Jake Groshong

The Playing For Change Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2024 Impact Awards on Saturday, April 13, 2024, a night dedicated to music, philanthropy, and the power of change.

The complete cast has been announced for the modern musical adaptation of The Song of Bernadette developmental workshop from Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominated Composer, Frank Wildhorn, CMA winner and Grammy nominated lyricist, Robin Lerner and award winning playwright, Rinne B Groff.  

The new Frank Wildhorn musical, 'The Song of Bernadette,' will begin a New York City workshop this week. The workshop stars Sophie Anne Caruso and Lea Salonga.

There's been much speculation surrounding Balagan Theatre and their financial woes since the announcement of their closing and the canceling of the rest of their season. I recently sat down with former Balagan Executive Director Jake Groshong, one of the men in the center of it all, to get his take on the situation.

If you're going to go after a quirky, off kilter show such as "Urinetown", you need to go for the over-stylized melodrama aspect of it or don't even bother. Well Balagan Theatre has never been one to shy away from that "go big or go home" mentality and their current co-production with Seattle Musical Theatre is no exception. But as over the top as it is, it just doesn't quite reach the heights of satire in some places to really push the show into the realm of sardonic gold.

The heads of Balagan Theatre heard that Seattle Musical Theatre (SMT) also had Urinetown in their season and reached out to the heads of SMT to create a partnership that would be more beneficial for both theaters and for the theatre community. With this in mind, Balagan is shifting their scheduled Urinetown production from September to August, to allow for a Co-Production with Seattle Musical Theatre. Balagan is thrilled to add SMT to their season co-producers. This joint production of Urinetown will take place at SMT's theater at Magnuson Park.

David Austin's original new musical, Finishing Arthur Danby, will receive an NYC industry reading Sunday August 3. This is the latest effort from the rising star and composer of the new musical Beaches, which received its world premier in DC earlier this year.

The Board and staff of Balagan Theatre announce the appointment of new Executive Director Danielle Franich, effective July 21, 2014.

The heads of Balagan Theatre heard that Seattle Musical Theatre (SMT) also had Urinetown in their season and reached out to the heads of SMT to create a partnership that would be more beneficial for both theaters and for the theatre community. With this in mind, Balagan is shifting their scheduled Urinetown production from September to August, to allow for a Co-Production with Seattle Musical Theatre. Balagan is thrilled to add SMT to their season co-producers. This joint production of Urinetown will take place at SMT's theater at Magnuson Park.

On the heels of its critically acclaimed world premier new musical ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME by Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Millburn and Tony winner Joe DiPietro and directed by Obie Winner Lisa Peterson, Seattle's Balagan Theatre Company announces its 2014/15 season. Balagan's upcoming season reflects the past, present, and future of the new American musical and continues its mission in bringing exciting cutting edge theatre to a new generation of theatre goers.

The New York premiere of 'Thankskilling the Musical' will begin on April 29th as part of the 'Festival of the Offensive.' The casting has been announced for the show which will be performed at The Producers' Club, Crown Theatre on West 44th Street.

I must be honest here; Balagan Theatre putting on a production of Les Mis already has two hurdles to overcome before I even set foot in the door. First that it's Les Mis. It's a monumental undertaking and one of my favorite shows and I'm incredibly picky about it. And two, it's Balagan and with their recent track record I expect great things. So before I even enter the theater I already have some impossibly high standards for the production. And while there were definitely some superb moments on that stage (many in fact) there were also some glaring drawbacks that kept the show from meeting or even exceeding those standards.

Balagan Theatre continued its Summer New Works program the other night with their reading of the Anton Chekov and Kurt Cobain inspired, 'Nirvanov'. And Broadway World was given exclusive access to bring you photos from the reading of this fascinating look into one of Seattle's biggest and most tragic citizens.

Veteran film and theatre producer Sandy Stern, with Louis Hobson, Jake Groshong and Katie Tomlinson Diamond of Seattle's Balagan Theatre, will present a closed workshop performance today, July 12, of Jeff Thomson and Jeremy Desmon's new rock musical Pump up the Volume, directed by Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies,South Pacific) and Dave Solomon, with choreography by Christopher Gattelli and music direction by James Sampliner (Legally Blonde, The Wedding Singer).

Jeff Thompson, Jordan Mann and Balagan Theatre should be ashamed of themselves as last night they opened Balagan's New Works Summer Series with Thompson and Mann's musical horror spoof "Thankskilling" based on the indie horror film of the same name. It was crude, lowbrow, crass, offensive … and one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile.

Balagan also announced a trio of Broadway powerhouse artists for Carrie: The Musical: Alice Ripley, Kendra Kassebaum, and Keaton Whittaker as Carrie. Ripley is best known for her Tony Award-winning turn as Diana Goodman in Next to Normal; Kassebaum was the first to replace Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked; and young local actor Keaton Whittaker starred alongside Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones in A Little Night Music.

Balagan Theatre made three major announcements during a packed Season Preview Party at the Moore Theatre on Monday, June 10: 'Nirvanov' as the fifth show in the 2013-2014 mainstage season, a star-studded trio of leading ladies in Carrie: The Musical, and a newly created New Works Program, whose Summer Series debuts July 6.

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, tonight, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, Monday, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.