Owen Tabaka News

Williamstown Theatre Festival announces additional casting and full creative teams for productions

This Sunday, June 2nd at 7:00 pm will be a special show celebrating the 75th Birthday of the multi award-winning Marvin Hamlisch is being presented by Steven Brinberg at Feinstein's/54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, NYC 10019. Michael Lavine is the Musical Director, with a special appearance by Terre Blair Hamlisch.  

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway Center Stage production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man starring Tony Award® nominee Norm Lewis (Porgy and Bess) as Harold Hill, Tony Award®-winning actress Jessie Mueller (Waitress, Carousel, Beautiful) as Marian Paroo, and Broadway, film, and television star Rosie O'Donnell as Mrs. Paroo. The semi-staged concert production is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful, Broadway Center Stage: How to Succeed...) with choreography by Chris Bailey (Jerry Springer: The Opera, The New Yorkers at Encores!) and music direction by James Moore (Miss Saigon, the Kennedy Center's Follies and Ragtime).

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway Center Stage production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man starring Tony Award® nominee Norm Lewis (Porgy and Bess) as Harold Hill, Tony Award®-winning actress Jessie Mueller (Waitress, Carousel, Beautiful) as Marian Paroo, and Broadway, film, and television star Rosie O'Donnell as Mrs. Paroo. The semi-staged concert production is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful, Broadway Center Stage: How to Succeed...) with choreography by Chris Bailey (Jerry Springer: The Opera, The New Yorkers at Encores!) and music direction by James Moore (Miss Saigon, the Kennedy Center's Follies and Ragtime).

Norm Lewish, Jessie Muehller, and Rosie O'Connell star in a semi-staged production.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway Center Stage production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man starring Tony Award® nominee Norm Lewis (Porgy and Bess) as Harold Hill, Tony Award®-winning actress Jessie Mueller (Waitress, Carousel, Beautiful) as Marian Paroo, and Broadway, film, and television star Rosie O'Donnell as Mrs. Paroo. The semi-staged concert production is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful, Broadway Center Stage: How to Succeed...) with choreography by Chris Bailey (Jerry Springer: The Opera, The New Yorkers at Encores!) and music direction by James Moore (Miss Saigon, the Kennedy Center's Follies and Ragtime).

Do not miss this Tony-winning musical!

For something completely different this holiday season, you might want to consider Signature Theatre's latest offering. Billy Elliot the Musical is not your standard holiday fare by any means. Sure, there are big production numbers, but the story features important underlying themes of labor tensions, economic inequality, and acceptance. In other words, this show follows my philosophy that theater is meant to educate as well as entertain. The production also features some pretty incredible ballet and tap choreography with a cast that performs it beautifully.

Go behind the scenes of Signature Theatre's Billy Elliot with Grant Richards as he takes over the BroadwayWorld Instagram today, November 10th! Follow along as Richards shows you his two show day while performing as Adult Billy! Be sure to tune in today!

Signature Theatre is proud to present Billy Elliot the Musical directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Passion, West Side Story). Based on the powerful and acclaimed film, all 11-year-old Billy wants to do is dance. Initially facing opposition from society and his father, Billy's passion instead unites the community and changes his life in extraordinary ways. The original production with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award® winner Elton John was universally lauded, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. Billy Elliot the Musical runs now thru January 6, 2019 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

Signature Theatre is proud to present Billy Elliot the Musical directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Passion, West Side Story). Based on the powerful and acclaimed film, all 11-year-old Billy wants to do is dance. Initially facing opposition from society and his father, Billy's passion instead unites the community and changes his life in extraordinary ways. The original production with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award® winner Elton John was universally lauded, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. Billy Elliot the Musical runs now thru January 6, 2019 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the trailer for Signature Theater's Billy Elliot the Musical directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Passion, West Side Story). Based on the powerful and acclaimed film, all 11-year-old Billy wants to do is dance. Initially facing opposition from society and his father, Billy's passion instead unites the community and changes his life in extraordinary ways. The original production with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award® winner Elton John was universally lauded, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. Billy Elliot the Musical will run from October 30, 2018 - January 6, 2019 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

Audiences familiar with Signature Theatre know that it is not uncommon for Matthew Gardiner to wear dual hats as both a musical's director and choreographer. However, having dual actors tackle the lead role brings its own set of unique challenges.

Signature Theatre announces the full cast and creative team for Billy Elliot the Musical directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Passion, West Side Story).

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Goodspeed's production of OLIVER! Check out all new photos from the production below!

Charles Dickens' beloved orphan makes his Goodspeed debut in the hope-filled musical set in the dark shadows of Victorian London. Bounced from workhouse to forced labor, Oliver Twist escapes to the streets where he meets Fagin, the Artful Dodger and a band of child pickpockets. Will he find love, home and happiness before it's too late?

The AJ Project 501(c)3 non profit for the arts announces that Broadway Veteran James Harkness (Beautiful The Musical, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, The Color Purple, Aida), Drew Seeley (Jersey Boys) and Owen Tabaka (A Christmas Story) along with several emerging artists will perform at the AJ Project's 2nd Annual Friend Raiser- Create from the Heart to Bring Awareness for the need for Organ and Tissue Donation. It was the sudden death of her 26 year old son, AJ Perrelli in 2013; the subsequent knowledge that AJ's gifts of life were only 7 of the 213 successful organ donations of 10,000 waiting in NYC area and the fact that NYC was last in the nation in registration that prompted Christine Perrelli's journey as an Organ Donor Advocate. Connecting the arts to that cause was a natural connection for Christine. Her son AJ was a professional dancer, actor singer living in NYC at the time of his death and it was those creative people who came to her families side to lend support.

For a fourth Christmas season, Big League Productions Inc. will tour their lavish production of A Christmas Story, The Musical to 12 cities, opening in Worcester, MA tonight, November 9, 2017, with engagements to follow in Elmira, NY, Scranton, PA, Newport News, VA, Hartford, CT, Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, Rochester, NY, Columbia, SC, Charleston, SC, Jackson, MS, and Austin, TX.

For a fourth Christmas season, Big League Productions Inc. will tour their lavish production of A Christmas Story, The Musical to twelve cities opening in Worcester, MA on November 9, 2017, with engagements to follow in Elmira, NY, Scranton, PA, Newport News, VA, Hartford, CT, Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, Rochester, NY, Columbia, SC, Charleston, SC, Jackson, MS, and Austin, TX.

The wait is over. Two River Theater (TRT) opens its 2017/2018 Season with an outstanding production of the time-honored classic, A Raisin in the Sun. The show will be on the Red Bank stage now through October 8. Written by Lorraine Hansberry and directed by Carl Cofield, it is staged and performed to perfection.