Debbie Allen News

This holiday season, Roanoke Children's Theatre brings a fantastical, magical, musical adventure to the stage with SEUSSICAL, THE MUSICAL.

On Saturday, January 14, 2017, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) will host its largest annual fundraiser, the Backyard Ball performance and gala, as the culmination of the organization's signature program, National YoungArts Week, from January 8 - 15.

This holiday season, Roanoke Children's Theatre brings a fantastical, magical, musical adventure to the stage with SEUSSICAL, THE MUSICAL.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Diane Quinn, will present Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women, written by Paul Lucas and directed by Jo Bonney. Performances begin on Thursday, January 19 and run through Sunday, February 5 at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St, Cambridge.

Louis Baker has had a varied career in the entertainment world. As an actor, he studied under three prestigious performers: Bill Duke, Haile Gerima, and Debbie Allen. He has worked as a voiceover artist in the animation world, co-produces with his wife a family-centered web series called Faces of Offense, and has played a variety of roles on stage in shows such as Tommy, West Side Story, and The Wiz. But none of those parts are as meaningful to Louis as his current one - playing the historically-based author/orator Booker T. Washington in the Actors Repertory Theatre of Simi's production of Ragtime. The show closes this weekend, but we cornered Louis after last Sunday's performance to talk about his character in the context of the current political turmoil in America, which, unfortunately, is not that much different from what was depicted in E. L. Doctorow's famous novel.

Last night, on Tuesday, November 29th, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) kicked off its Miami Art Week programming with the debut of two visual arts exhibitions: When We Were Young, which features rarely seen contemporary masterworks from the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection paired with newly created works by YoungArts Visual Arts alumni; and Roots, an immersive, site-specific installation of new work by Cuban-American artist Jose Parla. 

This Sunday, December 4th, 42 Seven Productions in conjunction with IndieFork and W Times Square will welcome cast members from the revolutionary show HAMILTON for the ninth installment of the hit Sunday night experience, 'Broadway at W.' 

CEK Productions presents the World Premiere of WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES, book by Carole Eglash-Kosoff, musical direction and arrangements by Rahn Coleman, choreography by Cassie Crump and direction by John Henry Davis. WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES begins previews Friday, November 11, 2016 and opens Friday, November 18 at 8pm. The production runs through Sunday, December 18 at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

CEK Productions presents the World Premiere of LUSH LIFE, book by Carole Eglash-Kosoff, musical direction and arrangements by Rahn Coleman, choreography by Cassie Crump and direction by John Henry Davis. LUSH LIFE begins previews Today, November 11, 2016 and opens Today, November 18 at 8pm. The production runs through Sunday, December 18 at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

This Sunday, November 20th, 42 Seven Productions in conjunction with IndieFork and W Times Square welcome Mark Ballas and other cast members of Jersey Boys for the eighth installment of the hit Sunday night experience, 'Broadway at W.'

During this year's Art Basel Miami Beach, the National YoungArts Foundation will host two visual arts exhibitions on their Miami campus, including the debut of a new body of work by José Parlá and an installation of rarely seen masterworks from the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection, as well as a booth at PULSE Miami Beach Contemporary Art Fair. Co-curated by Naomi Fisher (1994 YoungArts Winner in Visual Art) and Luisa Munera, YoungArts Artistic Programs Coordinator, the booth will feature works by ten YoungArts alumni. 

Today, November 16 at 4:30 PM, a Sidewalk Signing and Honors Ceremony will be held onstage at Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

On the next episode of GREY'S ANATOMY on ABC titled 'You Haven't Done Nothin', believing he is going to jail tomorrow, Alex makes a big decision about his future.

On Wednesday, November 16 at 4:30 PM, a Sidewalk Signing and Honors Ceremony will be held onstage at Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place. 

Well. That was different! Once every season or two, GREY'S ANATOMY offers up an episode that breaks convention and tries to be a little different. This show has had varying success with this type of episode. The one that aired tonight, entitled—get this, HAMILTON fans—“The Room Where It Happens”, may not turn out to be the most memorable of them all, but it was done very well…and it may well have been the best.

CEK Productions presents the World Premiere of WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES, book by Carole Eglash-Kosoff, musical direction and arrangements by Rahn Coleman, choreography by Cassie Crump and direction by John Henry Davis.

CEK Productions presents the World Premiere of LUSH LIFE, book by Carole Eglash-Kosoff, musical direction and arrangements by Rahn Coleman, choreography by Cassie Crump and direction by John Henry Davis. LUSH LIFE begins previews Today, November 11, 2016 and opens Today, November 18 at 8pm. The production runs through Sunday, December 18 at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

On November 5, 2016, the National YoungArts Foundation will premiere five collaborative short films created by YoungArts alumni as the season's first Outside the Box event, which takes place outdoors and is free to the public.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and RKO Stage present the world premiere of Carefree: Dancin' with Fred & Ginger, an all-new tribute to American cinema's most iconic pair, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Tony Award-winner Warren Carlyle directs and choreographs this original musical spectacular.

An epidemic of senseless gun violence and police brutality is sweeping through the United States. Trayvon Martin and Freddie Grey are two of the more famous examples of this. Award winning actress, choreographer, and writer Debbie Allen takes a no holds barred look at this all too hot topic in her theatrical/dance/ multimedia extravaganza Freeze Frame...Stop the Madness. I always knew that Debbie Allen was a force of nature as an actress in any show she's in and this show is no exception. She plays a few roles, but is also the director, choreographer, and writer. This is one of the first times I have actually seen that working scenario prove successful as one person usually can't do it all.