Jonathan Larson News

Rebel Genius, a new musical from Peabody Award-winning songwriter and film composer Matthew Puckett, and based on the life of the young and highly ambitious Albert Einstein, will have its world premiere at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's (UCLA TFT) Little Theater on Friday, March 8, 2019. Rebel Geniuscrashes physics and love into one another as Albert falls madly in love with Mileva Maric and then risks everything he has to find a perfect Unified Theory of the Universe. Book, music and lyrics by Matthew Puckett; directed by Ovation Award winner Brian Kite; choreographed by Ovation Award winner Dana Solimando; musical direction by Dan Belzer and Jeremy Mann.

The Oshman Family JCC presents internationally renowned performer Alan Cumming in his hugely acclaimed cabaret show Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs for one night only in Palo Alto. The beloved actor, singer, writer, producer, and activist will be joined onstage by Emmy Award-winning musical director Lance Horne and cellist Eleanor Norton for this delightful appearance declared an "emotional firestorm" by The New York Times, telling vivid stories of his most emotionally harrowing moments accompanied by sentimental tunes sung with Broadway-worthy bravado. From Billy Joel to Annie Lennox, and even an extraordinary mash-up of Adele, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry in "Someone Like the Edge of Firework," this "evening of intimacy at Club Cumming" (The Guardian) offers a no-holds-barred visit with one of the most exciting performers of our time. Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs will be presented 7:30pm, Sunday, April 14, 2019 at the Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. For tickets ($250 premium with post-performance reception, $150 general, $145 OFJCC members and J-Pass holders) and more information, visit paloaltojcc.org/cumming or call (650) 223-8649.

The winners of the 2019 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater were announced today by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Be More Chill composer Joe Iconis revealed that an off-Broadway production of Broadway Bounty Hunter, starring Annie Golden, is in the works. 

RENT is playing at THE BIZ ARTS from August 15 to 18, 2019.

Redhouse Artistic Director, Hunter Foster, has announced his inaugural, 2019-20 Main Stage Season featuring several Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning productions, packed with heart, humanity, and humor, and sure to delight audiences of all ages. The theme of the season will be 'the exploration of family and how its different forms navigate the spectrum of the American experience.' Hunter Foster, who was named '2018 Director of the Year' by the Wall Street Journal, will oversee all aspects of the entire season including, budgeting, casting, directing and more. Redhouse audiences will be treated to a much more immersive theatre experience as Foster plans to utilize the versatility of the theatres to create different audience configurations including a 'thrust space' and 'theatre in the round.'

The Morrison Center announced today that RENT 20th Anniversary Tour tickets will go on sale Friday, February 22, 2019 at 10:00 AM; the Broadway Musical will play June 7 - June 8, 2019. Tickets will be available at the Morrison Center box office (2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise 83706), by visiting www.MorrisonCenter.com, or by calling (208) 426-1110. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling (208) 426-4111.

BWW Review: RENT 20th Anniversary Tour at Popejoy Hall

The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University's School of Communication will present workshop performances of three new music theater works as the 2018-2019 season continues.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Happy Friday! Finish off your week by catching up on today's top Broadway news!

This week, New York Theatre Workshop hosted its NYTW 2019 Gala celebrating 40 Years!  The evening featured performances from Alice Ripley (Next to Normal); Anthony Rapp (RENT), Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT), Amber Gray (Hadestown); Nathaly Lopez (What's It All About); Cristina Monet ("Disco Clone") plus members of the original casts of RENT; Bright Lights, Big City; What's It All About; Hadestown and more.  See photos from the evening below!

Celebrate "Valentine's Day" with the single and music video of the same name from The Jonathan Larson Project, sung by Broadway's Andy Mientus.

The American Theatre Wing announced today that the 2019 Jonathan Larson Grants recipients are Julia Gytri & Avi Amon (book, music and lyrics), Emily Gardner Xu Hall (book, music and lyrics), Andy Roninson (music and lyrics), and Ben Wexler (music and lyrics). Four prestigious grants of $10,000 each, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants, totaling over $50,000, will be presented on Monday, March 19, 2018 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

As the lights dimmed and the actors took the stage, the audience was quick to note that RENT would not be like many other musicals that graced the stage. Indeed, the story of how RENT came to be an award winning musical is as much of the story as the script and songs conceived by the late Jonathan Larson. Larson called it his breakthrough work, "Hair for the 90's" wishing to "bring musical theater to the MTV generation" (New York Times, 1997).

The Public Theater announced the sixth season of PUBLIC STUDIO today, which will present two new works this spring. Continuing The Public's commitment to nurturing new playwrights, the two productions will run in succession in The Public's Shiva Theater and be presented as pared-down productions with the low ticket price of $15. This vital program continues The Public's mission of making new work by emerging artists accessible to all audiences.

A Nederlander Presentation is thrilled to announce the 2019-2020 season -full of Broadway's biggest shows currently dazzling audiences in New York, all coming to the San Diego Civic Theatre, and sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union.

On this day in 1996, the beloved rock musical, Rent, made its off-Broadway premiere at New York Theatre Workshop.

The Broadway blockbuster WICKED will welcome new cast members to the Gershwin Theatre this spring. Beginning Monday, February 18, Michael McCormick will assume the role of The Wizard. Gizel Jimenez will assume the role of Nessarose on Tuesday, March 12.

Tickets are now on sale for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway in Columbus (BIC) presentation of the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) March 19-24.

MAX VERNON will continue his first ever residency at Joe's Pub, Existential Life Crisis Lullaby, on Tuesday, February 26 at 7:00 PM. Following three sold out shows last year, he returns with special guests Bonnie Milligan, Larry Owens, Kenita R. Miller, Brittain Ashford, and Jaime Cepero.