Michael Hunsaker News

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Central Virginia Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Norfolk Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Norfolk Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Norfolk Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld West Virginia Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

In this new episode, watch as the Skivvies (Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley) get some advice in the audition room about finding a gimmick that will work for them!

An industry reading of the new musical DIVIDED will feature Christina DeCicco (Evita, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, Sister Act); Samantha Massell (Fiddler on the Roof, La Boheme); Liz McCartney (My Fair Lady, Sunday in the Park with George, Annie, South Pacific); Jamison Scott (Memphis, Grease, Spiderman, Motown); L. Steven Taylor (Lion King); Patrick Boll (Old Times, Mamma Mia, Faith Healer, Twentieth Century); Barbara McCulloh (Tom Jones, Peter Pan, The King and I); LaDonna Burns; Michael Hunsaker; Dustin Sullivan; Deborah Tranelli; Cedric Cannon; Cynthia Nesbit; and Paul Page.

On Friday, August 3rd, immediately following the 1pm performance of The Gunfighter Meets His Match at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues), there will be a special meet and greet event with the cast. Audience members of all ages (recommended for ages 7 and up) are welcome to come and meet the actors behind Abby Payne's new Wild West musical at the 2018 New York Musical Festival. This opportunity is coupled with a family ticket discount so everyone can enjoy live theater and experience the whimsical music of The Gunfighter Meets His Match! For more information on the special family matinee and to purchase discount tickets, with the code FAMFRI22, please visit www.nymf.org/festival/2018-events/gunfighter-meets-his-match.

The producers (Abby Payne and Chelsea Retzloff) of the upcoming World Premiere of Abby Payne's The Gunfighter Meets His Match will present a special Friday the 13th themed fundraising event on Friday, July 13 from 6:30pm-10pm at The Church Street School of Music & Art (41 White Street between Church Street and Broadway).

The 2018 New York Musical Festival will present the World Premiere of The Gunfighter Meets His Match (Abby Payne and Chelsea Retzloff, Producers) with music, lyrics & book by Abby Payne (Musical Theatre Factory's series at Joe's Pub), directed and choreographed by Jeff Davis of Glitter Kitty Productions (One for the Ages!), July 30th-August 4th at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

The ACT of Connecticut takes Ridgefield by storm with their amazing debut musical, MAMMA MIA! Excellent singing, dancing, and acting dazzle the audience in this wonderful show!

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.  This Today night, May 10th, Broadway Sessions  welcomes alumni and recent grads from Florida State University

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.  This Today night, May 10th, Broadway Sessions  welcomes alumni and recent grads from Florida State University

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.  This Thursday night, May 10th, Broadway Sessions  welcomes alumni and recent grads from Florida State University

Virginia Musical Theatre will close out its 27th season with the Tony-winning 1999 revival of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, April 27-29. The musical production blends the talents of William Shakespeare with the music of Porter to create one of the most chaotic, disruptive and enduring romances of all time on the stage. Kiss Me, Kate follows the embattled exes Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, and their onstage/offstage antics throughout a musical version of "The Taming of the Shrew," where Graham is Petruchio and Vanessi is Katharine. Add an ambitious showgirl, a Broadway hoofer who gambles often, and singing gangsters, and it's the perfect recipe for disaster. Featuring such classic songs as "Too Darn Hot," "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," "I Hate Men," "Another Op'nin', Another Show," and "Always True to You (In My Fashion)," Kiss Me, Kate is a real crowd-pleaser.

Dream Theatre's production of Mamma Mia opened to rave reviews last weekend where it played to record crowds at The Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. The cast was led by Gabrielle Mirabella as Donna, Kim Shriver (Tanya), Jennifer Cody (Rosie), Michael Hunsaker (Sam Carmichael) and Adam Kaster (Bill Austin). The supporting cast included Stephanie Ann Christian (Sophie), Nathaniel Dolquist (Sky), Rachel Anne Raeon (Lisa) Kathleen Claire McGrath (Ali), Brett Hennessey Jones (Pepper) and Danny Sims (Eddie).

Mamma Mia brought the audience to their feet at the opening night performance on Friday at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC). Produced by Dream Theatre Productions, the lavish performance of the hit Broadway musical is one of the best you will see with its stunningly talented cast. 

Dream Theatre Productions, the resident professional theater company of The Union County Performing Arts Center is happy to announce Jennifer Cody (Broadway: Urinetown, Shrek, Grease, Taboo & Seussical) will be playing the role of Rosie in their upcoming production of the international smash hit! Cody, perhaps best known to younger audiences as the voice of Charlotte La Bouff in Disney's The Princess and the Frog will be joined by fellow Dynamo's Gabrielle Mirabella (Tours: Elf: The Musical & Mamma Mia!) as Donna Sheridan and Kim Shriver (Broadway: A Chorus Line, Tours: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels & Joseph and the...Dreamcoat) as Tanya.

The Workshop Theater - 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor - will present a concert reading of a new musical this Sunday, January 7th, at 6pm.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.