An Officer and a Gentleman, directed by Simon Philips and co-written by Douglas Day Stewart and composer and lyricist team Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner, made its world premiere performance on May 18 at the Lyric Theater in Sydney, Australia.
Despite the hype of the much anticipated musical, which is believed to have Broadway aspirations, the production was received with little enthusiasm by many critics (revisit the Review Roundup here). Now, the movie and show's scribe, Douglas Day Stewart, has taken to the media to defend the piece in an open letter in The Australian against their negative reaction.
Trinity Repertory Company previously announced that Rhode Island's own Academy Award-nominated actress, Viola Davis, would be honored with the 2012 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at the 16th annual Pell Awards. Theater educator Elaine Foster Perry will receive the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts, Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons will receive the Pell Award For Leadership in Arts Education, and J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center and Professional Facilities Management, will be honored as the recipient of the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts. All awardees are past or current Rhode Islanders.
Off-Broadway's Page 73 Productions presents a series of readings by their 2012 P73 Playwriting fellow Max Posner. Tonight, Monday, May 21 at 7:30pm and Tuesday, May 22 at 4pm at the Roundabout Rehearsal studio (32 E. 31st Street, 4th Fl) will be Mr. Posner's SNORE AND OTHER SORTS OF BREATHING, directed by Trip Cullman. These readings are free and open to the public; to attend please email info@page73.org.
Directed by Lauren Shouse, Street Theatre Company's production is unique in its casting: Cori and Tyson Laemmel play Cathy and Jamie for the final two weekends of the run, while Kacie Phillips and Ryan Greenawalt opened, to essentially unanimous and deserved acclaim, in the roles for the first two weekends. But here's an intriguing thought: How different would the show be if Cori Laemmel were paired with Ryan Greenawalt and Kacie Phillips played opposite Tyson Laemmel? It's staggering, isn't it?
According to a report by Variety, more and more musicals, such as An Officer and a Gentleman, which opened in its world premiere today, May 19 at the Lyric Theater in Sydney, are using Australia has a stepping stone to larger Broadway and West End productions.
InViolet Repertory Theater presents the World Premiere of THIS IS FICTION by Megan Hart. Richard Masur stars in this dramedy directed by Shelley Butler. Previews begin June 12 at Cherry Lane Studio Theatre. Press opening is set for Saturday, June 15.
Becky Ann Baker (GOOD PEOPLE, "Freaks and Geeks") and Dylan Baker (GOD OF CARNAGE, "Kings") will join previously announced Christopher Abbott ("Martha Marcy May Marlene," HBO's Girls and 2011 Broadway revival of HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES) for the "bake off" portion of Page 73 Productions' Spring Benefit on Friday, May 11 at 7:00pm at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan. Tony Award-winner Julie White (THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED) will host.
Park Avenue Armory will present Trisha Brown Dance Company's reconstruction of ASTRAL CONVERTED, a groundbreaking work by choreographer Trisha Brown in collaboration with Robert Rauschenberg (visual and costume design) and John Cage (original music) July 10th - 14th, 2012. The piece will be presented in its entirety for the first time in 18 years in Park Avenue Armory's soaring 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall. The culminating work in Brown's Valiant Series, ASTRAL CONVERTED premiered at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1991.
Winner of 7 Tony awards, this beloved Broadway musical sets Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel, and soul. The Wiz first appeared on Broadway in 1974 and was written by William F. Brown with Music and Lyrics by Charles Smalls featuring such classic songs as "Ease On Down the Road", "Home", and "Everybody Rejoice."
Tony Award-winner Julie White (THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED) is set to host the 2012 Page 73 Spring Benefit on tonight, May 11 at 7:00pm at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Page 73's Executive Directors Liz Jones and Asher Richelli.
Seattle-based theater ensemble The Wrecking Crew presents Pugilist Specialist, an award winning political theatre piece by Adriano Shaplin, starting tonight, Friday, May 11th. The production will run through Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at Stone Soup Theatre's DownStage on 4029 Stone Way North (between Fremont and Wallingford).
The Brooklyn Museum's June 2 Target First Saturdays celebrates the beginning of summer with a night of music, dancing, games, contests, and food at the Best of Brooklyn Block Party. The Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturday attracts thousands of visitors to free art and entertainment programs each month.
On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) will hold its annual Bal du Printemps Gala at The Pierre in New York City. A major portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit PDF's Ronald and Isobel Konecky Research Fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Rosanna Scotto, Co-Host, FOX 5's Good Day New York, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening.
The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown's imaginative reminiscence/dissection of a crumbling, contemporary marriage, debuted at Street Theater Company last night (Friday, May 4), in a compelling production helmed by director Lauren Shouse and musical director Rollie Mains. Starring two relative newcomers to the Nashville stage-Kacie Phillips and Ryan Greenawalt-it's an engaging and intriguing 90-plus minutes of theater that is likely to leave you introspective and, somehow, oddly satisfied.
The Des Moines Community Playhouse Kate Goldman Children's Theatre presents the family show 'The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley,' today, May 4 through May 20. Tickets may be purchased online at dmplayhouse.com, by phone at 515-277-6261, and at The Playhouse ticket office, 831 42nd St. 'The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley' is sponsored by First Class Credit Union.
Tony Award-winner Julie White (THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED) is set to host the 2012 Page 73 Spring Benefit on Friday, May 11 at 7:00pm at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Page 73's Executive Directors Liz Jones and Asher Richelli.
In an exclusive interview, Matt Lauer sits down with singer Bobby Brown in his first interview since the death of Whitney Houston. In the candid, no-holds-barred sit-down, Brown tells Lauer, 'I'm not the reason she's gone.' Lauer also talks exclusively to three oF Brown's children who were close to Houston, Landon, Bobby Jr. and La'Princia, and Brown's fiancée, Alicia. The interviews will air on NBC's 'Today' in two parts. The second continues tonight, May 3.
Today (May 2), Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz ordered the Brooklyn flag lowered at Borough Hall in memory of Brownsville's Greg "Jocko" Jackson, who died yesterday of an apparent heart attack at age 60.
