Michael Barra News

Lively McCabe Entertainment Co-President Michael Barra proudly announces the expansion of their Columbus Circle office with the hiring of two key executives, Darnetha Lincoln M'Baye and Molly Israel Paul. Ms. M'Baye has joined the company as VP, Head of Music and will be responsible for managing the company's content partnerships with the major music publishers, as well as overseeing the packaging of all music intellectual property elements into the company's stage, film, and television development slates. Also joining Lively McCabe this month is Molly Israel Paul, who will serve as Creative Executive, focusing on the development of new plays adapted from existing IP for the company's exclusive HollyWay collection at Dramatists Play Service. Lively McCabe is also pleased to announce that Jen Bender and Allison Bressi will begin working with the company this month as Creative Development Consultants and will each oversee the development of select stage musicals on behalf of the company.

Two iconic stars made a surprise appearance at last night's performance of A Bronx Tale in Boston. The show's creator, Chazz Palminteri, and co-director Robert DeNiro (who also directed, and starred in, the film) took the stage following curtain call to give a speech.

The North American tour of A BRONX TALE doo-wops its way into the Citizens Bank Opera House through April 14th as part of the 2018-2019 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season. It is at once a nostalgic stroll down memory lane with an original rock 'n' roll score, a gritty depiction of urban turf wars, and a well-told story about loyalty, love, and family. Based on Chazz Palminteri's 1989 one-man Off-Broadway play that inspired a 1993 film, the musical reunites the author with his directors, Jerry Zaks and Robert DeNiro, and they are joined by composer Alan Menken, lyricist Glenn Sater, and choreographer Sergio Trujillo. Like other musicals that have come before it (HAIRSPRAY, JERSEY BOYS, WEST SIDE STORY, to mention a few), A BRONX TALE feels familiar as it evokes a time, a place, and a genre that we recognize. It is a good, solid show with great music, performances, and design elements that provides a couple of hours of entertainment and escape.

Lively McCabe Entertainment Co-President Michael Barra proudly announces a slate of three new stage musicals in partnership with licensing agency Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) and music powerhouse BMG. These initial three projects, all which will have premiere productions in 2020 (TBA), will feature select music from the BMG catalog, as part of their previously announced partnership with Lively McCabe.

Lively McCabe Books, a division of Lively McCabe Entertainment, releases its debut publication, POPPY HAVILAND & THE SECRET OF THE LIVELY WIDOW. The tale of twelve-year-old Poppy Haviland, the practically invisible daughter of Broadway and Hollywood Mega-star Holly Haviland, POPPY HAVILAND & THE SECRET OF THE LIVELY WIDOW is the first in a series of middle grade adventure novels. Written by Michael Barra and nine year old daughter Annabel Lively Barra, POPPY HAVILAND & THE SECRET OF THE LIVELY WIDOW is published in partnership with Matador Books, an imprint of Troubador Publishing UK.

The first words sung in A Bronx Tale, the tonally uneven and musically disappointing touring show that opened at D.C.'s National Theatre on Tuesday, are literally "this is a Bronx tale." The artistic subtleties don't get much better from there, as the musical (based on a movie based on a one-man show) proceeds to tackle issues from morality to racism with all the delicateness of a mobster smashing someone's head in with a baseball bat. Everything about this production is underwhelming from the performances to the design to the direction and choreography. Ultimately, A Bronx Tale is the perfect example of why we should stop adapting movies into musicals.

A BRONX TALE, the streetwise Broadway musical based on the one-man show and now classic film, will make its Washington, D.C. premiere at the National Theatre for one week only from March 26 through 31, 2019.

No doubt about it, A Bronx Tale - the musical version of Chazz Palminteri's original 1989 one man show (he played some 18 characters in the original work) that ultimately led to a 1993 film directed by Robert DeNiro - is one engaging night of theater, telling an intriguing story of a boy who grows to manhood on the mean streets of The Bronx, in the shadow of local wiseguy/mob kingpin Sonny, played here by Joe Barbara with chilling authenticity and palpable, if oily, charm.

It's a homecoming of sorts for Joey Barreiro this week as he and his castmates from the national tour of A Bronx Tale - the Broadway musical that's based on a one-man show created by actor/writer Chazz Palminteri - encamp at Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center for a week-long stand.

A new stage musical, Punk Rock Girl, is in development featuring a score of popular songs written and made famous by female artists and female-fronted bands including Pat Benatar, Bikini Kill, Blondie, Echosmith, Avril Lavigne, Pink, TraLaLa, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more, and also featuring the title song by The Dead Milkmen.

Lively McCabe Entertainment has announced it has entered into a new agreement with BMG. The deal grants the production company, recently launched by producer Michael Barra, access to BMG's vast music publishing catalogue to develop new multimedia entertainment projects across various platforms including the live stage, as well as films, television, and digital media.

The North American Tour of A BRONX TALE, the new musical featuring a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo is now on tour.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the North American Tour of A BRONX TALE, the new musical featuring a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo. 

Rehearsals began this week in New York for the upcoming North American Tour of A BRONX TALE. Get a look at the company in action below!

Full casting has been announced for the North American Tour of A BRONX TALE, the new musical featuring a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo.

Lively McCabe Entertainment is pleased to announce that it has signed the original classic children's property Free To Be . . . You and Me as a management client.  The company will focus primarily on securing a new music administration agreement, the development of a new regional live stage musical, and the exploration of book publishing opportunities in the lead up to Free To Be's 50th anniversary in 2022.

Lively McCabe Entertainment will collaborate with Grammy and Tony Award nominees Plain White T's to develop a television adaptation of the band's chart-topping song 'Hey There Delilah."  Described as a contemporary fairy tale expanding on the story within the song, the concept is from T's front man and songwriter Tom Higgenson, writer Jeremy Desmon (Pump Up The Volume, One Hit Wonder), and Lively McCabe's Michael Barra, with Desmon attached to write. Primary Wave's Deb Klein is attached to produce.

Belmont Avenue is leaving the Great White Way. A Bronx Tale will play its final performance on Broadway today, August 5, 2018. The show will have played 29 previews and 700 regular performances at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). The show began previews Thursday, November 3, 2016 and opened Thursday, December 1, 2016.

Lively McCabe Entertainment announces that it has inked a deal with Round Hill Music, a full-service, creative music company with a core focus on music publishing.  The deal grants the company, recently launched by producer Michael Barra, access to Round Hill Music's catalogue of music and artists to package into new entertainment projects.  Lively McCabe Entertainment will package and produce projects in which the music is instrumental to the storytelling -- as opposed to solely serving as the soundtrack. The projects will span across various media platforms, including the live stage, as well as television series, films, digital media, and book publishing.

Producer Michael Barra, who most recently served as President of Media & Entertainment at Broadway's The Araca Group (and was previously an exec at Disney), announces the official launch of Lively McCabe Entertainment. Co-founded with Katie Dietz, Lively McCabe Entertainment is an independent production company that will allow Barra to continue as a packager and producer of media intellectual properties for the live stage, as well as television series, films, digital media, and book publishing. Lively McCabe has now signed with Abrams Artists Agency, and will work closely with their Literary departments in Los Angeles and New York to package projects built around existing high profile Hollywood IP to which the company has secured rights. Lively McCabe and Mr. Barra are also represented by Adam Cooper at Jackoway Tyerman.