Chet Walker News

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival brings FLEXN, an electrifying street dance to the Ted Shawn Theatre stage, August 17-20. Created by flex dance pioneer Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray with visionary theatre and opera director Peter Sellars, FLEXN confronts today's complicated social justice issues by combining raw personal perspectives with powerful and provocative movement. In order to contextualize the topics addressed in the performance, the show will open with an onstage panel discussion with artists and community leaders debating the current socio-political climate and its impact on Berkshire County.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was thrilled to present 'A Sophisticated Reunion' on Monday, May 23. The one-night-only event starred Terri Klausner, Valarie Pettiford and Ty Stephens, who met in Sophisticated Ladies, a Broadway musical review based on the music of Duke Ellington, which opened in March of 1981.

Following the critical acclaim and record-breaking ticket sales and attendance of Festival 2015, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival will soon kick-off a new season of exciting programming featuring international artists, world premieres, an impressive number of engagements set to live music, and more than 200 free performances, talks, and exhibits.

On Tuesday evening April 12th, The Dance Enthusiast presented an informal evening of dance and conversation. The 4th in a series called Enthusiastic Events!, Dance: Broadway Stage and Screen consisted of three engaging speakers and two short dance performances.

At the Salvatore Capezio Theater at Peridance, located near Union Square, on April 9, 2016 the New York Jazz Choreography Project (NYJCP) had a line-up of thirteen jazz dances. Some of those acts ranged from duets to large ensembles. Their co-artistic director, Marian Hyun, spoke to the audience briefly to describe the goals of this not-for-profit organization. One of these goals is to keep American jazz dance thriving. The dance style of jazz is very important to me because this is what fuels many of the steps in numerous Broadway shows. Jazz has also showcased many great artists over the decades-Bob Fosse, Luigi, Ann Reinking, Jerome Robbins, and hundreds more. For this review, I will be highlighting my five favorite pieces. Each piece of the evening was a joy, yet I want to discuss those dancers and acts that significantly stood out to me.

The Dance Enthusiast, leading an exuberant revolution in dance communication through awareness, celebration and integration of dance with stories following artists at work, is pleased to host its next installment of Enthusiastic Events!, Dance: Broadway Stage and Screen.

The 34th Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievements in dance on Broadway and in film, takes place on Monday, May 16, 2016.

Four-Time Tony Award Winner PIPPIN is heading to Europe with Broadway star Kyle Dean Massey to join in Amsterdam.

Four-Time Tony Award Winner PIPPIN is heading to Europe with Broadway star Kyle Dean Massey to join in Amsterdam.

After a successful run on Broadway as well as a national tour through the country, the high-flying, tony awards-winning hit musical PIPPIN is heading to Europe. Hailed by audiences and critics alike this 'eye-popping, jaw-dropping extravaganza' opens in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on March 9 for a 5-weeks run through April 10. The European premiere is on March 10.

There are some shows that tempt a reviewer to write a lengthy essay going into great detail about the many reasons why the show succeeds or fails. Other shows make a reviewer simply want to say, 'Just go see this show,' and nothing more. While there is, of course, much to say about the touring production of the Broadway musical Pippin, now at Providence Performing Arts Center, the production's merits can absolutely be summed up briefly: See. This. Show.

Berkeley Playhouse presents the world premiere of BRIDGES: A NEW MUSICAL, with lyrics and book by Cheryl L. Davis (2009 Writers' Guild Award winner and Daytime Emmy Award nominee for As the World Turns), composed by Douglas J. Cohen (2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for Off-Broadway's Children's Letters to God, Richard Rodgers Grants and the Gilman & Conzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation Award for Off-Broadway's No Way to Treat a Lady), and conceived by Founding Artistic Director Elizabeth McKoy (developer of new musical theatre works for Berkeley Playhouse including: Born And Raised, Bravado, and Just So Stories).

The extraordinary journey of the Broadway revival of PIPPIN began at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge a few years back, and now that triumphant Tony Award-winning musical, directed by Diane Paulus, is back in Boston via the national tour. While some tweaks have since been made to the production that had its Broadway tryout at the A.R.T., the show's exuberant joie de vivre and circus-inspired excitement are still intact. If anything, the show's politics and humor have been heightened in this iteration, thanks largely to its sensational cast.

Berkeley Playhouse presents the world premiere of BRIDGES: A NEW MUSICAL, with lyrics and book by Cheryl L. Davis (2009 Writers' Guild Award winner and Daytime Emmy Award nominee for As the World Turns), composed by Douglas J. Cohen (2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for Off-Broadway's Children's Letters to God, Richard Rodgers Grants and the Gilman & Conzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation Award for Off-Broadway's No Way to Treat a Lady), and conceived by Founding Artistic Director Elizabeth McKoy (developer of new musical theatre works for Berkeley Playhouse including: Born And Raised, Bravado, and Just So Stories).

The 1970's was an era of self discovery, rebellion and personal exploration. Broadway was morphing from the stock musical comedy formula towards the darker issues of life not usually seen on the musical stage . There was a young Stephen Sondheim delving into the deep interpersonal relations of marriage in COMPANY and FOLLIES, while Michael Bennett had gathered a group of young dancers who were exposing their inner demons and life stories in A CHORUS LINE. Meanwhile the composer Stephen Schwartz began his career with PIPPIN and would later write hit scores for GODSPELL and WICKED

Experience the thrilling 2013 Tony Award-winning musical PIPPIN at the Washington Pavilion for five shows, running tonight, January 20, through January 23, 2016.

The 2013 Tony Award-winning musical PIPPIN, described as "an eye-popping, jaw-dropping, visually stunning extravaganza" by NY1, visits the Providence Performing Arts Center February 16 - 21, 2016. In Providence, PIPPIN is part of the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series.

The National Tour of PIPPIN is, hands down, the finest touring production to land at The McCallum Theatre during my tenure in the desert cities. Passionate. Polished. Near Perfection! It is a glorious spectacle of sight, sound and immaculate storytelling that, despite its mesmerizing visual feast of circus spectacle, remains honest and intimate and, at every turn, very human.

In the summer of 2016, The School at Jacob's Pillow, a world renowned center for professional dance training with diversely experienced and international artists will present Professional Advancement Programs in Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theatre Dance, and a new program titled Improv Traditions & Innovations: From Ring Shout to Blues to Jazz. These programs will take place during the 84th annual Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, led by a highly-distinguished artist faculty, and offer an incomparable combination of studio, performance, and Festival experiences.

Long Wharf Theatre presents, in conjunction with Eva Price, THE LION, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels, from tonight, January 6 through February 7, 2016. The play will take place on Stage II. The press opening will take place on January 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm.