Paul Smith News

The new sketch comedy podcast  'Ted and Michael Read Sketches Into Microphones' held a premiere party this past Saturday (April 13th) at Offside Tavern on West 14th street.

Gillian Pensavalle, creator and co-host of the popular true crime/comedy podcast True Crime Obsessed and creator and host of The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast will produce a brand new sketch comedy podcast starring two longtime friends and writing partners: Ted O'Gorman and Michael Paul Smith. It will feature sketches written and performed by O'Gorman and Smith, with Pensavalle, and Mike O'Gorman (Vice Principals, A.P Bio) lending their voices as various characters. The sketches range from silly and wholesome to bizarre and outlandish, with impressions and original characters utilized throughout.

For the third year, The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) conducted a nationwide search to name the three winners in the PYO Young Composers Competition. All participants submitted original orchestral scores. The winners were selected by PYO's music director, Maestro Louis Scaglione, and the director of the Young Composers Competition, Sheridan Seyfried, who is a Philadelphia-based composer, a PYO alumnus and a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Richard Danielpour, Jennifer Higdon and Ned Rorem.

Power of Sail is a cogent and urgent message for our time.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's Bravo Bass ensemble will perform a memorable performance titled "Brass by Popular Demand" today, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Church in Center City Philadelphia. St. Mark's is located at 1625 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's Bravo Bass ensemble will perform a memorable performance titled "Brass by Popular Demand" on Saturday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Church in Center City Philadelphia. St. Mark's is located at 1625 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! First, we'd like to wish a happy first preview to the cast and crew of Be More Chill! The show begins performances tonight at the Lyceum Theatre!

Over the past six years International Recording Artist Lyn Stanley has sold more than 38.000.albums - currently worldwide, but before that time she had had absolutely no singing experience whatsoever. I, like practically all journalists, was amazed to hear this. 'Not even singing along to background music on the stereo or radio as a child?' I asked. Directly and sincerely she replied,

A "first-rate singer of unusual refinement" with "a voice that traverses genres" (New York Times), Michael Winther, making his Birdland Theater solo debut, joins forces with award-winning jazz pianist, Matt Baker for a unique mix of classic, romantic standards and contemporary love songs as well as some discoveries from the contemporary musical theater - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Annette Warren, the "secret" singing voice of Ava Gardner and Lucille Ball in such films as the MGM classic "Show Boat," and a nightclub, TV and recording star whose career spans the past 70 years, will return to the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on Tuesday, Feb. 19 with a the premiere performance of her new show, Professor Bob and the Old Broad, joined by accompanist Bob Remstein. 

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Yesterday was a big day for Broadway news. Catch up on everything below!

The Presser Foundation is pleased to sponsor the February 17, 2019 Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) Concert being held in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. Beginning at 3 p.m., the concert celebrates the legacy of Michael Stairs, the renowned organist who has performed worldwide and made such a major impact in the Philadelphia area. Michael Stairs offered his musical contributions to PYO and last performed the Strauss and Saint-Saens selections in 2014 at the PYO 75th Anniversary concert being repeated at this PYO concert.  The February 2019 concert features the extraordinary talent of two special guests - David Kim, Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Peter Richard Conte, renowned organist. It will showcase the 130 members of the ensemble, between the ages of 14 to 21 who are conducted by the esteemed Maestro Louis Scaglione.

The students of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) organization demonstrate, once again, how talented they are! Six of the nine finalists of the 2019 School District of Philadelphia's All-City Concerto Competition are current PYO members, including the first place winner, Marquise Bradley.

The latest musical collaboration between local playwrights Chase Ramsey and David Paul Smith offers a twist on the children's tale of a tortoise and a hare as SCERA presents the world premiere 50-minute musical on Feb. 4,8,11,15,18 and 22 @ 7:00pm at SCERA Center for the Arts.

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), is proud to present the talented string musicians of PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM-YA (PRYSM Young Artists) on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 3 p.m. in Centennial Hall of the Haverford School in Haverford, PA. General admission tickets are $15, free for children under age 18. For information, call (215) 545-0502.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Still exhausted from running around BroadwayCon all weekend? Ease into the new week by reading the top stories from around the Broadway World!

The Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO) will perform at The Temple Performing Arts Center, located at 1837 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia, on Saturday January 19, 2019 at 4 p.m.

Tune Up Philly (TUP), the community engagement program of Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), directed by Paul Smith, presents its opening concert of the season on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 1 p.m. The young musicians will pay homage to traditional dances and folk melodies in this program. Art and culture will be combined placing the students' talent on full display. The concert will take place at The Temple Performing Arts Center, located at 1837 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. This is a free event. For more information, please call 215-545-0502.

The Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra is prepared to make their season debut on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Perelman Theater at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The concert, conducted by Maestra Rosalind Erwin, blends selections from the great orchestral repertoire including an epic selection from the Nutcracker Ballet, all performed by the gifted members of the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra.

With the theme of British Brass, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's (PYO) all-brass ensemble, Bravo Brass, will present a musical tour of the remarkable British Island on Saturday, December 1, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. It will take place at St. Mark's Church located at 1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA., under the guidance of Paul Bryan, the Director of Bravo Brass.