Dancing omelettes, a zany soothsayer, THE Bard of English theatre, and a ragtag troupe of Renaissance actors struggling to survive all share the Maine State Music Theatre stage in dizzying profusion in the final main stage production of the season: SOMETHING ROTTEN! - an outrageously funny, simultaneously urbane and plebeian send up and homage to classical theatre and that unique genre the MUSICAL.
The stylish and brilliant co-production with Lancaster’s Fulton Theatre, directed by Marc Robin, creates an entirely new imaginary universe, a world at the intersection of Elizabethan England and modern American musical theatre – part Renaissance Faire (on steroids), part Monty Python at their most hilarious. The evening, which is filled with endearing characters, showstopping song and dance numbers, comedy fueled by allusions, puns, slapstick, scatological jokes, and occasionally even poetry, is pure entertainment. No one will need to “brush up his Shakespeare” or be able to “name that tune” in order to come away from SOMETHING ROTTEN! thoroughly exhilarated and brimming with joy.
Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL with Dolly Parton’s pulsating score is a high energy, hilarious madcap misadventure that somehow also manages to ring uncannily true. Both a period piece and a contemporary one, this tale of women in the workplace is propelled by zany humor, but also fueled by the empathetic characters at its core. The trio of women embattled with their narcissistic boss are - as Parton, herself, phrased it “just a step on the boss man's ladder” - and yet they sing and dance their way into our hearts in an evening filled with laughter and warmth.
The legend of the Titanic is a haunting, yet uplifting tale of dreams and hubris, unfinished stories and transcendent moments. It is a story that has been told from so many perspectives for more than a century since the unsinkable ship did, tragically, go down on her maiden voyage in 1912. But perhaps no retelling of the events captures both the scale of the drama and its intimacy as perfectly as the Maury Yeston/Peter Stone musical, TITANIC, with its majestic score and tightly woven book.
Now in an epic and astonishingly beautiful new co-production created by MSMT with the Fulton Theatre, this masterpiece comes to life with a sensational cast in a dazzling visual production that focuses on the profoundly touching humanity of the saga – of the lives lived and lost, the lessons learned and remembered.
Three years after the initial cancelation due to the pandemic, Fulton Theatre will produce Titanic. The production runs from April 20th through May 21, 2023.
Penguin Rep Theatre concludes its 2022 season – the nonprofit professional theatre's 43rd since its founding in 1979 -- with the world premiere of NOW COMES THE FUN PART, a musical revue with lyrics by Mark Waldrop, music by Jeffrey Lodin, and book by James Hindman and Lynne Halliday, beginning Friday, September 30 and running through Sunday, October 23 in Stony Point, New York.
Need something new to read, watch, or listen to? Check out this week's list of new and upcoming releases! This week's list includes a book of stories behind the musical Jagged Little Pill, the Moulin Rouge! songbook, and more!
The 2019 ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) Color Ball honored Laura Benanti and Lutheran Social Services for their work with ASTEP in providing arts education for students who have arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors - and Laura's work in the creation of Singing You Home: Children's Songs for Family Reunification, in conjunction with Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Broadway music director and Founder Co-Executive Director of ASTEP.
Next Monday, April 29 at 54 Below, Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) and friends are coming together to celebrate the 2019 ASTEP Color Ball. The 2019 Color Ball is a night to honor Artists/Activists who inspire ASTEP students, Sponsors who make our work possible and Community Partners who join our efforts in giving children from underserved communities access to the power of the arts. The evening is conceived by Broadway Musical Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell (ASTEP Founder and Co-Executive Director) and will allow ASTEP to give audience members an in depth look into our programs and the exciting work we have ahead of us.
Pittsburgh CLO will fill the Benedum Center with magic and wonder fit for all ages with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, starring Broadway's Jessica Grove and James Snyder. See photos from the production below!
Pittsburgh CLO will fill the Benedum Center with magic and wonder fit for all ages with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, July 27 - August 5. Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ran for a staggering 13 years and over 5,000 performances on Broadway. Now, Pittsburgh CLO brings this treasured story to life for a new generation, continuing the organization's commitment to providing young patrons the opportunity to enjoy live musical theater at home in Pittsburgh. Tickets are now available by phone at 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square. Select half-price tickets for children 3-14 are sponsored by Giant Eagle, offering an affordable option for families to enjoy this timeless tale together.
Pittsburgh CLO will fill the Benedum Center with magic and wonder fit for all ages with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, July 27 - August 5. Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ran for a staggering 13 years and over 5,000 performances on Broadway. Now, Pittsburgh CLO brings this treasured story to life for a new generation, continuing the organization's commitment to providing young patrons the opportunity to enjoy live musical theater at home in Pittsburgh. Tickets are now available by phone at 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square. Select half-price tickets for children 3-14 are sponsored by Giant Eagle, offering an affordable option for families to enjoy this timeless tale together.
Watch out Memphis, Tennessee because something WICKED is coming your way! Starting March 7, 2018, Orpheum Theatre will be showing WICKED until the curtain closes on March 25, 2018.
The Wicked tour will welcome Jon Robert Hall as Fiyero and welcome back Catherine Charlebois as Nessarose, beginning Tuesday, August 22nd at Philadelphia's Academy of Music.
