James Wilson News

Last night, Houston Ballet presented the American Premiere performance of David Bintley's spellbinding ALADDIN. The ballet, commissioned by National Ballet of Japan, had its World Premiere on November 15, 2008. For this opulent and mesmerizing theatrical treat, choreographer David Bintley pulls his inspiration from the original story; however, his ballet stills delivers everything fans of the 1992 Disney film expect from the story.

The 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street), it was announced today. Shugart is the Managing Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards. Joey Parnes Productions will produce and manage the show.

A comprehensive survey of the works of American sculptor Tony Feher, this exhibition features key artworks that use everyday objects and found materials in a post-minimalist aesthetic, displaying the richness and complexity of Feher's investigations. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated monograph and reveals Feher's very personal vocabulary developed and refined over the past decades. Organized by Claudia Schmuckli, Director and Chief Curator of Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. Check out a sneak peek below!

The much beloved Chicago tradition of the presentation of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER returns to Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport, opening Wednesday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m., and running through December 29, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The much beloved Chicago tradition of the presentation of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER returns to Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport, running now through December 29, 2013. Below, BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities on December 4!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Holiday perennials 'The Christmas Schooner,' 'Winter Pageant,' 'Christmas In Chicago' and more, plus 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,' 'Carrie' casting, Griffin's 'Bee,' two from Disney and NBC's 'The Sound Of Music!'

The much beloved Chicago tradition of the presentation of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER returns to Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport, previewing November 27, opening Wednesday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m., and running through December 29, 2013. 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. Hailed as 'A sacred part of a Chicago Christmas!' by The Chicago Tribune, 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. The production is helmed by the Jeff-award winning team of L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director) and Brenda Didier (Choreographer).

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is pleased to offer an open captioned performance ofTony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776 tonight, October 3 at 8 p.m., at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Special seats have been reserved for hearing-impaired audience members who would like an optimal view of the digital screen. These tickets (located in the Orchestra section) are $40 per person and available by visiting at act-sf.org/1776 (select the 'caption' tab) or by calling A.C.T. at 415.749.2228.

As a ballet, THE MERRY WIDOW is an adaptation of Franz Lehar's popular romantic operetta Die Lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), which premiered in 1905. In the process of adapting the score for ballet, John Lanchbery and Alan Abott retained the style of Franz Lehar's orchestrations and included several of the well-known tunes from the operetta. Their score premiered in 1975 when The Australian Ballet, under the Musical Direction of John Lanchbery, produced the World Premiere production with choreography by Ronald Hynd and Scenario and Staging by Sir Robert Helpmann. This grandiose and radiant ballet of THE MERRY WIDOW had its Houston Ballet Premiere on September 17, 1995 in the Brown Theater. The Houston Ballet also performed it in 1999 and 2007. Now, in 2013, the lavish production is serving as Mireille Hassenboehler's gorgeous swan song and letter of admiration to the audiences of the Houston Ballet.

Join Theatre Library Association on October 18, 2013 for a discussion on digital access and performing arts research, from the alternate perspectives of a researcher and a librarian; focusing on the ways in which performing arts scholarship changes when previously hidden or unknown collections become digitally accessible. Dr. Wilson will discuss his experience researching and writing Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance. Professor Thistlethwaite will discuss the digital turn as it impacts humanities research and scholarship through her experiences as Chief Librarian at the CUNY Graduate Center and through her own research.Together they will provide a sense of the shifting landscape of twenty-first century research and share complementary perspectives on navigating this new ground.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) kicks off its 2013-14 season with passionate (and patriotic) fireworks with the West Coast premiere of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776. A.C.T.'s production of 1776 runs September 11-October 6, 2013, at The Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets starting at $20, and are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228. Check out a sneak peek below!

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) kicks off its 2013-14 season with passionate (and patriotic) fireworks with the West Coast premiere of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776. A.C.T.'s production of 1776 runs September 11-October 6, 2013, at The Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets starting at $20, and are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) kicks off its 2013-14 season with passionate (and patriotic) fireworks with the West Coast premiere of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776. A.C.T.'s production of 1776 runs tonight, September 11-October 6, 2013, at The Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets starting at $20, and are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is pleased to offer an open captioned performance ofTony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776 on Thursday, October 3 at 8 p.m., at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Special seats have been reserved for hearing-impaired audience members who would like an optimal view of the digital screen. These tickets (located in the Orchestra section) are $40 per person and available by visiting at act-sf.org/1776 (select the "caption" tab) or by calling A.C.T. at 415.749.2228.

Doctor Who remains one of the UK's most popular television shows, with the BBC planning to broadcast a show during primetime this weekend just to announce the casting of the twelfth incumbent of the title role. So it's no surprise that the Time Lord has found himself the subject of a new musical, in the form of 'I Need A Doctor: The Unauthorised Whosical Adventure'.

Whilst studying together at Guildford School of Acting in 2011, co-creators Jessica Spray and James Wilson-Taylor created a 10-minute musical about the Doctor that they have since developed into an hour-long show, under the guidance of renowned theatre director Ben Occhipinti, The Pleasance Theatre Trust, producer Anna Haigh and general managers Stormy Teacup Theatre.

Whilst studying together at Guildford School of Acting in 2011, co-creators Jessica Spray and James Wilson-Taylor created a 10-minute musical about Doctor Who that they have since developed into an hour-long show called I NEED A DOCTOR, under the guidance of renowned theatre director Ben Occhipinti, The Pleasance Theatre Trust, producer Anna Haigh and general managers Stormy Teacup Theatre. Click below to watch the official trailer for the show!

Whilst studying together at Guildford School of Acting in 2011, co-creators Jessica Spray and James Wilson-Taylor created a 10-minute musical about the Doctor that they have since developed into an hour-long show, under the guidance of renowned theatre director Ben Occhipinti, The Pleasance Theatre Trust, producer Anna Haigh and general managers Stormy Teacup Theatre.

It's only fitting that while we're celebrating Independence Day there's a production of the musical 1776 being staged by a local theatre group. After all, it's not has-been bands at local fairs and fireworks displays that we're supposed to be honoring on this particular occasion, but rather the principles which this country was founded upon. And, 1776 is an entertaining and informative show (book by Peter Stone, and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards) that attempts to set this historical event to music. Although it's often uneven in tone, it's an engaging ride nonetheless, and Insight Theatre Company's current production is a solid interpretation driven by some fine performances.