Ben Walker News

The University of Southern Maine School of Music presents a unique musical theatre production "35mm: A Musical Exhibition." Part concert, part exhibition, part poetry jam, part performance art -- this intricately woven collection of stories re-imagines what the modern American musical can be.

In an enchantingly fresh take on Carlo Collodi's classic tale, Robin and Clark's musical version of Pinocchio explores the inner journey of the wooden puppet who must learn the meaning of truth, compassion, and courage in order to become 'a real live boy.' MSMT closes its Theatre for Young Audiences series with a colorful, amusing, and tender retelling of this touching story, directed and choreographed by Raymond Marc Dumont and entirely produced and performed by MSMT's Educational Fellows.

It has been fifty-eight years since the Tony-award-winning Michael Stewart/Charles Crouse/Lee Adams musical Bye Bye Birdie first opened on Broadway, and while the topicality of the material is no longer au courant, still this fresh, charming Maine State Music Theatre revival, directed/choreographed by Raymond Marc Dumont, retains its humor, humanity, and universality.

Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT) will present Bye Bye Birdie with two performances on Monday, July 30 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM. 

Today's subject, Alexandra Silber, is known on both sides of the pond as a versatile, killer performer. This international dynamo is currently living her theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) as Guenevere in Camelot. The production has been extended and now runs through July 8th in STC's Sydney Harman Hall space.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces the casting for the first production of the 2018 Nutmeg Summer Series: 'Disaster!', the hilarious new musical straight from Broadway. CRT welcomes the co-writing team of the show, as Jack Plotnick will direct and three-time Emmy Award nominee and SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky will reprise the role he originated on Broadway (Ted Schneider). 'Disaster!'runs June 7 through June 16.  Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now.  A full performance schedule is available at crt.uconn.edu or 860-486-2113. 

There is a moment in Robin and Clark's musical version of Cinderella when the scullery maid screws up her courage and hurls a self-affirmation back to her abusive stepmother and sisters, saying, "No! I've always done everything you asked and now it is time for me to do something for myself!" The audience young and old erupts into spontaneous applause for this very contemporary heroine. Though Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark's musical is more than twenty-five years old, it speaks with a freshness and an appeal that are as lasting as the fairy tale itself, and Maine State Music Theatre's most recent production captures all the delightfulness and the darkness of the story and serves it up with customary flair.

The Theatre for Young Audiences program at Maine State Music Theatre opens with Robin and Clark's Cinderella June 13 (10 AM, 12:30 PM) and June 16 (11 AM). 

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces the casting for the first production of the 2018 Nutmeg Summer Series: "Disaster!", the hilarious new musical straight from Broadway. CRT welcomes the co-writing team of the show, as Jack Plotnick will direct and three-time Emmy Award nominee and SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky will reprise the role he originated on Broadway (Ted Schneider). "Disaster!"runs June 7 through June 16.  Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now.  A full performance schedule is available at crt.uconn.edu or 860-486-2113. 

The Theatre for Young Audiences program at Maine State Music Theatre opens with Robin and Clark's Cinderella June 13 (10 AM, 12:30 PM) and June 16 (11 AM). 

For most of us who love the theatre, attending a performance is an exciting, stimulating, anticipated event, but for some children with sensory issues, going to the theatre can be fraught with anxiety; a room full of strange people, new sounds and fantastical characters - all can make this experience overwhelming. And yet, once immersed in the magic of the play, the children can find delight and connection. To encourage this journey of discovery and to provide families with a safe viewing experience, Maine State Music Theatre last year initiated a program of sensory friendly rehearsal performances of the Theatre for Young Audiences shows. MSMT uses its large rehearsal hall as the performance venue - a space less daunting than the 600-seat Pickard main stage. The hour-long shows are presented with piano (not full orchestra), in full costume with relevant props, and include interaction among the cast, crew, and directors with the young audience. The families have access to a quiet room, are free to move about during the performance, enjoy a snack break, and receive a study/activity guide and some small gifts to take home.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces the casting for the first production of the 2018 Nutmeg Summer Series: "Disaster!", the hilarious new musical straight from Broadway. CRT welcomes the co-writing team of the show, as Jack Plotnick will direct and three-time Emmy Award

Rough Trade Records are excited to announce the release of The Birds EP by Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker. The six track EP will be released both digitally and as an extremely limited UK edition 12 - to coincide with them supporting Richard Thompson on his sold-out UK Tour this October. A very limited quantity of the EP on CD will also be for sale via the UK Rough Trade Records Webstore, otherwise only available on the band's merch table!

Rough Trade Records are excited to announce the release of The Birds EP by Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker. The six track EP will be released both digitally and as an extremely limited UK edition 12 - to coincide with them supporting Richard Thompson on his sold-out UK Tour this October. A very limited quantity of the EP on CD will also be for sale via the UK Rough Trade Records Webstore, otherwise only available on the band's merch table!

The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury, hosts its first Relaxed Performance next month.

On 26-29 August the National Theatre brings a jam-packed programme of work to the River Stage Festival. Experience the joy that is Brassroots; exquisite techno and house sets from Charisma; and the unrivalled Dom Coyote, who has performed and written music for some of the world's most exciting theatre companies. A further highlight will be a free outdoor screening of the acclaimed NT production, One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden, who won a Tony for the role of Francis Henshall.

Over 30 global artists take the stage September 15-18 in Bloomington, Indiana, for the 23rd annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival. Over 30 international artists come together September 15 - 18 in Bloomington, Indiana, for the 23rd annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival.  The four-day festival packs eight downtown venues with internationally recognized artists representing over 20 countries, including Zimbabwe, Israel, Ghana, Sudan, Argentina, Ethiopia, Finland, Hungary, and Mongolia.  The music is as diverse as the countries represented by the artists, with notes of anything from Finnish folk music, timple, classical Indian sarod, reggae, American roots, Irish traditional, east African Afro-pop, Yemenite folk-electronica, Swedish hip hop, and more.

Today, Moerlein speaks exclusively with BWW about making his debut and explains why Broadway will never be the same now that the American Psycho is in town!  

With Shoreditch Town Hall preparing for next month's UK premiere of Andrew Schneider's highly acclaimed YOUARENOWHERE, the venue today announces an eclectic autumn season of high quality, cutting edge theatre, performance, music and comedy.

The majority of Americans know Sarah Hyland as Haley, the super-hot oldest daughter of Phil and Claire Dunphey on ABC's hit comedy MODERN FAMILY. But, we theatre fans remember her as young Jackie Bouvier (who would grow to become a Kennedy) in the Tony-winning Original Broadway production of GREY GARDENS. Of course, the most astute amongst us will point out that she played Molly, the littlest orphan, in the 1999 TV movie version of ANNIE that starred Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Kathy Bates, Alan Cumming, Krisitin Cenoweth, and more.