Jared West

Danielle Wade is lighting up the stage as Maizy in the national tour of SHUCKED. Best known for winning the “Over the Rainbow” TV reality competition, Wade has built an impressive career spanning Broadway, national tours, and regional theater.

In just a few weeks, the breathtaking stage production of LIFE OF PI will sail into Proctors in Schenectady! Based on Yann Martel’s 2001 best-selling novel, which captivated readers and later became an Oscar-winning film in 2012, the story made waves once again with its 2019 stage debut in the UK before dazzling Broadway audiences in 2023. Now, it’s hitting the road with its first U.S. National Tour, and I had the pleasure of speaking with Taha Mandviwala, who brings the iconic role of Pi Patel to life. Taha isn’t just a phenomenal actor; he’s also an athlete, wellness coach, and self-proclaimed D&D enthusiast. With his infectious energy and thoughtful insights, our conversation was as inspiring as the story he helps tell on stage!

Here at Proctors in Schenectady, the Broadway tour of the acclaimed revival of Jason Robert Brown’s PARADE is kicking off its run after teching on-site. For those unfamiliar, PARADE tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man living in Georgia in the early 1900s who was accused of murder. I had the privilege of speaking with Chris Shyer, who portrays Governor John (Jack) Slaton in this production.

Starting on Tuesday, May 7th, the six queens of SIX the musical will be in town for a week performing the hit Broadway show about the six wives of Henry VIII. Among them is 23-year-old Upstate native Adriana Scalice, who dazzles audiences with her portrayal of one of history's most intriguing monarchs, Catherine Parr.

The national tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the musical based on Alanis Morisette’s album of the same name, is due to arrive in Schenectady on May 2. The show follows the Healy family as they deal with some heavy life issues. Making his touring debut, Dillon Klena is playing the role of Nick Healy (a role his brother Derek originated on Broadway).

The national tour of HADESTOWN is due to arrive in Schenectady shortly. This is a beautiful story that won eight Tony awards in 2019, including Best Musical! Leading this retelling of two Greek myths will be Chibueze Ihuoma in the leading role of Orpheus. Making his touring debut, Chibueze was in Cleveland when I caught up with him.

Jessica Vosk is a celebrated singer and actress and she has just kicked off her “MY GOLDEN AGE” US tour and will be visiting your area shortly! You may recognize her from Broadway roles like Elphaba in WICKED, or as the Narrator in JOSEPH... at Lincoln Center. I had the opportunity to catch up with her before the launch of this new concert tour.

Last night’s opening performance of JERSEY BOYS played to a packed house. Audience members sang along and danced in their seats, ultimately giving this cast a standing ovation. Not a bad way to wrap up the very first season for Capital Repertory Theatre (aka theREP) in their new home!

Prior to next week’s arrival of the film-inspired musical MEAN GIRLS to Proctors, I spoke with Lindsay Heather Pearce, who recently took over the role of Janis on tour. Her resume includes some notable television and theater credits, including her participation on The Glee Project/Glee and her Broadway debut as Elphaba in WICKED.

This morning, I had the opportunity to speak with Sam Primack (currently playing the alternate Evan Hansen going on twice a week) and Jessica E. Sherman (playing Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mother) in the popular musical DEAR EVAN HANSEN. The show is the story of an anxious high schooler named Evan who, in order to be liked, lies about his friendship with a fellow student. I reached them in the middle of their run in Baltimore prior to their arrival to the Capital Region area.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, as the infamous Murphy is so often quoted. In THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, just closed at the Winspear Opera House, nothing could be truer - and you will never laugh so hard because of it.

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak with James Hayden Rodriguez, who is currently playing Luke/Ares in the national tour of THE LIGHTNING THIEF, based on the Rick Riordan novel of the same title. I reached him in beautiful, breezy Eugene, Oregon, where the weather was great and he was enjoying some time before his show this evening.

Love: it brings joy and fear and peace and pain. You don't always know what you're going to get. Is love worth stepping into the unknown? What would you do for love? FALSETTOS, now playing at the Winspear Opera House, addresses these questions and the risks we take in loving.

We are all connected to everything we can see and can't see. That is one of the themes of the hilarious, heart-filled, not-to-be-missed musical FLY BY NIGHT, opening this weekend at Runway Theatre.

For those in the musical theatre world, you have probably heard of BLOOD BROTHERS, even if you don't really know the music or the plot. It is the third longest-running show in the West End (after Les Miz and Phantom), and played for over 10,000 performances! Imprint Theatreworks has taken on this show as the closer to their season. However, due to weakness in the writing of both the book and the music, it is difficult to imagine this being a smash hit here in the States like it was across the pond.

Teenagers can be mean to one another. Add to that the stress and fear of war, as well as the traditions of their fathers, and it can turn downright cruel. Yet, cruelty doesn't have to be the end result: it can lead to teachable moments, understanding and love. That's the foundation for the plot of DOGFIGHT, a thought-provoking and heart-touching musical currently playing at Onstage in Bedford, directed by Lon Barrera.

Love is love. That is the overarching message to the storyline of MEMPHIS. Love who you love: male, female, black or white. In the case of this particular show, the historically societal boundary being crossed is one of race. However, the words and songs in the script could apply to many current-day issues. Sadly, the performance at Music Theatre of Denton misses the mark and the message is lost amid uneven performances and questionable direction.

As the Christmas holiday approaches, people turn to family, friends and traditions. One tradition that continues to connect generations is A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, and you can now see it come to life onstage at Dallas Children's Theater.

Everyone can agree on the importance of proper education. But, what if you don't get into the right school? And, do you have to attend a private school to make it into an Ivy League school? There can be a lot of stress and strain around the application process. In Circle Theatre's latest production, Janelle Lutz proves she isn't solely a musical theatre genius and shows off her acting chops by transforming herself into over forty different roles, taking the audience through the roller coaster of emotions that surrounds the high stakes of kindergarten admissions in the wildly funny, often irreverent APPLICATION PENDING.

Opening night at Theatre Three's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC got off to a slow start, due to the late arrival of one of the theatre technicians. The show itself followed suit, starting off slow, but finding its stride as the evening continued, and ultimately ending in a heartwarming finale. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, this production is strong and well worth seeing.