Mike Shepherd is an actor, director, teacher and the Artistic Director of Kneehigh. He started Kneehigh in 1980 and has worked almost exclusively for the company ever since. He is currently playing King Mark in their acclaimed production of Tristan & Yseult and is about to direct a new production of The Tin Drum. We met in the surrounds of the Bristol Old Vic Backstage Bar to talk.
HEADLESS - a modern gothic rock-opera ghost story that revisits author Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from co-writers Bradley Bredeweg (Freeform's 'The Fosters,' Showtime's 'Intersection,' Bill Condon's Side Show on Broadway) and Brad Hooks (Freeform's 'The Fosters') - will be the focus of a new work development lab that will explore the score, story and new stage technology over the course of two and a half weeks at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) in Beverly Hills. The lab will launch on Thursday, July 6 and will culminate with closed presentations on Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23 (presentations by private invitation only).
Actor and pianist Hershey Felder returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) for the Los Angeles premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky, beginning Wednesday, July 19 through Sunday, August 6. Directed by Felder collaborator Trevor Hay, Hershey Felder's Our Great Tchaikovsky is a time-bending tale of music, politics and one of the world's most beloved composers.
Actor and pianist Hershey Felder returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) for the Los Angeles premiere ofOUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, beginning Wednesday, July 19 through Sunday, August 6.
Yellow Earth Theatre Company's ACADEMY is now in its 8th year and will run from July 17th to July 28th at ALRA in a bid to inspire the next generation of British East Asian* actors. This intensive, two week, fully funded course led by professionals working in the industry will give students a taste of drama school training, some vital skills and a host of insiders' tips on how to become a professional actor in theatre, TV, film or radio.
Under the auspices of GRoW @ The Wallis, The Wallis Youth Theater Company presents its second theater production of the 2016-17 season, playwright Gareth Jandrell's Thebes, which makes its North American premiere on Saturday, June 10 at 8pm and Sunday, June 11 at 6pm at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. Ravaged by climate change and shaken by political turmoil, the citizens of Thebes must unite in order to revolutionize their democracy. From Oedipus to Antigone, the story of Thebes remains a fascinating exploration of fate, morality and power, two and a half thousand years after the saga was originally written. Thebes is directed by Madeleine Dahm, with lighting design by Bosco Flanagan, recently named Lighting Designer of the Year by Los Angeles' Stage Raw. The cast includes young actors: Trecey Dory, Malakai Jones, Jayde Kief, Samantha Marino, Kelvin Morales, Jordan Rodriguez, Alexander Sheldon and Clementine Turner.
Businessman and philanthropist Michael A. Nemeroff will take the helm as Chairman of the Board of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts effective September 27, 2017.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) announced today the 2017/18 season, which features 250 performances delivering groundbreaking produced and presented works in dance, music and theater from locally, nationally and internationally renowned artists and companies.
This June, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will present The Pride, a stylish, witty and affecting play that alternates between two very distinct time periods and the lives of three characters whose fate is destined by their eras.
Yellow Earth Theatre Company's ACADEMY is now in its 8th year and will run from July 17th to July 28th at ALRA in a bid to inspire the next generation of British East Asian* actors. This intensive, two week, fully funded course led by professionals working in the industry will give students a taste of drama school training, some vital skills and a host of insiders' tips on how to become a professional actor in theatre, TV, film or radio.
Among the most influential artists of American modern dance, Paul Taylor continues to shape the art that he has helped define since becoming a professional dancer and pioneering choreographer in 1954. Today, the Paul Taylor Dance Company is among the most sought after ensembles, having performed in more than 500 cities in 64 countries over the course of more than 60 years, bringing Paul Taylor's repertoire—now numbering 144 dances—to every part of the globe. For its debut at The Wallis, Mr. Taylor brings a program of classic works to The Wallis for three special performances on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 at 8pm, and Sunday, May 7 at 2pm.
The Encounter - among the most compelling theatrical experiences ever staged on Broadway and in London - will make its West Coast debut in April at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the musical legacy of Henry Mancini, one of the world's greatest composers, conductors and arrangers, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. From 'Moon River' to 'The Days of Wine and Roses' to the 'Peter Gunn Theme,' the music of Henry Mancini has helped define American film and television soundtracks for nearly five decades, and earned the legendary composer four Academy Awards, twenty Grammy Awards and numerous other honors, including a U.S. Postage Stamp. The evening not only honors Henry Mancini, but also celebrates Ginny Mancini and the Mancini family with a special performance by the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami-their first Los Angeles appearance since their move to Florida-with all proceeds benefiting the artistic, educational and outreach programs of The Wallis.
Record-breaking six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald makes her greatly anticipated debut, as part of the acclaimed Broadway @ series, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, a one-night-only event featuring two intimate concerts at 7:00pm and 9:30pm on Thursday, May 11. Produced by Mark Cortale, the Broadway legend will be joined on stage by Broadway @ series host and pianist Seth Rudetsky, who recently starred in the five-star London premiere of his Broadway musical Disaster!
There's still one week left to catch 946: THE AMAZING STORY OF ADOLPHUS TIPS at Beverly Hill's Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Emma Rice and Paul Crewes were nice enough to take time to talk about UK-based Kneehigh's latest touring show.
Two worlds collide in Filter Theatre's infectiously funny and irreverent take on Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's lyrical comedy of romance, satire and mistaken identity. Originally commissioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) Complete Works Festival, Filter Theatre's Twelfth Night combines dynamic narrative drive with a dynamic rock 'n' roll score played live onstage. Performances begin Tuesday, March 14 and it will perform through Sunday, March 19.
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Deaf West Theatre (DWT), the performing arts organizations behind the Tony Award-nominated and Ovation Award-winning revival of Spring Awakening, reunite to bring multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo to life in an innovative and new production. Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo begins previews on March 7 and will open in the Lovelace Studio Theater at The Wallis on Friday, March 10. It will run through March 26. This production is made possible by the generous support of Meeghan and Michael Nemeroff.
On Friday, February 3 at 7:30pm, ASCAP Artistic Director and Tony, Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt) was joined by Broadway guest stars for An Evening with Stephen Schwartz: Music & Broadway Memories.
The 2017 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop, in partnership with DreamWorks Animation and The Wallis, returns to Beverly Hills on February 1 - 2, 2017. The two-day annual workshop gives select composers and lyricists the opportunity to present songs and excerpts of new original musical works in progress for professional critique.
The 2017 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop, in Partnership with DreamWorks Animation and The Wallis, is now accepting applications for the 2017 edition of the popular workshop series that gives selected composers and lyricists the opportunity to present selections from original musical works in progress for professional critique. The workshop will take place on February 1 & 2, 2017.
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