James Wilson News

!?:New Works -- the spiritual successor to The Exponential Festival -- is a month long festival of New York's best experimental artists and theatre companies presenting brand new work.

To close the 2015-16 season, The Media Theatre has a musical to lead Philadelphia into the time frame of the upcoming 2016 Democratic Convention which will be hosted by the City of Brotherly Love. 

Some events in history cry out to be made into a movie or a book or a stage play. Others don't seem like such an obvious choice at first glance. One might guess it would be quite difficult to pull off creating a musical out of the writing of the Declaration of Independence, of all things. But, as Ocean State Theatre Company proves with its current production, 1776 is both fascinating and fun, both engaging and entertaining, as it tells the story of the Declaration's creation and our country's birth.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), currently celebrating its fourth season in its state-of-the-art theatre in Warwick is proud to present the Tony Award-winning musical, about the birth of American Independence, 1776.

THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER sails for its fifth year at Mercury Theater Chicago, running now through December 27, 2015. Jeff Award winner Stef Tovar takes the helm as the Schooner's captain, alongside Brianna Borger as the Captain's wife Alma Stossel. BroadwayWorld has photos from the show's opening festivities below!

?The McLean Community Players' production of the musical 1776, based on the events surrounding the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence, opens Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, and runs weekends through Feb. 21 at McLean's Alden Theatre.  With music by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, 1776 became an improbable hit and won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 1969.  Director Annie O'Neill Galvin leads an award-winning cast and crew for this production.

Like its blessed branch, take it and pass it on.

A brand new musical based on Shakespeare's Measure For Measure.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, announces that The Christmas Schooner will be sailing for its fifth year at Mercury Theater Chicago, running November 25 through December 27, 2015.  Jeff Award winner Stef Tovar takes the helm as the Schooner's captain, alongside Brianna Borger as the Captain's wife Alma Stossel.  The whole family will enjoy this heart-warming musical story of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit. The production features a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites, and a company of 25 actors and musicians and is helmed by the Jeff-award winning team of L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director) and Brenda Didier (Choreographer).

Desperate Measures, a freewheeling new musical based on Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, is set in London in the 'swinging sixties' against a backdrop of starchy middle class morality and hypocrisy in a country on the verge of Beatlemania and the sexual and social permissiveness that we know today.

Neil Berg is on tour with his ROCK 'N' ROLL DECADES, in which five Broadway stars sing many of the hit songs they've sung on Broadway, featuring: Danny Zolli (Jesus Christ Super Star) Lawrence Clayton (World Rock Symphony Orchestra, DREAMGIRLS), Jeremy Kushnier (RENT, Footloose), Rita Harvey (Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof), Jeanette Bayardelle (The Color Purple, Hair), and Sophia Ramos (Love, Janis, The Twelve). Check out photos from the show below!

Following a sell-out UK and Ireland tour and two hugely successful runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird returns to London from tonight 24 June until 25 July 2015 at the Barbican. Robert Sean Leonard will be reprising the role of Atticus Finch exclusively at the Barbican.

For the second production in their 44th annual season of professional summer theatre, Cortland Repertory Theatre presents the revolutionary musical '1776', by Peter Stone, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Performances of this fascinating, family-friendly show will run from tonight, June 17, through July 4 with evening performances at 7:30. Matinees are available on June 19, 21, 24, 26, 28 and July 1 at 2:00 PM. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

For the second production in their 44th annual season of professional summer theatre, Cortland Repertory Theatre presents the revolutionary musical "1776", by Peter Stone, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Performances of this fascinating, family-friendly show will run from June 17 - July 4 with evening performances at 7:30.  Matinees are available on June 19, 21, 24, 26, 28 and July 1 at 2:00 PM.  Tickets may be purchase by calling 800-427-6160 or by visiting the CRT Box Office at 24 Port Watson Street in downtown Cortland. Tickets are also available for sale 24 hours a day through the CRT website at www.cortlandrep.org. Tickets are going fast, so CRT suggests calling early.

Following a sell-out UK and Ireland tour and two hugely successful runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird returns to London from 24 June until 25 July 2015 at the Barbican. Robert Sean Leonard will be reprising the role of Atticus Finch exclusively at the Barbican. 

The award-winning musical comedy I Need A Doctor: The Whosical are pleased to announce their return run to Brighton Fringe Festival today 1st - 4th May 2015 following their successful tours 2014 and sell out performances at Edinburgh Fringe 2014.

The award-winning musical comedy I Need A Doctor: The Whosical are pleased to announce their return run to The Leicester Square Theatre 6th - 12th April and Brighton Fringe Festival 1st - 4th May 2015 following their successful tours 2014 and sell out performances at Leicester Square Theatre, The Lowry and Edinburgh Fringe 2014.

At the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards 2015, presented in London on February 8, BOYHOOD won best film, GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL took home five awards, and more. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, presents Chicago's beloved holiday musical THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, running now through December 28, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. December is here, and 'Peter Pan' is finally live! Plus Light Opera Works and The Hyprocrites tackle operettas, 'Newsies' and 'Mary Poppins' have significant holiday runs, 'Stomp' and 'Schooner' return, Billy Corgan and Patti Lupone strut their stuff, and the community schedules a tribute to Sheldon Patinkin.