Michael Ross News

THE TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL returns this summer with an extensive line-up of productions by award-winning artists, the popular POSTSCRIPT pop-up patio, and for the first time, will venture to the East End with 16 shows presented at main venue Streetcar Crowsnest. The TORONTO FRINGE takes place July 3 July 14, 2019 with 151 shows at 46 venues presented across the city, and all venues are fully accessible.

Baltimore Center Stage is pleased to announce an exhilarating season of Mainstage plays to mark the debut programming under Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra. This season of storytelling continues the Center Stage tradition of curating works from a wide array of voices, while also turning corners and pushing open doors to present these works in new and exciting ways.

Baltimore Center Stage has been awarded a 2019 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the organization announced today. The agency received more than 1,600 Art Works applications for this round of grantmaking, and Baltimore Center Stage has received $40,000 in support of the theater's Mobile Unit production of Antigone and its tour throughout Maryland in February and March.

A wonderful flat in Central London. You can see Big Ben from one of the windows and you can walk to work. All this for a ridiculous price. 'Where's the catch?'. Tom and Ed are flat-hunting and stumble upon the perfect accommodation, but something's not right.

Baltimore Center Stage is thrilled to announce Grammy-nominated Broadway actress Syndee Winters will be in concert on Saturday February 9, 2019 in the Pearlstone Theater for a one-night-only special performance of her album Syndee Winters: Lessons >From a Lady, a musical love letter to American icon Lena Horne. Thanking her for her journey and sacrifice in her professional and personal life, Winters weaves stories and highlights the parallels of the life of Ms. Horne with those of her own professional and personal journey while infusing a beautiful interpretation of the standards Horne made famous, including "Yesterday, When I Was Young," and the iconic song from the 1970's film The Wiz, "Believe in Yourself."

Today The Paragon Collective launches the first two installments of The First Mrs. Claus, a four-part holiday scripted musical comedy podcast. Created, written, composed and directed by Alex Aldea and Michael Ross, new episodes will premiere each Tuesday leading up to the Christmas holiday. The tongue-in-cheek tale features the voices of Michelle Visage, Kristin Chenoweth, Lewis Black, RuPaul, Ross Matthews, Josh Peck, Nancy Grace, Cecil Baldwin (Welcome to Night Vale), Katie Siegel (The Haunting of Hill House), Ray Dalton and more. Four hilarious half hour installments follow the courtroom trial of Hot Coco, Santa's first wife, who is on trial for his murder.

Joe C. Brown and Anthony Hollis Productions have announced the tour of a new one-man play THE SHY MANIFESTO, written by Michael Ross, directed by Cat Robey and starring Theo Ancient (Albus Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). THE SHY MANIFESTO will open at Live Theatre, Newcastle on 29 January 2019, before touring nationally.

San Francisco North Bay theater artists gathered Monday night at the Juncture Taproom and Lounge in Santa Rosa for the Third Annual Marquee Theater Journalists Association Awards. Seventeen awards were given to local theatre artists and productions whose nominations were culled from the sixty-six Sonoma County productions attended by members from September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2018.

Baltimore Center Stage has announced the cast and artistic team for its second play of the 2018/19 season, King of the Yees. Written by award-winning playwright Lauren Yee, King of the Yees is the hilarious and heartfelt generational story of a Chinese-American family.

Theatre Bay Area, the third-largest regional theatre service organization in North America, announced the finalists for the 2018 TBA Awards. The fifth annual TBA Awards Celebration will be held on Monday, Nov. 5 at the Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco). Tickets for the public go on sale Friday, September 28, 2018, through City Box Office.

San Francisco's Theatre Bay Area has announced the nominees for their 5th Annual TBA Awards and North Bay companies have snagged multiple nominations.

The San Francisco North Bay's Marquee Theater Journalists Association has released the list of nominees for its 3rd Annual MTJA Awards. The Association recognized the exemplary work of Sonoma County theater artists with nominations in seventeen categories that were culled from the sixty-six productions attended by MTJA members. Recipients will be announced at the 2018 MTJA Awards - A Celebration of Sonoma County Theater which will be held October 22nd at the Juncture Taproom and Lounge in Santa Rosa.

Baltimore Center Stage has announced the four shows that will comprise the 2018/19 Family Series. On the heels of last season's sell-out performances of Junie B. Jones, Center Stage has expanded the Family Series to include eight performances to take place on four Sundays throughout the season.

Baltimore Center Stage is pleased to announce the cast and artistic team for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof directed by Judith Ivey. The sultry American classic opens Baltimore Center Stage's 56th season.

After a nationwide search, Baltimore Center Stage is excited to announce Stephanie Ybarra has been tapped to become the theater's next Artistic Director. Ybarra comes to Baltimore Center Stage from The Public Theater in New York, where she currently serves as Director of Special Artistic Projects. She will transition to Center Stage beginning in October, and join the staff full-time in December.

Baltimore Center Stage is thrilled to announce the newly named Bernard Black Box, previously known as the Third Space, in honor of Ellen and Ed Bernard for their support to the Campaign for Center Stage and their support of new, adventurous theater at affordable ticket prices. In keeping with one of the pillars of our mission, Access for All, the Bernard Black Box will feature tickets priced at $25 or less for all performances.

Civic Theatres Toronto today announced the line-up for Best of the Fringe - the best from the recent 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival.

High Park Productions is proud to present The Grass is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome, a comedy by Michael Ross Albert, directed by Robert Motum, at The Freedom Factory, July 4 - 15, 2018, at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

The eighth and final production of Mosaic Theater Company's upcoming fourth season will be Twisted Melodies, a critically acclaimed one-man show about the life and music of troubled genius Donny Hathaway performed by the multi-talented Kelvin Roston Junior. Twisted Melodies is being produced by Baltimore Center Stage and Congo Square Theatre Company in association with The Apollo Theater and Mosaic in a unique three-city co-production.

This summer, the Toronto Fringe Festival will feature two works by award-winning playwright Michael Ross Albert (Tough Jews, Dora Award nomination-- Outstanding New Play), including the world premiere of his newest drama, Anywhere.