Peter Kellogg News

Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals, a comedy of manners, did not receive a warm welcome in it's first performance at Covent Garden Theatre in 1775. After a rewrite, however, it captured the audience's hearts and funny bones, and has been delighting audiences ever since. A new musical version of The Rivals, with book and lyrics by Richard Kellogg and music by Stephen Weiner, will hit the stage at the Bristol Riverside Theatre October 30th under the direction of Eric Tucker. The Rivals is the story of a wealthy young woman, Lydia Languish, who will lose a portion of her wealth if she does not marry someone of whom her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, approves. Between mistaken identities, scheming servants, and unintentionally misused words, The Rivals is sure to have audiences laughing. The all-star cast includes Harriet Harris, who has portrayed Bebe Glazer in Frazier, Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Felicia Tilman in Desperate Housewives, among many other roles. BroadwayWorld recently had the opportunity to speak with Harris about her experience with The Rivals.

Rehearsal photos have been released for the world premiere of the new musical comedy The Rivals at Bristol Riverside Theatre. Based on the famously funny farce about Mrs. Malaprop, The Rivals features book and lyrics by two-time Tony nominee Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), and music by two-time Richard Rodgers Award-winner Stephen Weiner (The Honeymooners). The production will run from October 30 to November 18, 2018, with opening night set for Thursday, November 1.

Desperate Measures, the hit musical comedy gone wild with music by David Friedman (Listen To My Heart), book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), and directed byBill Castellino (Cagney, Marry Harry) has announced a new block of tickets, now on sale through December 30.

The York Theatre Company celebrates the release of three new original cast recordings of York productions from the 2017-2018 season: Desperate Measures, Unexpected Joy, and Lonesome Blues.

Bristol Riverside Theatre opens its 32nd Mainstage season with the one-woman tour de force, Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel on September 18th - October 7th. Directed by Jennie Eisenhower, it stars Licia Watson in the title role.

Bristol Riverside Theatre opens its 32nd Mainstage season with the one-woman tour de force, Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel on September 18th - October 7th. Directed by Jennie Eisenhower, it stars Licia Watson in the title role.

Bristol Riverside Theatre continues its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of the new musical comedy The Rivals, based on the famously funny farce about Mrs. Malaprop, running October 30 - November 18.

Desperate Measures celebrated its 100th performance off-Broadway last night, September 13. BroadwayWorld was there for the big night and you can check out the photos below!

Bristol Riverside Theatre opens its 32nd Mainstage season with the one-woman tour de force, Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel on September 18th - October 7th. Directed by Jennie Eisenhower, it stars Licia Watson in the title role.

Around a decade after she originated the role of Regina/Candi in ROCK OF AGES, Lauren Molina returns to NEW WORLD STAGES for another fun and funny musical romp. Having been with DESPERATE MEASURES since it began, Molina has gotten to throughly develop the hilarious Bella Rose. As the life of the party in DESPERATE MEASURES, we sat down with Molina to talk about the new Off-Broadway musical.

Composer David Friedman joins Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb in the Fourth Hour with the cast of his off-Broadway musical, 'Desperate Measures,' to perform a medley of three songs from the stunning production.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces open submissions for the 2019 TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series. Submissions for the 2019 TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series close August 12, 2018.

There's a good reason that Measure For Measure is considered one of Shakespeare's 'problem plays.' It's a weird blend between comedy (featuring that immortal device of classical theatre, the bed trick) and a surprisingly bleak, mildly misogynistic outlook on love, marriage, and human nature as a whole. It's many of the same reasons, ironically enough, that the Western genre is so difficult to pull off. Putting the two together, as Desperate Measures, the off-Broadway musical retelling of Shakespeare's play, did, seems like it should be a recipe for disaster. Although the cast album has its moments of, well, desperation, as a whole it's a charming, amusing score.

Desperate Measures, the new musical comedy gone wild with music by David Friedman (Listen To My Heart), book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina),and directed by Bill Castellino (Cagney, Marry Harry) has announced a new block of tickets, now on sale through October 28 for the open ended run.  

The Original Cast Recording from the hit musical comedy Desperate Measures is available digitally today from Masterworks Broadway, with the CD set for release August 10. With music by David Friedman (Listen to My Heart) and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina), the album is produced by Robert Sher with liner notes by Peter Filichia. Described by the Huffington Post as 'a good old-fashioned musical comedy... a happy surprise of a show filled with enjoyable songs,' Desperate Measures is currently running at New World Stages in New York City.

On the latest Maxamoo podcast, Liz, Aurin, and Jose discuss what they've seen on the stage lately, including Fruit Trilogy, Everyone's Fine with Virginia Woolf, Fairview, Desperate Measures.

David Friedman and Peter Kellogg may be billed, respectively, as composer and bookwriter/lyricists of the rollickingly fun new musical comedy DESPERATE MEASURES, which has just moved from the intimate York Theatre to more spacious digs at New World Stages, but they can also add 'problem-solver' to their resumes.

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, just presented the 8th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off-Broadway during the 2017-2018 season. Winners included: Desperate Measures (Best New Musical), Transfers (Best New Play), The Government Inspector (Best Revival), KPOP (Best Unique Theatrical Experience), Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke (Best Solo Performance), Polka Dots: The Cool Kids Musical(Best Family Show). 

Desperate Measures is a hilarious new musical that tells the tale of Johnny Blood, a handsome young man whose life is in danger over a saloon brawl. Set in the early 1890's, Johnny must put his fate into the hands of a colorful cast of characters including a wily sheriff, an eccentric priest, a authoritarian governor, a saloon girl gone good, and a nun out of the habit- as they all struggle to decide Johnny's fate.  Laws are broken and hearts are won as they try to find justice in a world that often doesn't seem just. Sound familiar?

Desperate Measures is a hilarious new musical that tells the tale of Johnny Blood, a handsome young man whose life is in danger over a saloon brawl. Set in the early 1890's, Johnny must put his fate into the hands of a colorful cast of characters including a wily sheriff, an eccentric priest, a authoritarian governor, a saloon girl gone good, and a nun out of the habit- as they all struggle to decide Johnny's fate. Laws are broken and hearts are won as they try to find justice in a world that often doesn't seem just. Sound familiar?