David Black News

Red House Arts Center presents 13: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, playing in its MainStage theatre from July 30th through August 8th. In this production, following a move from New York City to small-town Indiana, young Evan Goldman grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school. 13: the Musical focuses on the fun-filled adventure of navigating through a world of cool kids & nerds, jocks & cheerleaders, first kisses & heartbreak. Will Evan come to understand how to survive the school year, not to mention, the rest of his life? 

It was a time of big cars, crewcuts, The Ed Sullivan Show, and beautiful music. On February 9th, 1964, a semi-professional harmony group from eastern Pennsylvania was on their way to their first big gig at the airport Hilton Cocktail Bar. While driving in their cherry-red 1954 Mercury convertible, they were rehearsing their finale when they were slammed broadside by a school bus filled with eager Catholic teens from Our Lady of Harrisburg. The teens were on their way to witness the Beatles make their U.S. television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, and miraculously escaped uninjured. The harmony group, however, was killed instantly.

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. Set in the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, it is a great big musical Valentine to trailer trash. The main story concerns Pippi, a stripper on the run, who comes between the agoraphobic Jeannie, and her tollbooth-collector husband Norbert. You won't find any deep message waiting for you here in this tale narrated by the three trailer park residents Betty, Lin and Pickles; but you will find a lot of laughs, some great voices and a terrific evening of cartoonish, escapist fun.

'Immediate Family,' a biting new comedy written by Paul Oakley Stovall and directed by Phylicia Rashad, opened at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, May 3. Performances continue through June 7, 2015. Click below to watch highlights from the show!

'Immediate Family,' a biting new comedy written by Paul Oakley Stovall and directed by Phylicia Rashad, opened at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, May 3. Performances continue through June 7, 2015. Click below to go behind the scenes with the cast and creative team!

'Immediate Family,' a biting new comedy written by Paul Oakley Stovall and directed by Phylicia Rashad, opened at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, May 3. Performances continue through June 7, 2015. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

"Immediate Family," a biting new comedy written by Paul Oakley Stovall and directed by Phylicia Rashad, opens at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Performances continue through June 7, 2015. (Previews began April 22.) BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

New Jersey Repertory Company, located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch, has announced the World Premiere of Closure by Richard Dresser for a limited engagement from June 25 through July 19, 2015. 

Rehearsals are underway for the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum production of Paul Oakley Stovall's biting new comedy 'Immediate Family,' directed by Phylicia Rashad. Previews begin April 22, with opening set for May 3. Performances will continue through June 7, 2015. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

The cast is set for the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum production of "Immediate Family" by Paul Oakley Stovall. As the second show in the 48th season at the Mark Taper Forum, the play will begin on April 22 and continues through June 7, 2015, with the opening taking place on May 3.

Winner of the TONY 'Triple Crown' for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Winner of the TONY 'Triple Crown' for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Austin Theatre Project has announced its third annual New Year's Eve gala and fundraiser, featuring the gender-bending musical revue, Bending Broadway. With a cast of fourteen, the show is filled with Broadway favorites from Sweet Charity, Next to Normal, Into the Woods, Jekyll and Hyde, Book of Mormon, and many more!

Every November, BWW-Austin teams up with other Austin-based theater publications to announce the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards. The nominations were announced last night. Scroll down for the full list!

Look up "Broadway Flop" on Google, and Carrie is bound to be the first title to show up. Though the material still is a bit rough around the edges, Austin Theatre Project's staging of Carrie manages to straddle the show's unintentional line between camp and seriousness while finding a compelling story and interesting characters, brought to life by performers who could easily rival many a Broadway star.

Austin Theatre Project is thrilled to announce the Central Texas premiere of CARRIE The Musical which will open on October 24, 2014 at the Doughery Arts Center. The classic story by Stephen King takes a look at the problems high school students face while trying to fit in with the "cool crowd" and consequences that bullying can bring about. But the story behind the production is almost as thrilling as the novel itself.

Every once in a while, I hear comments about theater that just make me cringe. One that I've heard on more than one occasion (usually from a pre-teen who doesn't know any better) is, 'OMG! The score from Wicked has got to be the toughest thing that Schwartz guy ever wrote. How did Idina do 'Defying Gravity' 8 shows a week?' Of course, the correct response is, 'Idina's a professional, and Wicked is a synch when compared to Godspell, the first musical written by 'that Schwartz guy.'

Tomorrow, August 15th, the curtain will rise on Austin Theatre Project's tenth mainstage production. Godspell, the Broadway hit from the composer of Wicked and Pippin, is a delightfully engaging musical based on the story and teachings of Jesus.

With a healthy dose of hilarity, heart and humility Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike joins the Bernstein repertory with director Matthew Penn at the helm. Christopher Durang's Tony-award winning homage to Chekhov leaves no stone unturned when it comes to family dynamics, sibling rivalries, love, lust, hopes and dreams in this razor sharp comedy. The stalwart cast includes audience favorites Tod Randolph and Elizabeth Aspenlieder, and S&Co. newcomers Jim Frangione, Angel Moore, Mat Leonard and Olivia Saccomanno. Performances run in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre August 6 - September 14. Press Opening is Friday, August 15 at 8:00pm. To RSVP or for interview opportunities contact Communications & Press Director Elizabeth Aspenlieder: aspenlieder@shakespeare.org.