Joanne News

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre have today announced casting for As You Like It. Directed by Max Webster, the production plays 06 July - 28 July.

Paul Brendan (Faithful Ruslan - The Story of a Guard Dog, Belgrade Theatre and Citizen's Theatre; Julius Caesar, The Tobacco Factory; Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare's Globe), Charlotte Christensen (Gate; Cockpit Theatre; The Little Match Girl, Tabard Theatre; The Divide, Old Vic Theatre), Reginald Edwards (A Peril of the Sea, Lakeside Theatre; You're Human Like the Rest of Them, Finborough Theatre; King Lear, Royal & Derngate), Linford Johnson (Pinocchio, National Theatre; Show Boat, Sheffield Crucible and New London Theatre; Macbeth, St. Paul's Church), Prince Plockey (H.R.Haitch, Union Theatre; You Forgot The Mince, Edinburgh Fringe and UK Tour; The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, European Tour), Jamie Newall (Another Country, Queen's Theatre; The Woman In Black, Fortune Theatre; RSC's Richard III, Australian Tour) and Joanne Thomson (In Plain Sight, ITV; The Whip Hand, Traverse Theatre and Birmingham Rep; The Suffragettes: How Women Got The Vote; BBC) will star in Iris Theatre's The Tempest which opens their enchanting outdoor season.

Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group has announced that veteran stage-concert performer Bituin Escalante (DREAMGIRLS, HIMALA) will be joining the cast of the hit Broadway musical WAITRESS when the show--its first international production--premieres in Manila at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City, on November 10, 2018.

Flashdance: The Musical stars former Strictly Come Dancing pro Joanne Clifton and A1 heart-throb Ben Adams. It tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Clifton's character, a welder by day and 'flashdancer' by night, who dreams of going to the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy and becoming a professional dancer. When a romance (with Ben Adams' Nick) complicates her ambitions, she harnesses it to drive her dream.

GFour Productions, winner of 44 Tony Awards and 54 Drama Desk Awards, proudly brings the international hit show Menopause The Musical to Long Wharf Theatre (222 Sargent Drive) in New Haven, Conn., for a limited engagement Friday, June 15 through Sunday, July 1. Tickets are on sale now and available at the Long Wharf Theatre Box Office, www.longwharf.org, or by calling (203) 787-4282. Greater discounts for groups of 10+ available by calling (203) 772-8202.

Jonathan Church, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bath's Summer Season, today announces the full 2018 programme. Some of the country's most prolific actors will star in a selection of both UK premieres and renowned classics in the theatre's historic Main House and the intimate Ustinov Studio.

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with the following acts BOSSABRASIL Presents Marcos Valle, Stacey Kent, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Freddy Cole Quartet, Ravi Coltrane, Tiffany Austin Septet, Bruce Harris, The City Rhythm Orchestra Salutes Sinatra-Basie, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

I had the extreme pleasure of attending Alan Cumming's Legal Immigrant, A Scottish American Cabaret, at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts in Salina, KS, on May 11th, 2018. Mr. Cumming intimated this was only the second performance of the show, a two hour powerhouse performance, but if he had never told us, we wouldn't have known it. He was accompanied by a small combo - cellist Eleanor Norton, drummerguitarist Chris Jego, and pianist and musical director Lance Horne. Horne, by the way, is from Denver, where they opened their show May 9th. The following day they made their way to Salina, where Cumming gave a fun (and free with a purchased ticket) Q & A on Thursday, May 10th, at 7pm. Kudos to Michael Spicer and the Salina Community Theatre for arranging the event. Friends who attended remarked that Cumming was very gracious and had a wicked sense of humour. The afternoon off also gave cellist Norton time to shop at the local thrift shop, where she purchased a gorgeous full length and fully tailored gold smoking jacket, which she wore during the performance.

The Muny announced today its complete cast and design team for the theatre's centennial season production of Gypsy, July 27 - August 2. Gypsy is proudly sponsored by Missouri Lottery.

