Lynn Ahrens News

Children's Musical Theater San Jose (CMT San Jose), a nationally acclaimed theater company honored 10 times by the NEA and the oldest operating performing arts organization in San Jose, today announced its 49th season of shows.

Dramatists Guild Fund President Andrew Lippa and Executive Director Rachel Routh announce three additional Traveling Masters events for the fall: Adam Szymkowicz (Clown Bar), Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen (Tuck Everlasting), and Josefina Lopez (Real Women Have Curves).

Stoneham Theatre is pleased to announce its Mainstage programming for Season 17. Kicking off the season is the musical murder mystery farce, Lucky Stiff, followed by an exploration of artificial intelligence in the science fiction play Uncanny Valley.

Hard to believe, but Kritzerland turned 6 on Sunday September 4 at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Bruce Kimmel and his record company Kritzerland began their series of concerts at the Gardenia for the first year, then moved to Vitello's with Michael Sterling and onto the Federal four years ago. Kimmel and Kritzerland are joined at the hip; it's his brainchild ... and he brings all of his ingenious theatricality and cleverness to each show. This anniversary show was over.the.moon great with terribly eclectic, funny numbers and some absolutely wonderful talent. On board were steadies Sharon McNight, Nick Santa Maria, Ilene Graff and hubbie Ben Lanzarone, Jenna Lea Rosen, Sami Staitman and special appearance by composer Richard M. Sherman. Newcomers Marc Ginsburg, Reagan Pasternak and little Hayley Shukiar joined 'Guy Haines' for a heartfelt and laugh-filled concert. Wonderful Richard Allen served as musical director and accompanist for most of the songs throughout the 90-minute set.

Griffin Theatre Company is pleased to announce its 29th Season, featuring three productions exploring the American Dream. The 2016-17 season kicks off this fall with a rare revival of Maxwell Anderson's 1930s drama WINTERSET, directed by Ensemble Member Jonathan Berry (Pocatello, Balm in Gilead). The season continues next spring with the world premiere of IN TO AMERICA, a 400-year journey through the immigrant experience written by Artistic Director Bill Massolia (Letters Home) and directed by Dorothy Milne. The season concludes next summer with a newly-orchestrated (Matt Deitchman) chamber version of the Tony Award-winning musical RAGTIME, reimagined by director Scott Weinstein (Titanic, Bat Boy: The Musical) and featuring a cast of 20 actors.

In celebration of the news, we're flashing back to the original production with a medley performed at the 1991 Tony Awards, followed by 'Waiting for Life', performed by original Ti Moune, LaChanze.

Producer Ken Davenport announced today he is bringing a new production of the Olivier Award-winning, Tony-Nominated musical, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, to Broadway.

Producers Stage Entertainment USA, Bill Taylor (Sister Act, Rocky) and Tom Kirdahy (It's Only A Play, The Visit) today unveil the artwork for the new musical, ANASTASIA, which will begin previews on March 23, 2017 and open on Broadway on April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street).

Coronado Playhouse is the oldest, longest running community theatre in San Diego County and Coronado's oldest arts organization. The 2016 season marks 70 years of entertainment, service and outreach to Coronado and area audiences. 

Big Noise Theatre Company, a division of Winnetka Theatre, announces their final show of the 2016 season, Seussical, the Musical. Brought to you by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ('Ragtime,' 'Once on This Island'), guests are sure to enjoy a performance that celebrates family and love, and shows us that 'anything's possible!'

'My learning never stops,' THE COLOR PURPLE's Cynthia Ervio tells her Facebook followers. So even with all the awards and accolades, the West End and Broadway star takes her voice lessons every Friday.

Starring on Broadway as the determined survivor Celie in the hit revival of THE COLOR PURPLE eight times a week just isn't enough of a workout for Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo.

The Washington Pavilion is excited to welcome the Boston Pops, the most recorded and arguably the most beloved orchestra in the country, to the Mary W. Sommervold Hall at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 27, 2017.

Stoneham Theatre opens its 17th Season with Lucky Stiff, a musical murder mystery farce about love, dogs, diamonds, and death. From the creators of Ragtime and Seussical, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Directed by Caitlin Lowans and Choreographed by Elliot Norton and IRNE Award-winner Ilyse Robbins, Lucky Stiff hilariously tells the story of an unassuming shoe salesman who stands to inherit six million dollars from a recently deceased uncle he never met. There's only one catch: he has to bring his embalmed uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, he'll get the inheritance. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, or else his uncle's gun-toting ex! Performances run from September 8 - 25, 2016. Press Opening is Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 3:00pm.

Earl Carpenter, who starred in the West End and on Broadway as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Inspector Javert in Les Miserables, and West End star Anita Louise Combe, Tessie Tura in Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre and both Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly in Chicago, are to head the cast of a major new actor-musician production of RAGTIME.

Playwrights Horizons has announced complete casting for A LIFE, the world premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Adam Bock (A Small Fire and The Drunken City at Playwrights, The Receptionist, The Thugs, Swimming in the Shallows). Directed by two-time Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Marjorie Prime, Detroit, Maple and Vine at Playwrights; You Got Older; Belleville; This Wide Night; Smokefall), A LIFE will be the second production of the theater company's 2016/2017 Season.

Playwrights Horizons today announced Musical Theatre Factory as the second theater company to join its Resident Company Program.

Previews begin next Friday, August 19 at 8PM for the Playwrights Horizons New York premiere production of AUBERGINE, a new play by Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner Julia Cho (BFE at Playwrights, The Language Archive, The Piano Teacher, Durango, The Architecture of Loss).

 It was announced today Tony Award-Winner Cynthia Erivo and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry will star in a special one-night-only benefit concert version of Jason Robert Brown's seminal musical, The Last Five Years, with the composer himself leading the orchestra. Produced by SubCulture and Jason Robert Brown, the evening will take place at Town Hall (123 West 43rd St), and 100% of the proceeds will benefit The Brady Center, the national organization determined to create a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half by 2025.

The 2016-2017 Season at Roanoke Children's Theatre (RCT) will be BIGGER and BETTER than ever! Roanoke Children's Theatre Artistic Director Pat Wilhelms, along with Jefferson Center Executive Director Cyrus Pace, announce that RCT will be moving to the Jefferson Center for the Company's 9th season.