Melanie News

What did our critic think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis?

Grumpy Old Men has opened at the Alhambra Theatre and Dining! The musical based on the 1993 movie follows two (as you guessed it) grumpy old men, John Gustafson and Max Goldman. The two had been feuding for decades, which all started with a woman they both liked. Years later, a new woman comes to town, and they are both vying for her affection.

PlayGround, California's leading playwright incubator and theatre community hub, has announced its 29th season, including the return of the celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series on third Mondays,* October - March, in-person this year at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage and live simulcast.

Returning cast members Andrew Levitt aka Nina West (from “RuPaul's Drag Race”) as Edna Turnblad, Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad, Sandie Lee as Motormouth Maybelle, Billy Dawson as Corny Collins, Ryahn Evers as Amber Von Tussle, Addison Garner as Velma Von Tussle, and Emery Henderson as Penny Pingleton will be joined by new principal cast members Charlie Bryant III as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Ralph Prentice Daniel as Wilbur Turnblad, Brayden Krikke as Link Larkin and Joi D. McCoy as Little Inez.

The founder and publisher of Cabaret Scenes Magazine is the namesake of a new award bestowed upon Eric Michael Gillett by the American Songbook Association in glittery event October Second.

'Under Wraps 2' picks up as Marshall (Malachi Barton), Gilbert (Christian J. Simon) and Amy (Sophia Hammons) are getting ready to attend Amy's father's Spooktacular Halloween-themed wedding to his fiancé Carl. However, plans soon go awry when the three friends discover their friends may be in danger. Plus, watch the new video trailer now!

SHOWTIME announced that two-time Emmy and Tony nominee Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, My Fair Lady) is joining the highly anticipated second season of YELLOWJACKETS in a series regular role as the adult version of Van. In addition, Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) who plays the teen version of Van, has been upped to series regular in season two.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Theatre Company and Education departments have announced the full casting and creative teams for the 2022/23 fall productions of The Chinese Lady, Much Ado About Nothing, LITTLE RED, and A Christmas Carol. 

But beloved as it may be, why in the ever-loving hell has it taken so long for To Kill A Mockingbird to become a theatrical play that is actually worthy of its literary heritage? Sure, there’s been a 1990 (?!) version by Christopher Sergel that’s made it way through every high school auditorium, community theater playhouse and reginal theater over the intervening three decades that we are, quite frankly, sick to death of it. In fact, if we never see it again, we’ve seen it far too often: a warmed over, treacly and maudlin rehash that’s far too dependent on the title’s movie roots to really emerge from a darkened theater to become a consummate American play.

Cabarabia Productions, Clifford Bell, Producer and Director will present For LIFE.  For LOVE.  For as long as it takes…A FUNdraiser Celebrating 33 Years of Project Angel Food on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. at Catalina Jazz Club

Award-winning Broadway playwright Theresa Rebeck will write the book for the Broadway-aimed Working Girl. While she's had more plays produced on Broadway than any female playwright of our time, Working Girl would mark Rebeck's Broadway debut as a book writer for a musical.

Ensemble Theatre has announced its 2023 season, with everything from classics to new works, hilarious comedy, to touching drama. Next year sees another 10-play season take to the stage, featuring huge cast names and brilliant playwrights, with a focus on female writing and directing.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM opens August 6th at The Old Globe

The Muny is presenting Legally Blonde! Tune into our Instagram Story as Hayley Podschun takes you behind the scenes of her day at Legally Blonde at The Muny.

Play reading at Greystone the end of this summer.

Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic 1960 novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD opened on Broadway in 2018. (Yes, that Aaron Sorkin). Directed by Bartlett Sher, the play transports the audience to Alabama in 1934, where Atticus Finch is representing a Black man falsely accused of sexual assault.

Get a first look at The Muny's production of The Color Purple, which began performances August 3rd and runs through August 9th, 2022.

SING ALONG! with Eric Hutchinson is the artist’s eighth studio release and his first new work since the fierce global reckoning with racism that was illuminated by the historic actions of the Black Lives Matter movement. “The Littlest Candle” and “Hey Look I Found It! (My Inner Peace)” are joyful tracks featured on the EP.

​​​​​​​Rehearsals started this week for the Alliance Theatre's season opener, EVERYBODY, by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.  EVERYBODY, which is co-directed by Susan V. Booth and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, marks the final production of Booth's 21-year tenure as the Alliance Theatre's Jennings Hertz Artistic Director.

The song serves as the lead single from her debut album, Dream State, on which she partnered with #1-charting industry powerhouses; production credits include Kyle Shearer (Carly Rae Jepsen, Melanie Martinez, Becky G), Jason Couse (JUNO & Polaris Prize-nominated musician from The Darcys), LYRE (top Billboard charting female duo), and more.