Lynne Shankel News

The unique musical LMNOP, in which citizens lose their freedoms one letter at a time, is available for license through Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company, giving theaters and educational institutions the chance to bring this passionate and timely story to audiences across the country.

A spectacular romp around the world with 192 of NYC's sexiest dancers and two wild and worldly standing-room-only audiences led to a sensational evening of record-breaking modern-day burlesque at Broadway Bares: Take Off.

Broadway Dreams kicks off Unplugged, the 2019 Summer Intensive Tour in Atlanta, GA, followed by five U.S. cities, Calgary, Canada and Europa Park in Rust, Germany. In each location, Broadway Dreams will present an incredible roster of top Broadway directors, performers, and industry insiders who will offer highly personalized musical theater training through week-long intensive workshops for students of all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic backgrounds. At week's end, students will perform alongside their Broadway idols in a Broadway style revue open to the public.

Broadway Dreams kicks off Unplugged, the 2019 Summer Intensive Tour in Atlanta, GA, followed by five U.S. cities, Calgary, Canada and Europa Park in Rust, Germany.

The Kennedy Center presented the Broadway Center Stage production of The Who's Tommy, with direction and choreography by Josh Rhodes April 24-April 29, 2019. Check out highlights from the production below!

Bonnie Comley, Founder of BroadwayHD, was the guest speaker at MAESTRA's May seminar at SongSpace. Composer/lyricist and music director Georgia Stitt founded the MAESTRA organization in 2017 to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. The MAESTRA membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are underrepresented minorities in musical theater. Songwriter and composer, Kathy Sommer, moderated the seminar.

The Who's Tommy is now playing at Kennedy Center!

From the beginning strumming of the electric guitars (Manny Moreira, Jim Roberts and Paul Henry) from the fabulous Kennedy Center Orchestra's 8-piece orchestra (Joe Mowart on Drums, Geoffrey Pilkington on Horn, and on Keyboards Michael Gacetta, Anthony Nalker, and Alex Tang) I was hooked. I had a perpetual smile on my face watching this spectacular production under the Direction of Josh Rhodes who also did the superb Choreography.

The full cast for the Kennedy Center production of The Who's Tommy, with direction and choreography by Josh Rhodes (Encores! Grand Hotel, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Bright Star) has been announced!

The Old Globe presents the U.S. premiere of Life After, a rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical withbook, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson, directed by the Globe's own Barry Edelstein, opening Friday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. Withchoreography by Ann Yee and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Lynne Shankel, 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. Life After is produced by special arrangement with Yonge Street Theatricals, Linda Barnett, and Natalie Bartello. Single tickets start at $32.00 and are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

The Old Globe presents the U.S. premiere of Life After, a rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical withbook, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson, directed by the Globe's own Barry Edelstein, opening Friday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. Withchoreography by Ann Yee and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Lynne Shankel, 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. Life After is produced by special arrangement with Yonge Street Theatricals, Linda Barnett, and Natalie Bartello. Single tickets start at $32.00 and are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

The Old Globe today released a first look at "Poetry" from the U.S. premiere of Life After, with vocals by Sophie Hearn and written and played by Britta Johnson. Performances begin this Friday, March 22 at 8:00 p.m.! Please feel free to share it with all!

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.