Michael Brown News

Seattle / Mainstreet Festival of New Musicals will take over Fremont's West of Lenin Theatre, presenting three brand new musicals, three late-night trivia cabarets, an evening of pitch sessions for fresh, up-and-coming musicals; and a final concert featuring all-Seattle talent performing pieces written by all-Seattle composers!

High school students from across Washington State packed Benaroya Hall tonight for The 12th Annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater, a high school version of the Tony Awards, proudly sponsored for the tenth year by Wells Fargo with additional support from Alaska Airlines. The house was packed with 2,000 teenagers, dressed in costume representing their schools' musical theater productions, who cheered for their peers as they performed musical excerpts and accepted awards honoring top student achievements in musical theater. The acclaimed event, directed this year by Mathew Wright, handed out awards in 21 categories ranging from Outstanding Overall Musical Production to Outstanding Lobby Display.

Concert aficionados from around the country will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain, America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, when it kicks off its gala 85th Anniversary Season beginning Today, June 7th! To commemorate the milestone, Music Mountain will continue their season past Labor Day - making the 85th Anniversary Season the longest running season since the 1930s! The summer will include returning chamber ensembles, first time guests and the ever-popular Today Evening Twilight Series featuring Jazz, Country, and Folk Music. Concerts are scheduled through September 14.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is pleased to announce the nominees for the 12th annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater. This Tony Awards-style ceremony allows for high school students from across Washington State to gather to celebrate and honor their exceptional musical theater productions presented during the 2013/14 school year. These awards are designed to shine the spotlight on the often overlooked high school musical theater programs, offering performing arts students the kind of recognition that accomplished athletes have received for decades. The 5th Avenue Awards will be held at 7:00 PM, Monday, June 9, at Benaroya Hall.

Concert Artists Guild presents the versatile pianist and composer Michael Brown, First Prize Winner of the 2010 CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition, on its Concerts in New York series tonight, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Perfect timing for a long-awaited Spring, Actors' Shakespeare Project (ASP) presents what is easily one of Shakespeare's most engaging comedies As You Like It runs today, April 17 - May 18, 2014 [Press Performance is Saturday April 19, 2014 at 8pm] at The Springstep Building, 98 George P Hassett Drive, Medford. Directed by Resident Acting Company member Robert Walsh **. Tickets are $28 - $50. Student Rush and Group discounts available.

Concert Artists Guild presents the versatile pianist and composer Michael Brown, First Prize Winner of the 2010 CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition, on its Concerts in New York series on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Four-time Tony® Award winning playwright Terrence McNally just celebrated two milestones on The Great White Way-his 20th Broadway production and the 50th Anniversary of his Broadway debut-with the opening night of his newest play, Mothers and Sons, at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street) last night, March 24, 2014. Over the course of five decades, Mr. McNally has chronicled the human experience with a wide range of works including Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Full Monty, Ragtime, Master Class, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman,The Rink, The Ritz, and Bad Habits. BroadwayWorld was there for McNally's big opening night and below you can check out photos from the star-studded red carpet. Guests included Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Chita Rivera, Doris Riberts and more!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., will celebrate Stephen Sondheim's birthday at The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS with a weeklong celebration beginning on Sunday, March 16 with a panel discussion following the 3 p.m. performance with Andra Velis Simon from Columbia College Chicago and Director Geoff Button, and a second panel discussion on Saturday, March 22 following the 2 p.m. performance with Kris Vire, Associate Editor at Time Out Chicago and Executive Director L. Walter Stearns. The matinee performance on March 22, Stephen Sondheim's actual birthday, will also feature a classic Sondheim sing-a-long immediately following the panel discussion with selections from Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George and Roadshow. A delicious birthday cake from gourmet Southport bakery Sensational Bites A Dessert Cafe will be served following the sing-a-long on March 22. Directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, INTO THE WOODS has been extended through Saturday, April 5.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., announces that The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, has been extended through Saturday, April 5. The production was selected as a Critics' Pick by Time Out Chicago and has hailed as 'Beautiful' (Chicago Tribune) and 'A wonder! Terrific! Excellent! Perfectly charming.' (Newcity)

Perfect timing for a long-awaited Spring, Actors' Shakespeare Project (ASP) presents what is easily one of Shakespeare's most engaging comedies As You Like It April 17 - May 18, 2014 [Press Performance is Saturday April 19, 2014 at 8pm] at The Springstep Building, 98 George P Hassett Drive, Medford. Directed by Resident Acting Company member Robert Walsh **. Tickets are $28 - $50. Student Rush and Group discounts available. Tickets will be available beginning March 10 at actorsshakespeareproject.org or by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111.

Carnegie Hall today announced the names of the 120 outstanding young musicians from across America who have been selected to come together this summer as the second annual National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA).

Concert aficionados from around the country will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain, America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, when it kicks off its gala 85th Anniversary Season beginning Saturday, June 7th! To commemorate the milestone, Music Mountain will continue their season past Labor Day - making the 85th Anniversary Season the longest running season since the 1930s! The summer will include returning chamber ensembles, first time guests and the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring Jazz, Country, and Folk Music. Concerts are scheduled through September 14.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, and opened on Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m., running through Sunday, March 30. Check out a look back at opening night below!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, opening tonight, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30. Check out highlights from the production below!

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, opening Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30. Scroll down for some pictures from the production!

Mercury Theater Chicago and The Hypocrites will feature Stephen Sondheim: The Man and The Music, a post-show talk back discussion on the renowned composer with Dr. Mark E. Lococo, Professor and Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago; Dr. Sarah Gabel, Chairperson for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago; and Director Geoff Button, following the 8:00 p.m. performance of INTO THE WOODS tonight, February 7 at the Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, The Hypocrites bring their heightened and playful sense of theatricality to the musical INTO THE WOODS through March 30.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., presents The Hypocrites' production INTO THE WOODS, directed by Geoff Button* with Musical Direction by Matt Deitchman, previewing February 6, opening Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, March 30.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Into The Woods,' the Chicago Musical Theater Festival, new music for Tom Stoppard, Rob Ashford to direct Lyric's 'Carousel,' Ellington's 'Queenie Pie,' 'Love Story,' NU's 'Shrek,' my Grammy and Oscar views, and more!

Mercury Theater Chicago and The Hypocrites will feature Stephen Sondheim: The Man and The Music, a post-show talk back discussion on the renowned composer with Dr. Mark E. Lococo, Professor and Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago; Dr. Sarah Gabel, Chairperson for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago; and Director Geoff Button, following the 8:00 p.m. performance of INTO THE WOODS on Friday, February 7 at the Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, The Hypocrites bring their heightened and playful sense of theatricality to the musical INTO THE WOODS through March 30.