Harry Houdini News

Old City, Philadelphia opens their 2019-20 season with the winner of the 1998 Tony Awards for Best Score, Book and Orchestrations, RAGTIME.  Written by the award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Seussical and Lucky Stiff), noted playwright Terrence McNally, and based on E.L. Doctorow's distinguished novel, RAGTIME plays the F. Otto Haas Stage from September 19 through October 20, 2019. Called “a triumph for the stage” by TIME Magazine and “the best musical in twenty years” by the International Herald Tribune, RAGTIME tells the story of three distinct Americans – an upper-class wife, a Jewish immigrant, and a daring Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and hope in the future. Together, they confront freedom, prejudice, despair, joy, and what it means to be American.

Last night, Monday, September 9, 2019, The Players honored Tony Award-nominated composer and writer Joe Iconis (Be More Chill) with a Pipe Night, a club tradition that has celebrated significant cultural figures for over a century.

The Players announces its next Pipe Night, honoring Tony Award-nominated composer and writer Joe Iconis (Be More Chill). A favorite Players tradition that has celebrated significant cultural figures for over a century, the Pipe Night for Mr. Iconis will be held on Monday, September 9th starting at 6:30 pm at The Players, located at 16 Gramercy Park South. 

For RAGTIME, director Mark Edward Smith and his crew have crafted one of the most appealing and stately sets I've seen at the Garden Theatre. The blocking is clever and thoughtful - important when you have a big ensemble cast on a small stage - and the lighting and costumes are on point. The vaudeville era must be the Garden's charm, because this is certainly the best staging I've seen here since the last season opener, Gypsy. But whether you've seen RAGTIME or not, it's the cast here that is really going to wow you...

Producer Karl Sydow (The Last Ship, Dance of Death, Red Joan) and Director Federico Bellone (Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins in Milan, new production of Dirty Dancing and upcoming revival of Sugar both in the West End) announce the development of a brand new musical, The Impossible Man, based on the true story of illusionist and stunt showman, Harry Houdini.

Florida Theatrical Association has announced the winners of the fourth annual New Musical Discovery Series, a showcase for new musicals to be presented September 17 and 18 at The Abbey and The MEZZ in downtown Orlando.  The staged readings will be open to the public and free of charge.

Arden Theatre Company in Old City, Philadelphia opens their 2019-20 season with the winner of the 1998 Tony Awards for Best Score, Book and Orchestrations, RAGTIME.

The Tony Award winning book by Terrance McNally and score by Stephen Flahrety and Lynn Ahrens, focus on events taking place over a century ago, but RAGTIME's content and messages remain highly relevant, and important, particularly given the current socio-political climate.

A sweeping, grandiose, and emotionally-searing stage musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's expansive 1975 novel, RAGTIME is a gripping, multi-character, and multi-story theatrical experience that uses era-authentic specificity to depict America's past during a time when its increasingly diverse population has been forced to adjust to the ramifications of new technological, social, political, and economic changes that are spreading throughout the nation. Of course, one can't help but observe that, eerily, many of these very same issues are somehow still top-of-mind today, particularly in recent years with the surge in anti-immigrant policies and sentiments, the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and, of course, the horrific rise of racist sentiments and, worse, racist acts against people of color. Perhaps this overarching motif---that many of these era-specific issues that RAGTIME's characters struggled with in 1906 are still alarmingly present in 2019---is the true motivator behind director Casey Stangl's impressive, 'intimate' theater reimagining of RAGTIME for Chance Theater, which continues performances in Anaheim through August 11, 2019.

The Mac-Haydn Theatre presents the Flaherty and Ahrens masterpiece Ragtime, running July 25 through August 4.

David Blaine is arguably the best magician currently living on this planet. But he isn't just a master of stagecraft; he is also an illusionist and stuntman. Rounding off his first-ever UK and Ireland tour, he performs to a packed out Eventim Apollo.

It is entirely appropriate in this era of rising anti-immigrant feelings, the re-emergence of the White Supremacy movement, increased anti-Semitism, and having a President who believes in nationalism and Eugenics, that Cain Park revisit the historical foundations of this country via the musical 'Ragtime.'

Julien's Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house, held its two-day marquee Hollywood auction event, LEGENDS June 13-14, 2019 at The Standard Oil Building in Beverly Hills in front of a buzzing crowd of collectors and fans bidding live on the floor, online and on the phone across the globe.

2Cents Theatre Group's 2019 Best of INK @Fringe production, Lear/Loman by Kate Schwartz, will play four more performances at the Broadwater Main Stage. Featuring Leon Russom as King Lear and Bruno Oliver as Willy Loman, the cast will also include (in alphabetical order) Lauran Dewey, Tim Kopacz, Heather Roberts, Sarah Schulte, and Ruben Uy. Under the direction of Scott Leggett, the remaining performances are Saturday 6/15 at 11:30am; Thursday 6/20 at 5pm; Saturday 6/22 at midnight; and Sunday 6/30 at 1:30pm. Running time is 60 minutes.

The Pompano Beach Library and the Pompano Beach Cultural Center are partnering to bring the family-friendly Page Turner Adventures to the City.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Serenbe Playhouse's RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL. The Tony Award-winning musical based on E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed novel of the same name is a picture of this nation's hopes and pains as we entered the twentieth century. Check out the video below!

Serenbe Playhouse's RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL is now on stage. The Tony Award-winning musical based on E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed novel of the same name, is a picture of this nation's hopes and pains as we entered the twentieth century. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!

Ephrata director Ed Fernandez reminds audiences that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago's home for close-up magic, continues its Artist-In-Residence series with Sean Masterson's Timeless Magic, Wednesdays at 7:30pm starting June 26, 2019. Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge shows are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com.

It's time to journey on because Nicole Vanessa Ortiz from the Serenbe Playhouse's production of Ragtime is taking over BroadwayWorld's Instagram Story tomorrow, May 10th! Be sure to tune in throughout the day to get a behind-the-scenes look at this reimagined production of the classic Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical. You're not gonna want to miss the rhythm and rhyme of this Ragtime Instagram takeover!