducted by David Holcenberg. Kathleen Marshall is one of Broadway's most celebrated artists. Honored numerous times for her work on stage and screen, she has won three Tony Awards (with six more nominations) and two Drama Desk Awards (four additional nominations). Marshall has also been nominated for both an Olivier and an Emmy. The MAMA MIA! production at the Hollywood Bowl marks her Los Angeles debut as a director/choreographer, and I recently was fortunate to speak with her, and stars Corbin Bleu and Lea DeLaria, about their excitement being involved in the musical extravaganza.

Rubicon Theatre Company celebrates Black History Month with THE DEVIL'S MUSIC: THE LIFE AND BLUES OF BESSIE SMITH, starring singer and actress Miche Braden of the original Off-Broadway production (named one of the 10 Best Off-Broadway productions of the year by the N.Y. Daily Times). Described by CBC as a, "bawdy, bluesy, boozy rollicking night out at the theatre," the show follows the life, loves and career of blues and jazz singer Bessie Smith, called the "Empress of the Blues." 

Engaging, well-paced, aurally pleasing, and exceedingly entertaining from start to finish, the Hollywood Bowl's A CHORUS LINE is an exceptional presentation of this iconic show which celebrates those hard-working, ultra-talented, under-paid men and women who willingly choose a volatile career in which they sing and dance their hearts out in the background of a musical. It is set in the far out mid-70's, hence, the show is a retro-tastic trip down memory lane as it showcases a day of auditions for eight chorus member positions in a brand new musical opening on Broadway. For this Bowl version of A CHORUS LINE, producers enlisted TV host/actor Mario Lopez and then filling the rest of the large 17-member cast with a diverse group of proven triple-threat stage professionals. The resulting show is, hands down, one of the most well-performed musical productions that I have seen at the Bowl. From the execution of director/choreographer Baayork Lee's Michael Bennett-inspired choreography to the incredible singing performances of Kleban and Hamlisch's memorable classic songs, this is a production of A CHORUS LINE that can stand proudly side-by-side with any acclaimed full production of the musical, regional or otherwise.

The Buck Creek Players will continue their 2012-2013 season 'In the Spotlight' with the Tony Award wining musical, City of Angels, a deliciously funny spoof of 1940s film noir and hard-boiled detective fiction. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Who wrote THEODORA, SHE BITCH OF BYZANTIUM, TIMES SQUARE ANGEL, or VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM? Don't know? You are not alone. These, and more escapist romps with similar bizarre names, are the products of Charles Louis Busch, an American actor, playwright and female impersonator. Many of his works, including PSYCHO BEACH PARTY, which is now in production at Blank Canvas Theatre, were written specifically as vehicles for Busch and his camp style of acting.

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world-premiere stage adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, adapted by Heidi Stillman. The Book Thief is staged by Hallie Gordon in partnership with Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago and the citywide, season-long Now Is The Time initiative with Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and other local cultural organizations. The Book Thief runs October 16 - November 9, 2012 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); the press performance is on October 20 at 3pm. Scroll below for a first look at the production!

Parsons Dance presents REMEMBER ME, an all-new version of last season's collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band at The Joyce Theater from February 2-21, 2010.

South Coast Repertory will present The Brand New Kid, a musical lesson in tolerance and acceptance, adapted from Emmy Award-winning author Katie Couric's book, as part of its Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) series. Directed by Shelley Butler, with book by Melanie Marnich, music by Michael Friedman and lyrics by both, The Brand New Kid will run May 29 through June 14 on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Low-priced previews are available May 29 - June 5. Opening day is June 6. Press performance is May 31 at 2:00 p.m. All children who attend the 11:00 a.m. Target Family Performance on Saturday, June 6 will receive a free gift. Tickets to The Brand New Kid may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

South Coast Repertory will present The Brand New Kid, a musical lesson in tolerance and acceptance, adapted from Emmy Award-winning author Katie Couric's book, as part of its Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) series.