There's no doubt “Grease” will be the word of the nation tonight, as millions of people worldwide tune into FOX for the legendary GREASE: LIVE musical broadcast. As previous broadcasts have shown us, everyone loves to live-tweet the big show, and Broadway's best and brightest are certainly no exception! (In most cases, perhaps, they're even more likely to tweet!)
The multi-talented Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer is known to fans of a certain demographic as Kiki on Nickelodeon's THE FRESH BEAT BAND; to others she is known as recording artist Ava Gold; and I first became aware of her as a sultry and captivating Vanessa in the First National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS. This Sunday, musical theatre fans around the world will be introduced to her as Cha Cha DiGregorio in GREASE: LIVE After about a two-minute phone conversation earlier this week, Yvette and I realized that with her busy schedule, an email interview might be best.
The Little Lion, a powerful drama highlighting the struggle of a Jewish family in a Lithuanian ghetto during World War II, opens at Swift Creek Mill Theatre on Saturday, January 30th for a five-week limited engagement.
Utah Repertory Theater Company brings A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC - Stephen Sondheim's unabashedly romantic musical drama.
Vanderbilt University's Sadie Andros, one of the region's busiest and most acclaimed young actors - she was Psyche and Aphrodite in last fall's production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses and takes on the role of Olivia in this spring's Vanderbilt Players' production of Twelfth Night - is among those students juggling schedules while dazzling audiences with her onstage antics.
What's up with the kids today? That's a question that's been asked for generations. And far too often, the answer misses the boat completely, either over-hyping or underplaying what's really going on. According to director Scott Piehler, that's the true appeal of Live Arts Theatre's next production, HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL.
Over the past few years, the theatre community has been quietly buzzing about the stage work of Jackie Burns, the young actress whose credits include Elphaba in Broadway's WICKED, a soloist in the tribe of the 2009 HAIR revival, the original off-Broadway production of ROCK OF AGES, and most recently, as standby to IDINA MENZEL (WICKED, RENT) in the 2013 Broadway musical IF/THEN. This week, during her lunch break from rehearsals in New York City, Jackie sat down to chat with me about revisiting the show, and the pressure of stepping in for the FROZEN star.
What's up with the kids today? That's a question that's been asked for generations. And far too often, the answer misses the boat completely, either over-hyping or underplaying what's really going on. According to director Scott Piehler, that's the true appeal of Live Arts Theatre's next production, HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL.
Long rumored, and first reported last night by BroadwayWorld after the star teased the news on Twitter, it's now Official! Producer Scott Rudin announced this morning that Bette Midler will indeed return to Broadway in one of the most cherished shows in musical theater history when she takes on the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi in Michael Stewart's (book) and Jerry Herman's (music and lyrics) masterpiece, Hello, Dolly!.
Following a triumphant debut tour of China, Melbourne Opera (MO) has returned to stage their first opera for 2016 - Mozart's rarely performed singspiel The Abduction from the Seraglio, not staged professionally in Melbourne for over 20 years.
Utah Repertory Theater Company brings A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC - Stephen Sondheim's unabashedly romantic musical drama.
Singer/Actress Frenchie Davis brings her brash wit and iconic vocal style to The Copa in Palm Springs for two intimate performances, January 16 and 17 at 8:00 pm. Davis auditioned for the second season of the groundbreaking FOX show "American Idol" and her tremendous success on the show launched a career that has taken her to Broadway (Rent, Dreamgirls and eventually becoming a Grammy-nominated artist for the revival of Ain't Misbehavin') and, perhaps, her highest profile gig as one of the top four finalists in the first season of The Voice. Her cover of 'When Love Takes Over' landed at #3 on the iTunes Dance Chart. I had the chance to chat with French as she was preparing for her Palm Springs engagement. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation:
I first met the lovely and talented Dani Marcus 20 years ago when she was playing Louise to my Herbie in Gypsy. I was roughly 4 years older than her, but it was a barn in the middle of Vermont and no one seemed to care. Spending my summer with her, I knew she'd continue on to great things. A true talent - hilarious onstage, with a stunning voice and presence, it was a privilege to be onstage with her.
