A. Ellis News

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 11th Anniversary IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

The coffeehouse meets the cabaret as a?oePoetry/Cabareta?? (Time Out NY-recommended) returns after a hit first season at The Green Room 42, to once again bring together poets and performers in an evening of stimulating variations on a theme. Season two opens with a?oePoetry/Cabaret: RECLAIMED!a?? as curator and host Thomas March (Aftermath) and the cast reclaim their time, themselves, their sense, and their sanitya?"or rediscover what's been there all along.

Jacob's Pillow launches a new podcast from the Jacob's Pillow Archives. Available on Simplecast and coming soon to all podcast platforms, PillowVoices: Dance Through Time creates contemporary conversations by placing archival recordings in dialogue with narration and insight of current thought-leaders and scholars. PillowVoices expands the resources available from the Jacob's Pillow Archives to its global audience, one of the most extensive dance archives in the United States. 

No one carries off a farce better than the Brits. It seems like they invented it just as we Americans invented the musical. Mischief Theatre first presented The Play That Goes Wrong in 2015 and then it came to Broadway in 2017. Now it is on tour, currently onstage at the Ahmanson until August 11. I cannot think of a better word to describe it than INSANITY. Most farces have slamming doors, pratfalls galore, double entendres, and mistaken identities. But when the slapstick turns into entire sets collapsing, as well as actors moving about helter skelter in nonstop fashion? The Play That Goes Wrong is unlike any other farce you may have seen. To say you will laugh uproarisouly is an understatement. Naturally, it will appeal to all actors and theatre lovers who know that live, anything can happen onstage. The Play That Goes Wrong carries it to the furthest extreme.

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's season-opener, Evita, featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice, runs from September 4 - October 6, 2019. Tickets (starting at $35) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 2019 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director, Shane Peterman, today announced details for the Southwest Regional Premiere of The Ballad of Little Jo.

David Parker, curator, and Jeffrey Kazin, producer, announce the May 16-19 performances of Soaking WET, featuring all female casts of creators and performers, led by choreographers Ellis Wood and Kate Digby, and writer Erika Batdorf.  Lighting is by resident Soaking WET designer Jay Ryan.

Pittsburgh CLO will launch its second New Musicals Weekend, a project of the Next Generation Campaign's New Small Musicals Initiative. New Musicals Weekend, the mini version of the SPARK festival, takes the core goals of SPARK and puts them into action over just seven days. New Musicals Weekend aims to develop new musicals for the CLO Cabaret by supporting writing teams with financial and creative resources and by building relationships with local and national artists. 

Circle Players, one of Tennessee's oldest community theater organizations, has announced the slate of shows for its 70th anniversary season, including some of the most requested shows in the company's history which will be 'revisited' for the special season. Circle Players revealed the shows to be included in its upcoming 70th season during a party last night on the 30th floor of Nashville's L&C Tower.

Roundabout Theatre Company presents the new Broadway production of the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, starring Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, opening tonight!

The coffeehouse meets the cabaret in "Poetry/Cabaret: FRESH" at The Green Room 42. Join curator and host Thomas March (Aftermath) and a cast of poets, comedians, and singers as they celebrate the arrival of spring-and what it means to be FRESH, in every way. Recommended by Time Out NY, "Poetry/Cabaret" is a fast-paced, multi-genre variety show that brings together poets and performers in an evening of wild variations on a theme, keeping the audience on its toes-get ready for a heartbreaking and hilarious evening of emotional whiplash! Joining us onstage to celebrate all things 'FRESH' will be-poets Donika Kelly, Elizabeth Senja Spackman, & Melissa Lozada-Oliva; singers Jordan Ho & Xavier; and comedians Kiko Soiree and Shane O'Neill-with Drew Wutke on piano. Tickets are available online at OvationTix.com:

Pittsburgh CLO will launch its second New Musicals Weekend, a project of the Next Generation Campaign's New Small Musicals Initiative. New Musicals Weekend, the mini version of the SPARK festival, takes the core goals of SPARK and puts them into action over just a few days. Similar to SPARK, New Musicals Weekend aims to develop new musicals for the CLO Cabaret by supporting writing teams with financial and creative resources and by building relationships with local and national artists. 

