John Massey News

Legendary American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's masterwork Merrily We Roll Along is revisited in a new production under the direction of Tony Award nominee Michael Arden (Spring Awakening) set for the Bram Goldsmith Theater stage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from November 23 through December 18.  BroadwayWorld has an exclusive look below! 

The pivotal event in American history will blaze to vivid life at the Norris Theatre in a staged concert performance of the musical, '1776,' November 11-12 at 8 p.m.

The pivotal event in American history will blaze to vivid life at the Norris Theatre in a staged concert performance of the musical, '1776,' November 11-12 at 8 p.m.

San Diego Musical Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for the San Diego Regional Premiere of The Producers.

San Diego Musical Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for the San Diego Regional Premiere of The Producers.

Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most beloved stage musicals of all time which so magically weaves music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable historical experience. The Tony Award-winning musical has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its treasured tale of family and tradition, especially to those of us who can trace our origins back to the small Jewish Shtetels in Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th Century.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will conclude their 20th Anniversary Season with the classic Broadway musical THE PAJAMA GAME.  The one-night-only concert will take place at Glendale's historic Alex Theatre on Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM.

Palos Verdes Performing Arts mounts a new staging of 'Fiddler on the Roof,' the timeless musical that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide for more than 50 years. The production opens today, April 22 and will continue through May 8 at the Norris Theatre on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

Palos Verdes Performing Arts mounts a new staging of 'Fiddler on the Roof,' the timeless musical that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide for more than 50 years. The production will run April 22 to May 8 at the Norris Theatre on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will continue their 20thAnniversary Season with the Broadway musical A CLASS ACT. The one-night-only concert will take place at Glendale's historic Alex Theatre on Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 7:00 PM.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will conclude their 2014-2015 season with Stephen Sondheim's latest work, ROAD SHOW.  The one-night-only concert will take place at the Moss Theatre at New Roads School in Santa Monica on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at 7:00 pm. 

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present one of the most beloved comedies of all time, Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Kip Gilman and directed by Andrew Barnicle.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present one of the most beloved comedies of all time, Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Kip Gilman and directed by Andrew Barnicle.

Back in the 50s, the era that was innocence personified, Broadway musicals were written to entertain first. Of course, Stephen Sondheim and other more serious composers were beginning to change the face of the American musical with the goal to enlighten, but shows like Li'l Abner, with book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, lyrics by Johnny Mercer & music by Gene De Paul and based on Al Capp's 1934 comic strip, showed us the wild hillbilly lifestyle to make us laugh rather than think. Underneath the surface, to be sure, there is political satire and an uplifting message about appreciating the worth of that lesser known patch of American culture, kind of like what 60sTV audiences found in The Beverly Hillbillies.

The Mysterium Theatre's production of the musical ASSASSINS is set to open tomorrow night, May 31, and run through June 30. The show performs on Friday and Saturdays at 8:01pm and Sundays at 7:01pm, and on June 8 and 15, there will also be a matinee performance at 2:01pm.

Cousins - The Songs of Beck & May featuring James Snyder, Todrick Hall, Allie Trimm, David Burnham and more, is set for digital release tomorrow, Dec. 21st.

On Sunday May 6 Kritzerland presented its monthly show, May's entitled Broadway Bound: Unsung Songwriters at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Bruce Kimmel and Adryan Russ produce a terrific evening of entertainment with an emphasis on tunes rarely if ever heard and featuring a bevy of top-notch musical theatre talent. This show proved no exception with Damon Kirsche, Melody Hollis, Jane Noseworthy, Beth Malone, John Massey and special guest star Daisy Eagan, the youngest person to ever win a Tony Award for The Secret Garden. First-time with Kritzerland, musical director Tom Griep accompanied beautifully on piano throughout the 75 minute set. Featured songwriters included among others: the amazing Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Alan Chapman (in attendance), Larry Grossman, Hal Hackady and Ira Levin, who as a familiar writer brought us on film and stage: Rosemary's Baby and Deathtrap.

Kritzerland Upstairs at Sterling's presents BROADWAY BOUND - UNSUNG SONGWRITERS with Zina Goldrich, Marcy Heisler, Alan Chapman, Milt Schaefer, Ira Levin, Michael Leonard, Larry Grossman, Hal Hackady, Brad Ross, Douglas Bernstein, Denis Markell and more. The show is tonight, May 6, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Tom Griep is musical director.