Choreographer Joanna Rush appeared on Broadway in A CHORUS LINE (also as Sheila in the Los Angeles company), Shirley MacLaine AT THE PALACE starring Shirley MacLaine, in films including The Night They Raided Minsky's, A Killing Affair costarring with O.J. Simpson and Elizabeth Montgomery, and the TV remake of William Inge's Splendor in the Grass, which she also choreographed. Miss Rush currently tours the US in her one-woman show KICK and her newest show, SEX & POWER.
Actress/dancer/singer Sandy Bainum proved once again on Sunday November 10 that she can do it all. It was the premiere of her new cabaret show Ever Blondeward at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. In the show she payed tribute to great celebrity blondes like Peggy Lee, Doris Day, Mitzi Gaynor, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Hutton, among others, who left their mark on the world as great entertainers. The sold out house were enchanted by Bainum, who is not only beautiful but a glorious singer and raconteur.
Jill Senter returns for one night in CELEBRATE THE MOMENT: A Nightclub Revue written, arranged and conducted by Elliot Finkel with choreography by Joanna Rush and directed by Walter Willison on Wednesday, October 16th at 7 PM at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street.
Hope Mill Theatre is known for its excellent musical theatre revivals, and the current production of MAME is no exception. In 1969, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's production graced the West End, starring Ginger Rogers; 50 years on, MAME has become one of the lesser-known musicals.
After revamping Cats and taking on other iconic musicals like Fame, director and choreographer Nick Winston brings Mame back to the stage. The last time the UK saw the show (which has music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee) it was 1969 and Ginger Rogers was playing the lead role on Drury Lane. Now, 60 years later, Tracie Bennett is going to be Autie Mame at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.
Rehearsals are underway for Theater Latté Da's re-imagined production of CHICAGO, Broadway's longest-running American musical. Winner of 7 Tony awards including Best Musical Revival, CHICAGO features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical, based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, is directed by Theater Latté Da Artistic Director Peter Rothstein [1] with Music Direction by Denise Prosek and choreography by Kelli Foster Warder.
In the summer of 1983, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein put on a show that was light years ahead of the zeitgeist, vis-a-vis the awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ people in America, and about twenty years before the legalization of same-sex marriage. Yet, after a successful tryout at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, they boldly went where no Broadway musical had gone before when they opened LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Palace Theatre on August 21, 1983. Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston concludes its 51st Summer Season with LA CAGE, and I am pleased to report that the show continues to stand the test of time. The three most important components for a successful staging of this musical are the two actors who play the leading men, Georges (J.T. Turner) and Albin (James Darrah), and the dance troupe who comprise Les Cagelles, the drag performers at the Saint-Tropez title nightclub owned by the latter couple, and they collectively win the trifecta.
If Jayne Atkinson were looking for a tour-de-force, then she found one as the late Texas governor holding court at Arena Stage in Ann. Written by Holland Taylor, Ann is a one woman play about the late Texas Governor Ann Richards that is part reflective autobiography, part homage to public service, and always entertaining.
Last year, in 2018, the third annual Dancers For Good Benefit supporting the Actors Fund Dancers Resource in East Hampton was so impressive that I challenged the founders to 'high-kick it up a notch even higher next year'. I'm thrilled to announce that not only did they clearly accept that challenge, they superseded all expectations!
Theater Latte Da today announced casting for CHICAGO, Broadway's longest-running American musical. Winner of 7 Tony awards including Best Musical Revival, CHICAGO features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical, based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, is directed by Theater Latte Da Artistic Director Peter Rothstein with Music Direction by Denise Prosek and choreography by Kelli Foster Warder.
Jill Senter and Company will return to The Laurie Beechman Theater, where they played to a capacity crowd in May, in CELEBRATE THE MOMENT: A New Nightclub Revue, written, arranged and conducted by Elliot Finkel with choreography by Joanna Rush and directed by Walter Willison, on Wednesday, July 17th and Wednesday, August 7th, at 7PM.
Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Hope Mill Theatre and Ray Rackham Theatrical are delighted to announce that Harriet Thorpe and Tim Flavin will star as Vera and Beauregard respectively in the first professional UK revival of Jerry Herman's much loved musical MAME. They join the previously announced Tracie Bennett in the title role.
'Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.' Borrowing a phrase from cartoonist Bob Thaves to argue for more women in positions of power, feisty politician Ann Richards came to national attention when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.
This summer Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC) presents the romantic comedy Twelfth Night at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, directed by ISC Co-Founder and Managing Director, David Melville. Twelfth Night will begin previews on Saturday, June 29 at 7pm, will open on Saturday, July 6 at 7pm and perform through Sunday, September 1 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All ISC summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public! Twelfth Night is the first of two productions being presented at this year's Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival. Pericles begins Saturday, July 27 and will run in repertory with Twelfth Night.
Complete casting has been announced for The Cape Playhouse's starry upcoming production of Oscar Wilde's timeless classic, The Importance of Being Earnest.
Sierra Madre Playhouse inaugurates a projected ongoing film series, Off the Screen @ SMP, in which we'll feature midweek screenings of films that are in some way related to our current live mainstage productions.
Based on Thornton Wilder's 1954 play titled The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! follows famed New York City matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi as receives her toughest challenge yet. She must travel to Yonkers to find a suitable match for the miserly 'well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire' Horace Vandergelder. She successfully matches many others in the city, including Horace's niece and his two young clerks, but everything seems to go wrong when it comes to matching Horace.
The Delray Beach Playhouse announces their 2019-20 Season Subscriptions for the Main Stage Series plays, Musical Memories and Nostalgic Concert Series.
