Amanda Smith News

In a play on 'Sankofa', looking backwards to move forward served Dance Theatre of Harlem well in this sneak peek of the season to come. Returning to the Guggenheim Museum for the first time since 1971, the company revealed an incredible lineup of dancers who were eager to prove their mettle in ballets by George Balanchine and Arthur Mitchell.

The Miami City Ballet began its Friday Ballet across America evening with George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet (1980), 'definitely the world according to Balanchine,' wrote Suzanne Farrell in her autobiography. The Miami ensemble got off to a ragged start, literally not up to speed, but once Principal Katia Carranza took the stage, in the role originated by Farrell, the ladies got with the program. Carranza combined necessary speed and technique with glorious attention to musical detail; every beat has been choreographed, and Carranza never missed one even if all she had to move was just a portion of an arm. Her cavalier, Rainer Krenstetter, added to his substantial elevation significant skill in landing--not only softly, but often exceptionally still. And by the time the Gounod score reached its feverish finish, the Corps de Ballet were at last working with the precision required for the final wedge formation; Balanchine's final image requires absolute solidity from the Corps as backdrop so that the sensational to the shoulder lift of Carranza by Krenstetter contains the power it's meant to.

Legendary Country, Bluegrass and Gospel stars shine brightly on Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout, a collection of all new original songs written or co-written by award-winning songwriter Rick Lang [pictured]. The new CD from Billy Blue Records is set for release Friday, November 16. 

Rogue Artists Ensemble's 2015 world premiere of WOOD BOY DOG FISH, their unique retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio, will be receiving a spiffy remounting at the Garry Marshall Theatre beginning May 12, 2018. We had the most opportune opportunity to talk some serious talk with the co-writer of both WOOD BOY DOG FISH editions - Chelsea Sutton, as she shared her histories with the Falcon Theatre, Rogue Artists Ensemble and the late Garry Marshall.

There are certain Dance Companies that are in a class by themselves. Dance Theatre of Harlem is one of them. They not only encompass many forms of the Dance brilliantly, they are committed to diversity in their dancers and repertoire.

I was lucky enough to be one of the lucky ones to be in the Broad Stage audience recently when the extraordinary Dance Theatre of Harlem invited Los Angeles audiences, for the first time in way too many years, to join in with them in experiencing the wonders of neo-classical and contemporary ballet that is both of the moment and timeless. The evening's 105-minute program consisted of Brahms Variations, choreographed by Robert Garland (2016), Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, choreographed by Ulysses Dove (1993) and Vessels, choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie (2014), each more enchanting than the last!

Columbia University and Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith are pleased to announce that Junk by Ayad Akhtar is the 2018 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History.

Columbia University Libraries, on behalf of the board of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, has announced the five finalist works for the 2018 award

Open Door Productions and The University of Utah's Department of Theatre presents Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which explores the last week of Jesus Christ's life through the eyes of his closest friend and enemy, Judas Iscariot.

Open Door Productions and The University of Utah's Department of Theatre presents Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which explores the last week of Jesus Christ's life through the eyes of his closest friend and enemy, Judas Iscariot.

The San Diego Women's Chorus treated audiences this past weekend (May 6-7, 2017) to a set of three celebratory performances of their 30th Anniversary concert, 'Reflections: Looking Back On Our First 30 Years!' at the University Christian Church in Hillcrest. The concerts featured over 100 women of SDWC singing songs from the chorus' 30-year history, encapsulating the group's rich commitment to peace, social action, honoring the lives of women who came before them, and providing quality musical entertainment to the local community.

At the inviting New York Live Arts Theater, New York Theatre Ballet presented their Uptown/Downtown/Dance series on March 3, 2017.  Now in their 38th Season, the company stands apart within the larger ballet community for its grasp on classical technique that mingles with undercurrents of modern dance vocabulary. But the program's pacing left something to be desired, as the excitement and delight peaked before intermission.

Columbia University and Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith have announced that A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: A Radical Fairy Realness Ritual by Taylor Mac and Matt Ray is the 2017 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History.

The talented women of the San Diego Women's Chorus are at it again! Join them Today, February 4th for SDWC's second annual love-themed cabaret fundraiser, Sugar & Spice, at The Irenic in North Park.

The talented women of the San Diego Women's Chorus are at it again! Join them Saturday, February 4th for SDWC's second annual love-themed cabaret fundraiser, Sugar & Spice, at The Irenic in North Park.

Columbia University Libraries, on behalf of the board of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, has announced the five finalist works for the 2017 award:

Hey, they're your holidays... you can be as happy as you want to be at Annex Theatre's December variety shows.

POLKADOTS: THE COOL KIDS MUSICAL received its educational premiere presentation at the Philip Chosky Theater in Carnegie Mellon University's Purnell Center for the Arts, March 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Conceived by composer and lyricist Douglas Lyons, 'Polkadots' was inspired by the 1957 events of the 'Little Rock Nine' in Arkansas and serves as a colorful musical history lesson for children, reminding them that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts. Scroll down for photos from the show!

"Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical" will receive its educational premiere presentation at the Philip Chosky Theater in Carnegie Mellon University's Purnell Center for the Arts, March 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Conceived by composer and lyricist Douglas Lyons, "Polkadots" was inspired by the 1957 events of the 'Little Rock Nine' in Arkansas and serves as a colorful musical history lesson for children, reminding them that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts.

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, on behalf of the board of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, has announced the five finalist works for the 2016 award: