John Rando News

On November 8th, A Christmas Story, The Musical! launched its National Tour at The Hershey Theatre in Hershey, PA. America's #1 Christmas movie comes to life on stage as hilarious holiday musical featuring a bright holiday score by composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Joseph Robinette based on the writings of radio humorist Jean Shepherd and the 1983 holiday film favorite. Tony Award winner John Rando (Urinetown, The Wedding Singer) will direct the production with Warren Carlyle (Finian's Rainbow, Follies, An Evening With Hugh Jackman) choreographing. Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie in the original 1983 film, serves as a producer for the holiday tour.

On November 8th, A Christmas Story, The Musical! launches its National Tour at The Hershey Theatre in Hershey, PA. America's #1 Christmas movie comes to life on stage as hilarious holiday musical featuring a bright holiday score by composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Joseph Robinette based on the writings of radio humorist Jean Shepherd and the 1983 holiday film favorite. Tony Award winner John Rando (Urinetown, The Wedding Singer) will direct the production with Warren Carlyle (Finian's Rainbow, Follies, An Evening With Hugh Jackman) choreographing. Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie in the original 1983 film, serves as a producer for the holiday tour.

Straight from a Saturday matinee and evening performance of the Broadway revival of Godspell, in which she sings the popular 'Turn Back, O Man,' songstress Morgan James will make her debut at the newly renovated Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) with her 7-piece rock n' soul band on Saturday, November 19 at 11:30 p.m.

The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is best known for al fresco performances of Shakespeare and the classics under the summer sky. But this fall, the stars will come out for Theatricum in November - that is, the Hollywood stars. A Sunday afternoon benefit for the theater company, one of Los Angeles' oldest and most respected, is set to take place on November 20 @ 3:30 pm at Topanga's historic Mountain Mermaid.

The producers of A Christmas Story, The Musical! congratulate their composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on receiving the 2011 Songwriter's Fellowship Award.

The producers of A Christmas Story, The Musical! have announced complete casting for the 2011 holiday season tour. Broadway favorite Karen Mason (Wonderland, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard) will play school teacher Miss Shields in an ensemble that includes John Francis Babbo, Jonathan Burke, Andrew Cristi, Sally Elting, Nick Gaswirth, Nicholas Gonzales, Casey Gorab, Drea Gordon, Leslie Henstock, Carl Kimbrough, Sean Mcknight, Mara Newbery, Lyn Philistine, Charlie Plummer, Alex Puette, Johnny Rabe, Kayla Rea, Emily Rudolph, Jake Bennett Siegfried, Marguerite Willbanks, George Andrew Wolff, Kirsten Wyatt and Adam Pelty (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Steel Pier) will play Santa.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, announces updates to the 2011 season in its Mainstage and Stage 2 venues.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, begins its 2011 season in its Mainstage and Stage 2 venues.

The producers of A Christmas Story, The Musical! have announced the latest additions to their creative team and principal cast. Tony Award winning John Rando (Urinetown, The Wedding Singer) has signed on as the new director for the national holiday tour.

Broadway's Morgan James, currently in rehearsals for the upcoming Broadway revival of Godspell (in which she'll sing the popular 'Turn Back, O Man') will be performing live with her band at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street) on Wednesday, September 28 at 11pm. The concert is FREE with NO COVER CHARGE.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced the final two directors for the 2012 Encores! season.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced the final two directors for the 2012 Encores! season. As previously announced, James Lapine will direct the first Encores! show of the season, Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, opening on February 8, 2012. Marc Bruni will direct Rodgers and Hammerstein's rarely seen Pipe Dream, opening on March 28¸ and John Rando will direct Jule Styne and Leo Robin's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opening on May 9. Music Director Rob Berman will conduct all three musicals. This year, the number of performances has been expanded: Pipe Dream and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes will play for seven performances each, and Merrily We Roll Along, extended for a two-week run, will play for 15 performances.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced today that open submissions to the Next Link Project, which guarantees production slots in the 2012 Festival, began on September 12th.

The Toxic Avenger, winner of 'Best New Off- Broadway Musical' by both the Outer Critics Circle and BroadwayWorld's Theatre Fans, may be headed to Broadway. The Joe DiPietro/David Bryan penned musical played New World Stages in 2009.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced that A.C.T. core acting company member Gregory Wallace has accepted a much-coveted tenured associate professor of acting position at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and will step down from his position at A.C.T.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced that A.C.T. core acting company member Gregory Wallace has accepted a much-coveted tenured associate professor of acting position at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and will step down from his position at A.C.T.

Barrington Stage Company's 2011 Mainstage Season began with the five-week run of Guys & Dolls which plays June 15 through July 16. This award-winning regional theatre in downtown Pittsfield Ma. celebrates its 17th season in the Berkshires under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director. Guys and Dolls stars Michael Thomas Holmes (Oklahoma!/How the Grinch Stole Christmas) as Nathan Detroit, Morgan James (Wonderland/The Addams Family) as Sarah Brown, Leslie Kritzer (Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, Legally Blonde) as Adelaide, Mathew Risch (Pal Joey, Legally Blonde) as Sky Masterson, Daniel Marcus as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Timothy Shew as Benny Southstreet, Peggy Pharr Wilson as General Cartwright, and Gordon Stanley as Arvide Abernathy. Chelsey Arce, Evan Autio, Tommy Bracco, Sharona D'Ornellas, Sean Patrick Folsster, Steve Konopelski, Chris Lebeau, Brooke Marinovich, Michael Nichols, Kellyn Uhi, Nichy Venditti and Correy West complete the cast. Making their debuts are Taylor Anderson, Michael Hewitt, Hannah Richter and Michael Wessells as BSC Musical Theatre Apprentices.

Guys and Dolls, the 'musical fable of Broadway', kicks off Barrington Stage Company's 2011 Mainstage Season for a five-week run from June 15 through July 16.

Guys and Dolls, the ‘musical fable of Broadway', kicks off Barrington Stage Company's 2011 Mainstage Season for a five-week run from June 15 through July 16. The award-winning regional theatre in downtown Pittsfield celebrates its 17th season in the Berkshires under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director. Directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando (Urinetown), the Guys and Dolls press opening is Sunday, May 19 at 5

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre completes its 21st season with 'Broadway Duets' - a cabaret performance celebrating some of the greatest duets ever written for the Broadway stage. Presenting classic songs by Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and many more will be four favorites of the Signature stage - Felicia Curry (Les Misérables), James Gardiner ([title of show]), Jake Odmark (Sunset Boulevard), and Bayla Whitten (Chess). Renowned duets from Wicked, Damn Yankees, Godspell, Hairspray, Hello, Dolly!, Aida, among others, will be featured by the talented foursome. Directed by Signature's Resident Director Matthew Gardiner (Side by Side by Sondheim, Art) in the intimacy of the 110-seat ARK Theatre, 'Broadway Duets' will be presented from June 7th through June 11th.