Douglas Lyons News

The University of Saint Joseph will present a production of the children's musical Polkadots today, January 26, 2019 at 1:00pm in the Hoffman Auditorium.

In 2010, the musical comedy Band Geeks premiered at Goodspeed, and now, almost nine years later, its score is finally available for listening. The EP of Band Geeks features seven of Mark Allen, Gaby Alter, and Tommy Newman's catchy songs. While it's very clearly a product of its time - that late 2000s/early-Glee era pop sound - every song is funny and earnest with charm to spare.

The Wayne YMCA (Wayne NJ) will present the national tour of the children's musical Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 3:00pm in the Rosen Performing Arts Center.

The University of Saint Joseph will present a production of the children's musical Polkadots on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 1:00pm in the Hoffman Auditorium.

Retreat to Broadway, a national non-profit project that pairs innovative programming with live theater, is launching their second national arts education initiative focused on the groundbreaking musical, RENT. Not only does Retreat to Broadway want to help increase viewership for Fox's national telecast of 'RENT Live!' on January 27, but they also want to provide a unique framework to discuss the important themes RENT presents its audiences: celebrating differences, empathy, cultural diversity, addiction, mindfulness, conflict resolution, acceptance of self and others, etc.

YELLOW SOUND LABEL has announced the digital release of Band Geeks, an EP featuring six songs from the musical, today, Friday, January 4.

Chilina Kennedy will return to Beautiful - The Carole King Musical starting Thursday, January 3 as the production prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary on Broadway.

After a sold-out Wallis debut in July, A Little New Music will spotlight another lineup of emerging musical theatre talents for The Sorting Room's 2018 Winter Session at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. A Little New Music's audiences will enjoy original musical theatre songs firsthand before they hit Broadway or the regional circuit.

Obie, Emmy, and Tony winner Lillias White and Marvel and DC television regular Danny Johnson (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Gotham) will lead two industry readings of Douglas Lyons's new family comedy Chicken and Biscuits. Directed by Zhailon Levingston, the full cast includes C. Kelly Wright, Inga Ballard (Ragtime Tour), Akira Golz (Matilda), Doug Goldring, Josh Adam Ramos, and Lauren F. Walker (Charm).

The Arizona premiere of Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical is presented by Valley Youth Theatre (VYT), October 12-28, at 525 North First Street, in Downtown Phoenix. This is the second production in the theatre's thirtieth season and the first time this new musical has been performed by a youth cast. Written by Douglas Lyons, Melvin Tunstall III and Greg Borowsky, it was inspired by the true events of civil rights pioneers Ruby Bridges and The Little Rock Nine and is produced by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, (www.broadwaylicensing.com).

Northern Stage announces its 2018-19 Season, a season of plays connected by a theme of peace in a turbulent world. The main stage season is sponsored by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital and begins with a rotating repertory of the 2017 Tony Award-winner for Best Play, Oslo by J.T. Rogers, and Sarah Ruhl's Dear Elizabeth. Inspired by the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between the Israelis and Palestinians, Oslo is a deeply personal story about the individuals behind an historic peace negotiation and their all-too-human ambitions.

The Directors Company (Michael Parva, Artistic Director; Leah Michalos, Producing Director) and RK Greene/The StoryLine Project LLC, have announced the industry reading of Beau, a new play inside a concert, being presented August 9th at Clinton Cameo Studios.

Prospect Theater Company (Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director / Melissa Huber, Managing DIrector) is pleased to announce additional songwriters contributing material to its next IGNITE Series concert event, The Rave Revue. 

Prospect Theater Company announces the line-up of artists participating in its next IGNITE Series event, an ongoing concert series featuring today's new voices shaping tomorrow's musicals.

Broadway's Danyel Fulton and Douglas Lyons, accompanied by Ted Oscar, took to the stage at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts on Tuesday, July 10 as part of the camp's 50th Anniversary Festival season. 

Vassar & New York Stage and Film have announced additional casting for the highly anticipated 34th Powerhouse Season in Poughkeepsie, NY, which is currently running through Sunday, July 29.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, the critically acclaimed summer day camp for the arts celebrating its 50th anniversary in summer 2018, today welcomed back campers ages 4 through 12.  Nearly 1600 campers -one of whom is Brianna Perez, the star of the Oscar nominated film, Joe's Violin-stepped off the bus and into studios, with classes in everything from theater to studio art; photography and music to Quidditch and swim. This year's students are now part of the Usdan family, which boasts over 40,000 alumni, including many top names in entertainment and theater such as Mariah Carey, Natalie Portman, Jane Monheit, Seth Rudetsky. Jackie Hoffman, and more.

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, just presented the 8th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off-Broadway during the 2017-2018 season. Winners included: Desperate Measures (Best New Musical), Transfers (Best New Play), The Government Inspector (Best Revival), KPOP (Best Unique Theatrical Experience), Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke (Best Solo Performance), Polka Dots: The Cool Kids Musical(Best Family Show). 

Vassar & New York Stage and Film have announced the next wave of casting for the highly anticipated 34th Powerhouse Season in Poughkeepsie, NY, which starts this Friday, June 22 and runs through Sunday, July 29. Actors joining the annual summer play development incubator include Tony Award nominee Raul Esparza, Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, Tony Award nominee Denee Benton, Tony Award nominee Lauren Worsham, Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman, Noah Galvin, Frankie J. Alvarez, Lesli Margherita, Michael Esper, and Carson Elrod.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts (www.usdan.org), one of the pre-eminent nonprofit arts day camps in the country, today announced the Festival line-up for its 50th Anniversary Season - which kicks off on June 26. Curated by Usdan's recently appointed Artistic Director Jonathan Shmidt Chapman, in partnership with Usdan students on the first-ever Camper Curatorial Council, the 2018 program consists of student performances as well as 14 different professional acts, representing genres from classical music and dance to poetry, musical theatre, and comedy.