Disney Theatrical Group News

Eight outstanding educators from schools and performing arts centers around the U.S. will work one-on-one with Broadway greats at the 10th Annual FREDDIE G FELLOWSHIP July 10th - 13th.  The event is underwritten by Freddie ('G') Gershon, Co-Chairman of the global theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI), his wife Myrna and MTI. The four days of classes and activities honor instructors and teachers who are working to make a difference for their students and communities through the process of staging musical theatre productions in their schools and educational theatre groups. In addition to the all-expense paid visit to New York, each of the teachers' schools receives $5,000 from Freddie and Myrna. The teachers are empowered to identify and select how their respective school's theatre program can best utilize the funds.

Los dos artistas, que ya protagonizaron el titulo juntos en teatro en Mexico, repetiran los papeles en la nueva version de cine de accion real que se estrena este mes, para Disney Latino America.

You recently saw the television camera focus on David Yazbek seated in the audience at the Tony Awards and last night if you were at Feinstein's54 Below you saw him seated on the piano bench with his killer band and special guest Etai Benson in a thrilling performance by the composer himself.

Between August 1st - August 5th, the American Alliance for Theatre & Education will be hosting their 32ndAnnual National Conference in the artistically vibrant New York City! The theme of this year's conference is 'Activate AATE: Exploring Theatre Educators' Role and Responsibility.'

Opening July 5 at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Murder for Two is a musical murder mystery full of invention and humor. Book and lyrics are by Kellen Blair, book and music by Joe Kinosian. Murder for Two runs July 5-27, with performances at 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Two preview performances, July 3 and 4, begin at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is July 5, at 8 p.m. Murder for Two is directed by Sam Scalamoni, with music direction by Gary Adler.

Clio Entertainment, the original and definitive international awards program celebrating creativity in marketing the entertainment business, today announced the renowned leaders that will comprise its first-ever Live Entertainment jury.

How do you celebrate an expansion eighteen years in the making? You throw a swanky, "Not So Casual Affair"!

The Walnut Street Theatre brings the Student Share Celebration Disney Musicals in Schools event to its mainstage on Friday, May 24th at 12 p.m. Five local elementary schools will perform a selection from their Disney KIDS musical for friends and family, made possible through this special partnership between Disney Theatrical Group and Walnut Street Theatre.

The 2019 International Thespian Festival (ITF), the nation's leading high school theatre festival, will kick off with a high-energy show featuring favorite musical numbers from throughout the years at ITF and will feature a closing tribute number written especially for Thespians by legendary playwright, composer, and Thespian alum, Andrew Lippa.

On May 18, more than 200 elementary students from the Oklahoma City Public School District will have the extraordinary opportunity to sing and dance on the Civic Center Music Hall stage as the result of a grant awarded to Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma by Disney.

Lively McCabe Entertainment Co-President Michael Barra proudly announces the expansion of their Columbus Circle office with the hiring of two key executives, Darnetha Lincoln M'Baye and Molly Israel Paul. Ms. M'Baye has joined the company as VP, Head of Music and will be responsible for managing the company's content partnerships with the major music publishers, as well as overseeing the packaging of all music intellectual property elements into the company's stage, film, and television development slates. Also joining Lively McCabe this month is Molly Israel Paul, who will serve as Creative Executive, focusing on the development of new plays adapted from existing IP for the company's exclusive HollyWay collection at Dramatists Play Service. Lively McCabe is also pleased to announce that Jen Bender and Allison Bressi will begin working with the company this month as Creative Development Consultants and will each oversee the development of select stage musicals on behalf of the company.

Last night, Theatre Now New York (TNNY) presented its Sixth Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023. SOUND BITES 6.0 grants composers, lyricists, and librettists the unique opportunity to present their work in front of a live audience. This one-night only event, now in its sixth year, showcases 10 new musicals by up-and-coming musical theatre writing teams.

Stage Sight, a new collaborative network to help create a diverse off stage theatre workforce, has been launched by theatre lighting designer Prema Mehta, supported by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre.

Theatre Now New York (TNNY) is pleased to announce the official judging panel for SOUND BITES 6.0, the Sixth Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 7pm at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023. 

Samuel French has announced that Shakespeare in Love is now available for licensing to schools across the United States and Canada. This new high school edition, developed in conjunction with the Disney Theatrical Group, includes an accompanying Production Handbook.

Hamilton is taking the world by storm, one country at a time. Next stop: Germany!

San Diego Junior Theatre, the nation's longest-running youth theatre program, announces the premiere of DISNEY'S MOANA JR, directed and choreographed by Junior Theatre Alumna Francine Maigue. The special pilot production is a partnership with Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Group and showcases San Diego performers, musicians and technicians all ranging in age from 8 to 18. MOANA runs March 1-17 at Balboa Park's historic Casa del Prado Theatre. San Diego Junior Theatre is celebrating its 71st season empowering children of all ages, abilities and backgrounds through innovative, engaging and inclusive high-quality theater education and productions.

Disney's Frozen JR. is playing at Woodruff School from Friday, April 12th, 2019 through Sunday, April 14th, 2019 at 7pm Friday and Saturday, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. The spectacular 60-minute musical, designed for middle school-aged performers, is based on the 2013 Disney film and the 2018 Broadway adaptation. The Woodruff School ACE Music cast includes 50 students led by Director Spencer Lau, Associate Director Tanya Nakai, Choreographer John Stephan, Vocal Coach Kayleigh Whitmore, Assistant Choreographer Lindsay Nakai and Casting Directors Jaclyn Pohlig and Sarah Moore.

The New York-based theater company, Theater in Asylum (TIA), will present six performances of Alice Pencavel's Totally Wholesome Foods at Episcopal Actors' Guild in New York City.

The NYU Tisch School of the Arts' Department of Drama and live entertainment advertising agency Serino Coyne are proud to announce they have teamed up to create the Women's Mentorship Program, an initiative that pairs female-identifying students interested in arts management with some of New York's top female cultural leaders.