George Hearn News

42nd Street Moon, the company renowned for presenting uncommon musical theater, begins its 2011-12 season with a salute to the legendary Cole Porter.

Do you know your haunted city? Washington is a ghostly town, famous for its many hidden treasures and mystifying secrets that lie concealed beneath the pavement and throughout its historic monuments.

On August 7 the ghosts come out to sing and dance and reminisce a bit when one of the most legendary musicals of all time returns to the Great White Way and previews begin for a sparkling new production of FOLLIES, directed by Eric Schaeffer, based on the recent Kennedy Center mounting of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's haunting and thrilling nostalgia cornucopia. While the various productions of FOLLIES over the decades have a lion's share of unforgettable star turns and show-stopping moments to treasure, the brand new Broadway revival could very well be the ghostly musical's true total resurrection for a 21st century audience. After all, this is the show which coined the term Broadway Baby! Speaking of which, with a cast boasting Broadway heavyweights Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige and Danny Burstein, along with upcoming InDepth InterView participant Ron Raines, along with the glories of Sondheim's masterful score and the moody magic that this musical can singularly conjure, this production is evidently poised to present FOLLIES as perfectly as potentially possible for a modern audience - so, while taking a look at this particular production and the past performances of the stars of the show we shall parse the looks, lives, love and lore that makes up FOLLIES - and a couple laughs, too - and also consider why it is one of the most important musicals of the twentieth century.

Virginia's Signature Theatre has announced that resident director Matt Gardiner will be the Theatre's new Associate Artistic Director, working in collaboration with co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer.

Virginia's Signature Theatre has announced that resident director Matt Gardiner will be the Theatre's new Associate Artistic Director, working in collaboration with co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. In his new role, Gardiner will have greater responsibility in helping to conceive, develop, and implement the unique artistic vision and focus of Signature and will play a leading role in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced The Old Globe's presentation of a developmental workshop of Allegiance - A New American Musical.

Signature Theatre's 22nd season kicks off by making musical theatre history with its American Musical Voices Project: Next Generation 'World Premiere Repertory Series' - the first time in the history of the American theatre that two world premiere musicals will be presented in rotating repertory, in full production. The eight-week series, beginning previews on August 23rd, will produce The Hollow (book by Hunter Foster; music and lyrics by Matt Conner), to be directed by Signature Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner; and The Boy Detective Fails (book by Joe Meno; music and lyrics by Adam Gwon), directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Associate Joe Calarco. Both musicals have been commissioned by Signature Theatre as part of its groundbreaking American Musical Voices Project: The Next Generation.

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre has announced that national radio host Robert Aubry Davis (WETA's 'Around Town' and Sirius/XM Radio) will be making his stage debut, playing the iconic role of Edna in its upcoming production of the celebrated musical Hairspray. Directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, Hairspray will run from November 21st through January 29th. Based on the 1988 cult film directed by John Waters, Hairspray features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The musical, which played on Broadway for 6 ½ years, took home eight 2003 Tony Awards, including 'Best Musical.'

Neil Berg's new cabaret show, RISE UP: The Theater Songs of Neil Berg, comes to Feinstein's, hosted by Rob Evan, and featuring a star-studded cast, including current Wicked star Mandy Gonzalez, and special guest, Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham, and others!

Virginia's Signature Theatre heats up during the dog days of summer with their annual Sizzlin' Summer Cabaret, a 3-week series featuring thirteen individual acts sure to keep things red hot.

Virginia's Signature Theatre opens its doors for their annual Target Open House on Saturday, July 23rd. Free and open to the public, this special event runs from noon - 10:00pm and has something for everyone: performances, demonstrations, exhibits, kids' activities, classes, a 'concert on the plaza,' and the return of the very popular Signature Idol Competition, sponsored by Northern Virginia magazine, and mediated by a celebrity panel of judges which includes Broadway star Hunter Foster (Urinetown), national radio host Robert Aubry Davis and Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. The Target Open House is held throughout the Signature complex and on the Plaza.

The John W. Engeman Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Hairspray, the first show of their 5th Season.

In a recent article with the Huffington Post, Alec Baldwin chatted about his dreams of singing in a Broadway show, and his admiration for actors who have stepped up to the challange in the past. Baldwin writes: 'When I have watched and admired people who can sing, like Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Mandy Patinkin, Michael Cerveris, Jason Danieley, Julie Andrews, Brian Stokes Mitchell, to name a few, I have always wondered what that must be like as a performer. To have that freedom. That joy.'

Today, in honor of the nationwide release of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY in movie theaters, we are celebrating the many accomplishments of the film's director who has made a name for himself in the twenty-first century as the finest and most productive theatrical filmmaker of our age - Lonny Price. With his string of highly successful filmed stage performances before COMPANY ranging from last year's stupendous SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT back to SWEENEY TODD: IN CONCERT starring George Hearn and Patti LuPone, CANDIDE starring Kristin Chenoweth, CAMELOT with Gabriel Byrne, as well as well as the LIVE FROM LINCOLN center broadcast of Sondheim's PASSION and the forthcoming feature film version of Athol Fugard's Pulitzer prize-winning MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS, Price is ushering in a new era of theatrical films for television and, now, the cinema. So, let's go back and take a look at what led up to the feature film live capture of COMPANY taking musical theatre to an entirely new level - and an enormously appreciative audience. Three Is Company

Back by popular demand, Neil Berg returns to Feinstein's after a sold out show last summer with a new cabaret show, BROADWAY AND BERG: Broadway Show Stoppers and the Theater Songs of Neil Berg, hosted by Broadway star Rob Evan along with Mr. Berg, and featuring a star-studded cast.

The Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre is looking for the next 'Signature Idol,' with the return of the very popular Signature Idol Competition being held during this year's annual Target Open House on July 23rd.

The John W. Engeman Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Hairspray, the first show of their 5th Season.

Virginia's Signature Theatre heats up during the dog days of summer with their annual Sizzlin' Summer Cabaret, a 3-week series featuring thirteen individual acts sure to keep things red hot.

Virginia's Signature Theatre heats up during the dog days of summer with their annual Sizzlin' Summer Cabaret, a 3-week series featuring thirteen individual acts sure to keep things red hot. Headlining the talented array of solo artists assembled will be Tony Award® nominee Marc Kudisch (Broadway's 9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, andThoroughly Modern Millie) with his What Makes Me Tick cabaret coming straight from Feinstein's. Broadway star Julia Murney (Elphaba in Wicked and a Drama Desk nominee for The Wild Party) will also be performing for two nights with her own mix of renowned stage songs.

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre completes its 21st season with 'Broadway Duets' - a cabaret performance celebrating some of the greatest duets ever written for the Broadway stage. Presenting classic songs by Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and many more will be four favorites of the Signature stage - Felicia Curry (Les Misérables), James Gardiner ([title of show]), Jake Odmark (Sunset Boulevard), and Bayla Whitten (Chess). Renowned duets from Wicked, Damn Yankees, Godspell, Hairspray, Hello, Dolly!, Aida, among others, will be featured by the talented foursome. Directed by Signature's Resident Director Matthew Gardiner (Side by Side by Sondheim, Art) in the intimacy of the 110-seat ARK Theatre, 'Broadway Duets' will be presented from June 7th through June 11th.