Frankie Zabilka News

“Seize the Day” beginning Friday, July 15, 2022 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center!

THE FORGE: LEMONT QUARRIES, a first-of-its-kind adventure park in Lemont, IL will present The Forge Sings, a live concert celebration of Disney music from film & stage. Families with kids of all ages can enjoy a Disney cabaret as talents from around the country lead a Disney sing-a-long.

5-STAR THEATRICALS has announced the third show of its 2021-2022 season, the regional premiere of Disney’s NEWSIES, book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, musical conductor and direction by Wilkie Ferguson, associate director & choreography Anthony Raimondi and directed & choreographed by Richard J. Hinds.

It's always nice when we see a show that has never been performed in Ventura County so we were looking forward to seeing 5-Star Theatricals' Something Rotten!, the 2015 sendup of Shakespeare that answers the question: 'What if Shakespeare had a rival?' As you will read in our upcoming review in The Acorn, we were not disappointed. Something Rotten! is a riotous romp with a twisted premise, as brother Nick and Nigel Bottom attempt to upstage (literally) theatre superstar Willie Shakespeare with their next production: the first musical. Due to the faulty efforts of a befuddled Nostradamus, the Bottom Brothers set out to produce their musical, titled Omelette. Recently, we visited with two stars from 5-Star's production: Justin Michael Wilcox, who plays Nick Bottom, and Aleks Pevec, who plays the strutting Shakespeare.

If a playgoer knows anything about Shakespeare and/or musicals, then for sheer inventiveness, sweetness and curtain-to-curtain smiles, SOMETHING ROTTEN! has you covered.

5-STAR THEATRICALS present the second show of its 2021-2022 season, with the hilarious love letter to all things musical theatre, SOMETHING ROTTEN!, music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, choreography by Michelle Elkin and directed by Richard Israel.

The plays are Makeup with Mallory: Special 29th Birthday Babe Edition!! with book, music, and lyrics by Alyssa Ho (age 17, from Pasadena, CA) and Miya Matsumune (age 17, from Upland, CA); Clean Clothes by Simon Hamrick (age 16, from Charleston, SC); and The Fantastic Adventures of Bonnie and Fran by Alethea Shirilan-Howlett (age 18, from Jamesville, NY).

 Skylight Music Theatre today announced the cast of the first staged concert reading of Fortunate Sons, featuring music and lyrics by legendary Oscar and Grammy Award-winner Paul Williams. The reading will be live streamed on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.

'Everybody's Got the Right' to their dream role in this gender-blind production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. Performing this August at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts.

A gender-blind production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins is now running at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts [August 16 - 25, 2019, Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays at 8:00 pm, and Wednesday and Thursday performances at 8:00 pm]

Assassins will soon bring the infamous historical figures back to life with the musical's “everybody's got the right” very much at its center. This production of the Sondheim classic features gender-blind casting, with many of the traditionally male roles played by women. Meet the cast in this exclusive first look at the cast.

'Everybody's Got the Right' to their dream role in this gender-blind production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. Performing this August at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts, full casting has now been announced.

Broadway's next generation comes to LA in A Little New Music's 20th concert of new musical theatre songs in The Sorting Room's 2019 Summer Series at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 26th at 7:00 pm. Kathy Deitch (B'way WICKED, FOOTLOOSE) will host. Multiple LA Ovation Award-winning composer Gregory Nabours (THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS, MARILYN! THE NEW MUSICAL) returns as music director, leading the ALNM band. Ticket availability is extremely limited, but there will be a waitlist. Scroll down for photos of the cast in rehearsal.

Broadway's next generation comes to LA with featured performances by Jonah Platt (B'way: WICKED, "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Live"), Olivier Award nominee April Nixon (B'way SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, TOMMY), and Carrie Manolakos (B'way: MAMMA MIA) in A Little New Music's 20th concert of new musical theatre songs in The Sorting Room's 2019 Summer Series at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 26th at 7:00 p.m.  Kathy Deitch (B'way WICKED, FOOTLOOSE) will host. Multiple LA Ovation Award-winning composer Gregory Nabours (THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS, MARILYN! THE NEW MUSICAL) returns as music director, leading the ALNM band.

Fresh off showcasing at the prestigious ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, acclaimed composer Michael Gordon Shapiro's captivating, award-winning musical THE BULLY PROBLEM is thrilling Fringe audiences with its sweet, poignant, and action-packed musical about bullying, standing up for yourself…and robots. Performed by an ensemble of actors who know how to truly support each other and work together from moment-to-moment, there is no doubt in my mind the production will be one of the biggest Fringe hits this month.

The Bully Problem opens this Friday, June 14 , 2019 at the The Broadwater - Main Stage. In this award-winning musical from Michael Gordon Shapiro, impassioned nerds face a slew of school bullies head on, with the help of a mostly-functional android.

Each year, Sierra Madre Playhouse presents a show especially for young audiences. In 2019, the show is Stuart Little, innovatively staged with puppets, projections and original music. Performances for school field trips start on March 11 with over 3000 tickets sold, but the Playhouse will present a limited number of performances to the general public as well, with an official public opening on March 16. The play is ideal for audience members aged 4 to 10, but their entire families can enjoy it as well.