Kelsey Denette - Page 948

The economy is the worse it's been in fifty years and a bunch of Delawareans decide to cheer things up by staging a musical at Longwood Gardens. Sound familiar? This is how The Brandywiners got their start in the Great Depression when Frances Tatnall and W.W. (Chick) Laird staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirate of Penzance way back in 1932. Of course, it didn't hurt that Pierre du Pont, owner of Longwood Gardens at the time, was Lairds's uncle and had just built Longwood's beautiful Open Air Theatre. Now, 80 years later, and in the midst of another economic turndown, The Brandywiners are doing it again with Hello, Dolly! , one of the greatest American musicals of all time. Opening in 1964, Hello, Dolly! set a record for Tony Awards (10) and performances (2,844). The title role of Dolly was originated by the legendary Carol Channing, and has been played by a who's who of female stars including Barbra Streisand, Mary Martin, Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Merman and even Phyllis Diller. Hello, Dolly! is a lavish Broadway-style musical that is as humorous as it is heart warming. Based on Thorton Wilder's The Matchmaker, it tells the story of Dolly's matchmaking mis-adventures in New York City just before the dawn of the 20th century. In keeping with the times, Director Cal Bracken has given The Brandywiners' production a feminist twist to an otherwise over-the-top sexist plot line. The women in this show do more than "clean out the stables" as they join the budding suffragettes demanding respect and equal rights. In another timely line, two of the characters sing "JP Morgan scrapes and bows to us" as they try it impress their girl friends. In true Brandywiners' fashion, this production brings eye-catching costumes, a professional orchestra and a cast of nearly sixty talented performers singing and dancing their hearts out. The Brandywiners' shows come as close as you can get to touring Broadway show quality and at less than half the price. Hello, Dolly! is playing July 26-28 and August 2-4 at Longwood Gardens Open Air Theater. Tickets are available by calling 800 338 6965 or through www.brandywiners.org.

The William Inge Theatre Festival has a long rich history of honoring great living playwrights, acknowledging these too-often underappreciated creative heroes of the stage. But the 32nd annual Inge Festival in 2013 changes pace: honoring its namesake American icon William Inge, to celebrate the centennial of his birth.

Kids Week, London theatre's annual initiative for children, has broken all its own records in the year of its fifteenth birthday. As of today an extraordinary 74,187 tickets have been sold, with over seven weeks of booking left. In 2011 Kids Week sold 73,426 tickets over the entire booking period.

Jim Bredeson has announced a concert presentation of excerpts from his new musical EVEN FOR ONE NIGHT as part of the Dixon Place Hot! Festival - The NYC Celebration of Queer Culture. The event will take place on Monday, July 16th at 7:30 PM at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street btw Rivington and Delancey). Tickets for the event are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and ticketing links and more information can be found at www.evenforonenight.com.

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park has announced that the Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Ms. M. Elizabeth Brothers as its first Trustee Emerita.

Casting has been announced for the St. Louis engagement of Disney's THE LION KING. St. Louis's most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Fox Theatre stage from Wednesday, August 15 to Sunday September 2. The press opening night is Thursday, August 16 at 8:00pm.

Actors' Equity Association (Equity) announced today that the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE has been selected as the recipient of its Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2011-2012 Season. The Diversity Award will be presented at a reception prior to Equity's National Council Meeting at the Equity headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 12:30PM EST.

For the first time ever, Cape May Stage presents two-time Tony-winning Christine Ebersole and jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein on Monday, July 30 at 8 p.m. for an evening showcasing new arrangements of classic songs by Fats Waller, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, and Cannonball Adderley.

In this 1965 musical, Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza go on their thrilling ride to battle evil, rescue maidens and right all wrongs. The score includes 'The Impossible Dream,' 'Dulcinea,' and 'I, Don Quixote.'

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Martin Pakledinaz, who passed away from brain cancer on July 8th at age 58. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in his memory on Thursday, July 12th, at exactly 8:00 p.m. for one minute.

Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris, currently appearing on Broadway in EVITA, will play Joe's Pub this Sunday at 9:30pm with his band, Loose Cattle.

Walking Shadow Theatre Company has announced the following shows for its upcoming season.

Scroll down to watch Rob McClure as Charlie Chaplin as he visits Times Square! McClure will star in the title role of the upcoming musical CHAPLIN, which arrives on Broadway this August.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced today that The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is awarding $2 million to the internationally acclaimed company in support of expanded community engagement and new artistic initiatives.

Tickets are on sale now for "Radiate" featuring Jomama Jones at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. The off-Broadway smash hit show is coming to Los Angeles for two nights only in a workshop presentation as part of DouglasPlus programming, on August 3 and 4, 2012, at 8 p.m.

The idea behind West End Bares was originally a concept by legendary director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Love Never Dies). West End Bares will play two shows (9:30pm and midnight).

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre has announced a performance and installation at the home of architects Marcia Previti and Peter Gumpel in East Hampton, NY on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

SILENCE! The Musical today announced that the hit musical is set to move to the brand new Elektra Theatre in the heart of Times Square, with performances beginning next Wednesday, July 18th.

The first Warner Theatre International Playwright Festival will take place in the Warner's Nancy Marine Studio Theatre tonight, July 12 through July 14, 2012 at 8pm each evening.

Alexander Greenfield will direct a cast that includes Kate Shindle (Wonderland, Legally Blonde), Alex Brightman (Wicked, Glory Days), Theresa McCarthy (Titanic, Floyd Collins), and Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan, One Life to Live, Arena Stage's Oklahoma) in a reading of Michael Finke's new musical REPORTING LIVE on July 25th at 12 and 4 p.m. as well as July 28th at 2 p.m. as part of the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival Developmental Reading Series.