Lynne Shankel News

The cast for the Kennedy Center's production of The Who's Tommy has been announced! Casey Cott, star of the hit CW series Riverdale, will play the title role in the Broadway Center Stage production of The Who's Tommy. Tony Award® winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher, Something Rotten!) and Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, In the Heights) will co-star as Captain Walker and Mrs. Walker, respectively.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the American premiere of Life After, a rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson. The Globe's own Barry Edelstein directs, with choreography by Ann Yee. Life After will run March 22 - April 28, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 22-28.

New York Theatre Barn's 12th season launched with its signature New Works Series on Monday, February 4th, 2019, at the Daryl Roth Theatre's D-Lounge (101 East 15th St., NYC) with pre-premieres of the new musicals Postcard American Town and Ramona.

This month, Michigan State University is proud to welcome Crystal Skillman as a 2019 Guest Playwright in Residence for a week-and-a-half-long workshop on her new play Pulp Verite. This workshop will culminate in two readings free to the public on Thursday, February 21, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, February 24, at 3 p.m. Both readings will take place in Studio 60 at MSU Theatre, 542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing, Michigan. 

New York Theatre Barn's 12th season launches with its signature New Works Series on Monday, February 4th, 2019, presenting pre-premieres of two new musicals. Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels) and Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd, Wicked) lead the cast of Postcard American Town, which will be presented with the musical Ramona.

New York Theatre Barn's 12th season begins with its signature New Works Series on Monday, February 4th, 2019 with exclusive pre-premieres of the new musicals Postcard American Town and Ramona.

With lead vocals by a dozen Broadway stars, Yellow Sound Label has announced the release of the debut album of eleven original songs by award-winning songwriter and Berklee College of Music Professor Michael Wartofsky, in digital, streaming and physical formats, today, Friday, January 4.

Telly Leung, currently starring as the title role in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway, has announced the release a new digital single, an updated version of the holiday classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to benefit ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) from Yellow Sound Label today, Friday, November 30. The song, arranged by Lynne Shankel, is available on iTunes, and Amazon, as well as all streaming platforms.

Artists Striving to End Poverty is celebrating its Tenth Annual New York City Christmas: A Concert to Benefit ASTEP, taking place on Monday, December 10 at 7:00 PM at Joe's Pub at The Public in New York City. A special auction through Charitybuzz will feature exclusive experiences from Hamilton, Mean Girls, My Fair Lady & Wicked in addition to The Prom, Come From Away, King Kong, and many more!

TELLY LEUNG - currently starring as the title role in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway - will release a new digital single, an updated version of the holiday classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to benefit ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) from Yellow Sound Label on Friday, November 30. The song is arranged by Lynne Shankel.

Eowyn Ivey's debut novel The Snow Child is reborn as a magical new musical featuring a score that combines Alaskan string-band traditions and contemporary musical theater. On November 17t, SubCulture will present the show in a concert adaptation featuring KATE BALDWIN, MATT BOGART, FINA STRAZZA, GERARD CANONICO, SALLY MAYES and WILLIAM PARRY.

Broadway Records and Yellow Sound Label releases So Much To Say - Songs for Every Town, digitally today, October 5, 2018.

Broadway Records and Yellow Sound Label today announced So Much To Say – Songs for Every Town, will be released digitally on Friday, October 5, 2018. The album will be available at www.BroadwayRecords.com, Amazon and iTunes upon release.

Now entering its 56th season, the New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) is launching a Musical Theater Composition (MTC) program, to be led by newly-appointed director Anna K. Jacobs. In a partnership with the Harlem School of the Arts, this new program aims to diversify the world of musical theater by creating opportunities for young composers to have their compositions workshopped and performed by both peers and professionals.

Theatre Calgary's artistic director Stafford Arima (Allegiance, Broadway; Carrie, Off-Broadway revival; Altar Boyz, Off-Broadway) is thrilled to officially announce the casting for the world premiere of Mary and Max - A New Musical, with music and lyrics by Bobby Cronin, book by Crystal Skillman, directed by Arima, choreography by Jenn Rapp, and orchestrations and music supervision by Anna Ebbesen.

The 39th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2017-2018 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Monday, June 25 at the Winter Garden Theatre of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, hosted by acclaimed actor Astrid Van Wieren, currently starring on Broadway in the award-winning Canadian musical Come From Away.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Broadway Dreams  announce the 2018 Broadway Dreams Summer Intensive, featuring an all-star faculty roster comprised of Broadway performers, directors, casting directors and choreographers, held July 8 - 15, 2018 at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. The annual weeklong intensive invites future stars of the stage to embark on a rigorous week of Broadway-caliber training-focusing on acting, vocal performance and dance-taught by the brightest and best industry professionals. 

Broadway's hottest dancers and two explosively responsive audiences came together for a fierce and steamy evening of fun and sensational striptease at Broadway Bares: Game Night, this year's record-breaking edition of the annual spectacular.

At a press conference held May 31 in the lobby of the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 237 nominations for the 39th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, which recognize excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

Founding Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the 19 writers of 9 new musicals in this summer's Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. This year's writers include 2018 Jonathan Larson winners Andrew Farmer and Andrew Butler, 2018 Kleban winner Amanda Yasnowitz, Tony-winner Ken Davenport, 2018 Lucille Lortel winner for Outstanding Musical (KPOP) Max Vernon, Emmy winner Doug Katsaros, Obie winner Erin Courtney, and the writers of the podcast musical 36 questions who are developing their next musical, Chris Littler and Ellen Winter.