John Davidson News

It is not often that one gets a peek inside the creation of an iconic piece of art, and even rarer to see that story come to life on stage in a full-fledged Broadway musical. But for fans of the classic tale of Peter Pan, the new musical FINDING NEVERLAND, which is the opening production in The Bushnell's 2017 - 2018 Broadway series, does just that. Based on the Academy Award-winning film by David Magee and the play THE MAN WHO WAS PETER PAN by Allen Knee, FINDING NEVERLAND tells the story of author J.M. Barrie and his relationship with the family that inspired him to write one of the most beloved stories of all time. When FINDING NEVERLAND makes its way to Hartford August 1 - 6, the cast will include Sarah Charles who plays in the ensemble and also understudies the roles of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and Mary Barrie. I had the pleasure of catching up with Sarah and discussing the life of an understudy and her perspective on bringing this beautiful story to life on stage.

With enough glittering pixie dust and wonder for children of all ages, it doesn't take much magic for a musical to fly high. Any that's exactly the case in the touring production of FINDING NEVERLAND, which opened to a cheerful crowd last night at Dallas' Winspear Opera House for a two-week engagement.

Omaha Performing Arts is pleased to announce tickets for FINDING NEVERLAND go on sale to the public on Friday July 28, 2017 at 10:00 AM. FINDING NEVERLAND will play Omaha's Orpheum Theater, 409 South 16th Street, Wednesday, October 11 through Sunday, October 15, 2017.

The 60's heartthrob changes his image with Captain Hook

I always find it exciting to see a musical I know nothing about and FINDING NEVERLAND fits that bill. I remember watching Jennifer Hudson sing 'Neverland' on the 2014 Tony Awards and recall watching the cast perform on the NBC 'Thanksgiving Day Parade' in November, 2014. The cast included Matthew Morrison, Kelsey Grammer, Laura Michelle Kelly and Carolee Carmello. However, the Tony Awards snubbed the musical with no nominations. After seeing the show this week, I do not understand why. I found the musical absolutely wonderful and worthy of a Tony nomination for Best Musical. FUN HOME won the Tony for Best Musical in 2015 beating out SOMETHING ROTTEN!, THE VISIT, and AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. There were no nominations for FINDING NEVERLAND.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's big news: NAPOLI, BROOKLYN officially opens tonight Off-Broadway!

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, professional theatre is returning to Beach Haven and the community and tourists couldn't be happier!

Meg just left a man. Lenny never had a man. Babe just shot a man. Luke Yankee directs a revival of Crimes of the Heart, the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award-winning comic drama by Beth Henley, for a June 9 opening at International City Theatre. Two low-priced previews take place on June 7 and June 8.

The corn was high as an elephant's eye at the Alex Theatre in Glendale last Sunday as Musical Theater Guild presented a staged reading of Rodgers and Hammerstein's bucolic musical State Fair, the only musical R&H wrote specifically for the screen. State Fair wasn't adapted for the stage until 1996, the final show produced by David Merrick, Broadway's notorious 'abominable showman.'

The Elementary school children of Beach Haven School, a grade school of under 100 students, were deeply saddened in January 2015 when the sitting Board of Surflight Theatre announced they could no longer keep the theatre open and they were filing for liquidation.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, concludes the 2016-2017 season by taking family audiences to the fair!

We managed to corner Vickie and three of her actors - Drew Sanford, Tabby Ragland and Mandy Ray-Jones - and convince them to answer our famous Friday 5 (+1) questions, giving us some insight into why they do what they do (and how they do it), as well as to offer up some suggestions about why you should make certain you don't miss their show…

Those who have made significant contributions to the arts in a variety of categories will be recognized for their achievements in enriching the communities and citizens of Utah at the 12th Annual Star Awards held Today, March 11, 2017 at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem. 

The beloved Surflight Theatre which survived 65 seasons, Hurricane Sandy and closed in early 2015 after a failed restructuring in 2013, will reopen on June 23, 2017 with the popular Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie, Tom Snow Musical Footloose.

From the legendary Folies Bergere to the Ziegfeld Follies of Broadway to the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, the theatrical revue has been a staple of entertainment for well over 100 years. The McCallum pays tribute to these wonderful performers with its own Vaudeville variety show. The McCallum's Second Annual Tribute to the Follies stars John Davidson and Ann Hampton Callaway, and features The Olate Dogs, David & Dania, Mark Schiff, Henrik Bothe, and the Follies Dancers and Follies Orchestra.

Those who have made significant contributions to the arts in a variety of categories will be recognized for their achievements in enriching the communities and citizens of Utah at the 12th Annual Star Awards held Saturday, March 11, 2017 at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem. 

TV icon Alison Arngrim has joined the cast of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None at Judson Theatre Company (Morgan Sills, Executive Producer and Daniel Haley, Artistic Director).

Laguna Playhouse has announced 'M*A*S*H' star LORETTA SWIT starring in ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, HER SECRET JOURNEY.

The latest production of the classic THE FANTASTICKS arrived at The Pasadena Playhouse September 6, 2016, directed by Seema Sueko. With the book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, THE FANTASTICKS was awarded the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre in 1991, in its 33rd year of its 42-year Off-Broadway run (17,162 performances!).

Company of Fools and Sun Valley Center for the Arts are pleased to announce that Core Company Artist John Glenn is among the 2016 recipients of the Governor's Awards in the Arts. Governor C. L. Butch Otter and First Lady Lori Otter announced this year's honorees in August.  Glenn received the Excellence in the Arts distinction.  This is the third award from Idaho's Governors in Company of Fools' 21 year history - Denise Simone, Core Company Artist, received the 2014 Excellence in the Arts and in 2004 Company of Fools was awarded the same distinction.