Fontana News

Check out the top stories from Las Vegas you might have missed this week and more!

The Garden State Film Festival is pleased to announce the New Jersey premiere of The Journey is the Destination, a remarkable true story about photojournalist, artist and activist Dan Eldon - the youngest photojournalist ever hired by Reuters news service. The film takes a look at the role of journalists in war zones in Africa, highlighting the dangers, and raising many questions.

Last night (March 7, 2017), The Smith Center for the Performing Arts celebrated its milestone Fifth Anniversary with a sold-out, commemorative concert featuring Broadway favorites, local talents and more. Emceed by Broadway veterans and stars of THE LAST FIVE YEARS Adam Kantor (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) and Betsy Wolfe (BULLETS OVER BROADWAY) each talked about the last five years at The Smith Center. Featured performers included Brent Barrett (PHANTOM - THE LAS VEGAS SPECTACULAR), Santino Fontana (CINDERELLA) and Jessica Fontana (IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL), Chandra Lee Schwartz (WICKED), Teller of Penn and Teller, Nate Dendy (THE TEMPEST), Christopher Convery (KINKY BOOTS), J. Elaine Marcos (MISS SAIGON), Christine Hudman (IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL), Ashley Loren (BAZ - STAR CROSSED LOVE), Randal Keith (LES MISERABLES), Bruce Ewing (PHANTOM - THE LAS VEGAS SPECTACULAR), Alex Ellis (IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL), Joan Sobel (PHANTOM - THE LAS VEGAS SPECTACULAR), and Nicole Pryor Dernersesian (PHANTOM - THE LAS VEGAS SPECTACULAR) presented under the musical direction of Keith Thompson. Additionally, Las Vegas favorite Clint Holmes joined GRAMMY® and Tony®-nominated composer Frank Wildhorn onstage for an unforgettable performance of 'This Is the Moment.'

Calling all Trekkies - Set your transponders to Atlantic City for the East Coast Premier FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK, produced by David Zappone and directed by Leonard Nimoy's son, Adam Nimoy.

The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) announces that Phillipsburg, NJ resident writer RJ Lewis has been selected as the 2017 winner of the Donna Lisa Rothstein Screenplay Competition for his screenplay Dummy.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) presented its annual 2017 Spring Gala 'Act II: Setting the Stage for Roundabout's Future' last night, February 27,  in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria (301 Park Avenue, NYC). The evening honored legendary four-time Tony-winning stage and film actor Frank Langella with The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre and Leonard Tow, Founder & Chairman of The Tow Foundation, with the Ovation Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) presented its annual 2017 Spring Gala 'Act II: Setting the Stage for Roundabout's Future' last night, February 27,  in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria (301 Park Avenue, NYC). The evening honored legendary four-time Tony-winning stage and film actor Frank Langella with The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre and Leonard Tow, Founder & Chairman of The Tow Foundation, with the Ovation Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.

HBO has confirmed that the HBO Films presentation THE WIZARD OF LIES will debut SATURDAY, MAY 20 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple), four-time Grammy Award nominee Josh Groban (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), and Tony nominees Carolee Carmello (Sweeney Todd) and Santino Fontana (Cinderella, TV's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) are joining the spectacular cast of Broadway Backwards, a show celebrating equality, community and love through gender-reversed interpretations of the great songs of musical theatre.

The American Theatre Wing's Centennial Auction is in its final week of bidding at www.charitybuzz.com/thewing, featuring five once-in-a-lifetime prize packages.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) announced today the initial lineup for 2017 NYMF. Among the shows announced in the lineup are the Next Link Project musical selections, as well as invited production selections. Now in its fourteenth year, the 2017 Festival will take place July 10th through August 6th at locations around midtown Manhattan in New York City. Dan Markley serves as NYMF Executive Director & Producer and Rachel Sussman serves as Director of Programming & Artist Services.

Gallery Players announces the fifth show of its 50th season with the critically acclaimed and timely, Sweet Bird of Youth, which tells the story of a gigolo and drifter, who returns to his home town as the companion of a once-was movie star. 

Fox Inclusion today announced the participants in its sixth annual Fox Writers Lab, the company's writers' platform is designed to nurture experienced writers who have diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences, as well as create a strong pipeline of well-rounded talent for potential staffing on Fox television, feature film and digital entertainment productions.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature THE HONEY TRAP in Boston, Glenn Close as the latest 'Women in Theater' profile in Connecticut, WEST SIDE STORY in Dallas and more. Check out our top features below!

Center Theatre Group is announcing five judges from varying professions that will participate in the 2017 August Wilson Monologue Competition (AWMC) Regional Finals taking place at the Mark Taper Forum on Monday, February 27.

Symphony Space's PROJECT BROADWAY, a celebration of all that's new and exciting on the Great White Way, returns for its second installment, March 27 - April 2. This year's theme is 'The Art of Collaboration,' spotlighting the alchemy that turns music, book, choreography, and staging into theatrical magic.

The world premiere Signature Theatre production of Everybody, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Lila Neugebauer, runs now through March 19, 2017 and officially opened last night, February 21, on The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Jess here. Every once in awhile you hear about a show that you would do just about anything to see. Although the stages of Las Vegas offer a variety of amazing entertainment options on a nightly basis, it's a rare occasion to have the opportunity to see a multi-talented performer whose career spans across several different medias; from TV to film to Broadway. When I saw that The Smith Center for the Performing Arts was hosting a show featuring Santino Fontana I was ecstatic! Initially scheduled for a two night run, Fontana's Friday night show was cancelled due to a foot of snow closing down all of the NYC area airports. Thankfully, 'the show must go on' adage rang true, and Fontana was welcomed to the sunny desert on Saturday night by an eagerly awaiting, over-packed house.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) presents its annual 2017 Spring Gala 'Act II: Setting the Stage for Roundabout's Future' on Monday, February 27, 2017 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria (301 Park Avenue, NYC). The evening will honor legendary four-time Tony-winning stage and film actor Frank Langella with The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre and Leonard Tow, Founder & Chairman of The Tow Foundation, with the Ovation Award for Excellence in Philanthropy. Acclaimed actor Bryan Cranston will present the award to friend and colleague, Frank Langella. Roundabout Underground alum Jenny Rachel Weiner will present the award to Leonard Tow.

The globally recognized Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) proudly announces Scott Cronick as this year's Honorary Chair of New Jersey's largest and most respected film festival, which will be held March 30 to April 2, 2017 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.