Chris Alloways-Ramsey began his early training with Barbara (Olewine) Wouters, later completing his classical training with Mira Popovich and Dame Sonia Arova. He attended summer programs on full merit scholarships at Kirov Academy, School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, and San Francisco Ballet. Her graduated from high school at North Carolina School of the Arts with a focus in Ballet and received his A.L.B, cum laude, from Harvard University in 2003.
Now that 2015 is squarely in the rearview mirror, and everyone is back to work after the holidays, it is time to take a look at some of the best films of the past year. As was the case with my Top 15 TV Shows of 2015 list, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. I am one man, and I have not yet seen every major movie released last year. However, as I continue to work through screeners and upcoming screenings (I live in Orlando, so not all of the awards-bait has been released here yet), I will count down the top 2015 releases that I saw during the calendar year. Notable omissions are BRIDGE OF SPIES, THE REVENANT, THE DANISH GIRL, and CONCUSSION, all of which I hope to see by the end of the week.
On January 23 and 30, 2016, Long Beach Opera (LBO) presents composer Leonard Bernstein's satiric romp Candide at the Center Theater in Long Beach, CA. The eclectic score mixes everything from Viennese waltzes to soaring arias to Latin tangos. Filled with unforgettable songs such as “Glitter and be Gay, “Oh, Happy We,” “I Am Easily Assimilated” and “Make Your Garden Grow,” Candide was called by Bernstein his “personal love letter to European music.” Adapted from Voltaire's novel, the operetta takes aim at political excess, social traditions and superstitions with an underlying warning against unfettered optimism. While beset by one calamity after another, including an earthquake, exile, war, slavery, robbery and even the Spanish Inquisition, the show's hero Candide and his true love Cunegonde cling to the belief that they live in “the best of all possible worlds.” Candide's tuneful score and recognizable characters have made it an irresistible draw for audiences around the world. David Schweizer and his creative team will put a unique LBO spin on this all-time favorite.
Centaur Theatre meets the urgent need for an effective antidote to the holiday frenzy of plush toys and department store Santas with URBAN TAILS: AN EROTIC CHRISTMAS from tonight, December 10 to 19, 2015.
FrenetiCore Dance's THE SNOW QUEEN is currently being performed at Frenetic Theatre in Houston. The show is a family friendly dance narrative about true friendship and the journey to find true love. The show, which is being funded in part by a City's Initiative Grant from Houston Arts Alliance, opened last weekend and will run for three more performances this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 10, 11, and 12 at 7:30pm. The story of THE SNOW QUEEN, popularized by Disney's FROZEN, is retold through the imagination of dancer and writer Adam Castaneda. I got the opportunity to chat with him recently, and I got to hear his thoughts about the show, his career, and about the Houston dance scene.
Actor/writer Jason Lott and writer Helen Murray Pafumi collaborated on writing Wonderful Life currently onstage at the Malibu Playhouse. I caught up with both of them to see how all of this got started and what they feel they have accomplished with their Christmas play. What motivated both of you to adapt It's a Wonderful Life? JL: Honestly, it was all Helen's idea. She wanted to do a one-person holiday show at her theatre, but wasn't finding the right script. She approached me about doing the show (whatever it might turn out to be) and mentioned that she was planning to adapt It's A Wonderful Life. I asked if she'd mind if I co-wrote it with her and she was gracious enough to say 'Yes.' You could make the argument that I only asked to co-write because I knew it would be easier to memorize that way, but that's only half-true (because, honestly, it is easier for me to memorize something I've written). The other side is that I only knew a little bit about It's A Wonderful Life. I knew it was an 'American classic' and I knew that I loved Jimmy Stewart's work in other movies, but the embarrassing fact is that I'd only seen bits and pieces over the years. I'd never watched the whole thing in one sitting. Once I did, though, I fell in love with the movie and absolutely wanted to help bring that story to the stage.
Centaur Theatre meets the urgent need for an effective antidote to the holiday frenzy of plush toys and department store Santas with URBAN TAILS: AN EROTIC CHRISTMAS from December 10 to 19, 2015.
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