Brad Walker News

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2015 – The Merola Opera Program's Summer Festival concludes with its 2015 artists performing in the Merola Grand Finale tonight, August 22 at 7:30 pm at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Conductor Antony Walker will lead the orchestra and 2015 Merola Apprentice Stage Director Mo Zhou will stage the program, featuring works by Gounod, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, Jake Heggie, Nikolai, Verdi, Rossini, Humperdinck, Mascagni, and Offenbach. The performance is a culmination of the 12-week Merola Opera training program, and all 23 of the 2015 Merola singers will perform, under the coaching and direction of their fellow artists. A special artists' reception follows the Grand Finale (tickets sold separately).

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2015 – The Merola Opera Program's Summer Festival concludes with its 2015 artists performing in the Merola Grand Finale Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 pm at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Conductor Antony Walker will lead the orchestra and 2015 Merola Apprentice Stage Director Mo Zhou will stage the program, featuring works by Gounod, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, Jake Heggie, Nikolai, Verdi, Rossini, Humperdinck, Mascagni, and Offenbach. The performance is a culmination of the 12-week Merola Opera training program, and all 23 of the 2015 Merola singers will perform, under the coaching and direction of their fellow artists. A special artists' reception follows the Grand Finale (tickets sold separately).

One of the things I love about William Finn's shows is that he draws such rich and flawed characters which makes them all the more real and relatable. This is extremely true in his most popular work, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", currently playing at Seattle Musical Theatre, where the kids of the Bee, as well as the adults, work through their own idiosyncrasies. But the lovely thing about the show is that since the subjects are children, they don't deny their flaws but embrace them as a part of themselves and use them to their advantage. And the cast and crew of the SMT production recognize that and never poke fun of the characters but embrace and love them as well and that's what makes this show an absolute joy.

Due to popular demand, Taproot Theatre extends The Matchmaker through October 26, giving audiences an additional week to join the adventure and enjoy this classic play that inspired Hello, Dolly!.

The Matchmaker is coming to Taproot Theatre this September, promising a story of love, adventure and humor with heart. Thornton Wilder's hit comedy about love, money and the love of money has matchmaking busybody Dolly Levi brokering true love for a wealthy businessman. Will anyone get what their heart desires? Unlikely circumstances and hilarious complications bring surprises at every corner in this play that inspired Hello, Dolly!. Producing Artistic Director, Scott Nolte directs The Matchmaker, which opens tonight, September 20 and runs through October 19, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

DC Entertainment, home of the World's Greatest Super Heroes and the comic book industry's most talented artists and writers, today announced a stellar program of New York Comic Con panels, signings, announcements and other events certain to excite fans of all ages, led by a jaw-dropping display of eight historic Superman costumes from the big and small screen in celebration of Superman's 75th Anniversary.

The Matchmaker is coming to Taproot Theatre this September, promising a story of love, adventure and humor with heart. Thornton Wilder's hit comedy about love, money and the love of money has matchmaking busybody Dolly Levi brokering true love for a wealthy businessman. Will anyone get what their heart desires? Unlikely circumstances and hilarious complications bring surprises at every corner in this play that inspired Hello, Dolly!. Producing Artistic Director, Scott Nolte directs The Matchmaker, which opens September 20 and runs through October 19, with previews on September 18 and 19. There is a Pay What You Can performance on September 25.

When melodrama is done right, it can be a ton of fun. Maniacal cackling villains, stalwart heroes, and everyone gets what they deserve. And while the current steampunk production from Pork Filled Productions, "The Clockwork Professor", playing at Theatre Off Jackson has much of that melodramatic style going for it, they could use a bit more of a focused over the top tone to make it sing. But what they do have going for them is an original story by Maggie Lee that is at the same time funny and fascinating.

In June of 2002 I had an experience that would alter my perception on how good musical theater could be. That was when I saw "Hairspray" for the first time. It was the pre-Broadway run at the 5th Avenue Theatre. I had heard a bit of "Welcome to the 60's" on the radio commercial and thought to myself, "This sounds pretty good." Little did I know what I was in for the night I saw it. Little did I know that I would be introduced to one of my favorite shows of all time and to a character that I would long to play for years to come.

In June of 2002 I had an experience that would alter my perception on how good musical theater could be. That was when I saw "Hairspray" for the first time. It was the pre-Broadway run at the 5th Avenue Theatre. I had heard a bit of "Welcome to the 60's" on the radio commercial and thought to myself, "This sounds pretty good." Little did I know what I was in for the night I saw it. Little did I know that I would be introduced to one of my favorite shows of all time and to a character that I would long to play for years to come.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents Noel Coward's quintessential comedy of manners, "Private Lives" May 5 - 29 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents Noel Coward's quintessential comedy of manners, "Private Lives" May 5 - 29 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents Noel Coward's quintessential comedy of manners, "Private Lives" May 5 - 29 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill.