David Clarke - Page 6

Six months in and Lena Hall's OBSESSED series is still going strong with solid homages and tributes to various artists. This month, Hall spectacularly croons her way through delightful gloomy misery on OBSESSED: Radiohead. The new EP is, more-or-less, the anti-summer collection of music you didn't know you needed.

Philip Dawkins's latest play is making its New York premiere at the Cherry Lane Theatre. The play recounts the fateful meeting of William Inge and Tennessee Williams prior to the Chicago premiere of THE GLASS MENAGERIE. We sat down with Dawkins to get the inside scoop on this sexy and searing new drama.

Lena Hall rings in May with OBSESSED: P!NK, a tribute to the diva who transitioned from mercurial party girl to a songstress giving the world healthy doses of resilient strength, love, and feminism. With both artists being inspiringly bold, with vocals defined by their signature grit, and both possessing magnetizing stage presences, this EP seems almost too obvious a choice. Yet, as with each of the previous entries in the 'Obsessed' series, it does anything but disappoint.

Recently released CALENDAR GIRLS (Original London Recording)cis just perfectly nice. Based on the charming and quaint 2003 film by the same title written by Tim Firth, the musical itself garnered warm notices from London media. So, it is no surprise that the music and this cast was recorded for preservation; however, the two-disc album doesn't convince listeners that this musical is better than the original film as some British theater writers claim.

Dorcas Leung, currently touring the nation with HAMILTON as the standby for Angelica Schuyler, Eliza Hamilton, Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, is an Asian immigrant who grew up in Houston and went to elementary, middle, and high school in Spring Branch ISD. Making a triumphant return to the city that helped raise her in a one of the most popular musicals to ever grace the stages of the world, BroadwayWorld chatted with her about the true power of the show. 

The January 15 news that Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries, had passed was nothing short of devastating for many. With hearts broken all over the world, it's hard to know when releasing a tribute to The Cranberries would be appropriate. With OBSESSED: THE CRANBERRIES, Lena Hall proves that that time is now, and listening to the EP, I'm sure O'Riordan is simultaneously proud of Hall while jamming out to these incredible covers.

After sitting out the 2017 holiday season, anticipation for NBC's return to the live musical game ran high. The choice to present Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on Easter Sunday seemed obvious. Then, they packed the cast with stalwart veterans of the Billboard Top 40 charts and Broadway stage, which added fuel to the pyre of excitement. Luckily, as millions of people tuned in on Sunday night, viewers were treated to the best televised musical since this medium was revived in 2013.

For many, musical theater and Andrew Lloyd Webber are synonymous. Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that his music has been influential within and outside of the world of musical theater. To celebrate the prolific composer's 70th birthday, UMe / Polydor has released ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION, a sprawling and somewhat bloated 4-disc collection of music personally curated and overseen by Lloyd Webber himself.

This week in New York City, Philharmonia Orchestra of New York (PONY) is premiering LA TRAVIATA with 3D holographic projections for the sets. On March 20 and 21, 2018 audiences at the Rose Theater will be treated to the show's classic and beloved arias set against awe-inspiring backdrops like Niagara Falls. To get the inside scoop on this first-of-its-kind presentation we chatted with PONY Maestro Atsushi Yamada.

The pulsating energy of Elton John has long been one of the things that has turned listeners into rabid fans of him and his music for decades. This is not lost on Lena Hall, who matches him kilowatt for kilowatt in her exuberant OBSESSED: ELTON JOHN, which is this month's release in her in ongoing series of EPs for calendar year 2018.

Riverdance, the internationally acclaimed dance phenomenon returns to Houston with, RIVERDANCE - THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR from March 9 to 11. To get the inside scoop on the long-running fan favorite, we sat down with Lead Dancer Any-Mae Dolan and chatted about the show.

Jamie Morton, co-creator of the popular podcast MY DAD WROTE A PORNO, is taking Rocky Flintstone's scintillating and rib tickling erotica novels on a world tour. Morton and his friends/co-creators, James Cooper and Alice Levine, are spreading the love all around North America at stops that include San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and New York City. Recently, we sat down with Morton to get the inside scoop on these live shows.

The inventive musical adventure ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME tells the story of a single mom who is struggling to balance her familial obligations and her work as a video game composer. One sleepless night, she posts a dating video and gets a response from famed 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. What follows is an odyssey of virtuosic electro-violin performance from Val Vigoda and Wade McCollum's charismatic and lush vocals.

We all know about the boy who lived, but you probably don't know about his Hufflepuff classmates. Well, never fear. Off-Broadway's hit comedy PUFFS is here to better acquaint with this group of earnest castoffs who are always just outside of the spotlight. To get the inside scoop on the side-splitting play and its Kickstarter backed filming on February 3 and 4, we chatted with actress Jessie Cannizzaro.

Today, Lena Hall released her second of 12 EPs in her Obsessed series, OBSESSED: PETER GABRIEL. The four-song collection is an immensely satisfying tribute to Peter Gabriel while allowing listeners to revel in gravely grandeur of Hall's delicious rock vocals.

Stearns Matthews, a Bistro and Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award-winning vocalist, recently released DECEMBER SONGS. This album is the first male recording of Maury Yeston's 1991 song cycle, which is inspired by Franz Schubert's beloved Winterreise song cycle. With this album, Matthews' shimmering and spirited tenor instrument better connects Yeston's cycle to his inspiration while allowing listeners to get lost in these snow-covered tunes.

When an artist moves away from the cultural capital that is New York City, it goes against every belief we have in that place to acknowledge and accept that the ability to create powerful art can exist outside of that esteemed sanctuary. However, Scott Alan's LIFELINE is alive with spirited lyrics, lush melodies, poignant messages, and heartwarming romance despite being conceived, written, and recorded far from the city that never sleeps.

SCHOOL OF ROCK is a hilarious new musical that has taken London, Broadway, and now the US by storm. The tour stars Rob Colletti as Dewey Finn, a substitute teacher with ambitions of being a rock star. Finn helps the kids he teaches tap into their ids and expands their confidence, transforming the high-performing young academics into a bona fide rock band! To get the inside scoop on the show as the tour pulls into Houston, we chatted with Colletti.

Lena Hall, Broadway's reigning queen of rock, is poised to dominate 2018. And, to be honest, we couldn't be more excited. On Friday, January 5, 2018, she released the first of 12 monthly EPs in her Obsessed series OBSESSED: HEDWIG. For those of us who didn't get to see Hall play the titular character in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH during its recent national tour, this EP gives us a glimpse into what that experience must have been like.

Loose Cattle, fronted by two-time Tony award winner Michael Cerveris and Kimberly Kaye, have released a holiday album that explores the real feels of the holidays. Shoving Burl Ives and Irving Berlin out of the way, Loose Cattle's SEASON AFFECTIVE DISORDER is the perfect album for anyone willing to admit that their December isn't all sparkles, snow, champagne, cheer, and mirth. We recently sat down with the duo to get the inside scoop on the music.