Buddy Holly News

On Tuesday, October 23, (5:30pm EST) BroadwayWorld's Steve Schonberg is getting up close and personal with the star of Kinky Boots, Mark Ballas!

Tony award-winner, Elizabeth Ashley ("Take Her She's Mine") and Tony nominee Tom Hewitt ("The Rocky Horror Show") will headline a refreshed production of Paul Rudnick's witty, laugh out loud comedy, "I Hate Hamlet" at Bucks County Playhouse, November 9 - December 1. The play marks Ashley's return to the Playhouse after co-starring opposite Robert Redford in the pre-Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Bucks County Playhouse's "The Rocky Horror Show" - on stage through Sunday, October 28. Hunter Foster directs this production after also directing this season's record breaking "Million Dollar Quartet" and "42nd Street". Choreography is by Playhouse Artistic Associate, Lorin Latarro. 

Rudy's Jazz Room and Hippie Radio are excited to present Tim Rushlow & His Big Band Classic Christmas for a 10-show holiday residency at the popular Nashville speakeasy in the Gulch on December 6, 7, 8, 14 and 15. Show times for each night are at 7:00PM and 9:30PM with both General Admission dinner and show tickets and special VIP dinner and show packages that include special gift bags, a meet-and-greet, and intimate pre-show performance with Rushlow. Tickets are available here.

On Friday, November 9, 2018 at 8 p.m., Neil Berg tells the exciting and incredible story of the fifty-year history of rock-the music that changed the world forever-LIVE at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Don't miss this night of iconic music featuring a cast of stars from Broadway's greatest rock musicals, as well as incredible rock & roll singers!

On Friday, October 19, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., Neil Berg will be returning to the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, PA to present his outstanding show, "50 Years of Rock and Roll"! From the birth of rock 'n roll in in the 1940s, through the glory years of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, up until MTV in the early '80s, Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock & Roll uses fascinating stories and groundbreaking music, with tributes to such important and iconic rock stars/groups/genres as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Frankie Valli, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Motown, Aretha Franklin, The Who, Janis Joplin, Woodstock, Simon & Garfunkel, Carole King, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Disco, New Wave, Journey, and others!

Walnut Street Theatre continues its landmark 210th season with Roald Dahl's MATILDA THE MUSICAL. Directed by Linda Goodrich, with choreography by Michelle Gaudette, MATILDA THE MUSICAL begins previews on November 6th, opens on November 14th, and runs through January 6th on the Walnut's Mainstage.

Jukebox musicals have been quite a trend lately. Owing its origin to Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, which successfully ran on West End from 1989 to 2003, the genre's popularity has been boosted by many others that followed suit, such as Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, featuring the music and life of Carole King. Just recently, Manila had seen the staging of a tribute to one of the country's more enduring musical groups, The Apo Hiking Society, with the successful Eto na! Musikal nAPO! This mid-October, yet another jukebox musical, built around the iconic songs of major karaoke staples provider, Air Supply, beckons.

Award-winning performers Lauren Paris (most recently seen in a critically acclaimed performance as Percy in THE SPITFIRE GRILL, Refuge Theatre Project) and Robert Deason (dueling pianist extraordinaire) are back with another round of Chi-Town Sings, after their sold-out performance of BETWEEN THE LINES: CHI-TOWN SINGS SARA BAREILLES. They now present TELL ME YOU LOVE ME: CHI-TOWN SINGS DEMI LOVATO

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Kandace Springs, Chicago-based indie rock band The Empty Pockets, and more. The following shows go on sale to the public onThursday, October 11 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

Flat Rock Playhouse will continue the 2018 season with a Flat Rock Favorites all-star performance featuring the musical styles made famous by The Grand Ole Opry. Combining the talents of performers from Million Dollar Quartet, Music on the Rock: Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison, and Music on the Rock: Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, Pickin' and A Grinnin': A Night at the Opry guarantees a high energy, merry riot of musical expression. Running from October 18th to 28th on the historic Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage, Pickin' and A Grinnin': A Night at the Opry will offer the perfect chance to bring the whole family together for a hand clappin' foot stompin' good time!

Michael Thomas Holmes and Tim Rogan have joined the cast of 'The Rocky Horror Show' at Bucks County Playhouse. Holmes will play Dr. Scott/The Narrator and Rogan will play Rocky. They replaced previously announced cast members Jennifer Van Dyck and Erik Altemus, respectively.

New Village Arts has announced the second show of its eighteenth season, and the second mainstage production of NVA's Teatro Pueblo Nuevo program, the San Diego premiere of Tony Meneses' GUADALUPE IN THE GUEST ROOM, directed by NVA's Associate Artistic Director, Nadia Guevara.

Mobile Alabama-based quartet, The Krickets, announce the release of their sophomore album, Redbird, on October 26, 2018, produced by Sam Ashworth (Lone Bellows, Joy Williams), was recorded at Brown Owl Studios in Berry Hill in a fast and furious five days.  The album includes special guest Bruce Bouton (Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire) on pedal steel, dobro and lap steel and Jeff Taylor on mandolin and accordion on 'May We Find'.

Celebrate the fierce femmes of the '90s with Firebrand Theatre! Firebrand presents YOU OUGHTA KNOW: A TRIBUTE TO FIREBRANDS OF THE '90s on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 8 pm at Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey Ave. #208, in Chicago.

Cleveland Play House (CPH) brings to life Lynn Nottage's complex story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rust Belt drama Sweat.  Set in Reading, PA, this relevant story offers audience members suspense through its intricate portrayal of characters battling to survive in a city crippled by economic stagnation. CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley will direct. Previews begin on October 13th, with press opening on October 19th at the Outcalt Theatre in Playhouse Square. This production is sponsored by Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Kinky Boots announce today that Emmy-nominated and two-time 'Dancing with the Stars' champion Mark Ballas will take over the role of 'Charlie Price' in the Tony Award-winning musical beginning on Tuesday, September 11, 2018. He will play a limited run through Sunday, November 4, 2018. Ballas succeeds David Cook who will play his last performance on Sunday, September 9, 2018.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016, launches its 80th milestone season with The Color Purple, directed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle. The Color Purple is the Tony Award-winning musical revival based upon the novel written by Alice Walker and the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment motion picture with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Cast members from the 2015 Broadway revival lead the Paper Mill Playhouse company, including Adrianna Hicks (Aladdin, Sister Act - Germany) as Celie, Carla R. Stewart (Ghost - National Tour, Rent - Regional) as Shug Avery and Carrie Compere (Holler If You Hear Me, Shrek the Musical - National Tour) as Sofia.

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical sensation that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will celebrate its landmark 12th birthday tomorrow (27 September 2018) at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, where the "hugely popular show" (The Times) continues an open-ended run.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the musical ROOMS a rock romance with book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon, music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman, and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a new production at MetroStage, running Oct 11-Nov 11.