The Muny announced two principal casting changes for the 2013 season. Stephen Wallem will play the title role in Shrek, and Dee Hoty will play the Reverend Mother Mary Regina in Nunsense Muny Style!
Washington National Opera (WNO) will present the world premiere of Approaching Ali tonight and Saturday, June 8-9, 2013 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Approaching Ali features music by composer D.J. Sparr and a libretto by Mark Campbell and Davis Miller, based on Miller's own autobiographical novella. This new work is the first hourlong opera created under the auspices of the American Opera Initiative, WNO's new commissioning program for contemporary American opera, and will be directed by Nicole Watson in her WNO debut.
Transport Group, the Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and OBIE award-winning theatre company, has announced additional casting for the one-night-only, all-star concert of the acclaimed 1959 Broadway classic musical Once Upon A Mattress on Monday, June 17 at 7pmat the The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre in The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. Joining previously announced Jackie Hoffman as Princess Winnifred and John 'Lypsinka' Epperson as Queen Aggravain are Tony nominee Danny Burstein (Follies) as King Sextimus, Tony nominee John Cariani (Fiddler on the Roof) as The Jester, Jill Paice (Curtains) as Lady Larken, Drama Desk nominee Lewis Cleale (The Book of Mormon) as Sir Harry, OBIE winner Jonathan Hammond (The Boys in the Band) as The Wizard, Stanley Bahorek (Queen of the Mist) as The Minstrel, and Drama Desk nominee David Rossmer (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Prince Dauntless.
The Metropolitan Opera and SummerStage continue their long-time collaboration to present some of The Met's finest young singers in showcase recitals taking place across New York City.
JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ and BRETT RYBACK to Co-Star in Second Stage Uptown's MURDER FOR TWO
Cornelia Street Cafe presents CCi's Serial Underground featuring The Life I'm Leading: Music of Daniel Felsenfeld including several premieres tonight, June 2nd at 6pm. Guest Artists include flutists Meerenai Shim (California based), Jessica Schmitz and Sarah Carrier, pianists Blair McMillen and Mila Henry, cellist Rose Bellini, soprano Marcy Richardson and violist Stephanie Griffin.
Opera Colorado announced today that it has appointed conductor Ari Pelto as Artistic Advisor. Pelto's role will commence with the Company's 2014 season, working hand-in-hand with General Director Greg Carpenter and conducting one opera per season beginning in the fall of 2014. Pelto made his Opera Colorado debut earlier this year, conducting the company's highly-acclaimed production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in March 2013. Known for presenting contemporary and rarely performed works as well as more traditional productions of classic opera repertoire, Opera Colorado is the preeminent grand opera company in the Rocky Mountain region and a vital presence in Denver's cultural ecology.
Florida Grand Opera (FGO) announces its 73rd continuous season of grand opera featuring an innovative new vision with provocative repertoire under the direction of General Director and CEO Susan T. Danis. In addition to a wealth of exciting artists making their debuts with the company, the 2013-2014 season features: the Southeast American premiere of Marvin David Levy's Mourning Becomes Electra followed by Verdi's Nabucco, Puccini's Tosca, and Massenet's Thaïs.
From May 28 to June 7, 2014, the New York Philharmonic will present the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL, a kaleidoscopic exploration of today's music by a wide range of contemporary and modern composers that will showcase an array of curatorial voices through concerts presented with partners in venues both on and off the Lincoln Center campus.
BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tonys Meet & Greet on May 1, 2013, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Richard Kind, a nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for The Big Knife. Check out what he had to say below!
The Lobby Project, a series of free performances, art exhibits, performances, conversations and readings by groundbreaking artists, poets, authors and performers, will be presented in conjunction with New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, running July 10 - 27 at City Center. The events will place each Off-Center musical in the context of its legacy and provide insightful explorations of the work the audience is about to experience.
The Trevor Project presented its annual benefit event, 'Trevor Live'. Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth was there for the festivities, where she performed 'For Good' with 'Pitch Perfect' star Anna Kendrick. Check out their performance below!
