Dallas Interviews - Page 2

With the challenges of putting a brand new musical on its feet, finding a moment where actress Alysha Umphress could steal away from rehearsal for this interview was a challenge of its own. And when we did connect, it was not without technical difficulties on my end, and a coffee spilling fiasco on ...

Taylor Quick moved to New York just nine short months ago, but she's already achieved the role of a lifetime: playing the title role in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE alongside some of New York's brightest stars. But, the young actress, who has family ties to the Great White Way, has neither lost her tena...

Before appearing in front of the entire world on MTV's 2008 LEGALLY BLONDE casting series, actress Autumn Hurlbert had been honing her stage skills since childhood. And, although she came up second in the televised competition (still receiving a contract in the Broadway production!), Autumn left the...

BWW Interview: Darick Pead of INTO THE WOODS at Winspear Opera House...

Earlier this week, I caught up with Rose Hemingway, who returns to Dallas next week in the national tour of KINKY BOOTS. Last year, Rose created the role of Misty Mae in the critically acclaimed production of MOONSHINE: THAT HEE HAW MUSICAL, shortly after making a name for herself in Broadway's HOW ...

When Linda Gray won the part of Dallas's Sue Ellen Ewing in 1978, she thought she was signing on for a five-episode guest role as J.R. Ewing's long-suffering wife. Sue Ellen's penchant for vodka was rivaled only by her love for younger men, and soon tens of millions of viewers tuned in each week to ...

Most actors receive a standard show contract for around 12 months, but that doesn't mean every actor hangs up their shoes and immediately walks into another show. In fact, not only do some actors extend their contracts, but some make an entire career out of an individual credit. Rob Ouellette, who i...

Last week, before the Hedwig and the Angry Inch tour opens at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, I caught up with the production's Yitzhak: Hannah Corneau.  It was lovely chatting with her about how she came to Hedwig, and how this truly unique show has been received across the country!...

Twenty-six-year-old dancer Ryan Steele might have the kind of credits most performers spend a lifetime creating, but if his constant laugh and honest vulnerability are any indication, this one-of-a-kind performer is as down to earth as they come. With four Broadway credits, a handful of television a...

Yesterday, I had a chance to speak with Felicity Jones Latta, who is currently playing Judy (the mother) in the national tour of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. She was in Chicago getting ready for a packed day....

If you ask a musical theatre lover to name one of their favorite shows, there's a high likelihood they will mention Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic, The Phantom of the Opera, a staple on Broadway, around the world and on tour. I was honored and thrilled to chat with actor Derrick Davis, who is in rehe...

Over the past 20 years, Jonathan Larson's RENT has become an iconic piece of American musical theater. As its anniversary tour is about to make its scheduled stop in Dallas, I had the immense pleasure of speaking with original choreographer, Marlies Yearby, about the past, process, and production o...

It was a delight to chat with Broadway actor Kevin Massey, currently starring in the national tour of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, playing at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas this August....

The national tour of BEAUTIFUL, the musical based on the life and legacy of Carole King, just arrived in Houston, where they'll perform for one week before landing at Dallas' Winspear Opera House. On Tuesday night, I was lucky enough to catch this former DFW local Josh Dawson on his way to the theat...

On Monday, I had the pleasure of speaking with actor Randy Harrison, who's currently on tour as the Master of Ceremonies in CABARET. Randy talked candidly about working in the entertainment industry as an out member of the LGBT community, crazy touring audience interactions, and why he's happy to bo...

This week, BroadwayWorld guest writer Sarah Comley-Caldwell had the privilege of chatting with the playwright and star of THE WONDER BREAD YEARS, Pat Hazell. With his background as a Seinfeld and sitcom writer, commercial director and actor, Hazell brings wit, warmth and nostalgia to his one man sho...

The premiere of JFK in Fort Worth on April 23 is a big step forward for composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek--who made a splash in contemporary opera circles with their post-apocalyptic DOG DAYS--as their first 'grand' opera. It's also a major leap for American Lyric Theater (ALT), a...

This week, I sat down with Janelle Lutz backstage at The Firehouse Theatre, moments before she took the stage for her second (and final) dress rehearsal for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which runs February 18th through March 6th. Lutz (pronounced 'loots,' although she doesn't correct those that rhyme h...

Over the past few years, the theatre community has been quietly buzzing about the stage work of Jackie Burns, the young actress whose credits include Elphaba in Broadway's WICKED, a soloist in the tribe of the 2009 HAIR revival, the original off-Broadway production of ROCK OF AGES, and most recently...

