Jamie Roderick News

 Emojiland The Musical has just released its first rehearsal photos, which include shots of Broadway stars Lesli Margherita as Princess Josh Lamon as Prince and Ann Harada as Pile of Poo. The complete cast features Lucas Steele (Great Comet) as Skull, Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster, The Fantasticks) as Man In Business Suit Levitating emoji, Jacob Dickey (Aladdin Broadway as Aladdin) as Smiling Face with Sunglasses, (aka “Sunny”), Dwelvan David (Finding Neverland & The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Tours) as Guardsman, Heather Makalani (Aladdin) as Kissy Face, Tanisha Moore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tour) as Woman Dancing and Jordan Fife Hunt (A Chorus Line First Revival Tour) as Man Dancing, George Abud (The Band's Visit) as Nerd Face, Emojiland Co-Writer Laura Schein as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes (aka “Smize”), Emmy Winner & Grammy Nominee Felicia Boswell (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE, Shuffle Along, Motown) as Police Officer, and Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture, YouTube's “Breaking Down the Riffs”) as Construction Worker. The rehearsal was held on Monday, December 9 at New 42nd Street Studios.

Jonathan Rockefeller's Paddington Gets in a Jam will begin its limited run beginning Friday, December 13, 2019, as the star of page and screen, Paddington, will take to the stage in this new fun-filled comedy. This production is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to Rockefeller's critically acclaimed The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and will begin a strictly limited 12-week run from through March 8, 2020 at Union Square's DR2 Theatre (103 E 15th Street). Tickets are on sale and available by visiting PaddingtonGetsInAJam.com.

Rockefeller Productions has announced its cast for their highly anticipated family show, Paddington Gets in a Jam which includes Jake Bazel (TV: a?oeSesame Street,a?? NYC & International Tour The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show), Jessica Bulzacchelli (Regional: James and the Giant Peach), John Cody (TV: a?oeSesame Street,a?? Monkey and Dino's Funky Puppet Show!), A.J. Ditty (Puffs; or, Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic) and Kirsty Moon (NYC: That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody NYC/International Tour: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show).

The Emojiland kingdom is now complete! Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) today announced that Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster) will take on the role of the Man In Business Suit Levitating emoji, along with Jacob Dickey (Aladdin Broadway as Aladdin) as Smiling Face with Sunglasses, (aka a?oeSunnya??), Dwelvan David (Finding Neverland & The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Tours) as Guardsman, Heather Makalani (Aladdin) as Kissy Face, Tanisha Moore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tour) as Woman Dancing and Jordan Fife Hunt (A Chorus Line First Revival Tour) as Man Dancing.

Tickets are now on sale for Emojiland The Musical and are available for purchase online at Dukeon42.org; by phone at 646-223-3010; or in person at The Duke on 42nd Street at 229 West 42nd Street (Tuesdays-Fridays 4-7 and Saturdays 12-6). The production will have a limited Off-Broadway run Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland The Musical garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

Additional casting has been announced for Emojiland, including George Abud (The Band's Visit) as Nerd Face, Emojiland Co-Writer Laura Schein as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes (aka a?oeSmizea??), Emmy Winner & Grammy Nominee Felicia Boswell (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE, Shuffle Along, Motown) & Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture, YouTube's a?oeBreaking Down the Riffsa??) as the loving couple, Police Officer and Construction Worker, and Ann Harada (Avenue Q, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) as Pile of Poo. They are joined by previously announced stars Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Dames at Sea) who will play Princess and Josh Lamon (The Prom, Groundhog Day) who will play Prince. Additional casting will be announced soon. The production will have a limited Off-Broadway run Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland The Musical garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

After its critically-acclaimed sold out run in NYMF 2018, the new musical Emojiland will make a triumphant return to New York in a limited Off-Broadway engagement beginning Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

Aida is widely considered one of the grandest of grand operas. The task of converting it to a Broadway musical was a daunting one. Book writers Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang took liberties with the original libretto in a manner they believed would make the plot more relatable to the general public - while that is a question of taste, what is could not be changed was the epic size of the story - Pharaohs, Kings, and Princesses implicitly carry a certain about of gravitas. And the WPPAC production delivers in a big - very big way.

Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA is an epic tale of love, loyalty and betrayal, with an exhilarating Tony and Grammy Award winning score by Elton John & Tim Rice. 

The White Plains Performing Arts Center (WPPAC) is proud to announce the cast for Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA, playing October 11-27, 2019.

Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of founding artistic director Joe Brancato and executive director Andrew M. Horn, presents the New York premiere of Mr. Parker, a new play by Michael McKeever, directed by Mr. Brancato, beginning Friday, September 13 in Stony Point, New York.

Celebrating it's 60thAnniversary of presenting top quality entertainment, Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, CT under the management of Artistic Director Alan M-L Wager and Managing Director Robert Levinstein, announces the casting and creative team for Dan Goggin's Off-Broadway hit musical comedy, NUNSENSE.

Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of founding artistic director Joe Brancato and executive director Andrew M. Horn, presents the New York premiere of Mr. Parker, a new play by Michael McKeever, directed by Mr. Brancato, beginning Friday, September 13 in Stony Point, New York.

Celebrating it's 60th Anniversary of presenting top quality entertainment, Sharon Playhouse presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Gingold Theatrical Group will soon present a rare revival of Shaw's beloved almost historical comedy Caesar and Cleopatra, which will begin a limited Off-Broadway engagement on Tuesday September 3rd at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues) and continue through October 12th only. Opening Night is set for Sunday September 24th.

It must be a conspiracy! After their July 13th performance of ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE was cancelled due to a suspicious alien-induced blackout, the New York Musical Festival is bringing the sci-fi rock & roll comedy back - with a grand finale concert on Saturday, August 3rd at 5pm at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Signature Pershing Square Theatre, 480 West 42ndStreet.

I witnessed the best stage effects I have ever seen anywhere (including Broadway), when  on Saturday, July 20, I had the pleasure of seeing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the Sharon Playhouse, in Sharon, CT!   While this story is likely familiar to most people, the Sharon Playhouse grips the audience right from the start, not merely by elevating the Enchantress into the air, but by having the Young Prince transformed into the Beast, on stage, in front of the whole audience, in a manner of seconds, with effective use of strobe lights, a successful undertaking of a greater magnitude than what people can expect in a typical magic show, much less a musical!  Without providing any spoilers, for those of you familiar with how the story ends, that happens on stage too, right before our eyes, with effective use of strobe lights.  Lighting Designer Jamie Roderick deserves a lot of credit for working what appears like magic, on the stage.  Every show I have seen at Sharon Playhouse has been wonderful, but this is the best!

This fun and family friendly musical, adapted from the original Disney film, brings to life “a tale as old as time” of a selfish prince who is turned into a hideous monster and must win the affection of a beautiful, young girl in order to regain his humanity. This musical includes the classic scores of “Be Our Guest”, “If I Can't Love Her”, “A Change in Me”, the title song “Beauty and the Beast” and many more. The magical musical offers humor, romance, and excitement for all ages.