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Rikki Lee Travolta

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Rikki Lee Travolta is an experienced creative professional who has worked in television, film, publishing, music, and theater. Currently he is the writer and producer of The Polish Cooking Show on PBS. Previously he has worked on projects involving Janet Jackson, Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses fame, Bryan Adams, Sting, Extreme, Crowbar, Soil, Scout Taylor-Compton from Halloween, Michael Dorn of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Peter Mayhew of Star Wars, and Chase Masterson from Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

He began his career as a child actor – starring as Tiny Tim in a televised production of A Christmas Carol. In the 1990’s he made national headlines as the first special guest star in the environmental theatre hit Tony n' Tina's Wedding - reviving ticket sales in Chicago and then branching out to boost ticket sales in productions across the U.S. Regarding his performance Fox Thing in the Morning personality Marianne Murciano said, “I’ve seen the show before. With Rikki Lee Travolta the show is even better!”

In 2005 GuestStarCasting named Travolta alongside Donny Osmond, Patrick Cassidy, Darren Day, Michael Damian, Brian Lane Green, Sam Harris, Bill Hutton, Jason Donovan, and Jon Secada as one of the top headliners in the world for the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Time Rice smash hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Travolta took a break from the performing world to serve as the head of public relations for several well-known companies including Empire Today and Other World Computing. He guided the companies to record setting media coverage leading to record breaking sales A natural spokesperson with a charming smile, Travolta made regular media appearance representing many of his employers.

Travolta made his return to acting in 2016 in a Midwest revival of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, for which he earned one of his three Best Performer nominations in the Broadway World Regional Theatre Awards. He continues to make select, critically-acclaimed appearances in film, television, and stage productions. The LA Times labeled Travolta a “Best Bet.”

Travolta’s film and television credits include The Sleight, The Lurker, Fear Frenzy!, Vampirus, That Night, Old Advice from a Dead Friend, Upstage: The Series, EDtv, and Crime Fiction. Highlights of his stage career include the musicals West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, and RENT, the dramas Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and August: Osage County, and the comedies Noises Off! and I Hate Hamlet. Of his appearance in The Lurker, the horror movie review hub Rotting Zombie named Travolta a “great scene stealing actor.”


In addition, he is a published author and journalist, an award-winning screenwriter, and the host of the popular weekly radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee about the entertainment industry. Available on all major podcast platforms, It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee features interviews with Broadway stars, Hollywood actors, award-winning behind the scenes creatives, and music industry royalty.

Rikki Lee Travolta News


Rikki Lee Travolta & Deborah Swinford to Star in LOVE LETTERS at Steel Beam Theatre


Chicagoland’s Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, IL will be presenting a special limited engagement fundraiser of A.R. Gurney’s romantic masterpiece LOVE LETTERS.

Cast Set For Steel Beam Theatre's LOVE LETTERS Fundraising Run in Chicago


Chicagoland's Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, IL will be presenting a special limited engagement fundraiser of A.R. Gurney's romantic masterpiece LOVE LETTERS for six performances only: February 23, 24, 25 and March 1, 2, 3. Find out who is in the cast here!

Narrative Sketch Show LIGHTS Makes New York Debut At The Brooklyn Comedy Collective


Don't miss the New York debut of narrative sketch show LIGHTS at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Written and performed by two Chicago comics, this introspective and parodied look at performance is a must-see.

Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and More Receive 2023 Heartstrings Awards, Honoring Meaningful Chicago Theatre


The Heartstrings Awards serve to acknowledge the most meaningful performances and productions of the year in Chicago. They are bestowed by Life and Times, under the direction of chief theatre critic Rikki Lee Travolta. Learn more about this year's winners here!

Elvis With An Alternate Focus Proves Popular In New And Future Cinema


Elvis with an Alternate Focus Proves Popular in New and Future Cinema. Sophia Coppola's 'Priscilla' and Rikki Lee Travolta's 'The Elvis Conspiracy' are captivating audiences with their unique takes on the iconic singer's life. Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' also showcases the rising popularity of alternate history films.

