Dean Pitchford News

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre is cutting loose this summer with the dance musical Footloose. The stage production, based on the Paramount Pictures film, opens at the Frederick theatre tonight, June 15th and run through August 25th.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) presents its thirteenth annual All-City Musical, Footloose to crown the District's 2011-12 series of All-City Arts Programming. The production features the talents of over fifty CMSD students from across the District and takes place on the stage of the Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, tonight, June 1 through June 3, 2012. Tony Sias, Director of Arts Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, co-directs the production with Kimberly Brown. Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford, Footloose was adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. The show's music was written by Tom Snow with lyrics by Dean Pitchford. Additional music for Footloose was written by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman.

Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz was honored and presented with with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz on May 19 in Palm Springs. The event was held in the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, and featured a conversation with Schwartz as well as performances of his stage and movie musical hits. Directed and moderated by Scott Logsdon (Les Miserables), the evening included performances from Tony nominee Andrea McArdle (Annie), Hunter Parrish (Broadway's Godspell revival and Showtime's 'Weeds'), Kate Flannery (NBC's 'The Office'), Pamla Vale Abramson, Melissa Batalles, Garrett Hoy, Ben Reece, Haviland Stillwell (Les Miserables and Fiddler on the Roof) and Laura L.Thomas. Joel Baker was the musical director and accompanist. See photos of the stars performing on stage below!

Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz will be honored with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz tonight, May 19 in Palm Springs.

Desert Theatre Ensemble Company today announced that Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet has declared today, May 19 to be recognized as 'Stephen Schwartz Day'.

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre is getting ready to cut loose this summer with the dance musical Footloose. The stage production, based on the Paramount Pictures film, will open at the Frederick theatre on Friday, June 15th and run through August 25th.

Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz will be honored with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz May 19 in Palm Springs. The 8 PM event, which will be held in the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, will feature a conversation with Schwartz as well as performances of his stage and movie musical hits. Check out a preview of the event below!

The legendary stage musical CARRIE will soon be available for licensing from R&H Theatricals, and its score will be published by Imagem Music, each a division of the Imagem Music Group. Based on Stephen King's best-selling novel, CARRIE features music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose), and a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film).

Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz will be honored with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz May 19 in Palm Springs.

Today in 1988, Carrie opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 5 performances. Carrie: The Musical is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. Adapted from Stephen King's novel Carrie, it focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in her path.

Hunter Parrish, who previously starred in the Broadway revival of GODSPELL, has joined the starry talent lineup of When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz on May 19 in Palm Springs.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) will present its thirteenth annual All-City Musical, Footloose to crown the District's 2011-12 series of All-City Arts Programming. The production features the talents of over fifty CMSD students from across the District and will take place on the stage of the Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, June 1 - 3, 2012. Tony Sias, Director of Arts Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, co-directs the production with Kimberly Brown. Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford, Footloose was adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. The show's music was written by Tom Snow with lyrics by Dean Pitchford. Additional music for Footloose was written by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman.

Desert Theatre Ensemble Company today announced that Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet has declared May 19 to be recognized as 'Stephen Schwartz Day'.

Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford will be participating in When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz May 19 in Palm Springs.

Ghostlight Records this week went into the recording studio with the cast of Carrie, to record the first-ever cast album. Release dates for the album will be announced at a later time. The cast recording of Carrie will be produced by the show's composer Michael Gore alongside multi-Grammy Award-winner Joel Moss, with Ghostlight Records' Kurt Deutsch serving as Executive Producer. Check out photos from the recording session below!

Ghostlight Records announced today that they will go into the recording studio with the cast of Carrie next week, April 17, to record the first-ever cast album. Release dates for the album will be announced at a later time.

The New York Times reports tonight that 'the creators and MCC said one successful result of the revival is that the musical would become a licensable property available for productions at high schools, colleges and regional theaters. After the 1988 Broadway production closed, the creators were so devastated that they refused hundreds of requests by directors and theater companies to stage "Carrie" until Mr. Arima pitched his vision. Now the creators are ready to say yes to productions, and are already talking to one - SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston - about doing "Carrie" next spring.'

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced today that Carrie will be filmed and preserved for the Lincoln Center Library For The Performing Arts' Theatre On Film and Tape Archive during the matinee performance on Saturday, April 7th, marking the first-ever professional recording of the legendary show. As previously announced, Carrie will close following the evening performance on Sunday, April 8, 2012 (after 34 previews and 46 performances), concluding an initial 8-week run and 2-week extension.

Jen was a preschooler when 'Carrie' had its ill-fated debut on Broadway and is now part of its resuscitation.

MCC Theater announced today that Carrie will be filmed and preserved for the Lincoln Center Library For The Performing Arts' Theatre On Film and Tape Archive during the matinee performance on Saturday, April 7th, marking the first-ever professional recording of the legendary show.