Mary Ann News

For the seventh consecutive year, singers from around the world will gather online to compete in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition (aka the 'SASSY' Awards) -- a 21st century version of the amateur night at the Apollo Theater that helped launch the career of a gifted teenager from Newark, Sarah 'Sassy' Vaughan, more than 75 years ago.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, concludes its 2017-18 season with Cry It Out, written by Molly Smith Metzler and directed by Jessica Fisch.  Cry It Out runs May 10 - June 17, 2018 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is scheduled for Friday, May 18, 2018 at 8pm.

Interim Producing Director Kent Thompson announces the 23rd season of the Company of Fools, featuring four main stage productions. Its 2018-2019 lineup includes Woody Guthrie's American Song, Heisenberg, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and concludes with 4000 Miles. While next season's Play Reading Series is still in development, COF is pleased to announce The Agitators as part of the series. "We are excited to share these stories as COF begins a new chapter. This season continues our commitment to the magical art of storytelling, our company of artists, and a vital connection to our community and region," Thompson adds.

Manoa Valley Theatre is proud to announce a presentation of this year's Project1VOICE One Play One Day project Flyin' West, locally produced by Excellence Happens in Cooperation with Project1Voice, live on stage June 18th. Advance tickets are $25, $30 on the day with discounts available for groups of 10 or more. A portion of the proceeds benefit Manoa Valley Theatre. For tickets and more information visit www.excellencehappens.com. 

Manoa Valley Theatre is proud to announce a presentation of this year's Project1VOICE One Play One Day project Flyin' West, locally produced by Excellence Happens in Cooperation with Project1Voice, live on stage June 18th. Advance tickets are $25, $30 on the day with discounts available for groups of 10 or more. A portion of the proceeds benefit Manoa Valley Theatre. For tickets and more information visit www.excellencehappens.com. 

On Saturday night, the New 42nd Street honored J.K. Rowling in absentia with the New Victory Arts Award and host a benefit performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at The Lyric Theatre. The event, which included a strolling supper at The New Victory Theater, provides critical support to the nonprofit's award-winning arts education and youth employment programs. Guests included Steve Martin, Julianna Margulies, Michael Greif, Bethany Frankel, Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Chairman of the Board of The New 42nd Street Fiona Rudin, and President of The New 42nd Street Cora Cahan.

The New 42nd Street Gala and Benefit Performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two will be held today, May 12, 2018. Proceeds from this special performance will support the award-winning Education Programs of The New Victory Theater.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic performs its Season Finale concert on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 7:30 PM in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The program will feature the Philharmonic's American German Cultural Exchange Fellowship recipient, German pianist Danae Dorken performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Opus 73, "Emperor."  In addition, the orchestra will perform Bernstein's Fancy Free: Three Dance Variations and close its 2017 - 2018 concert season with Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Opus 100.  Music Director Donato Cabrera will host his pre-concert conversation at 6:30 PM in Reynolds Hall for patrons interested in learning more about the music in the evening program.

The 11th Annual Las Vegas Film Festival, partnered with CineVegas,announced this morning the initial programming lineup for the 2018 Festival, to be held at Brenden Theatres and Palms Casino Resort June 6 – 10. The lineup includes a mix of feature films and documentaries that have been favorites on the international festival circuit, as well as new additions to this year's Festival - live discussions and live comedy. 2018 also marks the first year with seasoned film festival programming veteran Mike Plante serving as the Festival's Captain of Strategy.

The Gerald Arpino Foundation announces Marymount Manhattan College's Spring Repertoire Concert 2018 as part of The Joffrey/Arpino Celebration, with a performance of Gerald Arpino's Light Rain.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces the casting for the first production of the 2018 Nutmeg Summer Series: "Disaster!", the hilarious new musical straight from Broadway. CRT welcomes the co-writing team of the show, as Jack Plotnick will direct and three-time Emmy Award

The Gerald Arpino Foundation announces New York Dance Project as part of The Joffrey/Arpino Celebration, with performances of Gerald Arpino's Birthday Variations as well as new contemporary works by Gabrielle Lamb, Africa Guzman, and Tyler Gilstrap.

The Gerald Arpino Foundation announces New York Dance Project as part of The Joffrey/Arpino Celebration, with performances of Gerald Arpino's Birthday Variations as well as new contemporary works by Gabrielle Lamb, Africa Guzman, and Tyler Gilstrap. 

Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City is a 10-part Netflix original limited series, expected to start production later this year and debut in 2019.

Celebration Theatre presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, present the third and final show in its 2017 2018 season, CABARET, book by Joe Masteroff (based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, choreography by Janet Roston, musical direction by Anthony Zediker and directed by Michael Matthews. CABARET will begin previews on Friday, May 25 at 8pm; will open on Friday, June 1 at 8pm, with tickets on sale through Sunday, July 15 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic performs its Season Finale concert on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 7:30 PM in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The program will feature the Philharmonic's American German Cultural Exchange Fellowship recipient, German pianist Danae Dorken performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Opus 73, "Emperor."  In addition, the orchestra will perform Bernstein's Fancy Free: Three Dance Variations and close its 2017 - 2018 concert season with Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Opus 100.  Music Director Donato Cabrera will host his pre-concert conversation at 6:30 PM in Reynolds Hall for patrons interested in learning more about the music in the evening program.

The Stratford Festival's 66th season is off to an exhilarating start with Meredith Willson's Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Music Man. Previews begin today at the Festival Theatre, marking the first performance of the season.

Director Julie Taymor made the importance of having the animals, which play a big part in the story, represented through costumes, masks, and puppets when it was first being put to the stage in 1997. Taymor also devised a concept to theatrically represent the story and heart of show on stage with what she called the 'double event.' The double event is the representation of the animals through the costumes, puppets, and masks, but still having the human or the actor visible to the audience.

The Western Connecticut State University Department of Theatre Arts hosted the Region One Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in late January for the third year in a row. The department once again came out strong by giving a public performance of the nominated fall theatre production, 'Evita,' in the MainStage Theatre of the Visual and Performing Arts Center.