Christopher Smith News

The award-winning, autobiographical comedy MY LIFE ON A DIET, starring Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning writer and actress Renee Taylor ("The Nanny"), kicks off a national tour this weekend with three performances at The Gateway, Performing Arts Center of Suffolk County (215 South Country Road, Bellport, NY 11713) on Friday, March 15 at 8pm and Saturday, March 16 at 3pm & 8pm.  The tour continues with a limited run at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts' Lovelace Studio Theater (9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210) from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14.

The new Broadway-bound musical, DIANA, celebrated its official opening this past weekend at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego! Let's see what the critics had to say!

The Broadway musical AMAZING GRACE, which launched its successful national tour last year with an eight-week run at The Museum of the Bible, will return with its inspirational message as the Museum's newest installation in its Pure Flix World Stages.  It will begin performances on March 16 and run through August 18, 2019.

Through February 17th, you can catch the recent Broadway musical If/Then at Royal Oak's Baldwin Theatre. If/Then, originally starring Idina Menzel as Elizabeth, finished its 401 performance-run on Broadway on March 22, 2015 and followed up with a national tour that passed through Detroit in April 2016. Written by the duo behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, If/Then is yet another unique, very human story that everyone can find themselves in. In addition, its Broadway production was commended among critics and audiences alike for being a rare original musical in an age of adaptations.

JoJo Smith, known as 'The King of New York' for his extensive contributions to Broadway and the dance industry, has died. He was 80.

BUFFALO BOYS stars Yoshi Sudarso (TV's 'Power Rangers: Dino Chargo' and 'Pretty Boys'), Ario Bayu (Java Heat), Pevita Pearce (The Sinking of Van Der Wijck), Tio Pakusadewo (Letters from Prague), Conan Stevens (The Hobbit), and Reinout Bussemaker (Flight HS13). The film will be released in theaters and on Digital this January 11, 2019.

'Dear Evan Hansen' is currently playing at the Curran in San Francisco, following its tour stops in Denver, Los Angeles, and Arizona. Let's see what the critics are saying about the recent tour stops...

Celebrating her third year of holiday magic, Mac Award winning and BroadwayWorld.com nominee drag artist Doris Dear, known as "America's Perfect Housewife", announces that the all new "Doris Dear Christmas Special", is honored and excited that Sean Harkness will be joining the party all three nights at The Triad Theater on December 19, 20 & 21st at 7pm.

Celebrating her third year of holiday magic, drag artist Doris Dear, known as 'America's Perfect Housewife', announces that the all new 'Doris Dear Christmas Special', will be raising funds through 'The Longest Day' initiative with The Alzheimer's Association. The character of Doris Dear that Ray DeForest created 4 years ago, was inspired by his mother, Taffy, who passed away from Alzheimer's. With this year's show being performed over 3 evenings, it was time to give back, and what better partner than The Alzheimer's Association. A portion of the show's proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer's Association, New York City Chapter's Longest Day campaign.

Following the release of their incredible song, “Roll (Burbank Funk),” THE INTERNET are pleased to announce the details of their forthcoming fourth album,HIVE MIND, due out July 20th, 2018 on Columbia Records. In addition to “Roll (Burbank Funk),” a brand new song from the record - entitled “Come Over” - can be heard now following its debut as Zane Lowe's World Record on Beats 1 on Apple Music today; click HERE to listen to it. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) held its annual Accessories for Success Scholarship Luncheon, on Sunday, April 22nd at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills and presented by City National Bank.  The event honored three exemplary women, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and support for children facing adversity in Los Angeles. The event also presented a record 108 scholarships to college bound youth from the BBBSLA program.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce dates and locations for the 2018 Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir tour.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) hosts its annual Accessories for Success Scholarship Luncheon on Sunday, April 22nd at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills presented by City National Bank. Three exemplary women, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and support for children facing adversity in Los Angeles, will be honored. Tracy D. Underwood, Senior Vice President of ABC Signature, and Laurie Zaks, President of Mandeville Television, will receive the “Excellence in Mentoring Award”. Martha Henderson, Executive Vice President of Entertainment Banking at City National Bank will receive the “Innovator Award”.  BBBSLA “Big” Kelly Sullivan will emcee the luncheon, and stylemeister Lloyd Boston will emcee the fashion show. Rebecca Campbell, Nancy Daniels, Stephen Galloway, Anne Globe, NJ Goldston, Barbara Lazaroff, Laura Lizer, Nicole Lorey, Loyola Marymount University, Lori McCreary, Kate Nichols, Charon Harroun Peirce, Nina Shaw, Sandra Stern, and Nancy Taylor are Honorary Co-Chairs.

The Harris Center is committed to bringing new theatrical work to the Sacramento area, like Amazing Grace - the Broadway musical based on the true story behind one of the world's most beloved songs; a story that is not well-known.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre [NBT] announces today the cast of the final workshop production for the 49th Season to conclude the I Am Soul Playwriting Residency for playwright Derek Lee McPhatter. McPhatter's workshop production will be Serious Adverse Effects which will be directed by Mary E. Hodges.

Many Long Islanders love to travel, whether it's to a tropical island or Maine, local beaches, Paris or Rome. Now a new show will take you there without leaving Long Island.

The incredible true story behind the beloved song, Amazing Grace The Musical is heading to the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington, WV thanks to the Marshall Artist Series on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018. This production features music and lyrics by Christopher Smith and a book by Smith and Arthur Giron.

There's a lot to like at the World Stage Theater right now. While this production and any subsequent national tour stops is likely to find its most receptive audience in people with an upbringing and faith similar to my own, it's not only for those that can recite every verse of the title song (and many other hymns) without even thinking for a minute, or can identify with the idea of God showing His presence in their lives. The idea of putting yourself on a better path after losing your way is something most everyone, regardless of faith or lack thereof, can understand. Even if the whole idea sounds schmaltzy, at the very least there's reason enough to check out the many talented members of the young cast.

The Broadway musical AMAZING GRACE will take its inspirational message on the road as it launches a 23-week national tour, kicking off with an eight-week run at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, as it inaugurates the new museum's state-of-the-art, 472 seat theatre. The DC run begins tonight, November 17, for a run through January 8, 2018, opening on November 20.

The Broadway musical AMAZING GRACE will take its inspirational message on the road as it launches a 23-week national tour, kicking off with an eight-week run at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, as it inaugurates the new museum's state-of-the-art, 472 seat theatre. The DC run will begin on November 17 through January 8, 2018, opening on November 20.