Jonathan Fox News

Ensemble's 'Sweeney Todd' is a highly enjoyable production that captured the dark romance and comedy of this tale of love and vengeance.

The Santa Barbara Symphony, in collaboration with the acclaimed Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC), will present a musical and theatrical tribute to William Shakespeare at the historic Granada Theatre on November 14 and 15. Featuring the full Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Nir Kabaretti, 'Shakespeare Set to Music' will include the Suite from William Walton's lush film score for As You Like It, Prokofiev's unforgettable Romeo and Juliet Suite, and Mendelssohn's vivid incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, with its instantly recognizable Wedding March. The latter work will accompany scenes from the play featuring ETC artists. Performances will take place at 8 pm on Saturday, November 15, and at 3 pm on Sunday, November 15. Tickets are now available.

'Sweeney Todd,' directed by Jonathan Fox, will be Ensemble's 2015-2016 season opener: an appropriate horror-story musical for the Halloween Season.

Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Director presents Pride & Prejudice, A New Musical adaptation of the Jane Austen novel with Book, Music and Lyrics by John Taylor Thomas, and Book and Lyrics by Lissa Moira. 15 performances will be staged at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue (bet. 9th and 10th Streets), New York, NY 10003 from June 18 - July 12, 2015.

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the lineup of productions for its 2015/16 Season. The season will launch in September with August Wilson's Seven Guitars, directed by Brandon J. Dirden and will include the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, directed by Jessica Stone; a new music-theater production of Shakespeare's Pericles created by Rinde Eckert and David Schweizer; and the Transport Group's critically acclaimed production of I Remember Mama, directed by Jack Cummings III.

'Woyzeck' is lovely and horrible; a narrative, musical dream cycle of moments that represent the tragic realities of love and loss; and damaging effects of social hierarchy and human brutality.

'Woyzeck' has evolved beyond original playwright Buchner's vision. It's an evocative production that emphasizes the importance of dignity as a defining aspect of humanity-and the price paid when that humanity is stripped.

'Intimate Apparel' promises an exciting evening of drama, intelligent social commentary, and the exquisite craftsmanship of fine garments.

Peter Shaffer's incredibly intriguing examination of the demise and death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the hands of Court Composer Antonio Salieri in 1791 Vienna is at the core of Amadeus, which premiered in London in 1979, went on to win a Tony Award as Best Play of 1981 and also an Oscar for the reinvented film version in 1984. It is well reputed that Shaffer used artistic license in creating the play and movie as Mozart and Salieri were never official rivals/foes, but, yes or no, it certainly makes for divinely pleasant theatricality, now in a handsome revival at ETC in Santa Barbara through October 26.

Peter Shaffer's Amadeus is a dramatized account of the rivalry between Antonio Salieri, court composer of Vienna, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, musical prodigy and social embarrassment.

A play about music, the frustrations of a life in creativity, and the desire for social and artistic validation, Amadeus is a vibrant tale of two composers aspiring to achieve recognition for their work-and aspiring to create work of enduring significance.

Actor Randy Harrison, best known for playing Justin Taylor in Showtime's Queer as Folk (2000-2005) is rehearsing Amadeus Mozart for the play Amadeus to bow in Santa Barbara at the Ensemble Theatre on October 11. In our chat he talks about the play, his role, his tastes in music, as well as a bit about Queer as Folk. What was life like, briefly, during Queer As Folk? Did you know at first that this show was unique and groundbreaking? You guys had so many fans. I know because I interviewed Gale Harold when he did Orpheus Descending a few years ago, and the fan response to the interview was incredible. I had comments from all over the world.

Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Director, and The After Dinner Opera Company present two new American operatic musical adaptations from classical works, Seymour Barab's operatic parody Out the Window based upon Georges Feydeux's farce 'Par La Fenetre;' and Rappaccini's Daughter, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic short story, with libretto by Linsey Abrams and music by Michael Cohen. Lissa Moira directs. Performances will be staged at the Cino Theatre at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue (bet. 9th and 10th Streets), New York, NY 10003 from tonight, September 11-28, 2014.

Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Director, and The After Dinner Opera Company present two new American operatic musical adaptations from classical works, Seymour Barab's operatic parody Out the Window based upon Georges Feydeux's farce 'Par La Fenetre;' and Rappaccini's Daughter, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic short story, with libretto by Linsey Abrams and music by Michael Cohen. Lissa Moira directs.

A Little Night Music/book by Hugh Wheeler/music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/directed by Jonathan Fox/Ensemble Theatre Company (etc) at the New Vic, Santa Barbara/through December 22 only

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara announces its 2013-14 Season in its new home, the New Vic, beginning with the hit Broadway musical A Little Night Music, inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film 'Smiles of a Summer Night. Directed by Ensemble Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Fox, A Little Night Music features one of Stephen Sondheim's best-known songs, 'Send in the Clowns.' A star-studded cast featuring Piper Laurie, Stephanie Zimbalist and Patrick Cassidy will christen the stage at the New Vic.

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara announces its 2013-14 Season in its new home, the New Vic, beginning with the hit Broadway musical A Little Night Music, inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film 'Smiles of a Summer Night. Directed by Ensemble Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Fox, A Little Night Music features one of Stephen Sondheim's best-known songs, "Send in the Clowns." A star-studded cast featuring Piper Laurie, Stephanie Zimbalist and Patrick Cassidy will christen the stage at the New Vic.

Ensemble Theatre's 2012-13 Season begins with CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, tonight, October 4 through the 21st, 2012.

Ensemble Theatre's 2012-13 Season begins with CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, October 4 -21, 2012.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee and Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis will participate in the Beckett Festival at the Two River Theatre Company in New Jersey from March 16th through April 2nd