Keri Rene Fuller News

CATS captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide and the most current touring revival has found a home at Broadway San Diego though April 21st.

Dear Readers, let me start off by saying, I am not a fan of "Cats". Neither the musical nor the animal (it would seem I'm allergic to both). Way back, when I was a young musical theater geek, I saw one of the early tours and I remember sitting there during the opening number perplexed. I whispered to my theater companions who adored the show, "They keep saying a word. What is it?" "Jellicle," they responded with pride. "Great," I said, "what the hell is a jellicle?!" "It's a made-up word. It's from the T.S. Eliot poems that the show is based on." And thus, my disgust for the show began as the entire thing is about a word that has no real meaning. In the opening song they even point to the audience (and I swear they were pointing at me) and comment that there's still someone who doesn't know what it means. "What does it mean?" they ask brightly. And they never answer their own question! But it won several Tony Awards and many people love it so I'm going to try and slog through this but forgive me if my disdain peeks through.

Memory. With the first downbeat I was instantly transported to 1982 and the mezzanine of the New York's famed Winter Garden Theatre were the new Broadway production of CATS would settle in a for a record breaking 18 years. The iconic CATS theme wafted from it's synthesizers accompanied by lasers and I knew I was in for something wildly different. Almost 37 years later that same music evokes excitement and nostalgia, with a hint of 'on no, not this again.' A glimmering new National tour began a few weeks ago after it's most recent revival on Broadway and Buffalo audiences were treated to a visual feast last night as the show settled in for it's one week run.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the new national touring company of CATS! The Jellicle Cats include Phillip Deceus as 'Alonzo,' McGee Maddox as 'Bill BaileyRum Tum Tugger,' Lexie Plath as 'Bombalurina,' Mariah Reives as 'Cassandra,' PJ DiGaetano as 'Coricopat,' Liz Schmitz as 'Demeter,' Keri Rene Fuller as 'Grizabella,' Kaitlyn Davidson as 'Jellylorum,' Emily Jeanne Phillips as 'Jennyanydots,' Tion Gaston as 'Mistoffelees,' Tony D'Alelio as 'Mungojerrie,' Dan Hoy as 'Munkustrap,' Timothy Gulan as 'PeterBustopher JonesAsparagus,' Tyler John Logan as 'PlatoMacavity,' Anthony Michael Zas as 'Pouncival,' Rose Iannaccone as 'Rumpelteazer,' Ahren Victory as 'Sillabub,' Ethan Saviet as 'Skimbleshanks,' Halli Toland as 'Tantomile,' Devin Neilson as 'Tumblebrutus,' Brandon Michael Nase as 'VictorOld Deuteronomy,' Caitlin Bond as 'Victoria,' along with Zachary S. Berger, Nicholas Burrage, Erin Chupinsky, Maria Failla, Justin W. Geiss, Charlotte O'Dowd, Adam Richardson, Tricia Tanguy, and Andy Zimmermann.

Backstage.com's recent listing of the top Musical Theater Programs in the U.S. included such schools as Carnegie Mellon University, Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, University of Michigan, Penn State University and Syracuse University.

Stephen DeAngelis continued his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of AT THIS PERFORMANCE... Monday, April 23rd at the series' new home, The Green Room 42.

Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of AT THIS PERFORMANCE… to be held on Monday, April 23rd at the series' new home, The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.

Last night, sixteen female Broadway stars were featured in Broadway Sings Rihanna, the latest concert in the Broadway Sings concert series. The tribute concerts take the music of well-known music icons and create new, unique arrangements and orchestrations by twisting the style to fit the strength of the performer. Previous fifteen concerts have included Adele, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, and Sara Bareilles. On June 18, the series will continue with Broadway Sings Kelly Clarkson.

Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theater scene. It the purpose of BROADWAY WORLD.COM-CLEVELAND PROFESSIONAL THEATER TRIBUTES (BWW-CLE Theater Tributes), to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the subjective view of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve recognition.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME plays at Great Lakes Theatre through November 4, and the critics are weighing in!

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) commences its 2017-18 season at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square with a Fall Repertory that features the soaring musical epic in its Midwest premiere, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Shakespeare's magical comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night's Dream. The productions are being performed in rotating repertory through November 5, 2017. Joseph Hanreddy directs A Midsummer Night's Dream. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast of 'Midsummer' in action below!

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) commences its 2017-18 season at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square with a Fall Repertory that features the soaring musical epic in its Midwest premiere, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Shakespeare's magical comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night's Dream. The productions will be performed in rotating repertory through November 5, 2017. Victoria Bussert directs The Hunchback of Notre Dame. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The tenth season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series launches on Monday, February 27, 2017 at The Cell with pre-premieres of two new musicals: For Tonight and The Brontes.

Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to again partner with the Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre program to present the heartbreaking and hauntingly beautiful Dogfight, February 6 through March 15, 2014 in the intimate Studio Theater. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Votes are cast; polls are closed; and results have been tabulated! This was our biggest year yet! After a record number of voters in more than 60 regions worldwide, BroadwayWorld is very excited to announce the 2014 Cleveland winners! Thanks to all who voted, and huge congratulations to all the winners!

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 25th.