Nik Whitcomb News

“Heaven Come Home,” a new musical in development, will be presented as an in-person staged reading on Saturday, January 15 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Weber Fine Arts Building, located on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. This reading is a collaboration between UNO Theatre and Megan Ann Rasmussen Productions.

The Coterie Theatre made a big splash with the opening of its world premiere of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES on November 4th at The Coterie Theatre located in Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. The new version of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES has never been seen before and is adapted from the animated series, which has entertained children for the last 17 years. Though entertaining for younger audiences I found the musical to be tedious and the constant screaming to be annoying. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had grown up during the SpongeBob era.

The Coterie Theatre returns to indoor performances on its mainstage with the world premiere of a new version of The SpongeBob Musical never before seen. Adapted from the beloved animated series, The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences is a brand new, high-energy version of the Broadway hit featuring a fun, pop-infused musical score written by some of the biggest names in Top 40 music. Performed live on The Coterie's mainstage located in Crown Center, The SpongeBob Musical will run November 4, 2021-January 2, 2022.

Fresh off the success of Random Acts' Recommended production of The Diplomats, which NewCity called 'timely as ever,' the company will present 2 PILOTS, 2 PLAYS, a reading series by Ben F. Locke. The scripts will be performed live over Zoom each Friday in February.

Conceptualized and executive produced by Andy Lynn, this FREE one-day-only streaming event, with its heart in Chicago, stretches from coast to coast featuring artists, educators, streamers and mental health professionals from across the United States. Chicago locals include Echaka Agba, Breon Arzell, Micah Beauvais, Tyler Brown, Darby Fitzsimons, Tyler Gabrielle, Tina El Gamal, Tommy Malouf, Taylor Raye, Shane Richlan, Amaya Thompson, Shalyn Welch, Wanese Zarour, Martin Yousif Zebari and others. Additional performers include Annelyse Ahmad, Mark Jacob Chaitin, Jeremy Guyton, Kevin O'Connell and Sheldon White.

Chicago musical writing team Reddyk & Krupp are presenting a live album recording of their latest musical -- Hildegard: An Unfinished Revolution. The concert will be performed at Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont Ave.) on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 7:30 pm.

The Neo-Futurist Theater is proud to host more than 50 Chicago-based activists, artists and leaders to take part of its 24-hour staged reading of the Mueller Report. The report, which is nearly 450 pages, was originally delivered by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on April 18, 2019 and covers subjects ranging from questions about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to whether President Donald Trump.

Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce the Chicago premiere of the bold new musical comedy HEAD OVER HEELS, featuring songs by The Go-Go's, based on The Arcadia by Sir Phillip Sidney, conceived and original book by Jeff Whitty and adapted by James Magruder. Making its Chicago debut just six months after concluding its Broadway run, HEAD OVER HEELS is co-directed by Kokandy's new Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham and Elizabeth Swanson, with music direction by Kyra Leigh and choreography by Breon Arzell. Casting will be announced shortly. HEAD OVER HEELS will play July 1 - August 25, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. The press opening is Saturday, July 6 at 8 pm.

Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Van Barham as the company's new Producing Artistic Director, succeeding Allison Hendrix, who served in the position since Kokandy was founded in 2010. Barham is joined by three new Artistic Associates: Adrian Abel Azevedo, Leda Hoffmann and Nik Whitcomb. The new artistic team is supported by Kokandy's Board of Directors, which includes: Preston Cropp, Allison Hendrix, Gitta Jacobs, Scot Kokandy and Katie Svaicer.

Haven Theatre is pleased to announce casting for its fourth DIRECTORS HAVEN, the company's ever-growing initiative annually showcasing the talents of three rising directors. The 2018 productions are helmed by Charlotte Drover, Airos Sung-En Medill and Dani Wieder.

Citadel Theatre will continue its practice of producing classic theatre in bucolic Lake County outdoor settings with this summer's production of SCAPIN, the 17th Century farce by Moliere. SCAPIN will be directed by Frank Farrell, who helmed the company's previous summer productions of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, AS YOU LIKE IT, and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM; and SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY, Farrell's musical dramatic adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters' poetry. Farrell, well-known to Citadel audiences for his portrayals of Dickens' Scrooge in both 2011 and in 2017, has written a new adaptation of the comedy for this production.

Love between men as it has been experienced and documented throughout the ages will be celebrated in a special one-night-only Valentine's Day performance at Pride Arts Center.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sarah Gibson, Mallory Vallier, and Ashley Laverty created a new one-night cabaret featuring favorite show tunes with a twist... or should I say a 'bend?' MISTER AND MISSCAST: A GENDER BENDING MUSICAL THEATRE CABARET, a clever name for a clever show, featured the genders mixing it up. Men performed songs typically sung by women and vice versa. The result was a colorful concoction that was fresh and fun.

Old Log Theatre's contribution to the summer blockbuster musical is GHOST THE MUSICAL, based on the popular 1990 movie. It premiered on Broadway in 2012 and ran for only a few months, and when I saw the tour the following year I was not impressed. At the time I wrote, 'At its core, GHOST is a small intimate love story, but GHOST THE MUSICAL is a big splashy techno-heavy 'show,' in which the beauty of that story gets lost. The story would be better served with less tricks, a smaller cast, fewer showy songs, and a greater focus on what we really care about - the relationship between Molly and Sam.' I'm thrilled to report that Old Log has done just that. The score, which is quite good, the story, and the relationships between the characters are more the focus of the show, with lower tech effects that serve the story rather than drawing attention away from it. If you're looking for a satisfying summer musical experience, head out to Old Log Theatre, one of the oldest theaters in Minnesota, in lovely Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka.