Ari Afsar News

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the cast for its world-premiere production of Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical, book by Mike Lew (Playhouse’s Tiger Style!) and Rehana Lew Mirza, music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, with additional music by Grammy Award nominee Deep Singh. 

We Won’t Sleep, a new pop musical based on the true story of Jeannette Rankin, America’s first congresswoman, will hold industry readings by invitation only in New York City on Thursday, December 16 and Friday, December 17.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) will welcome both virtual and in-person audiences to enjoy Sing Out For Freedom TONIGHT, Monday, November 22 at 7:30pm (EST at The Town Hall).

The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union have announced performers and special guests set to join their hybrid streaming and in-person Sing Out For Freedom benefit concert on Monday, November 22 at 7:30pm (EST at The Town Hall).

Directed by NYCLU Artist Ambassador Jess McLeod (Hamilton in Chicago) and hosted by ACLU Ambassador Peppermint, this event will spotlight the ACLU and NYCLU's landmark victories over the last year and share urgent calls to action as we come together to build a stronger and more equitable New York for all.  

The 2021/2022 Signature Theatre season kicks off early November 2021 with a reimagined new production of Jonathan Larson’s musical RENT and continues with the DC premiere of Daphne’s Dive by Quiara Alegría Hudes; a new production of She Loves Me by Joe Masteroff, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick and more.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat will host nine weeklong in-person residencies for 23 musical theatre writers of nine new musicals between June 27 and August 29.  Writers include Tony-nominee Beth Malone, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls; Jonathan Larson winners Avi Amon, Sara Cooper, Ty Defoe, and Anna Jacobs and more.

As the COVID-19 crisis raging in India sets record death tolls, the world watches from afar. #ToIndiaWithLove will be a week-long impact campaign ending with a benefit concert, sending a message of hope and solidarity with the people of India during this incredibly trying time.

La Jolla Playhouse has released a new video featuring Arianna Afsar performing 'Erase You' from the upcoming new musical Bhangin' It, which premieres in 2022.

In the film, two Indian-Americans pretend to date in order to survive a summer of weddings, but find themselves falling for each other as they struggle to balance who they are with who their parents want them to be.

The Sappho Project has announced the appointment of three founding members of its Board of Directors, making up the full slate of board members for 2020. Joining the Board of Directors is BRIAN LOWDERMILK (they/them or she/her), ANEESH SHETH (she/her), and REGINA VICTOR (they/them).

Quarantine Cabaret and Cocktails, produced and hosted by entertainer and LML Music founder, Lee Lessack, and actor and frequent SNL regular, Robert Bannon, made its debut during isolation on YouTube, and they have had nothing but star studded shows every week in the approximately hour long show, and the humor quotient has been very high, along with the music.

On Tuesday, December 15 at 8pm EST, tune in for Georgia Artists for Georgia’s Future: A Benefit Concert to Flip the Senate! The one-night event stars and celebrates performers, playwrights, and politicians born in or currently living in Georgia, and benefits the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff Senate campaigns.

New American musical in development Letters to the President has released a music video of “So Far to Go,” written by Ronvé O’Daniel and Jevares Myrick. The video is now streaming online as part of O’Daniel and Myrick’s newly launched Composer and Lyricist Artist Channel on Broadway on Demand.

Submissions for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2021 National Music Theater Conference are open! Writers may submit new musicals through the O'Neill's Open Submissions process through October 30.

This week's list includes the upcoming holiday Hadestown album, the cast recording for the Les Miserables Staged Concert, and more!

This week's list includes new music from Josh Groban and Broadway songs from Seth MacFarlane. In addition, The SpongeBob Musical is coming to DVD, and the lyrics of Hadestown are now available!

Today (October 6) in live streaming: Fiddler in Yiddish reunites, Broadway Buskers is back, and so much more!

Today's top stories: One Royal Holiday trailer (Aaron Tveit & Laura Osnes), trailer for What the Constitution Means to Me on Amazon Prime Video, and more!

The Times Square Alliance announced today the performer lineup for the remainder of this year's Broadway Buskers concerts.