Drew Fornarola News

THE SPOTLIGHT SERIES, a bi-monthly live streamed concert series created by A LITTLE NEW MUSIC will “spotlight” the music of composer/lyricist, Gregory Nabours on October 27.

Broadway's Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked, Barrow Street's Sweeney Todd) and Adam Rothenberg (Company, Miss Saigon) will team up at Buffalo's Premier Cabaret to present an evening of songs from Broadway's greatest shows. The concert will stream live to ticket holders worldwide on November 12 at 7:30pm.

MT Shorts and Broadway Unlocked have announced its next original musical short film, HIGH SCHOOL ZOOMSICAL, starring Broadway's Ryann Redmond (Frozen, If/Then, Bring it On), Alan Wiggins (Pretty Woman, Beautiful, The Lion King) and Social Media Star Kay Brown (IG's Betches).

The York Theatre Company is presenting the 2020 Musical Theatre Training Program (MTTP) Summer Program Intensive, a special 4-week virtual journey nurturing the next generation of students and songwriters.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) is inviting all songwriters to submit their original songs for consideration for one of MAC's two songwriting awards: the Dottie Berman Award and the John Wallowitch Award. Submitters do not need to be MAC members.

Casting has been announced and tickets are now on sale for Starring Buffalo's EVITA, April 3-4 at Shea's 710 Theater. Tony Award-Winner Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kinky Boots) will play Eva, joining the previously announced Robi Hager (Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie) as Che, Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan, The Sound of Music) as Juan Peron, Darryl Semira (Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams) as Magaldi and Leah Berst (MusicalFare's Bright Star) as The Mistress. The ensemble features many of Buffalo's best, including Karen Grace Harty, Matthew Iwanski - Jackson, Katy Miner, Ben Michael Moran, Matthew Rivera, Raphael Santos and Alexandria Watts, as well as nearly 100 other Western New York singers, dancers, and musicians.

Casting has been announced and tickets are now on sale for Starring Buffalo's EVITA, April 3-4 at Shea's 710 Theater. The soaring epic musical by seven-time Tony Award winner Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats) and three-time Academy Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar) charts Eva Peron's rise to become the most powerful woman in Latin America, and features some of musical theater's finest songs, including the smash hit 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina'.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected Lindsey Brett Carothers (Bring it On, Wicked) and Devin Ilaw (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables) as guests of honor at the November edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame's Soiree. The show is now in its fourth hit season at The Duplex. The Broadway duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

Duncan Sheik, a Tony and Grammy Award winner for a?oeSpring Awakening,a?? will travel to Salt Lake City to join Utah Repertory Theater Company for the Rocky Mountain premiere production of AMERICAN PSYCHO.

Starring Buffalo concluded it's 3 performances of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS on Saturday night. The visiting Broadway artists included Matt Doyle as Seymour, Lindsay Nicole Chambers as Audrey and Brandon Espinoza as the Dentist. Artistic Director Drew Fornarola has announced EVITA as the spring of 2020 staged musical concert. Casting will be announced in the new year. The company is using Shea's 710 Theatre this season, after it's inaugural season at Rockwell Hall last year presenting THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. The touring cast of THE BROADWAY PRINCESS PARTY was also in town and joined in to celebrate.

A Little New Music will once again introduce a sparkling array of artists singing brand new musical theatre songs in a classic cabaret setting at Hollywood's historic Catalina Jazz Club on Wednesday, November 20th at 8:30pm. Audiences of A Little New Music's concert series will discover firsthand the new songs that could become future classics of the American musical theatre landscape.

The most famous of man eating plants made a Halloween weekend appearance as LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS played out on the Shea's 710 Theatre stage Friday night. Under the auspices of the fledgling STARRING BUFFALO company, Buffalo was treated to it's second fully realized staged musical reading. Director Drew Fornarola has assembled three of Broadway's best young talents to visit the Queen City, work along side some of Buffalo's own finest actors, and mentor and perform with three of the areas High School choirs. After their fine inaugural production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME last year at Rockwell Hall, the change of venue seemed to work perfectly.

STARRING BUFFALO, a not-for-profit arts organization a??that brings together Broadway's best performers, Buffalo's top theater professionals, and talented area students to create unforgettable theatrical experiences, is proud to announce the full cast for its production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected Eric Anthony Lopez (The Phantom of the Opera) and MiMi Scardulla (We Are the Tigers) as guests of honor at the September edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame's Soiree. The show is now in its fourth hit season at The Duplex. The Broadway duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

Casting has been announced and tickets are now on sale for Starring Buffalo's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, November 1-2 at Shea's 710 Theater. This deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) is one of the most popular shows of all time, and has been devouring the hearts of theatre goers for over 30 years.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected Alex Wyse (Spring Awakening, Waitress) and Erica Lustig (Hair, National Pastime) as guests of honor at the August edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame's Soiree. The show is now in its fourth hit season at The Duplex. The Broadway duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

Interview with Artistic Director John Wells III to chat about the company and their play STRAIGHT. Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds and Andrea Agosto, playing July 25th - August 4th at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected Diane Phelan (School of Rock, The King and I) and Samantha Gershman (Jekyll and Hyde) as guests of honor at the June edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame's Soiree. The show is now in its fourth hit season at The Duplex. The Broadway duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected Heather Makalani (Aladdin) and CJ Eldred (The Book of Mormon) as guests of honor at the March edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame's Soiree. The Broadway duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines. Artistic directors Drew Fornarola (STRAIGHT, VeggieTales) and Tyler Spicer (Pharmabro) are also pleased to announce that the soirees will now be free with a reservation, as the company moves to a donation-based model for its programming.

STRAIGHT focuses on Ben, a 26-year-old investment banker with a six-figure income, a devoted girlfriend, and a clandestine relationship with another man. As this relationship deepens, Ben wrestles with how he identifies and what he wants his life to look like.