Berger News

Join the Winthrop Playmakers as they continue their milestone 75 season with their upcoming production of Steel Magnolias, directed by Stephanie Manning.

Columbia Stages will present THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, the 2014 MFA Actors' thesis production, an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's Russian classic by Jeffrey Hatcher, directed by Jesse Berger. THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR will open at 3LD and run from November 13-16 and 20-23.

For anyone who loves joyful, unpretentious, but highly creative and spontaneous jazz, Todd Londagin's new album Look Out For Love will be a delightful discovery. The vocalist/trombonist's music is a vivid reflection of his personal roots. Growing up playing music and street busking in an itinerant, alternative-lifestyle family, he lived in buses, cars, homemade boats or tents, traveling throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Europe. Home-schooled and with no formal musical training, Todd honed his skills the old-style way through influences like Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, early Sinatra and New Orleans traditional jazz, especially Jack Teagarden (one of the few other trombonist/vocalists in jazz) and later, J.J. Johnson.

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Thornton Wilder's great dramatic homage to small-town American life, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is offering young people, ages 18 and under, $20 tickets to the critically-acclaimed production of Our Town.

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center released their November and December Calendar listings, which can be found below, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, and Christmas shows galore.

American Conservatory Theater continues its 2013-14 season with Glen Berger's captivating solo drama Underneath the Lintel, starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn(Lincoln, Good Night, and Good Luck, Scorched at A.C.T). Check out a first look below!

Aftermodernism: Works on Paper is a continuing examination of the “Aftermodernism” aesthetic, which focuses on the use of strong color and figurative works, currently seen in contemporary art. This showing includes artists of NCMA'sAftermodernisM 2013, while looking at additional artists who embrace a similar approach to their work. While they all may be members of the “Aftermodernism phenomenon,” the diversity in their work becomes increasingly apparent when seen through these works on paper, which include preparatory sketches, as well as more personal drawings. These works allow the viewer to examine, on an intimate level, the draftsmanship and innovation necessary in today's art world. The exhibition, installed in the Contemporary Gallery, is organized for the museum's Contemporary Collectors Circle by co-chairs Alison Wolfson and Elaine Berger.

99 Histories is a powerful story about the bond between mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts across three generations. 29-year-old Korean American violin prodigy Eunice comes home pregnant and unmarried, and tries to mend her estranged relationship with her very Korean mother. Haunted by memories of a violent past, Eunice must confront her ghosts before she can move forward. This is a riveting and poignant drama of memory, legacy and home - what is remembered is made up, the only homelands that exist are the imaginary.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) continues its 2013-14 season next week with Windowmen by award-winning playwright Steven Barkhimer.

Musica Sacra previously announced programming for its 2013-2014 concert season. The programmed repertoire spans six centuries, and includes works by composers from William Byrd to Meredith Monk.

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center released their November and December Calendar listings, which can be found below, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, and Christmas shows galore.

Applications are now being accepted for the January 2014 installment of the tri­annual CAP21 Writers Residency , focusing on new musicals. The CAP21 Writers Residency is offered by CAP21 as an opportunity for a concentrated time and place to be artistically productive in a focused atmosphere while remaining in NYC . It will take place for a 1­2 week period ( Jan 6th ­ 17 ) depending on the needs of the writers. During the length of the residency, selected writing teams are provided a beautiful studio space at CAP21 in New York City , complete with a piano and wireless internet , between the hours of 10am and 6pm , Monday through Friday .

It's the news that everyone's been waiting for! Cameron Mackintosh announced today the first four cast members of his acclaimed new production of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg's Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece Les Miserables, which returns to Broadway beginning Saturday, March 1 at the Imperial Theatre.

Today BAFTA brought together the 17 'Breakthrough Brits' for a day of mentoring by leading industry figures at BAFTA's headquarters, 195 Piccadilly in London , followed by an evening reception in their honour at the Burberry global flagship store, 121 Regent Street.

Aftermodernism: Works on Paper is a continuing examination of the “Aftermodernism” aesthetic, which focuses on the use of strong color and figurative works, currently seen in contemporary art. This showing includes artists of NCMA'sAftermodernisM 2013, while looking at additional artists who embrace a similar approach to their work. While they all may be members of the “Aftermodernism phenomenon,” the diversity in their work becomes increasingly apparent when seen through these works on paper, which include preparatory sketches, as well as more personal drawings. These works allow the viewer to examine, on an intimate level, the draftsmanship and innovation necessary in today's art world. The exhibition, installed in the Contemporary Gallery, is organized for the museum's Contemporary Collectors Circle by co-chairs Alison Wolfson and Elaine Berger.

The St. Louis County Library Foundation's 'Buzz' Westfall Favorite Author Series presents bestselling historian A. Scott Berg for a discussion and signing of his new biography 'Wilson' today, October 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Library Headquarters (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.) The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Barnes & Noble.

Following the success of the inaugural Chicago Music Summit this fall, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events are proud to announce the first Chicago Film and Media Summit today, October 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington.

Justin Matthew Sargent , the new web-slinging superhero in Broadway's SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, sang the National Anthem at the sold-out preseason game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat last night at the Barclays Center. Sargent's performance of the Anthem lead directly into a 10 minute ceremony during which the Nets retired the No. 5 jersey of Jason Kidd, one of the franchise's best players and new coach, to the rafters. Check out photos from his performance below!

SPIDER-MAN co-book writer Glen Berger has written a 'tell-all' book about the behind-the-scenes battle that took place during the development of the Broadway musical SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK. Titled 'The Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History', the book will hit shelves on November 5th from Simon & Schuster Publishing. Click below to hear Berger talk about the book!

October is the perfect time for a production of the classic Steven Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It's wonderfully creepy, chilling, and unsettling... just the thing to get you in the mood for Halloween. Directed by Karen Braun - who also does the choreography, costumes, and sets- SoLuna Studio's production, running through October 27th, shows you can do a lot with a little - more about that in a bit.