Ragtime opened last night, featuring a cast of Nashville stage veterans and a sizable coterie of performers, heretofore unknown to local audiences, who are certain to become fast favorites. Taking a brief respite from their hectic schedules of rehearsals, fittings, photo calls, more rehearsals and getting to know one another, four of those newcomers – Shelby Denise Smith, Wood Van Meter, Kortney Ballenger and Steven McCoy – took the time to answer our questions to tell you why you need to score those tickets for Ragtime now if you haven’t already.
Ragtime, the Tony Award-winning musical about life in these United States during the very early years of the 20th century, is a richly drawn and evocatively told rumination on the pursuit of the American dream seen from the perspective of a diverse, multi-ethnic cast of characters. Now onstage through Sunday at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s James K. Polk Theatre, in a glittering and sumptuous revival from Nashville Repertory Theatre, Ragtime proves an ambitious choice for the company’s return to live performance after more than 18 months of darkness due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Company has officially returned to Broadway as of November 15. Meet the current cast and learn more about who is bringing this production to the stage!
spit&vigor theatre company (2015 NYIT Award-winners for In Vestments) will present the World Premiere of Ectoplasm, written and directed by Sara Fellini (Hazard a Little Death, Best New Script at the 2014 Planet Connections Theater Festivity).
Opening Thursday night, November 11 and continuing for five performances through Sunday, November 14, Ragtime – the musical by Stephen Flaherty (music), Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Terrance McNally (book) which, in turn, is based upon E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel of the same name – promises to be a grand undertaking, which hopefully will blow away the cobwebs and the dust that’s collected in the past year-and-a-half during which the theater was dark and the company strived to remain relevant and productive amidst all the challenges that ensued.
Dialogue with Three Chords (D3C) kicks off their eleventh season of indie theatre with an online séance to summon the ghost of Harry Houdini. On Thursday, October 28th, at 3pm EST, their play, “The Three Stigmata of Harry Houdini,” written by Stephen Gracia and directed by Michael LoPorto, premieres online at the D3C Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram pages.
Historical themes have always been incorporated into stage shows, from classic Broadway musicals to contemporary productions. Contrary to what some may believe, not all historical-themed productions are old Broadway musicals. Several historical musicals have gone on to become classics, though this is not specifically a golden age musicals list.
Tafelmusik will launche its 2021/22 season with Music & Magic, a mesmerizing digital show that blends two captivating art forms to create a world of illusion and enchantment.
The story is compelling and original. Renowned author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has spent years in pursuit of contact with the other side. Famed magician Harry Houdini has been on a parallel journey to debunk the very notion. With the help of the brash and unpredictable medium, Mina Crandon, the two come to the table for one final seance. The baggage all three bring with them results in a chaotic and strange experience that none will ever forget.
EgoPo's AWAKENINGS season goes down the rabbit hole this September 28-30, 2021 for its season opener, Alice: not your child's wonderland, a world premiere, site-specific adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
As things begin to reopen, and theatre companies make their return, Artistic Director Sebastian Muñoz is excited about the wide range of theatre his acclaimed Force of Nature Productions is once again ready to stage. A top priority for the father of two was to provide children who have spent most of the past year and a half stuck at home a live, in-person theatrical experience.
The Magical World of Dr. Seuss is a whimsical journey of adventure and fun for families, straight out of the pages and onto the stage for all to experience. Renowned artist Duffy Hudson brings to life Dr. Seuss classics like And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Horton Hears a Who!, The Sneetches, and more.
Coffee and Cedar: A Play, written by D.H. Cermeño, based on his book of the same title will open on Wednesday, May 19th, at 10 pm EST, and run for seven performance during the Orlando Fringe Festival.
Did you know that it was Jewish composers who wrote some of your favorite songs? Whether it was Take Me Out to the Ball Game or Over the Rainbow, Piano Man or Send in the Clowns, to Da Doo Ron Ron or Hold On, some of the best-known songs ever written were written by Jewish composers.
Producer Karl Sydow (The Last Ship) has just announced that the new Broadway bound musical HOUDINI directed by Federico Bellone (Mary Poppins in Milan, Dirty Dancing), recently held a cross continental virtual developmental reading starring Tony Award nominee Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables, Anastasia) as Harry Houdini and Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes (Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Bandstand) as Bess Houdini.
In this week's Theater Stories, we are learning about the Al Hirschfeld theater! From theater ghosts to short-lived musical sequels, this theater is home to endless amounts of history, interesting facts and more.
