David Robbins News

BrightSide Theatre closes their Second Season with the entertaining and enlightening Modern MasterpieceJonathon Larson's Pulitzer and Tony Award winning rock opera, "RENT".

On Tuesday, May 14th watch "The Late Show with David Letterman" to see a cast performance between 11:35PM-12:35AM on CBS (check local listings). PIPPIN leads the winners of the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards with 7 wins including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Diane Paulus), Outstanding Choreographer (Chet Walker), Outstanding Lighting Design (Kenneth Posner), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Patina Miller), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Terrence Mann), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Andrea Martin).

The acclaimed Broadway production of PIPPIN and Ghostlight Records invites fans to sing on the brand new Broadway cast recording. On Tuesday, May 7 at 12:30 PM, PIPPIN fans will gather to sing along with Andrea Martin for one of the show's highlights, 'No Time At All.' Space is strictly limited to sign up now at www.PippinTheMusical.com/singalong.php. Pippin has been nominated for ten Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for THE 67th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS were announced today by stage and screen actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement.

Ghostlight Records will release the New Broadway Cast Recording for Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's beloved coming-of-age musical comedy PIPPIN, which is now playing at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street) and opens on Thursday, April 25. The cast will record the album on April 29. The album will be release in June 2013 (date to be announced) and will feature material from the show never previously recorded. The album will be co-produced by composer Stephen Schwartz and Kurt Deutsch, and executive produced by Howard & Janet Kagan.

The producers of PIPPIN announced today that a limited number of $37.00 rush tickets will be available for purchase in-person at the Music Theatre box office (239 West 45th Street) when it opens at 10am (Noon on Sundays) for that day's performance only. There is a limit of one ticket per person. Tickets are subject to availability and may not be offered at all performances. Cash or Credit is accepted.

Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's beloved coming-of-age musical comedy PIPPIN returns to Broadway when performances begin tomorrow, tonight, March 23 at 8 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street). This all new production is directed by Diane Paulus featuring choreography by Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse and circus creation by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 Fingers). Opening is set for Thursday, April 25. On March 23rd only, box office hours have been extended to 10:00 p.m. to accommodate any patrons seeking to purchase advance tickets.

Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's beloved coming-of-age musical comedy PIPPIN returns to Broadway when performances begin tomorrow, tonight, March 23 at 8 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street). This all new production is directed by Diane Paulus featuring choreography by Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse and circus creation by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 Fingers). Opening is set for Thursday, April 25. On March 23rd only, box office hours have been extended to 10:00 p.m. to accommodate any patrons seeking to purchase advance tickets.

Relatively new to the Chicago theater scene, suburban-based Nightblue scores with their original take on the Tony-award winning 'Avenue Q.'

The Institute of Visual Arts (Inova) opens the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Peck School of the Arts' Year of the Arts with two prominent UWM alumni. Chicago-based artist, writer, teacher and curator Michelle Grabner (BFA '84, MA '87) presents a selection of paintings, prints, sculpture and video spanning her formidable career.

The Institute of Visual Arts (Inova) opens the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Peck School of the Arts' Year of the Arts with two prominent UWM alumni. Chicago-based artist, writer, teacher and curator Michelle Grabner (BFA '84, MA '87) presents a selection of paintings, prints, sculpture and video spanning her formidable career.

Barksdale Theatre announces the World Premiere of Scorched Earth by best-selling Richmond author, David L. Robbins, and featuring Richmond actors. This theatrical adaptation is based on Robbin's acclaimed 2002 novel of the same name. The play opens at Barksdale Theatre Willow Lawn, 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, on Friday, April 13 and runs through Sunday, May 20, 2012. Scorched Earth director, Steve Perigard, has over fifty directing credits with Barksdale and Theatre IV including Circle Mirror Transformation, A Thousand Clowns, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Lead actor, Adrian Reider, returns to Barksdale after time in New York with Off-Broadway credits including If Memory Serves, Deathtrap, Paper Doll and television credits of Law and Order, Sex and the City, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and All My Children. Returning to the Barksdale stage are cast members: David Janeski (Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas at Barksdale Hanover Tavern, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter at Theatre IV), Ronnie Brown (Top Dog/Underdog at Sycamore Rouge, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at Henley Street Theatre), and David Bridgewater (August: Osage County at Cadence Theatre, Becky's New Car at Barksdale). The production welcomes McLean Jesse to Richmond in her first appearance at Barksdale Theatre. Set design by Ron Keller, resident scenic designer at Theatre VCU, accommodates thirty-three scenes from courtroom to graveside.

Flash Art Digital November / December is out now on the iTunes App Store, Issue 281

Theatre is designed to educate and The New York Theater Workshop's production of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's Aftermath is a lesson that forces us to learn. This is the principal feature of a show that is, by the very nature of its style, repetitive. Don't get me wrong I left the Malthouse Theatre last night completely captivated by the performances of a stunningly talented cast traversing the dialogue of the real people that Blank and Jensen interviewed post reign of Saddam Hussein. For this is what Aftermath is, a recount of the transcripts from the interviews that these talented collaborators have interwoven into a creative piece of educational history from the point of view of 9 Iraqi's across varying class and status.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Aftermath, written by Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen, and directed by Ms. Blank, will begin performances Tuesday, September 1, at 7pm, at NYTW, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Opening night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm. The production will run through Sunday, October 4.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Aftermath, written by Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen, and directed by Ms. Blank, will begin performances Tuesday, September 1, at 7pm, at NYTW, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Opening night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm. The production will run through Sunday, October 4.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Aftermath, written by Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen, and directed by Ms. Blank, will begin performances Tuesday, September 1, at 7pm, at NYTW, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Opening night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm. The production will run through Sunday, October 4.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Aftermath, written by Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen, and directed by Ms. Blank, will begin performances Tuesday, September 1, at 7pm, at NYTW, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Opening night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm. The production will run through Sunday, October 4.

On May 17th, 1968, two Catholic priests, and seven Catholic activists including a nurse, a nun, an artist and four others all walked into the selective service office Local Board 33, located in the Knights of Columbus building in Catonsville, Maryland, grabbed hundreds of 1-A draft files and burned them with homemade napalm in protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The publicity and news coverage from the ensuing trial was instrumental in galvanizing the American anti-war movement. The Actors' Gang presents The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Daniel Berrigan's free-verse dramatization based on the actual records of the trial in which he and eight other defendants were convicted. The Trial of the Catonsville Nine opens on Saturday, February 14 with performances continuing through March 21. Low-priced previews begin February 5.

On May 17th, 1968, two Catholic priests, and seven Catholic activists including a nurse, a nun, an artist and four others all walked into the selective service office Local Board 33, located in the Knights of Columbus building in Catonsville, Maryland, grabbed hundreds of 1-A draft files and burned them with homemade napalm in protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The publicity and news coverage from the ensuing trial was instrumental in galvanizing the American anti-war movement. The Actors' Gang presents The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Daniel Berrigan's free-verse dramatization based on the actual records of the trial in which he and eight other defendants were convicted. The Trial of the Catonsville Nine opens on Saturday, February 14 with performances continuing through March 21. Low-priced previews begin February 5.