McDonald News

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is  August 29, 2023 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

Get ready for an extraordinary evening as Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the highly-anticipated performance by Audra McDonald. Don't miss the chance to experience the incredible talents of Audra McDonald at the Lyric Opera of Chicago!

3rd Act has announced the cast of its first Mainstage production of Season 5 - Making God Laugh. Making God Laugh follows one typical American family over the course of thirty years' worth of holidays. Starting in 1980, Ruthie and Bill's grown children -- a priest, an aspiring actress, and a former football star -- all return home, where we learn of their plans and dreams as they embark on their adult lives.

Joining Domingo and McDonald in the film is Adrienne Warren, Michael Potts, Glynn Turman, CCH Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Chris Rock, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, Lilli Kay, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Jakeem Powell, Grantham Coleman, Jamilah Rosemond, Jules Latimer, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, and more. Watch the video teaser now!

On the heels of a sizzling summer, The Music Center and its TMC Arts programming division, its resident company campus partners (Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale) and Gloria Molina Grand Park are ready to embrace the fall season with an abundance of exciting and unique experiences for all Angelenos and visitors.

Algonquin Arts Theatre (Pamela Ward-Executive Director) has announced the cast and creative team for its October musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The show will run at Algonquin Arts Theatre from October 7 through October 22.

Norwich Theatre has announced Millie O'Connell from SIX and The Cher Show as Sleeping Beauty in the panto this Christmas, opening at Norwich Theatre Royal Sat 9 Dec 23, running until Sun 7 Jan 24.

The forthcoming performance at Red Rocks is one of many milestones in a career year for DJ Snake. So far in 2023, Snake has performed at Super Bowl LVII, was the first European artist  to have a McDonald's partnership with his own meal, and has been RIAA-certified 8x Platinum with “Turn Down For What.” 

What did our critic think of SISTER ACT at Theatre Memphis? For those of an older generation, did you ever look back at sitcoms from the 1970’s and wish they were set to music? Did you ever wish Fred Sanford (from “Sanford and Son”) or Squiggy (from “Laverne and Shirley) broke out into song to better share their deeper wants and desires?

'Stars In The House' co-hosts Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley hosted the 20th Anniversary Reunion of the cult classic film CAMP recently on Stars in the House. The episode included the show's writer and director, Todd Graff (Joyful Noise, Bandslam), along with cast members Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Robin de Jesus, and more. Check out the full episode here!

Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley will welcome members of the original, Tony Award-winning company of the musical Avenue Q for a special edition of their lockdown roundtable series, Stars in the House.

“Revenge of the Orchestra” is a futuristic mix of industrial synths, pounding rhythms and brooding brass and strings, with Magugu's acerbic flow elevating Apashe's singular production style to heart-stopping heights. The visuals are directed by Adrian Villagomez, who recently collaborated with Apashe on the stunning cinematic video for “Gasoline.”

The season will feature Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Michael Cerveris, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Page, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Ashlie Atkinson, and Laura Benanti. Watch the teaser video now!

Get all the details on the upcoming North American tour, including the full route and cast announcement. Find out when and where you can catch this highly-anticipated production in your city.

KCON LA, the annual K-Pop convention bringing superfans together from all around the world, took place this past weekend, spanning three days, from August 18-20, 2023. I'm here to bring you my Top 10 highlights of KCON LA 2023!

3rd Act has announced the cast of its first Mainstage production of Season 5 - Making God Laugh.

Next up at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Center Theatre Group (in association with IAMA Theatre Company) present Alexis Scheer’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord opening August 27, 2023 (already in previews). CTG’s associate artistic director directs the cast of Ashley Brooke, Aliyah Camacho, Samantha Wynette Miller, Coral Peña, Lilian Rebelo and Juan Francisco Villa. The very busy Samantha squeezed some time from her preview rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Park University International Center for Music (Park ICM), under the direction of founder, Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch, has for the last 20 years taken magnificent young instrumentalists, already identified as superior performers, and molded them into international virtuosos. Based upon the European master/apprentice relationship, this rare combination of time, talent, attention, location, and commitment has made Park ICM triumphant in a very short time, demanding the attention of the international music community. Having just completed the celebration of the Center's 20th Anniversary, the next season brings virtuoso friends old and new, and continues to showcase ICM's own award-winning faculty and students, resulting in a season packed with musicianship of the highest order.

The album boasts an array of special guests including Eric Clapton, Bob Weir, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Buju Banton and Slightly Stoopid. Limited edition double vinyl, CD, digital bundles are now available for pre-order.

On Monday, October 9, 2023, the Renowned Choir & National Nonprofit of Broadway Artists whose Mission is to Support and Strengthen Communities in Need through Arts, Education and Outreach Programming will Honor Ayodele Casel, Marc Shaiman and Audra McDonald