Kellen Blair News

Philadelphia Theatre Company announces its 2015-2016 season with five plays that showcase work by our nation's most exciting and provocative playwrights. The season features the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar; the East Coast premiere of Exit Strategy, a new play by rising

Tonight, April 13th, The 24 Hour Company is teaming with the Exchange, an off-Broadway theater company, to create the seventh 24 Hour Musicals. A team of more than 100 - including stars from Broadway, film, television, and music - will cast, write, compose, direct, rehearse, tech, and perform four original musicals - all in the obscenely short time between an evening meet-and-greet on Sunday, April 12 and show time tonight, April 13 at 8pm. The event benefits the Exchange's summer program, The Orchard Project, which incubates and accelerates innovative new theatrical work from around the world.

TheatreSquared (T2) Artistic Director Robert Ford and Executive Director Martin Miller today announced the Tenth Anniversary Season, an ambitious lineup celebrating ten years of remarkable growth for Northwest Arkansas's professional theatre.

On April 13th, The 24 Hour Company is teaming with the Exchange, an off-Broadway theater company, to create the seventh 24 Hour Musicals. A team of more than 100 - including stars from Broadway, film, television, and music - will cast, write, compose, direct, rehearse, tech, and perform four original musicals - all in the obscenely short time between an evening meet-and-greet on Sunday, April 12 and show time on Monday, April 13 at 8pm. The event benefits the Exchange's summer program, The Orchard Project, which incubates and accelerates innovative new theatrical work from around the world.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present the Orange County premiere of the Smash-Hit, Off-Broadway musical, MURDER FOR TWO, book and music by Joe Kinosian, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair, choreography by Wendy Seyb, musical direction by David Caldwell and direction by Scott Schwartz.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will present the April installment of the new game show for musical theater lovers called Tune in Time, hosted by Emily McNamara, with music direction by Zak Sandler, and Peter Michael Marino as the annoyingly insistent timekeeper, on Monday, April 6, 2015 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peters (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

Joanna Murray-Smith's Switzerland -- already extended one week -- will extend yet another eight performances by popular demand with a final closing date of April 26, 2015. A world premiere with the Sydney Theatre Company, Switzerland is a Los Angeles Times Arts Editors' "Essential Arts and Culture" Pick and features Laura Linney (Broadway World said she is "pure gold") and Seth Numrich (called "outstanding" by the Los Angeles Times).

On April 13th, The 24 Hour Company® is teaming with the Exchange, an off-Broadway theater company, to create the seventh 24 Hour Musicals. A team of more than 100 - including stars from Broadway, film, television, and music - will cast, write, compose, direct, rehearse, tech, and perform four original musicals - all in the obscenely short time between an evening meet-and-greet on Sunday, April 12 and show time on Monday, April 13 at 8pm. The event benefits the Exchange's summer program, The Orchard Project, which incubates and accelerates innovative new theatrical work from around the world.

Philadelphia Theatre Company continues its 40th Anniversary season with the hit of the Humana Festival brownsville song (b-side for tray) by Kimber Lee May 1-31. Co-produced with Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, CT, brownsville song (b-side for Tray) is directed by Eric Ting, and features a cast including Sung Yun Cho, Curtiss Cook, Jr., Catrina Ganey, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, and Kaatje Welsh.

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma presents MURDER FOR TWO, a zany murder mystery musical comedy inspired by Agatha Christie and the Marx Brothers in which everyone is a suspect. Running tonight, March 25 through April 12 at Lyric's Plaza Theatre and coming directly from its smash Off-Broadway run in New York, MURDER FOR TWO is a perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder in which two actors play 13 different roles -- and the piano.

Midway through its first season producing on two stages, Park Square Theatre shows no sign of slowing down with its 2015-2016 theatre season. In addition to a range of area and regional premieres, the company is commissioning two brand new works - one for each stage - from Joel Sass (Great Expectations) and Christina Ham and Regina Marie Williams (Nina Simone: Four Women). The line-up also includes the first Midwest licensed production of an ingenious miniature musical that will delight mystery lovers, two family-friendly holiday treats, and new productions by two of Park Square's Theatres in Residence, Sandbox Theatre and Theatre Pro Rata. The season will conclude with a flash of mature flesh as nine leading actresses bare all in Calendar Girls by Tom Firth.

By popular demand, The York Theatre Company and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will present the March edition of the new musical theater game show called Tune in Time, hosted by Emily McNamara. Music direction is by Nate Buccieri, and Sheila Head is the annoyingly insistent timekeeper, on Monday, March 9, 2015 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Additional dates announced include April 5, May 4, with more to come. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.

By popular demand, The York Theatre Company and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will present the March edition of the new musical theater game show called Tune in Time, hosted by Emily McNamara. Music direction is by Nate Buccieri, and Sheila Head is the annoyingly insistent timekeeper, on Monday, March 9, 2015 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Additional dates announced include April 5, May 4, with more to come. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Hams at Heart: The Best Musical Theater Writers of Our Time... Perform the Songs of Kinosian and Blair. Everyone knows there's no hammier ham than a writer, but writers don't usually get to perform work other than their own... UNTIL NOW! tonight, March 4, 2015, some of the best musical theatre composers and writers in the biz will perform the songs of Kinosian and Blair (Murder For Two).

Tony and Grammy Award-winner Billy Porter continues Philadelphia Theatre Company's new Theatre Masters Series on March 23 at 7:00 PM at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Porter will be joined in conversation by theatre historian and author John Kenrick. Launched as part of PTC's celebration of its 40th Anniversary season, Theatre Masters offers an array of Monday night on-stage interviews with major theatre artists with whom PTC has worked, each sharing personal journeys of transformation and creative growth over time and how it has impacted both art and life. The series, which launched February 16 with a sold out house for Bill Irwin, concludes with Anna Deavere Smith on May 11.

The Old Globe will celebrate its 80th Anniversary as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration with a full roster of great plays in its regular season and a Summer Season featuring Shakespeare on stage and in film, along with our popular ongoing programs.

The hit musical comedy Murder For Two, now playing at San Diego's Old Globe, features book and music by Joe Kinosian, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and direction by Scott Schwartz. Ben Vereen recently stopped by the theatre to catch a performance, and went backstage to visit the cast!

Philadelphia Theatre Company's continues its 40th Anniversary season with the Tony Award-nominated play Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally tonight, February 6, through March 8. Directed by Wendy Goldberg, the cast features Hugh Kennedy, Emmy Award-winning actress Michael Learned, James Lloyd Reynolds, and Patrick Gibbons and Jacob D. Wilner in alternating performances.

Tony Award-winning actor and clown Bill Irwin opens Philadelphia Theatre Company's new Theatre Masters Series on February 16 at 7:00 PM at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Irwin will be joined in his conversation by arts consultant and former Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing Howard Sherman.

This two-man tour de force musical comedy mystery is killing it on stage at The Old Globe in San Diego - or, rather, it's killing someone - and that someone is none other than Great American Novelist, Arthur Whitney. Unfortunately, this is one birthday party the much-hated author will never get to enjoy since he takes a bullet to the head in the first few minutes of the musical with all of his guests in attendance.