John Torres News

Michele Brourman, has been honored with the prestigious Bistro Awards for her work in the areas of Singer-Songwriter-Musical Director. 

Help, a new play examining white male privilege by acclaimed author and poet Claudia Rankine (Citizen: An American Lyric, The White Card) and directed by Obie Award-winner Taibi Magar (Is God Is, Soho Rep), makes its world premiere and launches The Shed's 2020 season on March 10 with performances through April 5 (previews begin Tuesday, March 10 and opening night is Saturday, March 21). Commissioned by The Shed and performed in its Griffin Theater, Help stars Roslyn Ruff (Theater: Fairview; Film: Marriage Story; TV: Divorce, Pose).

The Shed presents the world premiere of Help, a new theatrical work by acclaimed author and poet Claudia Rankine (Citizen: An American Lyric) and directed by Obie Award-winner Taibi Magar (Is God Is, Soho Rep) on March 10 through April 5, 2020 at The Shed's Griffin Theater.

The 30th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Monday, January 13, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown LA.

Alex Poots, Artistic Director and CEO of The Shed, today announced its 2020 Season of new productions by progressive artists from across the performing arts, visual arts, and pop culture, including live performances, solo exhibitions, and the final group of The Shed's inaugural Open Call series for emerging New York City-based artists. Poots also announced the appointment of Madani Younis, who joins The Shed in January as Chief Executive Producer. To celebrate the opening season as it draws to a close, The Shed will host its first open house, Meet at The Shed, on Saturday, January 11, 2020, featuring special pop-up events and free admission to its current exhibitions.

St. Ann's Warehouse, responding to popular demand nearly two months before performances begin, has extended the celebrated Gate Theatre Dublin production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by Yaël Farber and featuring Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga (Loving, AMC's 'Preacher'), in a 'mesmerizing' (Irish Times) American stage debut, as the Dane. With Farber's direction and text edit, the focus shifts from Hamlet's anguish and identity to the force of resistance against the raw usurpation of power. The production, which begins February 1, 2020, will now play an additional week, through March 8, 2020.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced a second and final extension today for the New York revival of A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner. Directed by Oskar Eustis, this scorching new version of Kushner's first play began performances in the Anspacher Theater on Tuesday, October 29 with an official press opening on Monday, November 25. A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY was originally scheduled to close on December 8, but has now been extended twice through Sunday, December 22.

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and directed by Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, just celebrated opening night.

The complete cast for A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY features Linda Emond (Annabella Gotchling), Michael Esper (Vealtninc Husz), Grace Gummer (Paulinka Erdnuss), Jonathan Hadary (Xillah), Nikki M. James (Agnes Eggling), Crystal Lucas-Perry (Zillah), Nadine Malouf (Rosa Malek), Mark Margolis (Gottfried Swetts), Estelle Parsons (Die Älte), Danielle Skrastaad (Understudy), Michael Urie (Gregor Bazwald), Kerry Warren (Understudy), and Max Woertendyke (Emil Traum).

Get a peek inside rehearsal for A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and directed by Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. Performances begin on Tuesday, October 29 and run through Sunday, December 15, with an official press opening on Tuesday, November 19.

The Public Theater will begin performances for the New York revival of A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and directed by Oskar Eustis, with a Joseph Papp Free Preview performance on Tuesday, October 29 in The Public's Anspacher Theater.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for the major New York revival of A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner.

After a 15-year wait for music lovers, Puccini's Turandot returns to the Canadian Opera Company in a striking new production from visionary director Robert Wilson at the Four Season Centre for the Performing Arts. Princess Turandot has a fierce reputation that precedes her royal name thanks to a high-stakes challenge she has issued: answer her three riddles correctly and win her hand in marriage. Answer incorrectly and pay dearly a?" with your life. As a steady stream of admirers land face-to-face with the executioner, Prince Calaf takes on the deadly game and has a mystery of his own for Turandot to solve. Turandot runs for nine performances on September 28, October 4, 9, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27, 2019.

The music from 2001: A Space Odyssey opens Sea Level Rise: A Dystopian Comedy.  Set in a future South Florida, this play considers a world where the ocean has risen two feet.  The low lying town of Sweetwater is feeling the pain.  Maria (Rebecca Smith) is on her cellphone trying to get help.  Her septic tank is no longer buried and is broken.  The situation is dire.  She declares 'my Dad's shit is pouring out of the ground.'

Digital arts journal Stage Raw announces the nominees for its fifth annual Stage Raw Theater Awards, to be held Monday night September 9, 2019, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday August 7, 2019. The Stage Raw Theater Awards honor the finest work performed on Los Angeles area stages of 99-seats or fewer, and are selected by a jury of Stage Raw critics. This year's awards celebrate work performed between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.

 "Bronco Billy - The Musical" Book by Dennis Hackin, Music and Lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres Additional lyrics by Michele Brourman   8:30pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays through July 21, 2019 No 2:00pm matinee on July 6 & 20. Added: 8:00pm performances on Thursdays July 11 & 18  

I cannot offer enough superlative-laden adjectives to describe the brilliance of the cast, beginning with Eric B. Anthony as Bronco Billy, who channels one of the most famous African American cowboys, Nathan 'Deadwood Dick' Lane, with his effervescent personality making me believe he could easily be one of the great, rodeo-winning cowboy's descendants! His partnership onstage with Amanda Leigh Jerry as Antoinette/Miss Lilly, is beautifully realistic and dreamlike at the same time as they tear up the stage singing catchy tunes while executing athletic choreography to perfection.

The Santa Fe Opera's General Director Robert K. Meya today announced repertory and casting for the company's exciting 64th Season in 2020. On the panel joining Meya for the announcement were the President of the Board of Directors Susan G. Marineau, Andrea Fellows Walters, Director of Community Engagement, and Cori Ellison, the company's first, recently appointed Dramaturg.

Tristan and Isolde is a show that has no spectacular or theatrical value, however it does have a certain value if considered from a very closed conceptual vision perspective that has nothing to do with the wonderful richness of the story.