The votes are in, the ballots tallied and the people have spoken. Yes, the 2010 BroadwayWorld Seattle Theater awards results are in and my oh my was it a nail biter. There was some fierce competition out there but the voters have spoken. But since the results were so close, we're going to put in not only the winners but also the 1st and 2nd runners up as well. And I'm also going to throw in my own Critic's Choice for the hell of it. So without further ado, the envelopes please...
Between the Southern California arrivals of Lincoln Center Theatre's impressive SOUTH PACIFIC revival and the Tony-winning NEXT TO NORMAL tour starring Alice Ripley, to the incredibly entertaining offerings from regional and smaller theaters in the area, 2010 was a banner year in musicals and plays.
The producers of the 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights have announced that Arielle Jacobs will make her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario on Monday, November 15, 2010 at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Jordin Sparks will play her final performance as Nina on Sunday, November 14, 2010. As previously announced In The Heights will play its final Broadway performance Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 7pm, with Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda re-joining the cast on Saturday, December 25, 2010.
The producers of the 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights have announced that Arielle Jacobs will make her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario on Monday, November 15, 2010 at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Jordin Sparks will play her final performance as Nina on Sunday, November 14, 2010. As previously announced In The Heights will play its final Broadway performance Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 7pm, with Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda re-joining the cast on Saturday, December 25, 2010.
The 5th Avenue Theatre continues its celebration and love of the American Musical with the National Tour of one of the freshest new shows to come along in awhile, "In the Heights". And while the tour of this fresh show seemed to come across a bit stale, the show still demonstrates that good new musical theater is out there and doesn't need to be based on a movie.
Is it actually possible to like something more on repeat viewings? In the case of the traveling national tour production of IN THE HEIGHTS--now performing for a limited engagement at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through August 15--the answer is a very qualified 'yes.' That's quite a feat, considering the show just played an extended run in Hollywood at the Pantages Theatre, featuring its original creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising the lead role. With Miranda's charms and undeniable hip-hop skills on full display, the much celebrated Los Angeles stop was a dazzling thing to behold. So how will the show fare without its main impresario dramatizing this entertaining tale?
Last Monday night the touring cast of IN THE HEIGHTS performed two benefit concerts to raise funds for a Puerto Rican hospital. The concert, entitled 'Guilty Pleasures', featured over 20 members of the cast performing their guilty pleasure songs.
Once in a while, one of the most fortunate things about west coast debuts of touring shows is when a Broadway hit finally transfers here, bringing with it some of the original stars that helped launch it. For those able to catch the Los Angeles premiere of the 2008 Tony® Award-winner for Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS (now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through July 25), the pleasant surprise is the presence of the show's original lead actor, who also happens to be the man who conceived the hit musical, as well as write the show's music and lyrics. Not to disparage those that have (and will) take on the same role, but at the very second Lin-Manuel Miranda appears on stage as Usnavi-the show's central hero and de facto narrator-the electric energy is palpable. In Miranda, we see the show's very heart and soul, filled with the hopes and dreams of the characters he helped personally craft. With his lead, the show literally comes to effervescent life.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony and Grammy Award-winning show In the Heights has a lot to shout about. First of all, it's a musical with and about Latinos - way overdue -plus it has a terrific book with a heartwarming storyline and a bevy of exceedingly likeable characters, an unusually varied score, joyful choreography and direction, and an ensemble that rocks.
In the Heights, now playing at the Hobby Center, is an energetic portrayal of the residents of a New York City barrio whose dreams are seemingly bigger than their means. Once they learn to put their trust in each other, they find the ability to achieve their goals and that much of what they desire is closer than they think. This energetic production is perfect for anyone looking for something a little different and an ideal way to introduce a younger generation to musical theatre.
Filipino-American actress Arielle Jacobs is currently playing the lead role of Nina Rosario in the first national tour of Tony and Grammy-winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS. The tour kicked off in Tampa, Florida last October 27, 2009 and will end in Costa Mesa, California on August 15, 2010.
Those folks you will see sweating in Chicago's Loop for the next three weeks won't be working too hard, wearing too many clothes or worrying about the local real estate market. They will merely be lucky Chicago theatergoers, responding to the warmth, light and fire of the very first touring production of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, "In The Heights."
The Tony award winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS takes the stage at the Fox Theatre for an extended run. The show examines the lives of the various characters that populate the New York neighborhood known as Washington Heights, and features an infectious mix of rap and Latin music styles. It's an exuberant production filled with plenty of good humor, and it features a positive, upbeat message which will linger in your mind long after the show has ended.
On Tuesday, Kyle Beltran, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Natalie Toro and Shaun Taylor-Corbett kicked off the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS in Tampa, Floria at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center with a bang. Though most shows try desperately to keep the critics out during the first preview performances to work out any kinks, IN THE HEIGHTS was an exception, according to Tampa Bay Online. And boy, were they pleased.
As previously reported, Kyle Beltran, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Natalie Toro and Shaun Taylor-Corbett are set to star in the upcoming National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS, which will launch October 27 at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Complete casting has been announced today.
Casting was announced today for the national touring troupe of IN THE HEIGHTS, which will launch October 27 at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The cast will feature Kyle Beltran, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Natalie Toro, Shaun Taylor-Corbett.
Welcome to The Varley Factor, BroadwayWorld.com's newest ongoing blog series from Creative Director, Eddie Varley. Look for 'The Factor' to bring you Varley's unique brand of commentary on all things theatrical... Get ready Broadway!
