Benjamin Halstead News

The Australian Discovery Orchestra, the world's first solely digital streaming orchestra, is proud to announce '16 STORIES' - a worldwide online vocal competition. Three of the writers involved in '16 STORIES,' Nikko Benson, Andre Catrini, Jess Newman, discuss their songs and the project in the videos below. 

The Australian Discovery Orchestra, the world's first solely digital streaming orchestra, is proud to announce "16 STORIES" - a worldwide online vocal competition. Renowned musical theatre creators from around the world have contributed a song from a musical they have written that has never previously been recorded for commercial release; these 16 songs will comprise an upcoming Australian Discovery Orchestra album, to be released on the Broadway Records label.

The new Broadway production of Once On This Island officially opens tonight, December 3rd, at the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W. 50th street, NYC), and is directed by Tony nominee Michael Arden, and choreographed by the critically-acclaimed Camille A. Brown. Scroll down to learn more about the company and watch highlights from the show!

Well, Dear Readers, it's my favorite weekend of the year again. The weekend when Village Theatre gathers together all the best musical theater talent and presents readings of five up and coming new musicals. Yes, it's the 17th Annual Village Originals Festival of New Musicals or as I like to call it, Musical Theater Nerd Paradise. They presented us with some really outstanding works and while I can't review them, I can still tell you about the shows themselves.

With one week left until The 17th Annual Festival of New Musicals, Village Theatre is excited to announce the casting for Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat, an electronic pop musical about one of the world's greatest inventors; Hart Island, a look at social justice and the people society has forgotten; Afterwords, a tale of art and love; Howl's Moving Castle, based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones; and ZM, a hilarious romp through a zombie-filled future by the Tony Award-winning authors of Urinetown. Taking place in Issaquah on August 11-13, 2017, The Festival of New Musicals provides an essential platform for writers to incorporate a key component of live theatre - the audience. Each new musical will be rehearsed during the week, then present to the audience in staged reading format, performed in full using scripts.

Today, producers Ken Davenport and Hunter Arnold announced that Tony Award nominee Phillip Boykin, Alysha Deslorieux, Kenita R. Miller, and Isaac Powell are joining the new Broadway production of Once On This Island, which will play the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W. 50th street, NYC) this fall.

Village Theatre is excited to announce the lineup for The 17th Annual Festival of New Musicals, which will take place in Issaquah on August 11-13, 2017 and continues the theatre's dedication to the development of new work. This year, the Festival's five readings will include Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat, an electronic pop musical about one of the world's greatest inventors; Hart Island, a look at social justice and the people society has forgotten; Afterwords, a tale of art and love; Howl's Moving Castle, based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones and animated feature by Hayao Miyazaki; and ZM, a hilarious romp through a zombie-filled future by the Tony Award-winning authors of Urinetown.

Kicking off Adirondack Theatre Festival's 23rd summer season of professional theater is Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat, an electronic pop musical. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21-Saturday, July 1, and 2 p.m.Wednesday, June 28, at the Charles R. Wood Theater.

Adirondack Theatre Festival (ATF) announces its 23rd season - the third for Producing Artistic Director, Chad Rabinovitz.  Rabinovitz will again bring an entire season of major new works to ATF with a team of top-level professional artists, offering experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the world - only in Glens Falls. 

The York Theatre Company welcomes a special tasty post-Thanksgiving treat with the November installment of the game show for musical theater lovers, Tune in Time.

They're baaaaaaaaack! The York Theatre Company welcomes the return engagement of the game show for musical theater lovers, Tune in Time, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields.

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) has announced that it will stage four developmental presentations of Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead's NIKOLA TESLA DROPS THE BEAT, an electronic dance musical about history's most overlooked inventor. The first of seven developmental presentations of the 2016 - 2017 season, the production is directed by Marshall Pailet, features musical direction by Madeline Smith, choreography by Maxx Reed and dramaturgy by Jeffrey Stoller. Presentations are on Sept 30th at 3pm & 7pm and Oct 1st at 2pm & 7pm at Playwrights Horizons South Room, 416 West 42nd Street, 4th Floor. Running time is 75 minutes. Tickets are $18 and available at www.mtf.nyc  

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) has announced that it will stage four developmental presentations of Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead's NIKOLA TESLA DROPS THE BEAT, an electronic dance musical about history's most overlooked inventor.

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) has announced that it will stage four developmental presentations of Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead's NIKOLA TESLA DROPS THE BEAT, an electronic dance musical about history's most overlooked inventor. The first of seven developmental presentations of the 2016 - 2017 season, the production is directed by Marshall Pailet, features musical direction by Madeline Smith, choreography by Maxx Reed and dramaturgy by Jeffrey Stoller. Presentations are on Sept 30th at 3pm & 7pm and Oct 1st at 2pm & 7pm at Playwrights Horizons South Room, 416 West 42nd Street, 4th Floor. Running time is 75 minutes. Tickets are $18 and available at www.mtf.nyc  

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) has announced that it will stage four developmental presentations of Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead's NIKOLA TESLA DROPS THE BEAT, an electronic dance musical about history's most overlooked inventor.

On the heels of joining Playwrights Horizons Resident Company Program, Musical Theatre Factory (MTF), under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Shakina Nayfack, has announced its first full season of programming since its founding in January 2014.

Prospect Theater Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Cara Reichel and Managing Director Melissa Huber, presentsARCHETYPE, a collection of six new mini-musicals, the culminating production of Prospect's 2016 Musical Theater Lab (the company's 10th lab production).  ARCHETYPE will play from July 27 - 31 at The Theater at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street @ 1st Ave., NYC).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Interim Executive Director; David McCoy, Chairman of the Board), celebrates Pride Month with the June installment of the game show for musical theater lovers, TUNE IN TIME, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, hosted by Emily McNamara, with Musical Director Nate Buccieri and annoyingly insistent timekeeper Sheila Head, and featuring celebrity guest judges drag performers Marti Gould Cummings, Judy Darling and Brita Filter, on Monday evening, June 20, 2016 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

The York Theatre Company welcomes the May installment of the game show for musical theater lovers,  Tune in Time, presented by Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, hosted by Emily McNamara, with Musical Director Nate Buccieri and annoyingly insistent timekeeper Sheila Head, celebrates warmer weather and skimpier clothing with celebrity judges Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina (from the popular performance group The Skivvies) and Tony Award winnerDaisy Eagan (The Secret Garden), on Monday evening, May 9, 2016 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's(Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). 

The American Theatre Wing celebrates its 2016 Jonathan Larson Grants recipients: Cesar Alvarez (book, music and lyrics), Nikko Benson (music and lyrics), Carson Kreitzer (book and lyrics), and Sam Salmond (book, music, and lyrics).