David O News

To be completely honest, my first exposure to the mostly sung-through, modern rock musical AMERICAN IDIOT (during its initial national tour stops in Southern California) was, at best, like seeing a really cool rock concert performed by some incredibly talented musical theater actors, surrounded by some top-notch high-tech visuals. To put it simply, my initial reaction hovered somewhere just slightly above the middle. Well, of course, that all changed for the better once I experienced the truly remarkable, brand-new, more intimately 'immersive' production now causing a stir at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through May 15, 2016. Part of the theater's creatively innovative OnStage Series, this revitalized and, dare I say, more compelling AMERICAN IDIOT is a brilliantly-staged re-working of the musical that feels much more alive, more relatable, and, most importantly, more sensical. Yes, THIS new, more intimate production successfully converted me into an AMERICAN IDIOT fan. And, man, it is absolutely first-rate.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for, May 16-22, featuring Power Trio: David Murray, Geri Allen, Terry Lyne Carrington, Victoria Shaw, Birdland Big Band, and more.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) presents HADESTOWN, written by celebrated singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell and developed with and directed by the inventive two-time OBIE award-winning director Rachel Chavkin (Three Pianos; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812).

New York Theatre Workshop has announced the playwrights and directors selected for the 2016/17 Season 2050 Fellowship. The playwrights are Beto O'Byrne, Ming Peiffer, and Francis Weiss Rabkin and the directors are Danny Sharron, Stevie Walker-Webb, and Mo Zhou.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS presents the fourth production in its innovative and award-winning ONSTAGE Series with the Tony award-winning rock musical, AMERICAN IDIOT, music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, musical direction by David O, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Brian Kite. AMERICAN IDIOT will run through Sunday, May 15 - ONSTAGE at LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada. BroadwayWorld has a first look at opening night curtain call below!

Back at the theater where he broke out with 'Sleepwalk With Me', the actor and stand-up says thank God for jokes.

AMERICAN IDIOT opened on Saturday, April 30, and will run through Sunday, May 15, onstage at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

Utah Youth Philharmonic and Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with Repertory Dance Theatre, will be performing the U.S. premiere of "HandsFree", Anna Meredith's first body percussion piece. This will be the first time that Utah Youth members, under Barbara Scowcroft, Music Director and Conductor, have performed a piece without instruments. They will also be joined by Utah Youth Junior Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dan Rich, for Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony.

Barrett Foa, acclaimed star of stage and screen, brings his one-man show, Grin and Barrett, to Feinstein's at the Nikko for two performances only - Friday, June 24 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, June 25 (7 p.m.). After seven seasons of spouting intricate tech geekery on the hit CBS television show, 'NCIS: Los Angeles,' the star of Broadway's Avenue Q, Mamma Mia!, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and off-Broadway's Buyer & Cellar will present an evening of pride, desperation, and show-offsmanship in a one-man cabaret that is sure to be... an hour long! Produced by Andrew Carlberg, Grin and Barrett is directed by Christopher Youngsman and features choreography by Rene?e Felice Smith and musical direction and arrangements by David O. Tickets for Barrett Foa range in price from $45-$65 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com.

Back in early 2013, veteran cabaret performer and actress Barbara Porteus presented a show at Don't Tell Mama called Up On The Roof, a celebratory recollection of her youth through adulthood, while spanning 40 years of pop music including Carol King and Joni Mitchell to John Mayer and Adelle. Three years later, Porteus is bringing back Up On The Roof to the Metropolitan Room as the June 2016 installment of Producer Stephen Hanks' monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD). Porteus' all-strings band features Award-winning Jack Cavari as Musical Director, arranger, and lead guitarist, with Larry Saltzman on guitar and Zev Katz on bass.

With Beyonce officially no longer attached, Warner Bros. is once more on the hunt for the female lead in its long-gestating remake of A STAR IS BORN.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS presents the fourth production in its innovative and award-winning ONSTAGE Series with the Tony award-winning rock musical, AMERICAN IDIOT, music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, musical direction by David O, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Brian Kite. AMERICAN IDIOT previewed on Friday, April 29 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 30 at 8pm) and will run through Sunday, May 15 - ONSTAGE at LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada. BroadwayWorld has an inside look at the production - check out photos below!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for May 9-May 15, featuring BossaBrasil, David DeJesus, the Birdland Big Band, and more.

New Musicals Inc. (in cooperation with 3-D Theatricals) has announced the cast for the upcoming staged reading of the new musical INVISIBLE, with book by David Hollingsworth and lyrics and music by David Orris.

NBCSN presents live coverage of "USA vs. the World" at the Penn Relays this Saturday, April 30, at 12:30 p.m. ET, immediately followed by the Drake Relays presented by HyVee at 3 p.m. ET. The Penn Relays and Drake Relays are part of the USA Track & Field Championship Series.

Angela Lansbury and Dana Ivey will head an all-star cast in the staged reading of the beloved British comedy, Lettice and Lovage, a benefit for The Acting Company, to be held one night only, Monday, June 13, at 7 PM, at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, it was announced this afternoon.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival will celebrate Shakespeare's birthday and the 400th anniversary of his death today, April 23, with the Bard's Birthday Bash at the Nashville Public Library Main Branch, located at 615 Church Street.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for May 2-May 8, featuring Ann Hampton Callaway, Daniel Reichard, Iris Williams, and more!

Three of Buffalo's esteemed arts organizations have teamed together to present what is being called THE YEATS PROJECT: TWO PLAYS BY W.B. YEATS. This non-traditional event may best be described as a piece of performance art incorporating the talents of the Irish Classical Theatre, Lehrer Dance and Torn Space Theatre. The result, while occasionally beautiful to watch, was often perplexing in it's dramatic propulsion of Yeats' two stories.