Melanie Taylor News

Seattle Repertory Theatre today announced the full ensemble cast of its season opening production, A Raisin in the Sun, a classic Lorraine Hansberry's drama, directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee.

Friends, something exciting is going on at the Guthrie Theater. In the wake of (not unjustified) criticism about their lack of diversity onstage and backstage, they are currently presenting a 60-year-old play written by Alice Childress, one of the most important female African-American playwrights of the 20th Century, and directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, the first African-American woman to ever direct on a Guthrie mainstage. And I'm happy to report that TROUBLE IN MIND succeeds on so many levels. First of all, it's hilarious, engaging, and entertaining, and offers a behind the scenes look at the theater world we love so well. But more importantly, it talks about racism, sexism, classism, ageism in a smart and nuanced way that has as much resonance in today's world as it did in the 1950s NYC theater world depicted in the play. I was fortunate enough to attend on a night when there was a post-show discussion with the cast, which just made the experience that much richer. The best and most important work of theater is to start conversations about the world we live in, give voice to everyone's stories, and in doing so help us to better understand our fellow human beings. Trouble in Mind, and the conversations it will hopefully spark amongst its audience, is a fantastic example of that.

Veteran local director Sheila Daniels (A Streetcar Named Desire, Crime and Punishment) returns to direct another American classic for Intiman Theatre: Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, featuring rising local star Hannah Mootz (Tail of Wasps, Bo-Nita) as Martha Dobie, newcomers Tiffany Yvonne Cox (Crumbs from the Table of Joy) as Karen Wright and Jasmine Jean Sim (Dirty, Grand Hotel) as Mary Tilford; and renowned local actor Suzanne Bouchard (Dear Elizabeth, Richard III) as Amelia Tilford.

Veteran local director Sheila Daniels (A Streetcar Named Desire, Crime and Punishment) returns to direct another American classic for Intiman Theatre: Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, featuring rising local star Hannah Mootz (Tail of Wasps, Bo-Nita) as Martha Dobie, newcomers Tiffany Yvonne Cox (Crumbs from the Table of Joy) as Karen Wright and Jasmine Jean Sim (Dirty, Grand Hotel) as Mary Tilford; and renowned local actor Suzanne Bouchard (Dear Elizabeth, Richard III) as Amelia Tilford.

When local gay softball league favorites the Seattle Fireflies go up against the champion San Francisco Hornets, an all-American pastime turns into an impromptu inquisition as one team halts the game to accuse their opponent of having too many 'straight ringers' on their roster.

When local gay softball league favorites the Seattle Fireflies go up against the champion San Francisco Hornets, an all-American pastime turns into an impromptu inquisition as one team halts the game to accuse their opponent of having too many "straight ringers" on their roster.

The Broadway at Birdland series was proud to present actor/singer Erich Bergen, who made a triumphant return to the Birdland stage on Sunday and Monday, June 21 and 22. Erich last played the historic music room in December for two sold out performances. The musical director was Michael Orland, of 'American Idol' fame. Scroll down for photos!

On May 21 & 22, film and TV star Erich Bergen kicked off the Memorial Day weekend with the Los Angeles debut of his new show 'Erich Bergen - Live!' which sold out its two-evening engagement at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. Presented by Chris Isaacson Presents. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

For the second time since December, sax superstar Dave Koz presented Jim Caruso's Cast Party in his new music room, The Dave Koz Lounge, which is located at Spaghettini in the heart of Beverly Hills, California. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

ONCE the musical is searching for Melbourne's Best Busker -- a talented singer / musician who will be given the chance to open a performance of ONCE the musical at Melbourne's Princess Theatre with an onstage jam session.

A full plate of theatre portioned out in three short plays, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents An Evening of One Acts. The line-up begins with a curtain raiser by Steve Martin, Patter for the Floating Lady, followed by Woody Allen's Riverside Drive, and the evening culminates with Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. All three plays deliver an experience that will stretch the imagination with magic, surprise, wonder, and a dose of science fiction fantasy.

A full plate of theatre portioned out in three short plays, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents An Evening of One Acts. The line-up begins with a curtain raiser by Steve Martin, Patter for the Floating Lady, followed by Woody Allen's Riverside Drive, and the evening culminates with Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. All three plays deliver an experience that will stretch the imagination with magic, surprise, wonder, and a dose of science fiction fantasy.

Seattle Opera's 50th Anniversary season continues with The Consul, a riveting Cold-War thriller coming to McCaw Hall for the first time. In this tale, an inhuman bureaucracy poses a formidable obstacle for a woman desperate to flee a totalitarian state with her family. Menotti's intensely human score won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1950, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical Play and played for more than 100 performances on Broadway. Seattle Opera's production, which features several leading alumni of the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, opens on Saturday, February 22, and runs for seven performances through Friday, March 7.

This campaign has been created by some creative individuals behind the film Ten Benny, the official selection at the Sundance Gil Festival, written by Tom Cudworth (Adrien Brody's break out film) and Bare Bones International Film

Seattle Opera's 2012/13 season concludes in May with a double bill of compelling twentieth-century operas, both new to the company: La Voix Humaine, by Francis Poulenc, and Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica. Both these one-act operas follow fascinating women who must grapple with despair as they meet their fate; but the two works, like the composers who created them, are extremely different. In Poulenc's sensual monodrama, a woman stumbles through a minefield of emotions as she attempts to stay connected to her ex-lover over the telephone. Puccini's mystical tragedy tells the story of a young nun who learns of the death of the son she was forced to abandon. She kills herself yet miraculously passes into a state of grace. Performances begin tonight, May 4 and run through May 18.

Seattle Opera's 2012/13 season concludes in May with a double bill of compelling twentieth-century operas, both new to the company: La Voix Humaine, by Francis Poulenc, and Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica. Both these one-act operas follow fascinating women who must grapple with despair as they meet their fate; but the two works, like the composers who created them, are extremely different. In Poulenc's sensual monodrama, a woman stumbles through a minefield of emotions as she attempts to stay connected to her ex-lover over the telephone. Puccini's mystical tragedy tells the story of a young nun who learns of the death of the son she was forced to abandon. She kills herself yet miraculously passes into a state of grace. Performances begin on May 4 and run through May 18.

Thanks to the efforts of philanthropist and veterans activist, Patricia Kennedy, founder of Step Up 4 Vets, a not for profit organization whose mission is to partner in the transition of our returning veterans as they readjust, redirect and rebuild their civilian lives, 55 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan made up for many missed holidays with an all day family celebration centered around the acclaimed Joffrey Ballet's renowned Nutcracker. 26 years ago, longtime Joffrey Board member & close friend of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino raised the funds to create the Joffrey's now internationally acclaimed Nutcracker. Scroll below for photos!

Village Theatre opens its 2012-2013 with Big River. This Tony Award winning musical is unique among the Broadway musical cannon for its powerful Bluegrass/Country score. The music and lyrics for Big River are by legendary chart topping country singer-songwriter Roger Miller. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

The Garden State Players concludes its first season with the high-energy rock musical "Footloose," opening Thursday, Aug. 10 and playing through Sunday, Aug. 19 at Raritan High School, 419 Middle Road, Hazlet. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the new Pediatric Care Center at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel.

The Garden State Players concludes its first season with the high-energy rock musical "Footloose," opening Thursday, Aug. 10 and playing through Sunday, Aug. 19 at Raritan High School, 419 Middle Road, Hazlet. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the new Pediatric Care Center at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel.