Jonathan Larson News

Vital Theatre Company and HIT Entertainment are pleased to announce the return of the yuletide hit, Angelina Ballerina The Very Merry Holiday Musical, to the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway from November 16th - January 5th, 2014. The show, with book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo, music by Ben Morss, and direction and choreography by Sam Viverito, is based on the famous dancing mouseling and her friends created by Katharine Holabird and illustrated by Helen Craig. Angelina and her friends will return to the Vital stage with a special 'red carpet' press opening on November 16th. Performances continue November 17 through January 5th on Selected Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 pm.

Collaborative Arts Project 21, America's Musical Theatre Conservatory and Theatre Company (CAP21) and Molloy College have established a one-of-a-kind partnership. CAP21 is in residency at Molloy College, and to inaugurate the residency, both institutions are developing a four year BFA Theatre Arts Degree Program that will combine CAP21's 20 years of experience in training musical theatre actors and Molloy College's renowned academic programming.

'Crossing The River', a discussion featuring interfaith leaders led by Reverend Susan Turchin, and 'The Power of the Voice', a discussion with innovative contemporary theater composers hosted by Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812's Dave Malloy, will be offered as free post-performance events following upcoming performances of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere of TAMAR OF THE RIVER. The announcement was made today by Cara Reichel and Melissa Huber, the Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director of Prospect Theater Company.

A free musical web series about teenage gay bullying, THE HINTERLANDS, was conceived by the writing team of Michelle Elliott and Danny Larsen (Cloaked, The Yellow Wood). Created as a response to the flood of suicides by bullied LGBTQ youth, THE HINTERLANDS will be available online beginning October 28, 2013.

Bay Street Theatre has announced that Scott Schwartz, a leading voice of the next generation of American theater, has joined Bay Street as its new Artistic Director. A special welcome party was hosted last evening by Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane at a private club in New York City to celebrate his arrival and to introduce him to Bay Street Theatre patrons and members of the Broadway community of actors, directors and producers. Scroll down for photos from the event!

The enduring music of Burt Bacharach is given new life as musician and actor Kyle Riabko (Spring Awakening, Hair) performs his unique, soulful arrangements of the Bacharach songbook with an eclectic group of young musicians and performers. Steven Hoggett, whose choreography has been featured in such diverse works as Once, Peter and the Starcatcher, andBlack Watch, returns to NYTW, this time as director. What's It All About? is a re-introduction to the timeless music of Bacharach through the eyes and ears of a new generation.

“If there's one thing I've learned from Finn dying it's that shame is a wasted emotion,” Kurt (Chris Colfer) eloquently asserted mid-way through last night's unfortunately unavoidable and unabashedly emotional address of the passing of prominent GLEE cast member Cory Monteith, who portrayed star quarterback Finn Hudson on the series for its entire run until this year - and, unashamed was GLEE in its tribute to the fallen young star. And, unforgettable, as well.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

TICK, TICK...BOOM is Jonathan Larson's story before he wrote Rent. Social issues, plotlines and melodic phrasing made famous in that rock opera are in formation here. It's simpler than Rent with its own quirky charm. The story is not new, but the performers are refreshing, and the real-life tragedy adds new meaning to the main character's obsession with his looming milestone birthday.

'Crossing The River', a discussion featuring interfaith leaders led by Reverend Susan Turchin, and 'The Power of the Voice', a discussion with innovative contemporary theater composers hosted by Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812's Dave Malloy, will be offered as free post-performance events following upcoming performances of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere of TAMAR OF THE RIVER.

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, today, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Walden, a story-theatre style musical adaptation of Thoreau's best seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad and his star-crossed romance will be performed as a stage reading today, Monday, October 7th at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church. Book and Lyrics for Walden are written by Katherine Brann Fredricks and the music is composed by Bert Draesel. Brian Maschka directs a cast of eleven including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Tyrone Davis, Jr, Susannah Jones, Lisa CM Lamothe, Rob Langeder, Heather Lundstedt, Ronnie Nelson, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert and Stephanie Umoh.

Walden, a story-theatre style musical adaptation of Thoreau's best seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad and his star-crossed romance will be performed as a stage reading on Monday October 7th at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church. Book and Lyrics for Walden are written by Katherine Brann Fredricks and the music is composed by Bert Draesel. Brian Maschka directs a cast of eleven including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Tyrone Davis, Jr, Susannah Jones, Lisa CM Lamothe, Rob Langeder, Heather Lundstedt, Ronnie Nelson, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert and Stephanie Umoh.

"Crossing The River", a discussion featuring interfaith leaders led by Reverend Susan Turchin, and "The Power of the Voice", a discussion with innovative contemporary theater composers hosted by Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812's Dave Malloy, will be offered as free post-performance events following upcoming performances of Prospect Theater Company's world premiere of TAMAR OF THE RIVER. The announcement was made today by Cara Reichel and Melissa Huber, the Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director of Prospect Theater Company.

On Sunday, September 22 New Georges held their BIG Benefit at Seamen's House, a private townhouse in Chelsea. The fundraiser featured a special performance by Eisa Davis and short plays and songs written specifically for the event by Laura Eason, Boo Killebrew, Julie Kramer, Rachel Peters and Charise Castro Smith, featuring Heidi Schreck, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Amy Wilson, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Eric Clem and others. Scroll down for photos from the festivities!

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

At a benefit event held for New Georges on Sunday, September 22, Producing Artistic Director Susan Bernfield and board member Michael Osso announced a new program at New Georges, The Audrey Residencies, and the artists and projects chosen for 2013-14, the program's inaugural year. Sunday's event also featured the premiere showing of a video about New Georges produced by tdf for tdfSTAGES' Meet the Theatre series and directed by Mark Blankenship, tdf's online content editor, to be released in early November.

Producers Whoopi Goldberg, Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment have announced that the North American Tour of the five-time Tony Award nominated musical SISTER ACT will begin its second year of performances. The tour opened on October 2, 2012 at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre and is still rocking the rafters across the country. SISTER ACT opened to stellar reviews and continues to receive them across the country.

Utah Repertory Theater Company, hailed as 'the most exciting up-and-coming theater company in the state' by Broadway World, approaches its first-year anniversary.