Michael Smith News

The ambassador of the Great American songbook and multi-platinum-selling, Emmy and Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Michael Feinstein brings an incomparable concert experience to Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 7 at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.

Following the announcement of their Opening Night Film, Yen Tan's award-winning AIDS drama 1985, NewFest today announced the full lineup of their 30th annual celebration of the year's best LGBT films from around the world. The program of more than 140 narrative features, documentaries, episodic series and shorts runs from October 24-30 at the SVA Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The LGBT Community Center in New York City.

Jeanne Lauren Smith and Karen Eleanor Wight are set for a reading of LEAVE PHILADELPHIA, NEVER, written by Michael Wells-Oakes. The family drama will be directed by Cynthia Granville and presented by the 29th Street Playwrights Collective New Work Series on Monday October 1, at the Bernie Wohl Center, 647 Columbus Ave, at 7:30pm.

 NewFest has announced its Opening Night film to be Yen Tan's powerful AIDS drama '1985' on Wednesday, October 24th. This year will mark the highly significant 30th anniversary of NewFest, one of the world's most venerable and respected LGBT festivals. '1985' joins a history of notable NewFest Opening Night Films, including 'Go Fish' (1994), 'High Art' (1998), 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' (2001), 'But I'm a Cheerleader' (2000), and 'We Were Here' (2011). The film is a return to NewFest for Tan, whose previous films “Ciao” (2008) and “Pit Stop” (2013) have screened at the fest in the past.

Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of  AT THIS PERFORMANCE… to be held on Monday, September 17th   at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.

A trailer has been released for Yen Tan's '1985' starring Cory Michael Smith, which opens on October 26th.

Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of  AT THIS PERFORMANCE… to be held on Monday, August  20th at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.

CastAndLoose Live! returns for its 8th full-length installment to present CastAndLoose Live! Boys Don't Cry When Transparent Danish Girls Join The Dallas Buyers Club, on Monday, August 27th, 2018 at 7:00pm at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC. 

Head Over Heels opened on Broadway last night at the Hudson Theatre (141 West 44th Street)! From The Go-Go's to Peppermint, you can check out the photos of all the stars arriving below!

Creative Endeavor Office announced today that the immersive concert experiences Reunion '69 and Reunion '85 begin performances on Thursday, July 26 at 7.30pm at the Elizabeth Eriksen Byron Theatre at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts (2344 East Iliff Avenue).

Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of  AT THIS PERFORMANCE… to be held on Monday, July 16th  at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.

Old Library Theatre, Fair Lawn Recreation Department's resident theater company and NJACT's 2017 Community Theater of the Year, is proud to present Casa Valentina. 

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) released today its complete lineup for the 11-day celebration, taking place August 9-19, which includes artists visiting from India, Philippines, United States, and Canada. More than 70 films from 15 countries are featured at this 30th anniversary Festival presented by RBC, along with 11 visiting filmmakers, 27 local directors and numerous local performing artists, in addition to parties and talkback sessions. Festival passes and tickets are available online today.

THE most colourful and energetic audience in Las Vegas is preparing their fancy dress and '180 card' messages ahead of the return of darts' biggest names to the Strip from July 5-7.

Wolfe Releasing has announced today that it has acquired writer director Yen Tan's 1985, starring Cory Michael Smith (FOX's 'Gotham'), Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael Chiklis ('The Shield') and Jamie Chung (FOX's 'The Gifted' and ABC's 'Once Upon a Time'), for a theatrical release this October. The Texas-set family drama had its World Premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where it was praised as 'a miracle of a film' (Film School Rejects), 'a poignant, even provocative meditation on a part of LGBTQ history' (The Daily Beast), 'a deeply emotional tearjerker and family story... that earns its tears honestly and scrupulously' (The Wrap) and 'a model of eloquent restraint' (The Hollywood Reporter).

Utah Film Center announced today the films selected for the 15th annual Damn These Heels Film Festival and new elements to the festival for film lovers, filmmakers and all storytellers. Damn These Heels will run July 20 - 22, 2018 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and is a festival for all that explores LGBTQ issues, ideas, and art through independent, documentary, and foreign films from around the world. Passes and tickets are now on sale on the Utah Film Center's website. Additional titles will be announced on the website leading up to the Festival.

AT THIS PERFORMANCE… featuring Standbys and Understudies from AVENUE Q, BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, CAROUSEL, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE and SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL returns to THE GREEN ROOM 42, Monday, June 11th.

Company of Fools (COF) will kick off its 23rd season of dynamic theatre programming in late June with Woody Guthrie's American Song, an ensemble musical based on the famed singer-songwriter's folk music and writings that was praised by The Seattle Times as "An exuberant musical celebration of our nation, our history, and our shared humanity." Directed by Kent Thompson with musical direction by R.L. Rowsey, the production will run June 26-July 15 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. Woody Guthrie's American Song is presented in conjunction with The Center's BIG IDEA project We the People: Protests and Patriotism.

Physical Festival Chicago - the city's annual contemporary, visual and physical theater festival presenting new forms of theater from around the world - is returning June 1-9, 2018 for its fifth anniversary outing.