Lisa Renkel News

Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) today announced that Taylor Iman Jones will temporarily join the cast of Emojiland The Musical, stepping into the role of Princess for Lesli Margherita who will be away for one week (Feb 18 - 23, a total of 8 performances), fulfilling a prior obligation.

Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) today announced that Shelby Acosta and Karl Skyler Urban have joined the cast of Emojiland as understudies, along with Geena Quintos who has joined the company as a swing. 

Poetic Theater Productions announces their tenth annual Love Redefined showcase, Love Redefined: RENEW to take place Wednesday, February 19th, 2020 at 8:00pm at Judson Memorial Church, presented with Judson Arts. Love Redefined is a celebration of radical love of self and others with a night of poetic, theatrical, and musical remixes, re-imaginings and riffs.

Broadway Records (Van Dean, President) announced today live at BroadwayCon, that the original cast recording of Emojiland THE MUSICAL is now available for pre-order at www.BroadwayRecords.com. The album will be available digitally on Friday, February 28, 2020 and available physically at www.Amazon.com beginning March 13, 2020.

Obviously, it would be foolish to expect anything resembling high art from a musical comedy titled Emojiland, which not only attaches bodies to those expressive emotion-summarizing faces from social media and texting but brings them to singing-and-dancing life. But even shows that aspire to little more than silly junk-food fun should be sprinkled with some degree of cleverness.

Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment today released a sneak peek of conceptual renderings for the new musical EMOJILAND by scenic designer David Goldstein and projection designers Lisa Renkel & POSSIBLE. The images vibrantly showcase the connection between the show's inherently technological setting and its advanced scenic, lighting, and projection design. EMOJILAND has allowed the production's design team to step outside the walls of traditional theatrical design to immerse the audience in the pixelated world within a smartphone.

 Emojiland The Musical has just released its first rehearsal photos, which include shots of Broadway stars Lesli Margherita as Princess Josh Lamon as Prince and Ann Harada as Pile of Poo. The complete cast features Lucas Steele (Great Comet) as Skull, Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster, The Fantasticks) as Man In Business Suit Levitating emoji, Jacob Dickey (Aladdin Broadway as Aladdin) as Smiling Face with Sunglasses, (aka “Sunny”), Dwelvan David (Finding Neverland & The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Tours) as Guardsman, Heather Makalani (Aladdin) as Kissy Face, Tanisha Moore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tour) as Woman Dancing and Jordan Fife Hunt (A Chorus Line First Revival Tour) as Man Dancing, George Abud (The Band's Visit) as Nerd Face, Emojiland Co-Writer Laura Schein as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes (aka “Smize”), Emmy Winner & Grammy Nominee Felicia Boswell (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE, Shuffle Along, Motown) as Police Officer, and Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture, YouTube's “Breaking Down the Riffs”) as Construction Worker. The rehearsal was held on Monday, December 9 at New 42nd Street Studios.

The Emojiland kingdom is now complete! Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) today announced that Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster) will take on the role of the Man In Business Suit Levitating emoji, along with Jacob Dickey (Aladdin Broadway as Aladdin) as Smiling Face with Sunglasses, (aka a?oeSunnya??), Dwelvan David (Finding Neverland & The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Tours) as Guardsman, Heather Makalani (Aladdin) as Kissy Face, Tanisha Moore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tour) as Woman Dancing and Jordan Fife Hunt (A Chorus Line First Revival Tour) as Man Dancing.

Tickets are now on sale for Emojiland The Musical and are available for purchase online at Dukeon42.org; by phone at 646-223-3010; or in person at The Duke on 42nd Street at 229 West 42nd Street (Tuesdays-Fridays 4-7 and Saturdays 12-6). The production will have a limited Off-Broadway run Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland The Musical garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

Additional casting has been announced for Emojiland, including George Abud (The Band's Visit) as Nerd Face, Emojiland Co-Writer Laura Schein as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes (aka a?oeSmizea??), Emmy Winner & Grammy Nominee Felicia Boswell (NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE, Shuffle Along, Motown) & Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture, YouTube's a?oeBreaking Down the Riffsa??) as the loving couple, Police Officer and Construction Worker, and Ann Harada (Avenue Q, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) as Pile of Poo. They are joined by previously announced stars Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Dames at Sea) who will play Princess and Josh Lamon (The Prom, Groundhog Day) who will play Prince. Additional casting will be announced soon. The production will have a limited Off-Broadway run Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland The Musical garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

After its critically-acclaimed sold out run in NYMF 2018, the new musical Emojiland will make a triumphant return to New York in a limited Off-Broadway engagement beginning Thursday, January 9, 2020 through Sunday, March 8, 2020 at The Duke on 42nd Street in New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues). Emojiland garnered 12 nominations and 5 wins at the 2018 NYMF Awards and was a 2018 Richard Rodgers Award Finalist.

The Drama League has revealed more of the artists who will be celebrating Sutton Foster at the organization's 36th Annual Benefit Gala next week. The black-tie evening honoring Foster a?" a two-time Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Fred Astaire, and Gracie Award winner and star of TV Land's hit television series a?oeYoungera?? -- will take place on Monday, October 28, 2019 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in New York City at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). As previously announced, EY is the 2019 recipient of The Drama League's Arts Ally Award, to be accepted by Herb Engert at the Benefit Gala.

The Drama League has revealed some of the artists who will be honoring Sutton Foster at the organization's 36th Annual Benefit Gala this fall. The black-tie evening honoring Foster a?" a two-time Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Fred Astaire, and Gracie Award winner and star of TV Land's hit television series a?oeYoungera?? -- will take place on Monday, October 28, 2019 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in New York City at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue).

Cape Rep Theatre presents the Cape premiere of INDECENT, by Paula Vogel September 18 through October 13, Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.

Cape Rep Theatre presents the Cape premiere of INDECENT, by Paula Vogel September 18 through October 13, Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.

Poetic Theater Productions and Musical Theatre Factory are creating a one-night-only concert happening, Feeling Good: Pleasure as Ritual Resistance on August 21st at 8:00pm at Judson Memorial Church. Creating a portal through adrienne maree brown's NY Times bestselling book Pleasure Activism, this night is a gathering with artist-activists across performance disciplines who center pleasure in their work of social transformation. Feeling Good is a free event, open to all. Ticket reservations are available through Eventbrite.

It must be a conspiracy! After their July 13th performance of ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE was cancelled due to a suspicious alien-induced blackout, the New York Musical Festival is bringing the sci-fi rock & roll comedy back - with a grand finale concert on Saturday, August 3rd at 5pm at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Signature Pershing Square Theatre, 480 West 42ndStreet.

A new trailer has been released for the most ambitious projection and animation driven musical at NYMF - the new Sci-FiRock n' Roll Comedy ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE. ILFOS is a feel good and funny new musical that will run at New York Musical Festival, July 8 - 13th at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre. 

Casting has been announced for the new Sci-FiRock n' Roll Comedy ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE which will be running at New York Musical Festival, July 8 - 13th at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre.