Paul Kolnik News

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's holiday season at New York City Center continues this week with the return of Alvin Ailey's original masterpiece BLUES SUITE tonight, December 16th. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the piece!

'Twas 17 nights before Christmas and there I was at the David H. Koch Theater, viewing Balanchine's 62 year old The Nutcracker, performed by the New York City Ballet, which had premiered it on February 2, 1954. Magic was in the air. Although it was a school night, there were a number of excited children in the audience dressed up in their finest party attire, a modern version of the children's party clothes in the first act. This ballet is, of course, geared towards the children, both in the audience and on the stage.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's holiday season at New York City Center continues this week with the return of Alvin Ailey's original masterpiece BLUES SUITE on Wednesday, December 16th. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the piece!

The King could soon be traveling from Siam to Anna's world in Britain! The Daily Mail writes that Tony winner Kelli O'Hara might be leading Broadway's THE KING AND I across the pond late next year or in early 2017, with the Drury Lane Theatre rumored as the musical's new home.

In a time when the very foundation of the African-American community has been rocked by police brutality and racism renewed with a vengeance, we need something to uplift and inspire us. This holiday season, that something is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 45th annual residency at New York City Center.

On Friday, December 4th, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater unveiled Robert Battle's Awakening, his first world premiere since becoming Artistic Director. Grammy-award winning singer Lauryn Hill was in attendance for the debut of the powerful work in which a dozen Ailey dancers lead the audience on a cathartic journey of dissonance and harmony, chaos and resolution. There are seven more opportunities to see Awakening during Ailey's New York City Center holiday season: Dec 12 mat, 17, 19 eve, 22, 24, 26 eve, Jan 2 eve. Scroll down for a first look at the piece!

Broadway's current King was a graphic designer before a friend asked him to help record a demo for a musical.

On Thursday evening, October 15, 2015, the curtain rose at the David Koch Theater to reveal a colorful stage in the style of commedia dell'arte, vibrant scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, and lighting by Mark Stanley. The occasion was George Balanchine's Harlequinade, created for the New York City Ballet for the 65th anniversary of Marius Petipa's Les Millions de Harlequin. While this Balanchine ballet premiered on February 4, 1965, its original roots, particularly from commedia dell'arte, were popular in Italy and France from the 16th to the 18th centuries. These comedies were filled with humor, slapstick, and mimicry. Actors wore masks, as did some of the dancers, which became so familiar that they evolved into stock characters, most notably Pierrot and his wife Pierrette; Columbine and Harlequin, who are in love and marry in the second act of the ballet; and the Good Fairy.

The NYCB's performance of October 9th was an array of movements and interpretations: some of the works were incredible and others missed the mark.

On Tuesday, September 29, immediately upon completion of filming his starring role on the fourth season of the Cinemax series 'Banshee,' Hoon Lee joined Tony winner Kelli O'Hara and the company, assuming the role of The King, which was originated for this production by Tony Award nominee Ken Watanabe. Lee replaced Jose Llana. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a new look at Lee in the role below!

Always a great treasure to the city, New York City Center's Fall for Dance opened its second program with great anticipation. For an affordable price, audiences get a glimpse of the wonderful world of dance, with access to some of the field's greatest visionaries from around the globe. With a roster that included breathtaking athleticism, a comical tap solo, intriguing minimalist ballet, and an entrancing African-urban fusion, Fall for Dance's second program of 2015 did not let the audience down. There is no wonder that this is perhaps one of the hottest tickets in town!

There may be no better way to chase the gloom of an unseasonably chilly and wind-whipped evening in NYC than to watch New York City Ballet's delightfully varied quintuple-bill entitled "Americana X Five". On October 2nd 2015, with Hurricane Joaquin's approach bringing on a gusty downpour, I was among the lucky dancegoers at the Koch Theater in Lincoln Center who enjoyed one of the best programs the company has offered in a long time. If you'll be in town through October 7th, don't miss the chance to see the works of four very different choreographers set to the equally wide-ranging works of a talented handful of American composers.

The Tony Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I, directed by Bartlett Sher, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street), welcomes a new leader tonight, September 29.

On Tuesday, September 29, immediately upon completion of filming his starring role on the fourth season of the Cinemax series 'Banshee,' Hoon Lee will join Tony winner Kelli O'Hara and the company to assume the role of The King, which was originated for this production by Tony Award nominee Ken Watanabe. Lee replaces Jose Llana. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a very first look at the television star in the role!

New York City Ballet's 'Swan Lake', which opened the 2015 fall season with performances from September 22nd to 29th, is a testament to the old adage that goes 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' In creating this iteration of one of the most beloved staples in ballet's classical canon, Artistic Director Peter Martins and his colleagues tinkered mercilessly with everything from the choreography to the costumes and sets. The dancing on the evening of Friday, September 25th when I saw the production was gorgeous and the story line was suitably moving, but those positive aspects didn't make up for the other glaring flaws. Not only that, but the orchestra was definitely not in fine fettle. Tchaikovsky's glorious score deserves better.

Earlier this month, Jose Llana stepped into the role of the King of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, directed by Bartlett Sher, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). This marks Llana's second experience in the iconic show, as he made is Broadway debut almost 20 years ago as Lun Tha in the 1996 revival. Llana joins Tony winner Kelli O'Hara for a strictly limited 11-week engagement through Sunday, September 27. Just after he took his first bow on the Vivian Beaumont stage, he checked in with BroadwayWorld to update us on taking on his new role, reuniting with some of his Here Lies Love friends, and so much more. Check out the full interview below!

Working up your strategy for how to win the Hamilton? lottery? Fantasizing over the cute puppy you saw at Broadway Barks? Didn't have time check in on all of the latest Broadway news? Well don't worry BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of the biggest stories from this week from Broadway and beyond with BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures.' Highlights from this week include a first look at THE WILD PARTY, AMAZING GRACE and Benedict Cumberbatch and so much more!

Jose Llana just stepped into the role of the King of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, directed by Bartlett Sher, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at Llana in action below!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: ON YOUR FEET! opens in Chicago, Broadway vets lend their talents around the country and more!

SAB's annual Workshop performances have been a treasured staple on NYC dance lovers' calendars ever since 1965 when the legendary Alexandra Danilova, then a faculty member, initiated the iconic spring ritual. The event is not a graduation ceremony, but rather a tantalizing glimpse of what the future of dance may hold. This year, not only the school's most promising advanced students but also a group of prodigiously talented nine to 14-year-olds took the stage in fully costumed performances of excerpts from the New York City Ballet repertory, danced to live orchestral accompaniment.