Ben Michael News

Washington is awash in holiday parties this month; however you'd be remiss to skip the celebration of life, dance, art, and Gershwin that is the swanky touring production of An American in Paris.

An American in Paris, the most awarded new musical of 2015 and winner of four Tony Awards, is currently playing until December 10th at the Detroit Opera House. It is a stunning show filled with some of the most exquisite dance numbers in recent history, catchy songs, and a beautiful story to go along with it.

Gershwin talent is inimitable; in 1932, Of Thee I Sing was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. George wrote the orchestral piece, An American in Paris, in 1928, inspired by the time he spent in Paris. In 1951, MGM released the musical film An American in Paris. It won Best Picture Oscar. Directed by Vincente Minnelli (Judy Garland's husband), the film featured many tunes of Gershwin, and concluded with an extensive, elaborate dance sequence built around the An American in Paris symphonic poem. The 2015 stage musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS won four Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, a Drama League Award, two Theatre World Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, three Fred and Adele Astaire Awards.

David Mirvish and Aubrey Dan present AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, the most awarded new musical of 2015 and winner of four Tony Awards. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS will play Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre, for a 5-week engagement March 27 - April 29, 2018.

There is a new vision of heaven tap-dancing its way through my brain replete with beautiful showgirls and handsome chorus boys performing a show-stopping version of George and Ira Gershwin's I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise from An American in Paris, the sumptuous musical now onstage at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, November 5 and, quite frankly, if that is not what paradise will look like should I arrive there after my untimely demise, I will simply refuse to stay. For if paradise isn't the gorgeous and glittery, utterly theatrical vision supplied by this altogether splendid production, I'll say to hell with it (and me, I suppose), because surely paradise is set to a lush and memorable Gershwin score. Anything else is simply a poor facsimile of the real thing. Est-ce que tu comprends?

With breathtaking dancing and exquisite sets, An American in Paris transported the enthusiastic audience at Albuquerque's Popejoy Hall to 1940's Paris. The show, choreographed and directed by Christopher Wheeldon (with several dance routines arranged by Sam Davis), seamlessly blends dance, singing, and plenty of heart and humor into a show that is entertaining for all ages. The musical, which is inspired by the 1951 Gene Kelley film of the same name, is a delightful nod to the original with a modern twist of the sets being projected onto the backdrop and various onset props, including strategically placed mirrors that reflected the scenery of Paris.

McDaniel College theatre arts students perform in 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Tennessee Williams.

McDaniel College theatre arts students perform in 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Tennessee Williams.

The producers of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, winner of four Tony Awards, are pleased to announce the cast for the second year of the North American tour, beginning with the Albuquerque, NM engagement on October 17.

Apartment Sessions has announced their first live concert-Apartment Sessions Season One: Live - on Sunday, August 27th, live-streamed for free from an apartment in Brooklyn.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature West Side Story, Mamma Mia!, Something Rotten, and More!

Based on Disney's 1991 Academy Award-winning animated film of the same name as well as the classic French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Beauty & the Beast tells the story of a bright, beautiful young woman who doesn't seem to fit in with her hometown. She later finds herself trapped in the enchanted castle of a cold-hearted prince who had been magically transformed into a hideous beast as punishment for his selfish ways. To revert back into his true human form, the Beast must first earn the love of this woman before it's too late.

North Carolina Theatre, the region's premiere nonprofit professional theatre, presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast, playing tonight, July 25, through July 30 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

North Carolina Theatre, the region's premiere nonprofit professional theatre, has announced casting for the upcoming production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, playing July 25-30 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

George Street Playhouse announced today that its recent Annual Gala Benefit was the most successful in the event's history, raising a record amount of funds in support of its mainstage and educational programming. The Gala took place at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick on Sunday, April 2, 2017, and featured many stars of the stage and screen as presenters and performers. Scroll down for photos from the evening!

George Street Playhouse has announced an initial roster of Broadway, film and television stars expected to appear at its Annual Gala Benefit on Sunday, April 2, 2017, 5 p.m., at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick.

All The Way West Productions, Inc. proudly presents its Black History Production of PERIPHERY by Ed Simpson and Directed by celebrity director/actress Lorey Hayes opening on Saturday, January 21, 2017 and running weekends throughFebruary 26, 2017, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at The Hudson Backstage Theatre located at 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038. 

Weaved throughout the charming musical romance of Daddy Long Legs, currently on stage at New Brunswick, NJ's George Street Playhouse, are messages promoting the importance of education and the empowerment of young girls and women. So what better way to share those ideals this holiday season then with a special "Daughter Days" package for select performances of Daddy Long Legs December 20, 22 and 24. Daddy Long Legs is appropriate for daughters ages 10 through 100.  

Get ready to kick off your Monday nights with the sounds of some of the region's most popular musical theater stars, accompanied by a 17-piece big band orchestra. Philly's favorite musical theater star Jeff Coon is bringing his Summer Club to Manayunk's Venice Island Performing Arts Center for a series of swinging shows throughout 2017.

George Street Playhouse presents the musical romance Daddy Long Legs, on stage now through December 24. With book by two-time Tony Award winner John Caird (Les Miserables, Nicholas Nickleby) and music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre), Daddy Long Legs stars Ben Michael as Jervis, the titular "Daddy Long Legs" who anonymously sponsors the college education of Elise Vannerson's Jerusha.