Michael Stiggers News

I was invited to the opening night performance of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, the hit Broadway show celebrating the life and music of Carole King. The show is infused with many number one hits of the era, written by King (Elise Vannerson) and her husband, Gerry Goffin (Ben Biggers), including 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', 'Some Kind of Wonderful' and 'The Locomotion'. In addition, King and Goffin had some intense competition through their friends and rivals, Cynthia Weil (Alison Whitehurst) and Barry Mann (Jacob Heimer). Weil and Mann's musical contributions include equally successful songs, such as 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling', which remains, to this day, the song with the most airplay on American radio. King's biographical journey takes the audience from her humble beginnings as a smarty-pants, sheltered teenager from Brooklyn - whose mother wants her to teach music rather than write it - to a sensational musical hit making machine, together with Goffin. Despite their success, it wasn't all sunshine and roses and King's struggles echo those of many working parents trying to find a work-life balance. King longs for a suburban house and traditional family but her husband wants to experience the showbiz life and becomes less and less interested in family life (not to mention, monogamy). King, battling self-esteem issues, ultimately finds the courage to break out on her own. This liberation results in her moving to California and releasing the Grammy award winning album, Tapestry. The show ends on a high note, with King at her piano at Carnegie Hall, celebrating her well-deserved success.

Chilina Kennedy will return to Beautiful - The Carole King Musical starting Thursday, January 3 as the production prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary on Broadway.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 21 for the National Theatre's "Broadway at the National" performances of SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL (Jan. 16 - 27, 2019), FINDING NEVERLAND (Feb. 26 - Mar. 3, 2019), A BRONX TALE (Mar. 26 - 31, 2019), STOMP (Apr. 23 - 28, 2019), and Jim Steinman's BAT OUT OF HELL (May 7 - 26, 2019).

Casting has been announced for the triumphant return to Washington, D.C. of the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning Broadway smash hit BEAUTIFUL - The Carole King Musical, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter. BEAUTIFUL is onstage at the National Theatre for a 5-week run during the holiday season from November 27 thru December 30, 2018.

Casting has been announced for the triumphant return to Washington, D.C. of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway smash hit Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter. BEAUTIFUL is onstage at the National Theatre for a 5-week run during the holiday season from November 27 thru December 30, 2018.

Throughout history, performance artists have become staples in pop culture, many of which can rightfully claim "icon" status. However, aside from music performance, songwriting has long been an underrated quality in the music industry. Even if songwriters become notable performers, it is not always widely known that they have written, and continue to write, for other top artists. Such is the case of Carole King, as told by Beautiful, The Carole King Musical. 

The North American tour of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical will welcome Dylan S. Wallach (Gerry Goffin) and Alison Whitehurst (Cynthia Weil) beginning September 4 in Denver, CO. The two artists join Sarah Bockel (Carole King), Jacob Heimer (Barry Mann), James Clow (Don Kirshner) and Suzanne Grodner (Genie Klein).

The Cape Playhouse very proudly presents, South Pacific, the award winning Broadway musical. Starring Becky Gulsvig, Mike McGowan, Tim Rogan, Shea Renne, Michael Thomas Holmes, and Yvonne Strumecki; and directed by Michael Rader. One of Rogers and Hammerstein's most beloved scores, South Pacific runs August 7-18, 2018.

Last summer, Columbus theatre-lovers flew to New York to see Springer favorite Michael Stiggers make his Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.  There was a cheering crowd waiting outside the stage door, then dinner, toasts and speeches at Sardi's Restaurant.

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL playing right now at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is the most jukebox of juke box musicals. With a book by Douglas McGrath, it tells the story of King's life and career using songs that she wrote, often together wither sometimes partner and spouse Gerry Goffin, and other contemporary songs by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector and others. What makes it the 'most juke box?' In a play that runs two and a half hours (including intermission), the very talented cast performs over twenty-five songs. Why so many songs? It's a play about songwriters whose best friends are songwriters, who among them wrote some of the most popular songs of the sixties and seventies. With so many songs to cover, McGrath let the music carry the first act and left the story of King's metamorphosis from composer to singer songwriter to Act 2. Somebody is doing something right because BEAUTIFUL opened on Broadway in January of 2014 and has been running ever since. This stop in Providence is the second in our fair city since it went on tour in 2015. As near as I could tell, everybody present had a helluva time last night.

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have announced casting for the Providence engagement of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning hit musical BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. The National Tour, which launched at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in the fall of 2015, returns to PPAC February 27 March 4, 2018 as a Broadway Special.

Maggie Politi & Spiro Marcos, co-founders of NikoFrank Productions present an original comedic short 'Tasting Notes' written by Cory Stonebrook. The creative duo has professionally produced 7 comedic sketches & short films featuring TV & Broadway actors.

NikoFrank Productions presents an original comedic short Never Have I Ever written by Maggie Politi and produced & created alongside co-founder Spiro Marcos. The creative duo has fully produced 6 sketches & short films featuring TV & Broadway actors.

Kevin Smith Kirkwood - currently appearing on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots - will bring CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE! back to Joe's Pub at The Public by popular demand.

Producers have announced the full cast for iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical at the 2017 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference (NMTC) this July.

Producers have announced the full cast for iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical at the 2017 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Music Theater Conference (NMTC) this July.

Broadway Actors shine in new comedic original parody 'Nobirthetal' by writer/creator Maggie Politi.

In 1978, I went with neighbors to the local movie theater to see the film adaptation of Grease. That was the first time I had ever gone to the movies without my parents. It was also the first time I had ever looked around the theater to make sure that the other people understood that we were seeing something extraordinary. It turned out that I was right that day in my 6-year-old assessment of Grease, at least if the fact that it went on to become one of the highest grossing musical films of all time is any indication. So when I see that there's a production of the stage musical coming to a theater near me, I always feel giddy. Unfortunately, I rarely leave a production having retained that delicious feeling of giddiness because it turns out once I get there that Danny Zuko isn't being played by John Travolta and Sandy isn't Olivia Newton John. But Serenbe Playhouse, under the direction of the oh-so-talented Brian Clowdus, with their gift for inventive, site-specific staging and their knack for finding the perfect cast, made me forget all about the Danny and Sandy of my childhood and left me with an acute awareness of the fact that Grease is still the word.

Serenbe Playhouse, recipient of the prestigious American Theatre Wing grant, and recently honored with the most Suzi Bass Awards for a musical in Atlanta (Miss Saigon), is pleased to present GREASE, by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey. The show is directed by Brian Clowdus with music direction by Chris Brent Davis and choreography by Bubba Carr. The show opens on March 23rd and runs through April 16th, only. Performance times are Wednesdays through Sundays at 8pm. Single tickets are on sale now online at www.serenbeplayhouse.com (any time); and by phone at 770-463-1110 (Box Office hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11am until 4pm). The Playhouse administrative offices are located at 9110 Selborne Lane, #210, Chattahoochee Hills GA, 30268. GREASE will be produced at The Wildflower Meadow in Serenbe.

Tony Award nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin, Something Rotten, Honeymoon in Vegas) will be featured in the original new web series (un)balanced. He is among other Broadway actors Daisy Hobbs (Aladdin) and Vishal Vaidya (Groundhog's Day) are featured in the new comedic web series about a young woman, Melissa attempting to find her center.