Ben H. Winters News

Vital Theatre Company has announced the return of past Vital favorite A (Tooth) Fairy Tale, opening March 16, 2013 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway at W 76th St. The show features book by author Ben Winters (Uncle Pirate [musical]; The Last Policeman; Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters [novels]), music and lyrics by Rick Hip-Flores (My New York), and direction by Linda Ames Key. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Vital Theatre Company is pleased to announce the return of past Vital favorite A (Tooth) Fairy Tale, opening March 16, 2013 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway at W 76th St. With a book by author Ben Winters (Uncle Pirate [musical]; The Last Policeman; Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters [novels]), music and lyrics by Rick Hip-Flores (My New York), and direction by Linda Ames Key.

Surfside Players presents the super-fun musical comedy, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, built around 18 hits by 1960s pop star Neil Sedaka, including 'Where the Boys Are', 'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen', 'Calendar Girl', 'Stupid Cupid', and of course, the chart-topping title song. Appropriate for the whole family.

Surfside Players presents the super-fun musical comedy, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, built around 18 hits by 1960s pop star Neil Sedaka, including 'Where the Boys Are', 'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen', 'Calendar Girl', 'Stupid Cupid', and of course, the chart-topping title song. Appropriate for the whole family.

Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce as we celebrate the 204th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe , its Nominees for the 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television, published or produced in 2012.

If you are a fan of the songs of Neil Sedaka, BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, featuring 19 tunes performed by an enthusiastic ensemble at Ivoryton Playhouse, then love will keep you together. The implausible book concocted to link the songs together in Broadway-show fashion, however, might cause a little laughter in the rain.

Vital Theatre Company, winner of the 2012 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Show, has announced its 2012-2013 Family Programming season in its home theatre at 76th Street and Broadway. Featuring four musicals for children and families, this year's Vital season includes two world premieres and two returning favorites. In Fancy Nancy The Musical and Show Way, two popular children's books are newly adapted for the stage. Vital favorites Angelina Ballerina™ The Very Merry Holiday Musical and A (Tooth) Fairy Tale return to round out the season. This lineup continues Vital's mission to produce entertaining and educational live theatre for families and young audiences.

On March 8th at 2 p.m. there will be a reading of ROOM 16 by Stephen Sislen (composer/lyricist), Andrea Lepcio (book) and Ben H. Winters (lyrics), directed by Kim Weild with music direction by Vadim Feichtner.

terraNOVA Collective announces six new playwrights for the 2012 season of their Groundbreakers Playwrights Group which will include Krista Knight (2011 KCACTF Musical Theater Award for Salamander Leviathan), Jennifer Lane (Harlowe at 3LD), Andrea Lepcio (NEA Outstanding New American Play Award finalist for Looking for the Pony), Matthew Paul Olmos (Princess Grace Award finalist), Crystal Skillman (2010 New York Innovative Theatre Award for The Vigil or The Guided Cradle), and Ken Urban (Summer Play Festival at The Public).

Fox Valley Rep, in residence at Pheasant Run Resort, announces an exciting line-up for their calendar-year 2012 season, many new to the Fox Valley community, including the comedy behind 'Gone with the Wind' during golden age of Hollywood, Moonlight and Magnolias, the romantic musical featuring Neil Sedaka's hits of the 1960's, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Theo Ubique's critic-acclaimed Chicago revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Some Enchanted Evening, Deborah Zoe Laufer's modern empty-nesters comedy, Sirens, and the holiday musical, The Winter Wonderettes.

For more than a decade, Bound for Broadway has been letting audiences know about new shows currently in development. In past years, Bound for Broadway has presented shows like Next to Normal, Avenue Q and The Drowsy Chaperone. Now in its 11th year, according to the Kaufman Center website, the event will feature the following shows.

The award-winning Vital Theatre Company has announced the return of UNCLE PIRATE, with book by Ben H. Winters, music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola and directed by Marshall Pailet, based on the book by Douglas Rees

The award-winning Vital Theatre Company has announced the return of UNCLE PIRATE, with book by Ben H. Winters, music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola and directed by Marshall Pailet, based on the book by Douglas Rees

For more than a decade, Bound for Broadway has been letting audiences know about new shows currently in development. In past years, Bound for Broadway has presented shows like Next to Normal, Avenue Q and The Drowsy Chaperone. Now in its 11th year, according to the Kaufman Center website, the event will feature the following shows.

The award-winning VITAL THEATRE COMPANY has announced that its 2011-2012 Family Programming will include four musicals for children and families, performed by adults. Two popular shows returning this season are THE BULLY and UNCLE PIRATE. Angelina BallerinaTM returns to the Vital stage in ANGELINA BALLERINATM THE VERY MERRY HOLIDAY MUSICAL and STINKYKIDS®, THE MUSICAL rounds out the season.

Remind me someday to tell you my Connie Francis story - although, in retrospect, it probably veers dangerously close to the realm of 'you had to be there,' but then again, who among you has a Connie Francis story to tell? The Italian-American songstress, who was such a presence in American pop culture in the middle of the last century, has been on my mind a lot since seeing Breaking Up is Hard to Do, an appealing, if slight, musical revue featuring the hits of Neil Sedaka, now onstage at The Gaslight Dinner Theatre at The Renaissance Center in Dickson.

Neil Sedaka's music is featured in Breaking Up is Hard to Do, now onstage through March 19 at the Gaslight Dinner Theatre at The Renaissance Center in Dickson, kicking off the theater's 2011 season with the Tennessee premiere of the musical revue.

The Sixth Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Artists, produced by Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, kicks off its much anticipated three day festival of brand new works on Friday, January 14, at the Goodspeed Opera House with a staged reading of Room 16.