John Todd News

Sometimes, when life is getting you down, there is nothing more pleasing than hearing some showtunes performed by a game and capable lot of performers with the intent of nothing more controversial than lifting your spirits and entertaining you in the way they know best. And that, my friends, is exactly what’s on order in the appropriately entitled An Evening With Playhouse 615: Broadway Musical Review.

Wonkybot, the award-winning content and podcast company aimed at kids and family, has just dropped the Season 3 key art for its superhero audio adventure series Tara Tremendous. The podcast created by Stewart St John and produced by St John, Todd Fisher and Michael Plahuta is set to launch in June. The exact date will be revealed soon.

Wonkybot today announced the launch of Stewart St John's Tremendous Girl, a spin-off from the company's award-winning flagship audio series Tara Tremendous. St John will write, direct and executive produce the scripted podcast series, working alongside Wonkybot co-founders Michael Plahuta and Todd Fisher who will also serve as executive producers.

Feinstein's/54 Below continues their #54BelowAtHome series tonight with the new musical 'The Year of Living Dangerously!'

Feinstein's/54 Below has added shows to #54BelowatHome, a series of streamed performances to provide theater fans everywhere with artistic content from their favorite artists.

 Wonkybot Studios' Tara Tremendous: The Egyptian Curse, created, written and directed by Stewart St John and distributed exclusively on Pinna, features several newcomers in the thrilling third season of the hit superhero podcast series which airs its second episode this week.

Wonkybot Studios, a production, publishing and music entertainment company creating original content for kids and families across all media platforms, and Pinna, the audio on-demand entertainment company delivering high quality audio content for kids, today announced they've joined forces to co-produce Tara Tremendous: The Egyptian Curse, an exciting new season of twelve thrilling episodes based on Wonkybot Studios' wildly popular superhero podcast Tara Tremendous: The Secret Diaries.

Wonkybot Studios today announced that actresssinger Tayla Hadley is reprising her role as Tara CallahanTara Tremendous in a brand new season of the musically-infused superhero podcast titled 'Tara Tremendous: The Secret Diaries - Genesis'

Wonkybot Studios, a production, publishing and music company focusing on creating stellar content and entertainment experiences for kids and families across all media platforms, today announced it will release the untold origin story of its popular, musically-infused audio drama Tara Tremendous: The Secret Diaries in a brand new season -- 'Genesis'. Billed as a special 'Prequel Season 1', the 12-episode series will now become the official first season of the podcast which, when it premiered, skyrocketed to #1 in the kids and family category on Apple Podcasts.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (celebrating its 25thSilver Anniversary at the theatre) in association with T&D Productions, LLC are thrilled to present Mary Bridget Davies, Broadway's original "Janis" starring in her Tony nominated performance A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox, musical direction by Brent Crayon, and created, written & directed by Randy Johnson. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will preview on Friday, September 14, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 15 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 7, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

KPFK Radio's Arts in Review, Los Angeles's longest-running radio showcase on live theater and cabaret, airs Fridays (2-2:30pm) on KPFK 90.7FM. Today, Sep 7, Julio hosts Valerie Perri and Larry Cedar from Reprise 2.0's staging of the musical, The World Goes Round, currently performing though Sep 16 at The Freud Playhouse at UCLA

Somewhere between its opening of SWEET CHARITY in late June and the end of July, Reprise 2.0 postponed its second scheduled production of its inaugural season, VICTOR/VICTORIA. In its place, the company has mounted a revival of Kander & Ebb's musical revue, THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, and, while it isn't a rarely revived book musical, which has always been Reprise's focus in the past, it does contain a score derived from some of the best songs in the classic Kander & Ebb catalogue (think CHICAGO and CABARET).

Following Reprise's successful re-launch (as the newly christened REPRISE 2.0) with a crowd-pleasing SWEET CHARITY, REPRISE 2.0 mounts THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND on the Freud Playhouse boards beginning September 5, 2018. We had the chance to chat with one of WORLD's talented cast members, theatre vet Valerie Perri on being back with Reprise, while hitting highlights of her extensive theatrical career.

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, presented in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, performing at UCLA Freud Playhouse, announces casting for Grand Hotel performing October 24 to November 4, as well as a new 2-show FlexPass for $99, now on sale at Reprise2.org and by phone at 866-811-4111.

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, announces Dawnn Lewis (This Is Us, Major Crimes and IZombie), Valerie Perri (LA Shubert Theatre Evita, Jerome Robbins' Broadway) Larry Cedar (Deadwood), Kelley Dorney (Annie at Hollywood Bowl) and Michael Starr (Bright Star national tour) for its production of The World Goes 'Round with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson. It will play September 5 through September 16 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.  

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, announces its production of The World Goes 'Round with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson. It will play September 5 through September 16 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.  The World Goes 'Round will be directed by Richard Israel with choreography by John Todd, and musical direction by Gerald Sternbach.

REPRISE 2.0 (led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson), in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, presents its inaugural production of Sweet Charity.  Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with musical direction by Gerald Sternbach, the classic Broadway hit plays through July 1 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Take a look at photos from the show's opening night below!

Casting is now complete for the inaugural REPRISE 2.0 production of Sweet Charity. Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, the classic Broadway hit plays from June 20 to July 1 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. 

Single tickets are now on sale for the inaugural REPRISE 2.0 production of Sweet Charity. Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, the classic Broadway hit plays from June 20 to July 1 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. REPRISE 2.0 is led by producing artistic director Marcia Seligson.

Casting is announced for two REPRISE 2.0 productions with two Tony Award leading actress nominees: Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde - Tony Nomination, Hairspray, Anger Management) is to play Charity in Sweet Charity, directed and choreographed by three time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall from June 20 to July 1, and Carmen Cusack (Bright Star - Tony Nomination, Wicked) is to play Victoria Grant in Victor/Victoria directed by Richard Israel and choreographed by John Todd from September 5 to 16 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.