Brad Raymond News

This month the Alliance Theatre has risen to the challenge of welcoming back a key source of public entertainment: live and in-person theatre.

Alliance Theatre will present a new version of its holiday production, A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play, staged for the first time as an interactive Drive-In experience. 

As a theatre fan, it is rare to watch a musical that I have never listened to before. But when such an occasion presents itself, I jump at the opportunity because there is no better way to experience a show for the first time than to see it professionally.

With a challenging vocal range akin to the grandeur of opera, CHILDREN OF EDEN's Raymond is portraying God. No pressurea??

Children of Eden, a hit musical about love, family and the power of forgiveness, is hitting Aurora Theatre's mainstage from July 18 – September 1! Telling the tale of the Book of Genesis in two acts, this family-friendly masterpiece with book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz covers the story of creation and the great flood – all while examining the complex love between parents and children. Audiences of all ages will appreciate the musical twist on these famous stories! 

Children of Eden, a hit musical about love, family and the power of forgiveness, is hitting Aurora Theatre's mainstage from July 18 – September 1! Telling the tale of the Book of Genesis in two acts, this family-friendly masterpiece with book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz covers the story of creation and the great flood – all while examining the complex love between parents and children. Audiences of all ages will appreciate the musical twist on these famous stories! 

A Christmas Carol, Alliance Theatre's annual holiday production, returns for its 29th season, December 12 - 24, 2018 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.  The most heartwarming story of the season comes to life with holiday carols, stunning stage magic, and your favorite Atlanta actors.  Directed by Rosemary Newcott, the Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, A Christmas Carol has become a tradition for many families around the southeast. 

The Suzi Bass Awards revealed nominations for the 2017-2018 Atlanta professional theatre season on Monday evening, August 27, to patrons and industry artists. The Suzi Nomination Party was generously hosted by Synchronicity Theatre, at 7:30pm, One Peachtree Pointe, 1545 Peachtree St. NE #102, Atlanta.  

ArtsEmerson has announced that Born for This - A New Musical will take the stage this summer for a limited engagement, June 15 - July 15 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Downtown Boston. With original music and lyrics by six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning icon BeBe Winans book by Charles Randolph-Wright, BeBe Winans, and Lisa D'Amour, and direction by Charles-Randolph Wright (Motown the Musical), Born For This celebrates the incredible true story of BeBe Winans - a young man who follows his heart and finds his destiny.

ArtsEmerson presents the New England premiere of BORN FOR THIS - A NEW MUSICAL, based on the life story of Bebe Winans and his sister Cece Winans, offspring of a spiritual, musical Detroit family, who made a huge splash as teenagers on the Praise the Lord network of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the 1980s. With a book by Charles Randolph-Wright, Bebe Winans, and Lisa D'Amour, and original music and lyrics by Winans, the majority of which were written for the show, BORN FOR THIS offers a longitudinal view of the Winans journey from music biz hopeful, to fledgling performer, to breakout R&B star, and award-winning (six Grammys) artist. Under the slick direction of Randolph-Wright and music director Steven Jamail, the cast is extraordinary from top to bottom, with Donald Webber Jr. and Loren Lott giving star turns as Bebe and Cece.

ArtsEmerson has announced that Born for This - A New Musical will take the stage this summer for a limited engagement, June 15 - July 15 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Downtown Boston. With original music and lyrics by six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning icon BeBe Winans book by Charles Randolph-Wright, BeBe Winans, and Lisa D'Amour, and direction by Charles-Randolph Wright (Motown the Musical), Born For This celebrates the incredible true story of BeBe Winans - a young man who follows his heart and finds his destiny.

The winners of the 13th Annual Suzi Bass Awards have been decided!

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents the celebrated collection THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND now through November 5, 2017. Filled with humor, romance, drama and nonstop melody, this title is a thrilling celebration of life and the fighting spirit that keeps us all going.

The Suzi Bass Awards revealed nominations for the 2016-2017 Atlanta professional theatre season on Monday evening, September 18, to patrons and industry artists.

Although I never watched their program, I do remember that Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were wildly known almost as much for their outrageous personalities and sartorial style as their devotion to preaching the gospel of Jesus. It is easy to see why the pair became an unlikely surrogate family for the two teenagers from Detroit raised on that same belief, as they rapidly became the hottest stars in televangical America. But for the naive siblings, especially BeBe, it's not an easy lesson learning how to reconcile the temptations of fame and fortune with the things he ultimately values more. It's a wildy funny yet emotional journey toward self-discovery, told with great music and outstanding performances by siblings Juan Winans and Deborah Joy Winans (the children of Carvin Winans, Sr. and Deborah Winans) who portray their aunt CeCe and uncle BeBe with the utmost respect, magical stage presence, and the most amazing vocal pipes!

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents Born for This July 11 through August 6 (press opening on July 20).  Kicking off The Broad Stage's 2017-18 Theatre Season, this new musical features original music by six time GRAMMY Award-winning artist BeBe Winans, book by Charles Randolph-Wright and BeBe Winans, and is directed by Randolph-Wright (director of the Broadway and West End runaway hit Motown: The Musical).   

Boston Lyric Opera's (BLO) production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's classic The Marriage of Figaro, opens April 28 for a five-performance run through May 7 at the John Hancock Hall at the Back Bay Events Center. Reuniting the artistic team that helmed BLO's acclaimed 2016 La Bohème (Rosetta Cucchi directing, BLO Artistic Advisor John Conklin designing, and David Angusconducting) the production recounts the antics and schemes of Count Almaviva as he attempts to upend Figaro's wedding day.  Cucchi and Conklin took inspiration for this new production from the style and feel of the romantic Billy Wilder 1954 comedy “Sabrina” starring Audrey Hepburn; it takes place in an imagined glamorous villa located in a prototypical European city.

A Christmas Carol, Alliance Theatre's annual holiday gift to Atlanta, returns for its 27th season, November 25 - December 24, 2016. The most heartwarming story of the season comes to life with holiday carols, stunning stage magic, and your favorite Atlanta actors. Directed by Rosemary Newcott, the Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, A Christmas Carol has become a tradition for many families around the southeast. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

A Christmas Carol, Alliance Theatre's annual holiday gift to Atlanta, returns for its 27th season, November 25 - December 24, 2016. The most heartwarming story of the season comes to life with holiday carols, stunning stage magic, and your favorite Atlanta actors. Directed by Rosemary Newcott, the Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, A Christmas Carol has become a tradition for many families around the southeast. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

The Suzi Bass Awards revealed nominations for the 2015-2016 Atlanta professional theatre season on Monday evening, September 12, to patrons and industry artists. The Suzi Nomination Party was generously hosted by the Alliance Theatre, at 6:30pm in The Circle Room, on the third floor, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309.