Craig Carnelia News

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 32 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2017 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 18 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) today, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) on Thursday, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

When Jose Llana was 19, 'Something Wonderful' happened: The Filipino-American actor made his Broadway bow as Lun Tha, the mellow young lover, in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's 'The King and I.' Lou Diamond Phillips played the titanic and titular ruler of Siam in that 1996 Tony-winning revival. Now, two decades later, Llana has followed in Phillips' footsteps as the new King of Broadway, with his glorious voice and regal bearing. What's more, he is taking the 2015 Tony-winning revival across America.

The Comrades have announced their Winter 2017 production, PRELUDE TO A KISS by Craig Lucas. This classic romantic comedy will be directed by Artistic Director Derek Bertelsen and will play the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago) from January 12 through February 4, 2017. Press opening is Saturday, January 14 at 8:00pm.

Invoking Barbra, Judy and a host of other mononymous musical divas, Anneliese van der Pol came to play during her solo show at Feinstein's/54 Below on September 29. Winningly self-deprecating, van der Pol (VANITIES) kept the show moving and refreshingly loose, joking after the first number, 'So I'm Laura Benanti...'

My favorite part of the evening was the inclusion of the standards all of which are nicely suited to Stolper's voice and delivery. They were Sondheim's 'Move On' from Sunday in the Park with George. a gorgeous rendition of 'Something Good' sung originally by Julie Andrews in the film The Sound of Music, and lastly Carole King's 'Beautiful', all adding uber positive touches to Stolper's creative and personal journey thus far. She concluded as she had begun with Peter Pan, only this time with Scott Alan's lovely contemporary perspective  'Never Never Land (Fly Away)'. 

Broadway's Max Chernin (Bright Star), Kaitlyn Davidson (Cinderella, Nice Work If You Can Get It) and F. Michael Haynie (Wicked), as well as Jed Resnick (Avenue Q)* will headline the The Mik e Pettry Project , the second in the Singers Forum/EMGCollective's collaborative songbook series on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, October 4 & 5, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The series brings together Broadway performers and members of the SF/AEA Scholarship Program to spotlight work of prominent new composers. Following the success of The Patrick Dwyer Project, the series now features composer/lyricist Mike Pettry (The Light Princess, Things I Left on Long Island) whose work has been produced at A.R.T., South Coast Rep, The New Victory Theatre, etc. Pettry's current projects include partnering with composer Eli Bolin as he provides the lyrics for The Last Song of Eddie Scourge, a hard-rock adaptation of the classic A Christmas Carol.

Bristol Riverside Theatre presents WORKING based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book and featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Wicked), and James Taylor running November 1-20.  Directed by Keith Baker, the ensemble cast features Demetria Joyce Bailey, Philip Chaffin, Laura Giknis, Tamar Greene, Jenny Lee Stern, and Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) presents Working: A Musical from the book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, running September 15-17 in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

On the heels of its 62nd Season, Williamstown Theatre Festival announced today that Jill Kargman, the star and creator of Bravo's hit comedy 'Odd Mom Out,' will host a benefit musical evening with Michael Cerveris, on Monday, October 24 at 7 PM at her home.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is pleased to announce the recipients of the first round of the 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $580,000, allow 15 productions extra time in the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, helping to extend the life of the play after its first run. Two more rounds of recipients will be announced later this year.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) presents Working: A Musical from the book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, running September 15-17 in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

Williamstown Theatre Festival hosts the opening night for the third Nikos Stage production of the 2016 Season tonight, July 30th at 8:00pm with the world premiere of POSTER BOY (July 27th-August 7th).

Williamstown Theatre Festival hosts the opening night for the third Nikos Stage production of the 2016 Season Saturday, July 30th at 8:00pm with the world premiere of POSTER BOY (July 27th-August 7th).

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre,' announces its 26th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the world premiere of a new revised version of the wild, 1969 adult jazz-rock musical CELEBRATION, by the creators of The Fantasticks, running Sept. 29-Oct. 22, 2016; followed by Kander & Ebb's rarely produced gem ZORBA, running March 2-25, 2017; then the regional premiere of the pitch-black 2002 jazz-rock musical THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, based on the famous novel and film, running June 1-24, 2017; and the world premiere of the third installment of New Line's own creation, the new revue OUT ON BROADWAY: THE THIRD COMING, running August 3-19, 2017. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's new home, the Marcelle Theater, the new blackbox theatre in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

WORKING is based on Studs Terkel's well-known book of interviews with U.S workers, which retells the accounts of men and women and presents the meaning that these jobs bring to their lives. This classic musical was first adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso and premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The show later ran on Broadway briefly before entering the national regional theatre circuit. The show was updated in 2012 with two new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and features the classic numbers from artists such as Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, and James Taylor. WORKING runs at Main Street Theatre from May 21 - June 19, 2016. The show, directed by the talented Andrew Ruthven, reflects not only the struggles that we go through as a nation, but hits home on multiple levels with the diverse and hard working citizens of Houston.

It's something most of us have to do at least 5 days a week, go to work. So you'd think a musical about folks and their working lives would resonate more. But the musical "Working", despite being loved by musical theater nerds, never really caught on. In fact it only ran for 24 performances on Broadway back in 1978. But thankfully the folks at Showtunes have done what they do and dusted this one off for a weekend so more people can discover how wonderful it is.

Showtunes Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the final concert musical of their 16th season, WORKING.

Due to overwhelming demand, Chance Theater is delighted to present an encore presentation of Fancy Nancy, The Musical as part of its second Theater for Young Audiences Series.