Rachel News

Top stories: check out the full list of Olivier Awards winners, plus watch a video message from Danny Burstein in honor of BroadwayWorld's 20th anniversary!

What did our critic think of ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE at Derby Dinner Playhouse?

After having her run at VAULT Festival rudely interrupted by the pandemic three years ago, Alexandra Donnachie is currently touring her self-penned one-woman-show When We Died. It’s the touching confessional of a woman who normalises death and finally finds the solace she needs to move on. Directed by Andy Routledge, the piece is permeated by a quiet heartbreak on a white clinical set.

Footloose: The Musical, produced by Panic! Productions & BarCinBoo Productions, is returning to Califórnia, for 13 performances April 22 – May 14, 2023.  Footloose is all about fun, dancing and the carefree nature of being a teenager... However, the show is honestly about so much more.  

Walnut Street Theatre is finishing its 214th season by transforming into a tropical paradise with Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville. This heartwarming musical comedy features Jimmy Buffett's unmistakable music and is sure to delight fans old and new! Escape to Margaritaville opens April 5, and is now extended through April 30, 2023. The production is directed and choreographed by Lisa Stevens. Get a first look at the production here!

On Friday, April 14, 2023 and Saturday, April 15, 2023, comedians will bare it all for two Naked Comedy Benefit Shows!  

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work.

Sypher Studios have announced its upcoming documentary, War Unfolding, narrated by four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening and featuring an all-star cast including Eliza Bennett, Rachel Bloom, Gary Cole, Abigail Cowen, Oscar-winner Laura Dern, Monique Edwards, SAG Award winner Michael C. Hall, SAG Award winner Kelvin Harrison Jr., Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser, Thurn Hoffman, Richard T. Jones, Jay Lee, Erick Lopez, Sandra Seacat, Oscar-winner Wes Studi, DeWanda Wise, and others.

Kumu Kahua Theatre, in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press have announced the April prompt for their monthly playwriting contest, Go Try PlayWrite.

Sugar Coat is a piece of gig theatre, telling a story of growing up, trauma, and sex through pop punk music. A kind of rock concert meets musical, it’s performed by an all female and non-binary band, playing and singing live for the duration of the show. From the very beginning, this doesn’t feel like a traditional theatre experience: the audience are whooping and clapping along, and it’s clear that everyone both onstage and off is having a great time. 

This production of The Jungle Book is visually beautiful and engaging, and appeals to audiences of all ages. While this production is sold out, the caliber of this performance is a testament to the work of Gamut Theatre and Rasika School of Dance. Readers should plan to get tickets early for their upcoming performances.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT invite you to experience “Something Wonderful” as it announces Paul Nakauchi as the “King,” Anastasia Barzee as “Anna,” and Joan Almedilla as “Lady Thiang,” along with a cast of 41.

Produced by Baiman, mixed by Tucker Martine (Neko Case, The Decemberists, First Aid Kit) and recorded at The Tractor Shed outside of Nashville, the album offers an assessment of the country’s current state, telling stories of American capitalism as well as the individual and communal devastation it manifests.

The Broadway company of Chicago will welcome Kimberly Marable in the role of “Velma Kelly,” Liam Fennecken in the role of “Amos Hart” and welcomes back Charity Angél Dawson as “Matron Mama Morton” beginning Monday, April 10, 2023.

Rehearsals are underway for the upcoming new Broadway play, Good Night, Oscar starring Sean Hayes. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Doug Wright and directed by Lisa Peterson, Good Night, Oscar begins performances on April 7 and opens on April 24 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.

​​​​​​​Samantha Womack will star as Dorothy Brock, alongside Michael Praed as Julian Marsh, Faye Tozer as Maggie Jones, Les Dennis as Bert Barry and Nicole-Lily Baisden as Peggy Sawyer in the UK tour of 42nd STREET.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe joins The Trevor Project on the first episode of their new web series, Sharing Space, featuring candid conversations with LGBTQ young people. The talks will illuminate their unique personal journeys and explore what genuine allyship looks like. See a video preview of the first episode of 'Sharing Space'!

To close out its 22-23 Season, Great Canadian Theatre Company will co-produce, with New Harlem Productions, The First Stone, an epic new play by three-time Governor General Literary Award-nominated playwright Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.

The new album, The Fear, co-produced/mixed by Trevor Spencer (Beach House, Father John Misty) is an exploration of the supernatural, love, dreaming/waking, and most of all facing the things that scare you or you think you can’t do, all encompassed in a warping and changing landscape. Listen to the new single now!

Get all the scoop on ACCUSED, airing on FOX on Tuesday, April 4, 2023! Guest Starring Ian Anthony Dale. Jiro's mother has taken care of his brother Sam ever since the car accident that left Sam with a traumatic brain injury. Watch a video preview of the upcoming episode now!