Katie Griffith News

Music Theatre Wichita continues its 2018 Season with one of the first regional productions of the newly revised Pippin, reflecting the changes composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz and librettist Roger O. Hirson introduced in the 2013 Broadway revival. Directed and choreographed by Emmy-nominated Al Blackstone ("So You Think You Can Dance"), the lavish production features a 32-member cast in an all-new staging. The fourth of five self-produced musicals in MTWichita's 2018 season, the run continues through July 29. Disney's The Little Mermaid will conclude the season August 8-18.

Village Theatre is excited to present ZM, a new Broadway-style musical comedy with music & lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book & lyrics by Greg Kotis - the creators of the Tony Award-winning show, Urinetown. ZM will run at Village Theatre's First Stage Theatre in Issaquah from June 1-10, 2018.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of the musical Love in Hate Nation, February 13-24, in the Playhouse Theatre, University Park. With Music, lyrics, and book by Joe Iconis, Love in Hate Nation was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative.

Penn State Centre Stage presents the premiere production of the musical Love in Hate Nation, February 13-24, in the Playhouse Theatre, University Park. With Music, lyrics, and book by Joe Iconis, Love in Hate Nation was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative.

With one week left until The 17th Annual Festival of New Musicals, Village Theatre is excited to announce the casting for Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat, an electronic pop musical about one of the world's greatest inventors; Hart Island, a look at social justice and the people society has forgotten; Afterwords, a tale of art and love; Howl's Moving Castle, based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones; and ZM, a hilarious romp through a zombie-filled future by the Tony Award-winning authors of Urinetown. Taking place in Issaquah on August 11-13, 2017, The Festival of New Musicals provides an essential platform for writers to incorporate a key component of live theatre - the audience. Each new musical will be rehearsed during the week, then present to the audience in staged reading format, performed in full using scripts.

Music Theatre Wichita continues its 2017 Season, "Hollywood to Broadway: A Summer Festival of Musical Theatre" with a new rendition of the vibrant 1954 movie musical turned stage show Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which opened June 28 in the Century II Concert Hall in downtown Wichita, KS. The second of five locally produced Broadway-scale productions, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is part of the organization's 46th season, which is also the 30th season for producing artistic director Wayne Bryan.

You're a cute little new musical that has workshopped itself at Village in their Village Originals program twice before. You have an interesting storyline and a fun little gimmick. You start off a little weak but there are sparks of potential. So why would you completely abandon that cute storyline and gimmick by Act Two and then proceed to beat your audience over the head with a tired message of letting time work things out? (A message that made no sense for what preceded by the way.) Unfortunately this is the question I found myself asking at Village Theatre's "The Tutor". Sure the performers shine but they shine in a show that has no idea what it wants to be or where it wants to go.

It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. The weekend I get to spend three days listening to exciting new works as presented by some of the best performers Seattle has to offer. And this year Village Theatre did not disappoint as they invited members, performers, staff and press to partake of their Village Originals 13th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Some good, some maybe not so, some needing a little more work than others but all showing a deep love for the art and presented by some of the best voices in town. Now, I can't review them as they're still works in progress but I can tell you about the shows presented over the weekend and let you know about the one show that while still in development is still running one more weekend and can have tickets purchased to by non-members (that would be you, Dear Readers).

There's a certain amount of pressure when a theater company becomes the first in the area to produce a big name show locally. Yes, it's a coup to be the first to get the rights (and Balagan seems to be cornering the market on that this season) but they also need to do the show justice or else, why bother? This is why what Balagan is pulling off with their current production of "Avenue Q" is all the more spectacular. Not only have they put up one of the new hot shows but they've done it in a way that rivals any tour of the show and created an outstandingly fun time that will leave you grinning all the way home.

Village Theatre will produce MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS in Issaquah November 11, 2009-January 3, 2010 and in Everett January 8-31, 2009. Featuring an array of Seattle talent, both young and old, Village Theatre is excited to announce the full cast of this musical treasure.

Village Theatre will produce MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS in Issaquah November 11, 2009-January 3, 2010 and in Everett January 8-31, 2009. Featuring an array of Seattle talent, both young and old, Village Theatre is excited to announce the full cast of this musical treasure.