Melanie News

The Spice Girls announced their first concert dates together since the 2012 Olympics according to Variety. The tour will be a set of stadium dates in the U.K. for the summer of 2019.

Fringe First Award winning company Bear Trap Theatre are set to celebrate their eighth anniversary with a new play by Evening Standard Award nominated writer Jesse Briton. The World Premiere production of A Pupil will be performed at Park Theatre from 31st October - 24th November 2018.

Currently in previews, Center Theatre Group's production of "Valley of the Heart" will open on November 7 at 8 p.m. at the Mark Taper Forum. Written and directed by Luis Valdez ("Zoot Suit") and presented in association with El Teatro Campesino, the production will run through December 9, 2018.

Luis Valdez' VALLEY OF THE HEART, currently at the Mark Taper Forum, vividly depicts the tale of two immigrant families (the Yamaguchis and the Montaños), both caught up in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor in the 1940s. Friends before the war, their oldest children, Teruko "Thelma" Yamaguchi and Ben Montaños, had secretly fallen in love. I had the chance to question Melanie Arii Mah (who's playing Teruko) on her history with HEART, as well as, her personal family accounts during this tragic historical time.

PlayGround continues its 25th season of its celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series on Monday, November 26, 8 PM at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Theatre. The topic for November's round, announced this morning, is "FALL DOWN, GET UP". Members of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company have just four-and-a-half days to generate their original ten-minute plays inspired by the topic. The top six scripts will each receive an hour-and-a-half rehearsal and a professional script-in-hand staged reading at Berkeley Rep on November 26. PlayGround writers in Los Angeles are working simultaneously on the same prompt and their finalists will be presented at Hollywood's Broadwater Mainstage (home of Sacred Fools Theatre Company) on November 12.  Tickets are $15-$30 and 5-admission series subscriptions are just $75 ($50 for 25-and-Unders). For tickets or more information, visit http://playground-sf.org/monday.

The Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) has announced some of the very special presenters who will help induct the 2018 class during a red-carpet gala and ceremony taking place November 8, 2018 at The Space at Westbury (250 Post Avenue, Westbury, New York). Presenters this year include six-time Grammy Award winner Billy Joel, VP of Columbia Records and the man who signed Michael Jackson - Ron Alexenburg, Senior Director of Music Programming at SIRIUSXM - Lou Simon, The Cowsills, Chuck D & DJ Chuck Chillout, Jackie (Jokeman) Martling, and Live Nation Promoter Christian McKnight, with more to be confirmed.

Thirty-three nonfiction works from seventeen countries comprise the latest Sundance Institute Documentary Fund and Stories of Change Grantees, announced today. 81% of the supported projects have at least one woman producer or director; 48% originate from outside the US.

Victoria's Secret's legendary Angels take to the runway for the 2018 Victoria's Secret Holiday Special, showcasing an all-star lineup of musical guests, including Bebe Rexha, The Chainsmokers, Halsey, Kelsea Ballerini, Rita Ora, Shawn Mendes and The Struts. Merging fashion, fantasy and entertainment, “The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special” will air SUNDAY, DEC. 2 (10:00–11:00 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.

New York City Center will soon present the 75th Anniversary gala presentation of A Chorus Line. The production will star Jay Armstrong Johnson (Bobby), Kate Bailey (Kristine), Callan Bergmann (Frank), Natalie Bourgeois (Lois), Tommy Bracco (Mike), Wesley Ian Cappiello (Roy), Max Clayton (Don), Aaron Patrick Craven (Butch), Sara Esty (Maggie), Emily Franch (Vicki), David Grindrod (Mark), Eddie Gutierrez (Paul), Robyn Hurder (Cassie), Jolina Javier (Connie), Tara Kostmayer (Diana), Denis Lambert (Greg), J. Elaine Marcos (Val), Melanie Moore (Judy), Jenna Nicole Schoen (Tricia), Joseph J. Simeone (Al), Ahmad Simmons (Tom), Ryan Steele (Larry), Naomi C. Walley (Bebe), Anthony Wayne (Richie), Tony Yazbeck (Zach), and Leigh Zimmerman (Sheila).

The Green Room 42 will bring Spotlight Theatre Company's celebration of Broadway's premier composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty to The Green Room 42, 570 Tenth avenue 4thFloor (YOTEL) NYC! Directed by Jacques Stewart, with Musical Direction by Phil Hall, Why We Tell the Story is an evening of Broadway highlights from Ragtime, Seussical, Once On This Island, Rocky, Anastasia, The Glorious Ones, A Man Of No Importance, Lucky Stiff and My Favorite Year.

ABC celebrates the joy of the holidays with Thanksgiving-themed episodes and specials. All times below are EST.

Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber's high-octane Broadway and West End hit SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL coming to Madison's Overture Center for the Arts Tuesday, Nov. 20 - Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018.

Fringe First Award winning company Bear Trap Theatre are set to celebrate their eighth anniversary with a new play by Evening Standard Award nominated writer Jesse Briton. The World Premiere production of A Pupil will be performed at Park Theatre from 31st October - 24th November 2018.

New York City Center will soon present the 75th Anniversary gala presentation of A Chorus Line. The production will star Jay Armstrong Johnson (Bobby), Kate Bailey (Kristine), Callan Bergmann (Frank), Natalie Bourgeois (Lois), Tommy Bracco (Mike), Wesley Ian Cappiello (Roy), Max Clayton (Don), Aaron Patrick Craven (Butch), Sara Esty (Maggie),Emily Franch (Vicki), David Grindrod (Mark), Eddie Gutierrez (Paul), Robyn Hurder (Cassie), Jolina Javier (Connie), Tara Kostmayer (Diana), Denis Lambert (Greg), J. Elaine Marcos (Val), Melanie Moore (Judy), Jenna Nicole Schoen (Tricia), Joseph J. Simeone (Al), Ahmad Simmons (Tom), Ryan Steele (Larry), Naomi C. Walley (Bebe), Anthony Wayne (Richie), Tony Yazbeck (Zach), and Leigh Zimmerman (Sheila).

Artist-producer Keenan has teamed up with acclaimed rapper Skizzy Mars and platinum-certified pop/R&B powerhouse Marc E. Bassy on his debut solo release – “Manhattan” is available now on all DSPs. The Boni Mata directed companion visual, which was shot in New York City and stars all three artists, premiered earlier today via HYPEBEAST – watch HERE.

Greenwich Dance has announced that professional class has arrived back in South East London!

Performances for Center Theatre Group's production of "Valley of the Heart" will begin on October 30 at the Mark Taper Forum. Written and directed by Luis Valdez ("Zoot Suit") and presented in association with El Teatro Campesino, the production will run through December 9, 2018. The opening will be on Wednesday, November 7 at 8 p.m.

North Carolina Theatre, the region's premiere nonprofit professional theatre, is pleased to announce it will donate more than $27,000 to World Central Kitchen (WCK), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working on the ground in eastern North Carolina providing disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Florence. NC Theatre's cast of In the Heights spearheaded efforts to collect spare change from Raleigh audiences who attended the week of performances Oct. 16-21 at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.