Broadway Baby Susannah B Appears on 'It's Showtime with Rikki Lee'


Singer/songwriter Susannah B has music in her blood. She is the daughter of the late Broadway composer and lyricist Carol Hall, whose credits include the 1978 classic The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and its 1994 Broadway sequel The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public.  Listen to her on a podcast episode now!

Patty Halajian Talks Ins and Outs of Costume Design on 'It's Showtime with Rikki Lee'


On a new episode of radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, host Rikki Lee Travolta sits down with acclaimed theatrical costume designer Patty Halajian for a discussion on what goes into the art of costume design and the process of working with a production team to create the director’s vision.

SHUTTER SPEED's April Noel Will Appear on IT'S SHOWTIME WITH RIKKI LEE


Writer and actress April Noel will be the featured guest on radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, airing Friday, September 8 at 3 PM CST on 101.5 FM out of Chicagoland’s Huntley community, and streaming in real-time online.

Chicago STAR WARS Comedy Show Comes to The Suburbs


Chicago is well-respected as one of the premier theater cities in the country. Famous shows to get their start in the Windy City include Organic Theatre's Bleacher Bums, Steppenwolf's August: Osage County, Lookingglass Theatre Company's Metamorphoses, and one of the most successful musicals of all time: Grease! that got its start at the Kingston Mine nightclub.

THE ELVIS CONSPIRACY Wins 9th Best Screenplay Award


Chicago-based entertainment personality Rikki Lee Travolta has earned top honors for Best Feature Script in the Gangtok International Film Festival for his original thriller screenplay The Elvis Conspiracy. In film, he has worked with such artists as Ron Howard, Chase Masterson, Peter Mayhew, and Scout Taylor-Compton.

THE ELVIS CONSPIRACY Scribe Rikki Lee Travolta Wins 8th Best Screenplay Award of the Season


Travolta credits the swelling popularity of the script to the public’s recent interest in the alternate history genre and the surge in attention on Elvis-related projects including Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-nominated 'Elvis' and the upcoming 'Priscilla' from writer/director Sofia Coppola.

Marriott Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater & More Win Heartstrings Awards


The Heartstrings Awards celebrating the most moving creative efforts in Chicago area theatre for the 2022 theatrical season have been announced citing winners including Marriott Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Broadway in Chicago, Elgin Theatre Company, and Porchlight Music Theatre.

12 Days Left To Vote For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards; The Little Theatre On The Square Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


The latest standings as of Monday, December 19th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Latest Stats Released For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards; at The Little Theatre On The Square Leads Best Ensemble Performance!


The latest standings as of Monday, December 12th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Latest Standings Released For The 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards; The Little Theatre On The Square Leads Favorite Local Theatre!


The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

First Stats Released For The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards; Little Theatre On The Square's ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE Leads Best Musical


The first live standings have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Rikki Lee Travolta Set To Star In Chicagoland's I HATE HAMLET


Rikki Lee Travolta will head the cast of Elgin Theatre Company's mounting of Paul Rudnick's iconic comedy I Hate Hamlet opening September 30, 2022, at the Elgin Arts Showcase just north of Chicago. Under the direction of Regina Belt-Daniels, Travolta will play the role of Andrew Rally – a famous but not terribly talented TV star who is cast in the title role of Shakespeare in the Park's Hamlet.

Metropolis Executive Director and New Artistic Director Will Appear on IT'S SHOWTIME With Rikki Lee


On Friday, June 17, radio's It's Showtime with Rikki Lee will feature an interview with Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's new artistic director Robert Gretta, along with executive director Brookes Ebetsch who joined the company in February 2020.

EFCT's BLITHE SPIRIT Star and Director to Guest on Chicago Radio's 'It's Showtime with Rikki Lee”


On the heels of the heralded opening of Eclectic Full Contact Theatre’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit at the Skokie Theatre, director Michael Woods and star Andrew Pond join radio’s It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee for an interview airing on Friday June 10 at 3 PM Central on 101.5 FM WHRU.

WTTW to Bring THE POLISH COOKING SHOW to Chicago


Chicago has the largest Polish-American population of any city in the United States. This cultural hotbed made the television show Flavor of Poland from WTTW an instant winner. Not only is the Polish-themed cultural show a hit in Chicago but also hugely popular around the country.

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