Applause at Eli and Edythe Broad Stage

Musical Theatre Guild presents APPLAUSE, celebrating the life and career of composer Charles Strouse – with an expanded live orchestra!

Musical Theatre Guild’s 2025-2026 season – celebrating the musical contributions of theatre giants – concludes with Charles Strouse’s rarely-performed 1970 Tony® Award-winning musical, APPLAUSE. Strouse, who passed away in 2025, leaves an impressive legacy of musical theatre, spanning several decades, and APPLAUSE features a score by Strouse and frequent collaborator, lyricist Lee Adams, with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Befitting a composer such as Strouse, APPLAUSE will feature an expanded orchestra, which will help bring the musical to vibrant life and present the songs as they were originally intended to be heard. APPLAUSE performs for one night only – Sunday, February 15, 2026, 7:00 PM – at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA. Tickets are available at musicaltheatreguild.com.

Charles Strouse provided American Musical Theatre with a lengthy and eclectic library of work that has entertained generations of theatregoers. BYE BYE BIRDIE and ANNIE are among the most popular of his shows, which continue to be performed around the world, and now Musical Theatre Guild presents a less-performed Strouse musical that both captures an era and remains electrically present. With sass, wit, and a pulsing 1970s score, APPLAUSE presents showbiz in all its glory and ferocity. This updated musical version of the Academy Award®-winning movie, “All About Eve,” explores the complicated relationship between superstar Margo Channing and her assistant, Eve Harrington. In a story that seems timelier than ever, Eve’s attachment to Margo begins as a fan, evolving into a ruthless drive to take over Margo’s career and personal life. APPLAUSE Nominated for ten Tony® Awards (including for the Strouse/Adams’ score), and winning four, including Best Musical, APPLAUSE’s hit songs include "But Alive," "Applause," "Welcome to the Theater," and "Something Greater."

And “live theatre” becomes even more “Alive” with a live orchestra! Thanks to a generous grant from the David Lee Foundation, Musical Theatre Guild’s APPLAUSE will feature an expanded orchestra under the leadership of Musical Director Brad Ellis. “Charles Strouse brought a very progressive sound to Broadway, while maintaining a connection to traditional musical styles. He wrote stuff that was very fresh, without getting too far from the Broadway sound,” says Ellis, a longtime Southern California theatre and television (“Glee”) mainstay. “The great advantage of having a larger orchestra is that the orchestra is often the inner life that the actor is conveying, and it helps them amplify that in a large auditorium.” Adds Ellis, “Musical Theatre Guild is populated by very experienced actors who've done a whole lot of different kinds of styles, and know how to put themselves in the milieu of a wide variety of musicals. APPLAUSE is a show with a lot of youthful energy, but it is best displayed with a cast that has a depth of understanding.”

Joining Ellis on the creative team is director Trance Thompson. Jenny Gordon and Tonoccus McClain serve as Production Coordinators, and Leesa Freed will Stage Manage. The cast of APPLAUSE will star Musical Theatre Guild members Barbara Carlton Heart (Margo), Ashley Moniz (Eve), Brian Kim McCormick (Bill), Taubert Nadalini (Duane), Joshua Finkel (Buzz), Leslie Stevens (Karen), Robert Yacko (Howard), and Melissa Lyons Caldretti (Bonnie). The ensemble will feature Guild members Patrick Beller, Jennifer Bennett, Jasmine Ejan, Kevin Matsumoto, Benny Perez, George Xavier, and guest artists Roma Scarano and Chantal Tribble.

In advance of APPLAUSE, Musical Theatre Guild will put the spotlight on the value and importance of live music by hosting an online conversation of Musical Directors from across the country. “Hitting All The Notes: Music Directors on Live Music” is a livestream event taking place on Monday, February 2nd, 8:00PM EST/5:00PM PST. Featuring Brad Ellis and other Music Directors to be announced, information and link for “Hitting All The Notes” can be found at www.musicaltheatre.guild.com.

Musical Theatre Guild will once again partner with Tectonic Coffee, which will provide coffee and goodies for purchase before the show and at intermission. Co-owned by Guild member Chelsea Morgan Stock and located in West Hollywood, Tectonic Coffee uses direct trade and long-standing partnerships to ensure that every bean is ethically sourced and meticulously selected for its flavor. They pay above fair-trade prices, guaranteeing sustainable relationships with their growers. Audience members who arrive early can share an upscale coffee experience with their friends.

Celebrate the music and life of Charles Strouse, and “Welcome to the Theatre” - as Musical Theatre Guild concludes their 2025-2026 season with a big round of APPLAUSE!

ABOUT CHARLES STROUSE:
Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is a three-time Tony Award Winner, and a two–time Grammy and Emmy Award-winning American composer and lyricist. He has written scores for over 30 stage musicals, including 14 for Broadway. He has also composed scores for five Hollywood films, two orchestral works, and an opera. He has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame. His song “Those Were the Days” launched over 200 episodes of All in the Family” and continues to reach new generations of television audiences in syndication. With hundreds of productions licensed annually, his musicals ANNIE and BYE BYE BIRDIE are among the most popular of all time–produced by regional theaters, amateur, and school groups all over the world.

APPLAUSE performs on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM, at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, located at 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA. Ticket prices range from $39-$69. Ticket information is available online at www.musicaltheatreguild.com. The production will feature ASL access for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons. Student Rush and Actors’ Equity member discounts will be available at the box office on show day with appropriate ID. Additional productions and performance events will take place throughout the year. Go to www.musicaltheatreguild.com to learn more and to sign up for the Guild’s email list.

Your ticket purchase and donation help Musical Theatre Guild to continue producing the rarely seen Broadway works you love to see year after year. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, all donations in this, our 30th Anniversary year, will be matched, dollar for dollar, in order to support the Guild’s student outreach programs.

Musical Theatre Guild is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership company of theatre professionals, devoted to preserving the unique American art form of musical theatre by presenting seldom-seen musicals in a staged reading concert format. MTG’s Youth Outreach Program takes specially prepared live performances into Southern California schools, brings hundreds of local high school students to live theatre performances, and offers mentorships to theatre students who shadow our professionals behind the scenes of mainstage productions. All Musical Theatre Guild mainstage productions are signed for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons.

Authors

• Adolph Green
• Betty Comden
• Charles Strouse
• Lee Adams
• Mary Orr
• William F. Brown

Tony Awards and Nominations for Applause