Mark Sonnenblick News

Following multiple sold out engagements, Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band returns to the intimate Manhattan venue 54 Below on Saturday, October 10th, to continue an official residence for 2015.

WASHINGTON)—Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced details for the fourth season of the American Opera Initiative, its comprehensive commissioning program that brings contemporary American stories to the stage while fostering the talents of rising American composers and librettists. Three pairings of new opera composers and librettists—Christopher Weiss and John de los Santos, David Clay Mettens and Joshua McGuire, and Sarah Hutchings and Mark Sonnenblick—will premiere new one-act operas, each based on a contemporary American story, in a semi-staged concert performance on December 2, 2015 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Composer Luna Pearl Woolf and librettist Caitlin Vincent, an alumnus of the program's second season, will present their new hour-long work Better Gods—based on the life of Queen Lili'uokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii—on January 8 and 9, 2016 in the Terrace Theater.

Los Angeles continues to be a hotbed of new musicals. After a dizzying number of new musicals appeared in the recent Hollywood Fringe Festival, soon the 18th annual Stages Musical Theatre Festival will be returning to Los Angeles this August. This prestigious festival features new musicals, which have been developed across the country, presented in concert readings. This year's festival features six musicals, presented in two venues over two weekends: This weekend, August 21-23 at New Musicals Inc., 5628 Vineland in North Hollywood and August 28-30 at 3D Theatricals, 1255 N. Knollwood Circle in Anaheim, CA 92801.

Los Angeles continues to be a hotbed of new musicals. After a dizzying number of new musicals appeared in the recent Hollywood Fringe Festival, soon the 18th annual Stages Musical Theatre Festival will be returning to Los Angeles this August. This prestigious festival features new musicals, which have been developed across the country, presented in concert readings. This year's festival features six musicals, presented in two venues over two weekends: August 21-23 at New Musicals Inc., 5628 Vineland in North Hollywood and August 28-30 at 3D Theatricals, 1255 N. Knollwood Circle in Anaheim, CA 92801

Musical Theater Factory will be hosting a party to celebrate the success of its first year. Since its founding in May 2104, the non profit organization has assisted in the development of more than sixty new musicals, with the help of seven hundred volunteers. 

The YALE INSTITUTE FOR MUSIC THEATRE (Mark Brokaw, Artistic Director) has selected two original book musicals to be developed in an intensive lab setting in New Haven, June 13-28: gilgamesh & the mosquito, music by Bob Kelly and book and lyrics by Sam Chanse; and Horizons, music by Ben Wexler and book and lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick. The Institute culminates with open rehearsal readings of each project, presented as a part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, on June 26 and 27.

The new kids on the musical theatre block are here! Five really promising (and really young - under the age of 26!) have just won New Musical Inc.'s 2015 New Voices Project.

Artistic Director James Morgan, The York Theatre Company, and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will be presenting another edition of the quirky and popular musical theater game show Tune in Time, on Monday, April at 7:30 pm with a new cast of contestants and celebrity judges. Joining the composing fray for this round will be composers Lisa deSpain, Mark Sonnenblick, and Rick Bassett, while the lyricists they will team up with could come from a group consisting of Sarah Ziegler, Gordon Leary and cabaret performer, Broadway actress, and musical theater composer/book writer Rosemary Loar. Among the celebrity judges for the next show will be Matt Britten, Executive Producer for Blank! The Musical and marketing director for the New York Musical Theatre Festival; Remy Zaken, from the original Broadway company of Spring Awakening; and Thomas Honeck, the general manager for the Duplex and recent MAC Award winner for his cabaret show, Dancing With Dealth.

We've got a first look at the official press photos for the world premiere of Loch Ness, a new musical, which is the newest show from Ovation Award-winning writer/director Marshall Pailet and Ovation Award-winning choreographer Kelly Todd. The musical opens tonight and runs through March 1 at Chance Theater.

Chance Theater will present the world premiere of the bright, imaginative flight of fancy Loch Ness, a new musical. Music and book by Marshall Pailet, lyrics and book by AD. Penedo, with direction by Marshall Pailet, choreography by Kelly Todd and music direction by Mark Sonnenblick. Loch Ness, a new musical will preview from tonight, January 30 through February 5, regular performances will begin February 6 and continue through February 28 on the mainstage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Chance Theater will present the world premiere of the bright, imaginative flight of fancy Loch Ness, a new musical. Music and book by Marshall Pailet, lyrics and book by AD. Penedo, with direction by Marshall Pailet, choreography by Kelly Todd and music direction by Mark Sonnenblick. Loch Ness, a new musical will preview from January 30 through February 5, regular performances will begin February 6 and continue through February 28 on the mainstage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) will present the Holiday edition of their monthly Factory Salon, an informal new works open mic night, on Thursday, December 18th, from 8pm to Midnight.

'Wasted Tunes: The Songs of Mark Sonnenblick', a World Premiere Concert, will be performed live at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), tonight, September 20th at 8pm. $10 cover plus a two beverage minimum. Cash only.

'Wasted Tunes' is an original blast of theatrical rock'n'roll by composer/lyricist Mark Sonnenblick. Audiences can expect an evening of intoxicated anthems, hammered hymns, stoned showtunes, and blitzed ballads, none of which are from any comprehensible piece of theater and most of which will be performed in public for the first time. Brennan Caldwell (NBC's "The Sing-Off"), Kasie Gasparini (Mama Mia Las Vegas), Will Roland (The Black Suits), Emily Wexler, and Sonnenblick himself will star in the revue, which will be directed by Don't Tell Mama's Associate Director of Programming, Max Friedman.

Ars Nova announces the lineup of ANT Fest events for June 16-28. Check below for more information. Tickets and more details can be found at our website: www.arsnovanyc.com/antfest/ Tix, info & the full lineup

A hilarious musical adaptation of a Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, a return engagement of a popular Imagine U family production and a National Theatre Live broadcast of a classic Shakespeare tragedy are highlights of Northwestern University's SummerStage 2014 season.

Ars Nova announces the lineup of ANT Fest events for June 16-28. Check below for more information. Tickets and more details can be found at our website: www.arsnovanyc.com/antfest/ Tix, info & the full lineup

A vacant building on Howard Street, Evanston's first craft brewery and an 18-hole public golf course are sites for the three off-campus productions in the S.I.T.E. Festival, co-presented by Northwestern University's Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts -- formerly known as the Theatre and Interpretation Center. The plays will run through June 7.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director) proudly announces the lineup for its 7th Annual ANT Fest. This year's festival of All New Talent runs from June 2 - 28, featuring fresh new work from some of New York's most exciting emerging artists. From epic rock opera to sexy shadow puppetry, 2014's ANT Fest heats up Ars Nova this summer with four weeks of comedy, music, theater and a fusion of all three you won't see anywhere else.

WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE -- the scariest game show ever -- will run tonight, October 25 and November 1 at The Jones. Doors 8pm, Game Show 8:30pm.