During the opening night performance of her fun return engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Cabaret Series at the Samueli Theatre, Tony Award winner Lillias White felt strongly about putting on a a?oehappy show,a?? as a way to combat all the sadness and fear that have overtaken our world. Joined on stage by her talenteda?"and gleefully playfula?"artistic director/accompanist Abdul Amid, Ms. White definitely accomplished her goal of making us smilea?? while also gifting us with a heaping portion of exactly why she has remained one of musical theater's most treasured voices. Ms. White's show continued for two additional shows on January 24-25, 2020.
a??a??a??a??a??a??a??Judson Theatre Company (Daniel Haley, Artistic Director and Morgan Sills, Executive Producer) has announced that Amanda Bearse will play Olive Madison and Teresa Ganzel will play Florence Unger in their March production of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (Female Version). Performances begin Thursday, March 26 and run through Sunday, March 29, 2020 at Owens Auditorium at the newly renovated Bradshaw Performing Arts Center (3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374).
The playwright nervously awaiting the make-or-break review on opening night has been the setting of many stage and movie scenes. But in this play, McNally runs with the idea, taking no prisoners across two acts boasting almost as many Broadway name-drops as punch lines, all delivered with perfect comic timing by a cast of talented actors who know how important it is to both give and take with each other as the wide range of human emotions overcomes the a?oestarsa?? who hope and pray this play will revive their struggling careers. And all the while, the laughs abound non-stop.
As we embark on our voyage through the 2020s, it will be exciting to see if Lopez's lofty ambitions become a reality. After all, Boston theatre has just come through a huge decade of change in which our city's pertinence to the theatre world has grown. Let's look at how our relevance as a city has changed in regards to theatre as an art form in the past decade:
Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, and Hal Luftig announced today the complete cast for the first-ever New York revival of Neil Simon's classic comedy about marriage, Plaza Suite, in a production directed by Tony Award® winner John Benjamin Hickey.
Today PEN America announced 'Late Night' host, comedian, and 'influential recommender of books' (The New York Times) Seth Meyers as host of the 2020 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony, honoring exceptional works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, essay, science writing, translation, and more published in 2019.
On Sunday, January 26, 2020, Encompass New Opera Theatre (Nancy Rhodes, Artistic Director), The Board of Trustees and The Encompass Honorary Gala Chair, Sheldon Harnick will pay tribute to Academy Award and Tony Award-winning luminaries, ESTELLE PARSONS and MAURY YESTON, with a star-studded musical salute. The elegant evening - hosted by Midge Woolsey of Thirteen/WNET and WQXR Radio - will feature recollections and tributes by well-known Musical Theatre and Opera personalities and friends. Dazzling musical entertainment will feature stars of stage and screen.
Producers Harriet Newman Leve, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner have announced a 2020 Broadway bound production of Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.
The League of Professional Theatre Women (Shellen Lubin and Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been championing women in the professional theatre for over three decades, is producing an Oral History Project event with renowned Broadway publicist Irene Gandy on Monday, February 10 beginning at 6pm in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (111 Amsterdam Avenue at 65th Street). Admission to the event is FREE and seats are available on a first-come-first-seated basis. Doors will open at 5:30pm.
The Town Hall & Mark Cortale continue with the latest installment of the internationally acclaimed concert series Seth Rudetsky's Broadway, hosted and music directed by Sirius/XM Radio star Seth Rudetsky at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). On Monday, February 3rd, Seth welcomes Broadway and television star Patina Miller. Patina won the Tony® Award for her role in Pippin and co-starred in the CBS series 'Madam Secretary.'
Resolutions. Plans. Discoveries. These are what people think of when a new year begins and I'm no exception. When a new year comes around, we want nothing more than to improve our lives through fitness, eating healthier, and getting more sleep, among the many mental changes we want to strive towards. However, I believe one of the most overlooked resolutions is seeing more theatre.
2019 is almost over and we can't help but look ahead to the 2020 Broadway season, which is bound to be filled with countless star-making (and star-preserving) performances. Who should you keep your eye on as the spring season begins and awards season approaches?
2019 has come and gone, which means it's time to get excited for the new shows coming in 2020! This year will bring anticipated revivals of Company, West Side Story, and The Music Man, fan favorite Six, brand new musicals Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire, and MJ, and many more.
Actor/playwright Doug Haverty will become Group Rep's new artistic director in January 2020. In our conversation he tells our readers in great detail about the upcoming season and talks in depth about his vision for the theater.
How long have you been a member of Group Rep?
DH: I started in 1983, so 36 years.
Broadway cellist Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf (Bridges of Madison County, A Little Night Music) will host an evening that explores beautiful melodies from Broadway and beyond. With Scots-born guitarist Steve Gibb, Mairi will also celebrate Robert Burns Night by weaving in some of Scotland's most beloved melodies, and inviting her guests to perform their own versions of Burns' timeless poetry.
Transport Group has announced that its annual A Toast to the Artist gala will honor former Transport Group executive director Lori Fineman and Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall with the Transporting American Theatre Award.
The Philly POPS starts the new year with a tip of the hat to one of Broadway's greatest luminaries, Marvin Hamlisch, conducted by Marvin's mentee and friend, Music Director Todd Ellison, January 17-19, 2020. HAMLISCH: With Love features Disney Broadway powerhouse Ashley Brown and four Musical Theater students from Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance.
The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment, will hold its Annual Gala on Monday, April 6, 2020. The evening will celebrate Tony Award-winning actor Matthew Broderick and Emmy Award-winning actor, producer and designer Sarah Jessica Parker; Tony Award-winning actor and Chairman of The Actors Fund Brian Stokes Mitchell; Academy Award-winning producer, co-owner of the New York Football Giants, and philanthropist Steve Tisch; and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Richard L. Trumka as they receive The Actors Fund's Medal of Honor.
