Howard Ashman News

The Fredericksburg Theater Company (FTC) is pleased to announce open enrollment for their summer youth program, Camp Freddyburg 2016. The camp runs July 5-31, with a two-day orientation session on June 28 and 29. The camp schedule and application can be found on FTC's Facebook page and website, www.fredericksburgtheater.org. Enrollment is limited and scholarships are available if needed. Along with Ms. Goff several other theater, music and dance instructors will teach classes. The deadline for early registration is June 27th.

Next up at Encores! Off-Center is Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The first musical written by the blockbuster team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the Off-Center production will star Skylar Astin, Derrick Baskin, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Nick Choksi, Eddie Cooper, Kevin Del Aguila, Santino Fontana, Clark Johnson, James Earl Jones, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Kevin Ligon, Marla Louissaint, Liz McCartney, Bonnie Milligan, Brynn O'Malley, and Kate Wetherhead. Check out a sneak peek of the cast in action below!

The Red House Arts Center is pleased to announce its 2016-17 Main Stage Season which features a high-flying mix of musicals, plays and performances. This will be a season of exciting transition for the organization as it prepares to move operations from its current home to the new Redhouse @ City Center. There is so much excitement in store for the Syracuse Community! Samara Hannah, Acting Executive Director commented "We are thrilled to present an array of productions, from Tony Award-winning classics, to those packed with drama and comedy to tickle your funny bone. One thing is for sure, this season is not to be missed!"

The 2016 / 2017 Broadway Across America - Fort Lauderdale show lineup is as follows:

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the classic Academy Award®-winning animated film, will premiere Thursday 11 August 2016 at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney.

Happy Birthday Alan Menken! For Disney, Menken has scored The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas, each of which won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Enchanted, and Tangled. Menken has collaborated on several occasions with lyricists including Howard Ashman,Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz. On Broadway, Menken has composed for The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors, King David, Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, Leap of Faith, and Newsies. His most recent Broadway project, Aladdin, is currently playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

It's a classic fairy-tale. Boy meets Girl. Girl likes Boy. Girl has abusive boyfriend who thrives on orthodontic agony. Boy has abusive plant who thrives on human blood. Boy feeds boyfriend to plant and becomes world famous. Yeah, in hindsight, it's not exactly your classic fairy-tale.

The Windham Theatre Guild is excited to present live on stage Little Shop of Horrors opening Today, July 22nd at the Burton Leavitt Theatre, 779 Main Street, Willimantic.

Next up at Encores! Off-Center is Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The first musical written by the blockbuster team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the Off-Center production will star Skylar Astin, Derrick Baskin, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Nick Choksi, Eddie Cooper, Kevin Del Aguila, Santino Fontana, Clark Johnson, James Earl Jones, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Eddie Korbich, Marla Louissaint, Liz McCartney, Bonnie Milligan, Brynn O'Malley, and Kate Wetherhead.

?Full casting is confirmed for hit musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, bringing everyone's favourite carnivorous plant to bringing everyone's favourite carnivorous plant to the Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Monday 14 until Saturday 19 November 2016 as part of a major new UK Tour.

Watching Cabrillo Music Theatre's The Little Mermaid on the Fred Kavli stage is an enjoyable treat, almost like viewing the Disney film ... it's so alive and scintillating. All the color and splendor of the ocean is onstage, and that has a lot to say about this production's creative team. All the technical aspects of the show are working smoothly, in sync. Cabrillo may be assuredly proud of their production. The sad thing is it only plays a week more, until Sunday July 24.

When The Little Mermaid was released in 1989, it not only became one of the most popular Disney films to date, it was also the very first animated musical to use Broadway composers for its music - changing the direction of animated movies forever. Now Cabrillo Music Theatre brings this amazing story to life with The Little Mermaid, live on stage! This is not simply a children's show - it's a brand-new fully-developed Broadway musical, in the spirit of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Mary Poppins, and Cabrillo Music Theatre's production will be the first in the region!

Miners Alley Playhouse presents, 'Little Shop of Horrors' July 15 through August 21 in Golden.

Now Cabrillo Music Theatre brings this amazing story to life with THE LITTLE MERMAID, live on stage! This is not simply a children's show - it's a brand-new fully-developed Broadway musical, in the spirit of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, and MARY POPPINS, and Cabrillo Music Theatre's production will be the first in the region!

After making waves across the country, cult musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors returns home to Sydney next week for its penultimate season. With a slew of recently announced Helpmann Award nominations including Best Male Actor in a Musical, Best Female Actor in a Musical, Best Director of a Musical and Best Choreography in a Musical, this production has received rave reviews in every major Australian capital city. Starring Brent Hill and Esther Hannaford, the production lands at Sydney's Roslyn Packer Theatre for 12 days only before concluding its run in Perth.

In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney's The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs including 'Under the Sea,' 'Kiss the Girl,' and 'Part of Your World.'

Sierra Stages continues its 2016 season with the devilishly delightful hit musical "Little Shop of Horrors" at the historic Nevada Theatre in Nevada City this summer from July 14 through August 6. "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of the most popular musicals of all time-the show debuted off-Broadway in 1982 and ran for five years, was made into a popular and memorable film (starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin) in 1986, premiered on Broadway in 2003, and has received thousands of professional and amateur productions over the past 35 years. The Sierra Stages production is directed by Robert Rossman, with musical direction by Ken Getz. The set and lighting design is by Erin Beatie and costume design is by Jill Kelly. The cast includes Nevada County actors Jay Barker, Audrey Delgado, Nancy Haffey, Jackie Kolenko, JR Lewis, Ken Miele, Tracy Nickle, Conor Nolan, and Kim Wellman.

Prior to their breakthrough musicals, many writers had extraordinary early-career shows hit the stage that you may not have heard of. From Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty's Lucky Stiff to Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's Poor Little Ritz Girl to William Finn's In Trousers, these pieces of work represent our best Broadway writers.... before Broadway knew their names. Join us to hear auspicious songs from the influential shows that shaped careers and lives, just as Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater shaped the futures of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

The Old Opera House Theatre Company and Charles Town Kiwanis present Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID on July 28, 29, 30 and 31.

Take a journey "under the sea" with Ariel and her aquatic friends in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID JR.!