Fans of the world's most recognized storyteller Chicken Soup for the Soul can now experience their favorite inspirational series on the big screen. A new line-up of cinema events from Fathom Events and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Screen Media Ventures ('Screen Media') will begin with 'One Last Thing,' starring Wendell Pierce, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Joanne Froggatt, this June. The companies anticipate additional titles will be announced soon and will follow later this year. In addition to the feature content, audiences will also enjoy exclusive bonus content paired with each film.

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF), recently nominated for a 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revivial (Amerike-The Golden Land), has completed its casting for the American premiere of the Yiddish language Fiddler on the Roof. Helmed by Academy Award and Tony Award winner Joel Grey, and accompanied by English and Russian translation supertitles, this highly-anticipated 8-week limited engagement, July 4th through August 26th, is set to play Off Broadway at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

RENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR opened at Appleton's Fox Cities Performing Arts Center on May 11 and will continue to play through May 13. In spite of its advancing age, RENT remains relevant, compelling and enjoyable.

Long Beach Opera celebrates two milestones in the 2018-2019 season - its fortieth anniversary and the 20th anniversary of Andreas Mitisek leading the company as artistic director. 

As part of their Conscious Film Convergence (CFC), the ILLUMINATE Film Festival hosts the extraordinary Take Twenty Mentoring Sessions. The brainchild of festival founder Danette Wolpert who envisioned what twenty minutes of uninterrupted, full focus, one-on-one time with an industry leader would do for a filmmaker, the sessions are an unique opportunity for emerging voices in the industry. Participants can discuss projects, ask questions, and pick mentors' brains on finance, producing, marketing, distribution, impact strategy and more.

Ealing Comedy Festival is back for its 25th consecutive year with a stellar line up of internationally renowned comedians and homegrown talent to keep you entertained throughout July.

WGN America announced today that its latest gripping crime series 'The Disappearance' will premiere on Thursday, July 12. The six-part event starring Emmy(R) winner Peter Coyote (Bitter Moon, Sphere), Camille Sullivan ('The Man in the High Castle') and Aden Young ('Rectify,' Killer Elite) centers around the sudden disappearance of a 10-year-old boy that shakes a close-knit community to its core.

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2018 Season with an uplifting tale of bravery, pride, and sisterhood, "Flyin' West," written by Pearl Cleage and directed by Seret Scott, playing May 29 through June 16.  This year marks the historic theater's 88th season.

WGN America announced today that its latest gripping crime series “The Disappearance” will premiere on Thursday, July 12. The network also released three teaser trailers from the captivating mystery drama. The six-part event starring Emmy® winner Peter Coyote (Bitter Moon, Sphere), Camille Sullivan(“The Man in the High Castle”) and Aden Young (“Rectify,” Killer Elite) centers around the sudden disappearance of a 10-year-old boy that shakes a close-knit community to its core.

With a focus on how the media and the digital experience resonates in the Trump presidency, Dan Hoyle's wildly popular solo show Each and Every Thing comes to The Marsh Berkeley for its East Bay premiere with newly-added post-election material. Receiving the 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Show, Hoyle's acclaimed production was an instant hit with audiences and critics alike. Developed with Charlie Varon and Maureen Towey, and directed by Charlie Varon, Each and Every Thing plays from July 13 - August 25, 2018, with performances 8:00pm Fridays, 8:30pm Saturdays at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets ($25-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1-4pm, Monday through Friday.

Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Joe Bonamassa, and Sixthman are proud to present Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea V. Being Hailed as the 'Biggest Blues-Rock Party at Sea,' this music festival is celebrating five incredible years featuring Bonamassa and some of the most celebrated names in blues. Sailing from Tampa, Florida to Grand Cayman, 2100 of the most passionate fans will enjoy performances from some of the biggest names in live music, while discovering new favorites among emerging artists on multiple stages throughout the ship. Guests will enjoy four days of non-stop music with a wide range of concert experiences, from the high-energy main stage to the intimate, smaller venues. In celebration of the milestone fifth sailing the festival will go above and beyond all expectations with new music, extended jam sessions, and unprecedented collaboration sets with legendary blues artists.