The 2014 season of New York City Center's Tony Award-winning Encores! series will open with Little Me directed by John Rando and starring Christian Borle ('Smash,' Peter and the Starcatcher) on February 5, 2014. The season will continue with The Most Happy Fella, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and starring Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!, The Whale), followed by Irma La Douce, directed by John Doyle. Encores! Music Director Rob Berman will helm all shows.
East West Players (EWP), the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, has extended the run of CHESS, now through June 23rd, 2013. All performances are staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at2pm.
Today we are talking to a five-time Tony Award-winning director/choreographer celebrated for her stupendous work on CRAZY FOR YOU, THE PRODUCERS, CONTACT, THE FROGS, THOU SHALT NOT, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS and many more - the master musicals director Susan Stroman. In discussing a vast array of topics, Stroman and I touch upon many of her past projects as well as look ahead to her current and future endeavors - that is: the forthcoming Broadway bow of the new musical BIG FISH, starring Norbert Leo Butz, as well as the world premiere of Ahrens & Flaherty's LITTLE DANCER next year. Most importantly, Stroman shines a light on her enduring artistic partnership with Mel Brooks in bringing to life the screen-to-stage musical adaptations of both THE PRODUCERS and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, with BLAZING SADDLES on the way - their rich collaboration also being highlighted in this week's AMERICAN MASTERS tribute to Mel Brooks on PBS. Additionally, Stroman reflects on some of her lesser-known entities and casts a light on some of her foremost influences as well as candidly discusses her specialty work for a bevy of major stars - such as at SONDHEIM: A CELEBRATION AT CARNEGIE HALL in 1992 - and the finer points of working with Stephen Sondheim and Nathan Lane on Sondheim's most recent original Broadway musical, THE FROGS. Plus, Stroman shares first details of her upcoming collaboration with comedy master Woody Allen on the musical stage adaptation of Allen's Academy Award-winning BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and also offers the 411 on the upcoming Los Angeles and West End productions of Kander & Ebb's THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - including the real-life role the musical has played in the pardoning of the originally accused nine just last month. Stroman also comments on her work with Hal Prince on the career revue PRINCE OF BROADWAY, opening in Japan in 2015, and also touches upon her ongoing desire to pursue a film adaptation of her multi-Tony Award-winning and genre-redefining 2000 Best Musical, CONTACT. All of that and much, much awaits in this wide-ranging conversation!
Cornelia Street Cafe presents CCi's Serial Underground featuring The Life I'm Leading: Music of Daniel Felsenfeld including several premieres on Sunday, June 2nd at 6pm. Guest Artists include flutists Meerenai Shim (California based), Jessica Schmitz and Sarah Carrier, pianists Blair McMillen and Mila Henry, cellist Rose Bellini, soprano Marcy Richardson and violist Stephanie Griffin.
The National Symphony Orchestra Pops will present three performances of The Wizard and I: The Musical Journey of Stephen Schwartz May 16-18 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Led by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, the performances feature performances by Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Jennifer Laura Thompson, and The Washington Chorus. The performances celebrate Stephen Schwartz's 65th birthday as well as the 10th anniversary of the perennially 'popular' Wicked, and Mr. Schwartz will make a special appearance in each of the three programs, performing and sharing stories of the creation of Wicked.
Washington National Opera (WNO) will present the world premiere of Approaching Ali on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, 2013 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Approaching Ali features music by composer D.J. Sparr and a libretto by Mark Campbell and Davis Miller, based on Miller's own autobiographical novella. This new work is the first hourlong opera created under the auspices of the American Opera Initiative, WNO's new commissioning program for contemporary American opera, and will be directed by Nicole Watson in her WNO debut.
The National Symphony Orchestra Pops will present three performances of The Wizard and I: The Musical Journey of Stephen Schwartz tonight, May 16-18 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Led by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, the performances feature performances by Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Jennifer Laura Thompson, and The Washington Chorus. The performances celebrate Stephen Schwartz's 65th birthday as well as the 10th anniversary of the perennially 'popular' Wicked.
St. Ann's Warehouse has announced programming highlights of its 2013-14 season, which will kick off in October with the American Premiere of the Donmar Warehouse's tremendously acclaimed all-female production of Julius Caesar.