Moving Panoramas' anticipated sophomore album In Two will be released this Friday via Modern Outsider (pre-order). In anticipation of the upcoming release the album is streaming in full at The Big Takeover. About the album The Big Takeover says, 'Spacey but not alienating, loud yet still light, painting expansive and vivid vistas of sound against a sweepingly dynamic and melodic backdrop, Moving Panoramas make captivating dream rock from Austin, Texas...Sky-wide sonics, propulsive tempos, kinetic rhythms, sweet, heathery vocals, and a shadowy Western plains atmosphere move through the LP. The instrumentation creates a rich and textured picture that is accentuated by the warm and beguiling vocals.' Additonally Moving Panoramas' Leslie Sisson spoke with The Austin Chronicle about the trauma and tragedy that that inspired many of the songs featured on In Two. Read the full article HERE.

Austin-based band Moving Panoramas have revealed the latest single 'In Tune' from their highly anticipated sophomore album In Two out February 22 via Modern Outsider (pre-order). 'In Tune' which features Matthew Caws from Nada Surf premiered at PopMatters and can also be shared at Soundcloud. About the song PopMatters says,''In Tune,' proves that comparisons to Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, and the 4AD imprint during the 1990s haven't been off the mark. But the single further establishes songwriter Leslie Sisson's formidable powers for creating riveting narrative tension across a hook-laden track that provides the perfect balance of introspection and uplift. Fans of shoegaze and the poppier turns of the Cure will no doubt celebrate this single as a new favorite.' Moving Panoramas have an Austin record release show coming up on February 22 at Barracuda (tickets). The band will also be performing at this year's SXSW Music Festival including set at the Modern Outsider showcase, Austin Town Hall vs Side One Track One Showcase and KOOP Radio Showcase. A list of updated shows can be found at Moving Panoramas website.

Austin's Moving Panoramas have revealed the official video for their new single 'ADD Heart' from their highly anticipated sophomore album In Two out February 22 via Modern Outsider (pre-order). The video which was directed by Willi Patton premiered at Billboard can also be shared at YouTube. About the video Patton says, 'We were honored to be approached by Leslie Sisson of Moving Panoramas to do a music video for their new single, 'ADD Heart.' I knew immediately upon hearing the song that the energy needed to be high, and I really wanted to capture the feeling of not being able to focus, narratively as if the video itself suffers from ADD. It pushes you along in one direction, only to quickly switch course, pick up on some other thread, leaving more unanswered questions than resolutions. We're always so grateful to musicians for letting us experiment, to treat their work as a solid canvas to splash some paint on, deconstruct and then clumsily attempt to put back together.' 'ADD Heart' will be available on all streaming services this Friday.

The NEW book musical, JUDY GARLAND "World's Greatest Entertainer" premieres at the baby grand in Wilmington on March 22 - March 30 for six performances.

The NEW book musical, JUDY GARLAND 'World's Greatest Entertainer' opens at the baby grand in Wilmington on March 22 - March 30 for 6 performances. Written by Delaware native Playwright Greer Firestone, the show takes place in 1961, 2 weeks after Judy's legendary concert at Carnegie Hall which critics termed 'the greatest night in show business history'. This ORIGINAL musical has aspirations past the baby grand. National producers will be invited.

Fertility Fest, the only arts festival devoted entirely to the subject of the science of making babies and modern families, is now in its third year. This latest, expanded edition of Fertility Fest runs from 23 April - 18 May and is presented in association with the Barbican as part of the 2019 season, Life Rewired, exploring what it means to be human when technology is changing everything.

The coffeehouse meets the cabaret in "Poetry/Cabaret: CHILLY" at The Green Room 42. Come in from the cold, but prepare to be chilled by poems, songs, and stories about frosty receptions, tingles along the spine, and cool, smooth characters. Curated and hosted by Thomas March, author of the newly-released collection Aftermath, Poetry/Cabaret brings together poets and performers in an evening of wild variations on a theme. Joining us onstage to celebrate all things 'CHILLY' will be-poets Ryan Foster Casey, Cat Fitzpatrick, & Hafizah Geter; singers Lauren Elder, Daniel Nolen, & Stephanie Weeks; and comedians Alex English, Sophie Santos & Jes Tom-& with Scottie Hawley returning on piano.