Katharine McDonough

Pasadena Playhouse, The State Theater of California offers an exciting line up of educational and community events this spring. 

Fraser Entertainment Group's AN EVENING OF CLASSIC BROADWAY will be back at LA's Rockwell Table and Stage with another new cast of performers. Nominated for multiple BroadwayWorld.com Awards for Special Theatre Event, the show tune songfest will take place on Thursday, March 19th at 8PM (doors open at 6:30).

What do the 1950s have in common with 1912? Both were ages of innocence. When Meredith Willson wrote his story with Franklin Lacey about a con artist bamboozling an Iowa town in 1912, which formed the substance of his musical The Music Man (1957), the effect became like that of N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker. People were jubilant, ecstatic and welcomed Professor Harold Hill, as they craved a good old-fashioned love story coated with ironic excitement. He was a charmer, and they saw way past his bad side. Now in a spectacular new production at 5-Star Theatricals, this company headed by Tony nominee Adam Pascal, keeps the show fantastically rousing and musically. almost perfect yet grounding the love story within the realm of  kitchen.sink believability. With splendid director Larry Raben, divine choreographer Peggy Hickey and fab musical director Brad Ellis at the helm, a marvlous 40 member cast takes the The Music Man and offers a much needed take on the way life should be, whether it's 1912, 1955 or 2019.

Tony nominee Adam Pascal stars as Professor Harold Hill in the first show of the 5-Star Theattricals 2019-2020 season, THE MUSIC MAN.

5-STAR THEATRICALS has announced the full cast to join previously announced Tony nominee ADAM PASCAL (Broadway's original a?oeRogera?? in Rent and original a?oeRadamesa?? in Aida) who will star as Professor Harold Hill in the first show of its 2019-2020 season, THE MUSIC MAN, book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, musical direction by Brad Ellis, choreography by Peggy Hickey and directed by Larry Raben.

Currently docked at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through July 28 is Musical Theater West's wonderfully vibrant new regional production of THE LITTLE MERMAID, Disney's Broadway stage adaptation of their hit 1989 animated classic, which itself was adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The resulting show achieves a cheerful, pleasant, and often charming hybrid that honors the original Disney-esque qualities of the film, but also shows what one may call a 'director's cut'---wherein the new 'extras' expand the musical even further in size, elements, and thematic mood. MTW's production is a visual treat.

Pasadena Playhouse's vibrant re-thinking of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's masterpiece, 'Ragtime' is a triumph of innovation and imagination. The show has been extended until March 7.

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California is extending its an all new version of Ragtime: The Musical through Saturday March 9.  With strong critical acclaim and audience reviews, performances have already been selling out.  Six more performances have been added March 5-9.

How do you scale down an epic musical like RAGTIME for a smaller stage and a different time? When it opened at the Shubert Theatre in Century City in 1997, the cast numbered nearly fifty, the same as it would for its Broadway debut later that year. The stage was enormous and the production filled every inch of it. I still remember how the sheer volume of the choral numbers gave me chills.

Broadway's original 'Coalhouse' Brian Stokes Mitchell dropped in on Pasadena Playhouse's production of Ragtime! See photos from his visit below!

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, has transformed the historic theater with an all new version of Ragtime: The Musical as it returns to Los Angeles more than two decades after its premiere at the Shubert Theatre.  With 21 actors and a 16-piece orchestra, this is one of the most ambitious productions in the Playhouse's recent history.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (celebrating its 25thSilver Anniversary at the theatre) in association with T&D Productions, LLC are thrilled to present Mary Bridget Davies, Broadway's original "Janis" starring in her Tony nominated performance A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox, musical direction by Brent Crayon, and created, written & directed by Randy Johnson. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will preview on Friday, September 14, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 15 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 7, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

On the very day that the newsboy strike began on July 18, 1899, Moonlight Stage Productions will open its second show of its summer season, DISNEY'S NEWSIES. The San Diego Regional Premiere production will run July 18 - August  4 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT invite you to 'Seize the Day' as they present the fifth and final show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with Disney's NEWSIES, book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, musical direction by Brent Crayon and directed and choreographed by Richard J. Hinds. NEWSIES will preview on Friday, June 1, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, June 2 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the fourth show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with SOUTH PACIFIC, book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan (adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Tales of the South Pacific" by James A. Michener), music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by Peggy Hickey and directed by Glenn Casale.  SOUTH PACIFIC will preview on Friday, April 20, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 21 at 8pm) and run through Sunday, May 13, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

SIGNing the Song returned to the Rockwell Table and Stage for one night only on Tuesday, Feb 27th at 8 pm! Using a combination of American Sign Language and singing, actor-vocalist William Martinez's SIGNing The Song shares the story of a boy who grew up in a deaf household with little exposure to TV, radio, or movies.

Back by popular demand, Contempo Productions brings Katharine McDonough's intimate re-staging of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL to the Chromolume Theatre in West LA for two weekends only. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature Newsies, Mamma Mia, and More!

Disney/Cameron Mackintosh's stage adaptation of MARY POPPINS, the closing production of Musical Theatre West's 64th season is mostly jolly good fun. Full of palpable joy, wonderfully-performed songs, and smile-inducing moments, MTW's buoyant, crowd-pleasing production of the London-set musical continues performances at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through July 23.