Maggie-Kate Coleman News

The Orchard Project today announced its 2020 programs as well as the names of participating artists and companies. This year includes the launch of two new labs a?' the Liveness Lab to explore the nature of live performance right now and an Audio Storytelling Lab to provide support and mentorship to podcast, radio, and immersive audio projects.

2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Anna K. Jacobs accepts the grant with a virtual speech. In the speech, Jacobs shares what this grant means to her.

In October, Maggie-Kate Coleman will join University of the Arts' Ira Brind School of Theater Arts as the Suzanne and Doug Kreitzberg Director of the Polyphone Festival of New and Emerging Musicals, a position that is generously supported by the Kreitzbergs.

On April 1, the celebrated Off-Broadway theater company The Civilians will host Civilian Disobedience, their annual spring benefit, which honors their Civilians of the Year: Emmy nominated, award-winning documentary filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (Reversing Roe, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work) as well as Marion Friedman Young for her longstanding support of The Civilians and her recent work as The Civilians partners for the Michael Friedman Legacy Fund.

The University of the Arts' Ira Brind School of Theater Arts announces the lineup for its fifth annual Polyphone Festival, a 'festival of the emerging musical.' The five-day event will take place in the Arts Bank and Wilma Theaters on South Broad Street in Philadelphia February 26-March 2, 2019. The four musicals comprising the festival will take audiences on a journey through a haunted burial ground for forgotten souls, a radioactive amusement park full of Marie Curies, an afro-futuristic groove-centered alternate reality, and the final anxious moments of life on earth. All of the works in this year's Polyphone focus on the intersection of alternative futures and reimagined histories. The works all ask questions about co-existence, global anxiety and crafting hope in troubled times.

The University of the Arts' Ira Brind School of Theater Arts announces the lineup for its fifth annual Polyphone Festival, a 'festival of the emerging musical.' The five-day event will take place in the Arts Bank and Wilma Theaters on South Broad Street in Philadelphia February 26-March 2, 2019. The four musicals comprising the festival will take audiences on a journey through a haunted burial ground for forgotten souls, a radioactive amusement park full of Marie Curies, an afro-futuristic groove-centered alternate reality, and the final anxious moments of life on earth. All of the works in this year's Polyphone focus on the intersection of alternative futures and reimagined histories. The works all ask questions about co-existence, global anxiety and crafting hope in troubled times.

The University of the Arts' Ira Brind School of Theater Arts announces the lineup for its fifth annual Polyphone Festival, a 'festival of the emerging musical.' The five-day event will take place in the Arts Bank and Wilma Theaters on South Broad Street in Philadelphia February 26-March 2, 2019. The four musicals comprising the festival will take audiences on a journey through a haunted burial ground for forgotten souls, a radioactive amusement park full of Marie Curies, an afro-futuristic groove-centered alternate reality, and the final anxious moments of life on earth. All of the works in this year's Polyphone focus on the intersection of alternative futures and reimagined histories. The works all ask questions about co-existence, global anxiety and crafting hope in troubled times.

The Tank in association with Theater of the Apes will present the 10th anniversary production of the dark holiday comedy, The Truth About Santa, written by Greg Kotis (Winner of 2002 Tony Award, 2001 Drama Desk Award, and 2001 Obie Award for Urinetown), directed by Ilana Becker (Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab; Playwrights Horizons Robert Moss Directing Fellow) at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), December 5-20.

The Tank in association with Theater of the Apes will present the 10th anniversary production of the dark holiday comedy, The Truth About Santa, written by Greg Kotis (Winner of 2002 Tony Award, 2001 Drama Desk Award, and 2001 Obie Award for Urinetown), directed by Ilana Becker at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), December 5-20.

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.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) announces the performer and composer lineup for two of their concert events: Intersecting Chords and How The Light Gets In.

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.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) announces Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Ethan Slater as the 2018 NYMF Honorary Chair.

Company of Fools' 22nd season of theatre programming will conclude with the charming production of Inside, Outside, Upside Down! - a mini-musical commissioned by Company of Fools (COF) and the Sun Valley Center for the Arts as part of its new BIG IDEA project, Bees. Two free public performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 21 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 22 at 2 p.m. Both will be held at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey and will be followed by a unique interactive workshop.

GOLDSTEIN, the new musical about family, with music and lyrics by Michael Roberts and a book by Charlie Schulman, will begin previews Off-Broadway on Monday, April 26th at the Actors Temple Theatre (339 West 47 St -between 8th and 9th Avenues), where it is settled in for an open-ended run

Lyricist, bookwriter, and Broadway performer Jill Abramovitz and Tony-nominated actor Anika Larsen (Beautiful) will co-host Prospect Theater Company's upcoming Good to Go Songwriters' Showcase: a concert celebrating new works-in-process created or co-created by women writers.  This special one night event will be presented on March 10, 2018 at 8pm at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st, NYC).

GOLDSTEIN, the highly anticipated new musical about family, with music and lyrics by Michael Roberts and a book by Charlie Schulman, opens Thursday, April 5th at the Actors Temple Theatre (339 West 47 St -between 8th and 9th Avenues). Featured in the cast are  Megan McGinnis (Daddy Long Legs, Side Show, Little Women), Julie Benko (Fiddler on the Roof), Amie Bermowitz (Ruthless), Zal Owen (Fiddler on the Roof), Sarah Beth Pfeifer (The Lightning Thief, Legally Blonde), Jim Stanek (Fun Home, Gentleman's Guide…) and Aaron Galligan-Stierle (The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas).

Lyricist, bookwriter, and Broadway performer Jill Abramovitz and Tony-nominated actor Anika Larsen (Beautiful) will co-host Prospect Theater Company's upcoming Good to Go Songwriters' Showcase: a concert celebrating new works-in-process created or co-created by women writers.  This special one night event will be presented on March 10, 2018 at 8pm at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st, NYC).

Casting has been announced for GOLDSTEIN, a new musical about family with music and lyrics by Michael Roberts and a book by Charlie Schulman which opens Thursday, April 5th at the Actors Temple Theatre (339 West 47 St -between 8th and 9th Avenues).

The Alaskan wilderness, the architecture of Barcelona, and a small village in Ghana are among the diverse worlds explored in Prospect Theater Company's upcoming Good to Go Songwriters' Showcase: a concert celebrating new works-in-process created or co-created by women writers. The third annual concert event will be presented on March 10, 2018 at 8pm at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st, NYC).