Joe Keenan News

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with the following acts:

The Gift Theatre announces casting for its Chicago premiere of Hansol Jung's WOLF PLAY, a messy, funny, and disturbing theatrical experience grappling with a wolf, a puppet, and a very prickly problem: What is a family? What do we need from them, today? Is it very different from the things humans have needed from families before?

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was proud to present a concert reading of "Everybody Rise: A Resistance Cabaret," written by Emmy-winner Joe Keenan.  A bevy of theatrical luminaries starred, including Brad Oscar, Liz Callaway, Chip Zien, Richard Kind, Kristine Mengelkoch, Taylor Crousore, and Christine Pedi.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with Benny Green, Clint Holmes Celebrates the Jazz of Sammy David Jr., Joe Alterman, and more!

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with Benny Green, The James Carter Organ Trio, Joao Bosco, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Frank Catalano Quartet, Clint Holmes, Joe Alterman, Aubrey Logan, Sheila Jordan, Dena DeRose, The Jive Aces, Michael Wolff, Jason Kravits, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

During last night's Season Release Bash at Filament Theater, Artistic Director and Co-Founder Michael Patrick Thornton proudly announced The Gift Theatre's 2019 Season will include: a revival of John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning drama DOUBT: A PARABLE directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik and featuring Ensemble Members Jennifer Glasse, Maryann Thebus and Michael Patrick Thornton (February 27 - March 31) and the Chicago premiere of Hansol Jung's WOLF PLAY, directed by guest artist Jess McLeod (October 18 - November 24). The Gift's 17th season will also include a soon-to-be-announced third production (July 12 - August 18).

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 17th season with the world premiere of Stacy Osei-Kuffour's haunting and often-humorous drama HANG MAN, directed by guest artist Jess McLeod, playing March 2 - April 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. 

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 17th season with the world premiere of Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour's haunting and often-humorous drama HANG MAN, directed by Jess McLeod, playing March 2 - April 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. The press opening is Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 pm.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to announce casting for its world premiere of Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour's haunting and often-humorous drama HANG MAN, directed by Jess McLeod.

Victory Gardens Theater announces Jess McLeod and Aaron Todd Douglas as the 2018 Next Generation Fellows. Beginning in February 2018, the Next Generation Fellowship will provide comprehensive mentorship, requisite training, and experience for these future leaders of color, preparing them to helm arts institutions or departments on the national and local level. The program is made possible by a generous grant from The Field Foundation of Illinois.

Back in 1931, when the firm Kaufman, Ryskind, Gershwin & Gershwin had the novel idea to infuse that stodgy old music/theatre entertainment, the Broadway operetta, with the jauntiness of showtune and a chaotic mixture of comedic highbrow and lowbrow to tell the tale of an unqualified, but charismatic American politician who rides a wave of popular support for his questionable platform to the United States presidency, musical comedies typically employed a bit more on-stage and front-of-stage talent than audiences are accustomed to seeing nowadays.

GOOD MORNING, THEATERATI! It's May 17, 2017, and summer - or a reasonable facsimile thereof - has arrived in Nashville, with temperatures already climbing toward the 90s! When prompts the musical question: What's on your agenda for the summer of 2017? Anything we should know about and, more importantly, write about?

After producer Fred Hamlin christened Columbus Circle's Majestic Theatre with a spectacular musical extravaganza based on L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' (The show had nothing to do with the classic MGM film.), he sought to follow up with another memorable production with a family-friendly setting.

MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale), closed its 75th anniversary season with Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland last night, April 27, 2017 at 7pm at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. BroadwayWorld has photos from the starry concert below!

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook. Previews are Friday, April 14 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 15 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 16 at 2 p.m. and Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with an added matinee performance Thursday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. NOTE There are no 7:30 p.m. performances Thursday, April 20 and  May 11 and no 4 p.m. performance  Saturday, April 22. Tickets to Marry Me a Little are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773.327.5252. 

MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale), closes its 75th anniversary season with Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland on April 27, 2017 at 7pm at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall (57th Street and 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019). The production will be conducted and directed by MasterVoices' Artistic Director Ted Sperling and will feature Kelli O'Hara (Contrary Mary), Bill Irwin (Master Toymaker), Christopher Fitzgerald (Alan), Lauren Worsham (Jane), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Tom Tom), Jonathan Freeman (Uncle Barnaby), Chris Sullivan (Gonzorgo), Jeffrey Schecter (Roderigo), Michael Kostroff (Chief Inspector Marmaduke), and Blair Brown (The Narrator), with the 130 singers of MasterVoices and Orchestra of St. Luke's. Musical Staging by Andrew Palermo, Costume Consulting by Tracy Christensen, and Concert Adaptation by Joe Keenan and Ted Sperling.

As previously announced, MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale), closes its 75th anniversary season with Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland on April 27, 2017 at 7pm at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall (57th Street and 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019).

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook. 

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber have announced the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little, starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook.

Haven Theatre Company announces How We Got On to begin their fourth season, written by Idris Goodwin and directed by Jess McLeod, at the company's new home within the Den Theatre's new Bookspan Theatre, 1335 Milwaukee Ave., September 29 - November 12. Previews are Thursday, Sept. 29 - Saturday, Oct.1 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular run tickets are $32, senior tickets are $20 and college/industry tickets are $15 (preview tickets are $12). You may purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.