Jacques Brel News

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from April 16th-21st is the national touring production of ANASTASIA. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Joy Franz, who is currently appearing in it as the Dowager Empress. A role that in the 1997 animated film was voiced by Angela Lansbury and on Broadway was originated by two-time Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil.

Peck and Louise Pitre play Marie  - young and adult, respectively. We sat down with Pitre to talk about creating the role of Adult Marie in the 5th Avenue Theatre production during early previews.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY - the heartfelt, intimate musical based on Robert James Waller's tender story of love, regrets and second chances - will play an additional two weeks to meet audience demand, according to Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Artistic Director Fred Anzevino. The new closing date is now Sunday, May 5. Theo Ubique's production, which opened to the press on March 11, earned raves from critics and has been playing to near-capacity houses since its opening. Giving the production 3-1/2 Stars, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE's Chris Jones said leading actress Kelli Harrington 'shines in a Broadway-worthy performance.' Catey Sullivan, writing for the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, said 'the supporting cast is a delight' and called the show ' a genuinely moving story of loss, longing and sacrifice.' WTTW's Hedy Weiss said music director Jeremy Ramey has 'a genius for conjuring a symphonic sound with a five-piece ensemble.' The entire cast will continue with the production for the two-week extension.

IL GABBIANO, opera tra le piu rappresentate tra i classici del teatro internazionale e stata rivisitata e adattata in un allestimento da dramma musicale al Teatro Quirino di Roma da Giancarlo Sepe, noto per le interazioni tra generi nelle sue regie.

The McCallum Theatre presents Piaf! - The Show on Tuesday, March 26, at 8:00pm. With a million tickets sold in more than 50 countries and acclaimed reviews worldwide,Piaf! - The Show is a musical celebration of the life and music of the legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf. Starring Anne Carrere, a young French performer hailed as "Edith Piaf's legitimate musical heiress," Piaf! - The Show narrates the rags-to-riches story of the Parisian singer's career through her unforgettable songs, complemented by a visual tapestry of previously unreleased photographs and images of famous locations of the Edith Piaf era.

The Charleston Light Opera Guild (CLOG) is proud to announce that world renowned Country superstar Kathy Mattea will be performing at the Charleston Light Opera Guild Theatre on March 22nd, 2019 in a stunning and intimate benefit concert to commemorate CLOG's 70th anniversary season.

"Man of La Mancha," the first fully-staged musical in the 34-year history of the Hampton Theatre Company, will be the third play of the HTC's 2018-2019 season, opening on March 21 at the Quogue Community Hall and running through April 7.

Direct from performing in New York, award-winning New Zealand entertainer Ali Harper is bringing her glamorous and captivating show Legendary Divas to The PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna.

On February 27, 2019, Stage West will celebrate 40 years in Fort Worth with a gala at the Fort Worth Club's Horizon Room.  The event will begin at 6pm, and will be hosted by Honorary Chairs Drs. Janice Knebl and Thomas Fairchild and Event Chairs Mr. Jim and Councilwoman Ann Zadeh.

Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals has brought together an extraordinary group of artists to helm the five exciting productions planned this season: an All-American classic, a heart-warming musical tale, an electric dance-filled tuner, an extraordinary true story, and an inspirational journey that's sure to inspire. Single tickets for all five shows set for Goodspeed's 2019 season go on public sale this Sunday, February 17 at 10:00 a.m..

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day, and Skylight Music Theatre is celebrating by announcing the leads for Kiss Me, Kate, running May 17 June 9, 2019. The cast will be led by R na Roman playing Kate/Lilli Vanessi and Andrew Varela as Petruchio/Fred Graham. Kiss Me, Kate sizzles with onstage romance and backstage passion. It won the very first Tony Award for Best Musical and features such unforgettable songs as So in Love, Another Op'nin', Another Show, Why Can't You Behave? and Too Darn Hot. Blending the irreverent humor of William Shakespeare and Cole Porter, this brilliant battle of the sexes follows a tempestuous couple as they struggle to present a musical version of Taming of the Shrew. Roman was last seen at Skylight as Yum-Yum in Hot Mikado and Nina in In The Heights. Varela was most recently seen at Skylight as Sweeney in Sweeney Todd and Daddy Warbucks in Annie.

The Bridges of Madison County - the heartfelt, intimate musical by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Last Five Years) and Marsha Norman (The Color Purple) based on Robert James Waller's tender story of love, regrets and second chances - will open to the press on Monday, March 11. Artistic Director Fred Anzevino will be stage director and Jeremy Ramey music director.  The musical, which won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score, will be the second show of Theo Ubique's first season in its new home at 721 Howard Street in Evanston. The Bridges of Madison County will preview from March 8-10 and play Thursdays through Sundays through April 21, 2019.

At 86, Chita Rivera could easily justify putting her feet up a little. She first performed in London back in 1958 in the iconic role of Anita in West Side Story and has never stopped since. She returned to the capital this weekend for two one-off concerts, chronicling her life and amazing career. The word legend is overused these days, but Rivera can truly justify the title. She has been nominated 10 times for a Tony Award, which is the joint record for number of nominations. In 1984 she starred in The Rink with Liza Minnelli and won her first (of two) Tony Award for her role as Anna and in 2018 she received the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

TheaterWorksUSA announces their newest partnership with Writers House and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, by securing the rights to adapt the worldwide bestseller DOG MAN by Dav Pilkey for the stage.

Artistic Director Fred Anzevino announced today his full cast and production team for THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY - the heartfelt, intimate musical based on Robert James Waller's tender story of love, regrets and second chances. Anzevino will be stage director and Jeremy Ramey music director.  THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Marsha Norman, won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score. The second show of Theo Ubique's first season in its new home at 721 Howard Street in Evanston, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY will preview from March 8-10, open to the press on Monday, March 11 and play Thursdays through Sundays through April 21, 2019.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that an all new musical stage adaptation of the 1988 motion picture MYSTIC PIZZA is now in development.

Consider yourself at home at Musical Theatre West's (MTW) production of Lionel Bart's Tony Award-winning musical Oliver! at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center February 8-24. Tickets are on sale now at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the MTW Box Office. Tickets start at $20.

Rialto has announced its schedule of February events.

Ute Lemper's new show is based on a phone call and exchange between Marlene and Ute in 1988 in Paris, 30 years ago. After receiving the French Moliere Award for her performance in Cabaret in Paris, Ute had sent a postcard to Marlene, essentially apologizing for all the media attention comparing her to Marlene Dietrich. Ute was just at the beginning of her career in theatre and music, whereas Marlene looked back on a long, fulfilled life of movies, music, incredible collaborations, love stories and stardom.

Live At Zedel, Soho's unique live entertainment concept at Crazy Coqs, announces their new 2019 winter/spring season produced in partnership with Fane Productions.