On Monday, I caught up with Daniel Patrick Smith, who plays Buddy in the national tour of ELF. Daniel had just arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for a one-week stop on the show's brief holiday tour. A proud 8-year New York City veteran performer (and graduate of New York University's prestigious Tisch Sch...

Earlier this week, I had the chance to chat with Dixie Longate, the hilarious entertainer whose famous Tupperware Party has conquered just about all of the world. Dixie's new show, NEVER WEAR A TUBE TOP WHILE RIDING A MECHANICAL BULL opened this week at Bass Hall's McDavid Studio in Fort Worth. Dix...

Ashley Brown is no stranger to the stage, having originated the role of MARY POPPINS in New York City after making her Broadway debut in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST a few years earlier. Ashley is also no stranger to Dallas, as she is returning to town after recently being here for an engagement with the Da...

'I have a lot of projects I get asked for, but the opera house really is my house.'...

Composer looks for stories that tell transformative, emotional journeys, feel relevant and true with a sense of real intimacy and larger forces at work...

Earlier this week, I spoke with Jennifer Blood from Denver, where she's currently performing with the first national touring company of MATILDA. Jennifer recently appeared on Broadway with the cast of A GENTLEMEN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, and even served as Sutton Foster's standby as the title cha...

Last week, I had the opportunity of speaking with Jarvis B. Manning Jr., a Texas native from the national tour of MOTOWN The Musical. In addition to speaking about returning to his hometown as a professional performer, Jarvis spoke about the unique experience of touring the country during the Michae...

BWW Interviews: Audrey Cardwell of CINDERELLA at Music Hall At Fair Park And Bass Performance Hall...

Cheryl Allison may not be a household name (yet), but her resume is extremely impressive, to say the least. With credits on Broadway, in Japan, several national tours, and endless regional theatres, Cheryl has made an impressive career out of theatre, which she first discovered as a child in Dallas....

Last week, I spoke with Jacob Kemp, the young actor currently starring in the national tour of Disney's NEWSIES. In addition to the tour, Jacob has been featured in a recurring role on an ABC sitcom, and he admits that he's had a very exciting and successful year. From his hotel in Los Angeles, wher...

Katy Tye and Jeffrey Coangelo discuss movement theater on the cusp of their latest production, 'Prism.'...

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak with Broadway legend, Rachel York, just minutes before her final rehearsal for THE KING AND I at Music Hall at Fair Park. Having personally seen Ms. York perform onstage in several Broadway shows, as well as the filmed productions of KISS ME KATE and...

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Broadway's Dylis Croman, who returns to the national tour of CHICAGO next week, as the fame-obsessed merry murderess, Roxie Hart. With five Broadway shows under her belt, and several national tours, Ms. Croman returns to Texas, having graduated ...

In theatre, the phrase 'triple threat' describes a performer who can sing, dance, and act (often all at once!). But how do you describe a performer who does all of this while juggling a half-dozen instruments, stage combat, and various accents? As a cast member and music captain on the national tour...

In just over two weeks, a parade of long-legged men and women will march into Music Hall at Fair Park, delivering Dallas the national tour of Kinky Boots. As part of Dallas Summer Musical's 75th anniversary season, the show features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper (yes, that Cyndi Lauper!) and a bo...

Alexandra Ncube, of The Book of Mormon, talks about tripping onstage, auditions and life on the road!...

On January 30, Houston's two major opera houses will begin performances of Mozart's final two completed operas - LA CLEMENZA DI TITO and THE MAGIC FLUTE. Opera in the Heights will open LA CLEMENZA DI TITO for the first time in Houston since 1991, and Houston Grand Opera will open THE MAGIC FLUTE....

Ross Nemeth says 'everything is just perfect' on tour with Disney's Beauty and the Beast....

For your viewing pleasure, I had a conversation with Broadway actress and singer Krysta Rodriguez about her upcoming masterclasses with Straight From New York. Without even seeming to try, she gave an illuminating, dare I say, instructive interview....

The main goal of Straight From New York Workshop and Concert Series is to offer "educational opportunities for performing arts students to work with top Broadway artists in cities around the country. In addition, the concert series features Broadway artists in performance for the public!" This Octob...

Laura Osnes is bringing her beauty, brains and talent to Texas - Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth respectively. In each city, she will teach a masterclass drawing on her wealth of experience as a Broadway actress and Tony Award Nominee. In this interview, she talks about what she's been taught and wha...