When I heard the montage of 80s music blaring and saw the beautiful African-American art donning the Arkansas Repertory Theatre lobby, I knew SCHOOL GIRLS; OR THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY by Jocelyn Bioh, which is playing through March 20, was going to be awesome (80s slang intended)! Set in Ghana at the Aburi Girls' boarding school in 1986, the play touches on social nerves like familial status, school hierarchy, and color of the skin. Directed by Sha Cage, this group of storytellers told a tale that still rings true today.
Thanks to the 2006 film starring Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce, a lot of people are familiar with the story of the Broadway hit musical DREAMGIRLS. Its story of the rise of a talented group of young women – first as contest winners, then backup singers, then fame and success on their own - resonates with audiences who love to cheer for the success of an underdog (and sometimes the drama that comes along with the journey to the top). Throw in some blockbuster songs, beautiful costumes, and a talented cast to tell the story and you have stage magic. And that is just what audiences will get with the latest production of DREAMGIRLS at the Titusville Playhouse in Titusville, FL – a visually stunning, vocally thrilling, and powerful production of this classic musical.
The 56 artists span a wide range of performers, from undiscovered talent, up-and-coming new artists, and rising stars to established and legendary icons. From the producers of “Eurovision Song Contest” and “The Voice,” the all-live music competition series, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson. Check out the full list of contestants now!
The world-famous Comedy Cellar has announced the March 2022 lineup for its first West Coast location, an exact replica of its New York club, at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Known for its distinctive “showcase format,” featuring television-headliner comedians performing their best 15-20 minute sets, the renowned comedy club brings the unique vibe from the legendary, underground Greenwich Village club, including the iconic brick wall, stained glass and low-ceiling design.
Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2022–23 season, featuring a new production of Dame Ethel Smyth's rarely-performed masterpiece The Wreckers, the triumphant return of HGO-commissioned mariachi opera El Milagro del Recuerdo, the U.S. premieres of Opéra National de Paris and Royal Opera House's production of Werther and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía of Valencia's production of Salome, and beloved HGO classics La traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, and Tosca.
Two adjustments to the season schedule at Goodman Theatre shifts the 2021/2022 “Homecoming” Season line-up in the months ahead. The world-premiere production of Swing State by Rebecca Gilman directed by Robert Falls, previously announced for this spring, has been repositioned as this fall’s Owen Theatre opener.
The Arkansas Repertory Theatre has announced a free-to-the-public artist workshop “Tools of the Trade: What Every Actor Needs to Conduct the Business of Acting” with T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6 p.m. at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced today the critically acclaimed play Dana H. written by Lucas Hnath will replace Cambodian Rock Band and run this summer Friday, June 3- Sunday, July 10. Cambodian Rock Band has been moved to the 2022/2023 season.
To mark the opening of the 60th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival, the festival has commissioned a series of musical processions from Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars. Tilted Axes: Reel To Real is named to mark our return to live events in 2022.
Manhattan Theatre Club announced the lineup for the 2022 Ted Snowdon Reading Series. The readings kick off Monday, March 14 and will be held on Mondays through March 28. The readings will take place at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street). All readings are free and open to the public, but space is limited and RSVPs are required.
Teenage Dick, a current streaming option from Pasadena Playhouse, filmed as a coproduction with the Huntington Theatre of Boston and Woolly Mammoth Theatre of DC is perfectly translated from the stage to the computer screen.
The Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Broadway stage manager Cody Renard Richard announced the 10 recipients of The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program, dedicated to honoring, uplifting and supporting the next generation of Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) theatre-makers working behind the scenes.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced today that 13 young professionals have been awarded fellowships for the 2021/22 season. Theatre graduates from universities across the nation apply for this program that provides a six month-long deep dive into the operations of the award-winning theatre.
On March 10, 2022 New York City’s Obie Award-winning The Fire This Time Festival will release an anthology entitled 25 Plays from The Fire This Time Festival: A Decade of Recognition, Resistance, Resilience, Rebirth and Black Theatre.
The Arkansas Repertory Theatre has announced that single tickets are on sale for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, running March 2-20. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheRep.org or by calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405.
The Huntington announces Heidi Schreck's Tony Award nominated play and Pulitzer Prize finalist What the Constitution Means to Me, a Broadway hit that is now on its national tour. The production runs from February 22 to March 20, 2022 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre.
At American Stage now through February 27 is SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY by Jocelyn Bioh. SCHOOL GIRLS is loosely based on a true story that tells the tale of an all-girls school in Ghana and a prestigious Miss Global Universe pageant. A new, beautiful, and talented American student challenges the queen bee and gets noticed by the pageant recruiter. What ensues is a comedy that explores the universal struggles, similarities, and differences of teen girls, and the need to feel like you belong.
