Charis Leos News

Walnut Street Theatre concludes its landmark 209th season with the ultimate feel-good musical, MAMMA MIA! Filled with ABBA's catchiest hits, and directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, this high energy musical begins previews on May 15th, opens on May 23rd, and runs through July 15th on the Walnut Mainstage.

Walnut Street Theatre concludes its landmark 209th season with the ultimate feel-good musical, MAMMA MIA! Filled with ABBA's catchiest hits, and directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, this high energy musical begins previews on May 15th, opens on May 23rd, and runs through July 15th on the Walnut Mainstage.

I have a confession to make. Though I have seen hundreds of plays and musicals since MAMMA MIA! premiered on Broadway in 2000, until I saw Riverside Theatre's giddily silly, yet oddly emotional production-running now through April 29- I had never seen this polarizing jukebox musical; neither on stage, nor screen. However, it would have been impossible for anyone with even a passing interest in theatre or pop culture to not have heard countless opinions about the show, both good and bad, over the years. Is MAMMA MIA! hokey? Yes, it is. Does it have plot holes large enough that you could scuba through? In spades. Nearly two decades after it premiered in London, does it already feel even more dated than its disco-era music would lead you to believe? Absolutely. But, if you go in knowing and accepting MAMMA MIA! for what it is, then it is also an absolutely transportively entertaining night at the theatre.

Walnut Street Theatre concludes its landmark 209th season with the ultimate feel-good musical, MAMMA MIA! Filled with ABBA's catchiest hits, and directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, this high energy musical begins previews on May 15th, opens on May 23rd, and runs through July 15th on the Walnut Mainstage.

Riverside Theatre's production of Mamma Mia! adds two additional performances! Mamma Mia! runs April 10-29, 2018 on the Stark Stage and is sponsored by Dave Horner with additional support from Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers' Group. Mamma Mia! is a co-production with the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Riverside Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director/CEO Allen D. Cornell and Managing Director/COO Jon R. Moses, present one of Broadway's longest-running musicals, Mamma Mia! Sponsored by Dave Horner and Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers Group, Mamma Mia! performs on the Stark Stage from April 10-29, 2018. Mamma Mia! is produced in association with the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Only a week ago, in my review of The Mousetrap, I praised the Fulton in their decision to bring a drama back to the mainstage. I will now 'double-down', and share how much fun it was to attend a musical in their intimate fourth floor theater.

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre is proud to present this jovial celebration of The Irish And How They Got That Way, January 23 now extended through February 25. Join us for a fun-filled time as we explore the ways of the Irish and how they have fit into the tapestry of America over the past 150 years.

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre is proud to present this jovial celebration of The Irish And How They Got That Way, January 23 now extended through February 25. Join us for a fun-filled time as we explore the ways of the Irish and how they have fit into the tapestry of America over the past 150 years.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

Actress, singer, comedienne extraordinaire Charis Leos has performed over one hundred roles on more than twenty-eight leading regional theaters across America. Known as a brilliant and endearing character actress with a powerful voice, she has made a name for herself in major roles like Rose in Gypsy, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Jolene in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Louise in Always Patsy Cline, and countless more parts that speak to her versatility and charisma. While Leos performs all over the country, Maine holds a special place in her heart.

Today is Saturday, and that means it's time for what has become one of the theatre community's most beloved traditions- BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' roundup! This week SWEENEY TODD's Mrs. Lovett shares a makeup tutorial that will have you looking positively Lovett-ly, and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA plays a little understudy/standby/alternate musical chairs. Check out more Saturday Intermission Pics below!

'We are all there for each other,' Kevin Nietzel asserts, affirming the bond that is making Maine State Music Theatre's Grease so electric. 'It is very rewarding,' adds Neil Starkenberg, MSMT's Danny Zuko. Co-star Chelsea Williams, who plays Sandy to Starkenberg's Danny, continues the thought: 'Neil and I have had conversations about how we could do this show for a really long time. It is so much fun, and I think that must be obvious to the audience. The energy is so palpable that it is a special joy to work that hard every night. Everyone is having the time of his life!' These three actors together with principals Gerrianne Perez (Rizzo), Charis Leos (Miss Lynch), Costume Designer Travis M. Grant, and MSMT Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark all joined BWW's Maine editor Carla Maria Verdino-Sullwold for the third panel discussion in the theatre's Peek Behind the Curtain series held each summer at Curtis Memorial Library. In an especially lively and far-ranging conversation that highlighted not only the challenges but also the camaraderie of this ensemble, the panel and capacity audience explored the history, characters, and production process for MSMT's summer mega hit.

Rock'n roll, teen rebellion, a collection of quirky, lovable characters, and a musical score seared into the American cultural fabric - all these come together in a breathless and breathtaking joy ride that pulsates with electrifying energy in Maine State Music Theatre's third main stage show, Grease. The Jim Jacobs/Warren Casey musical, which reminisces nostalgically about the joyful, naughty, unforgettable days of senior year in mythical Rydell High in 1959, has seen numerous permutations since its original production as an edgy, raunchy musical play called Vaseline in 1971, to its Broadway debut in 1972 and through various film versions including the iconic 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Here in its Broadway version, amplified with a number of the favorite songs from the movie, MSMT has created a high-flying confection that is a valentine to a simpler era with just the right sparks of sass and sweetness that combine for an irresistibly engaging evening that is sure to prove the summer theatre scene's mega hit.

'I imagine that Danny is the youngest in a family of boys, and he feels he has to live up to the name Zuko at Rydell High. In the movie he says 'I've got a reputation to protect,' and I think that goes a long way to explaining his behavior.' Neil Starkenberg is commenting on his role debut in Maine State Music Theatre's upcoming production of Grease, which begins a run at the Pickard Theater on July 19. For the twenty-eight year-old actor, the iconic part of the fifties greaser, Danny Zuko, is a dream come true, and Starkenberg has spent a great deal of time preparing for the part.