Ray Wills News

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, opens its 39th season with the dazzling West Coast Premiere of Snapshots, the latest musical from legendary Broadway (Wicked) and Hollywood (Enchanted) composer Stephen Schwartz.

The Road to Qatar!, a true new musical comedy, will have two staged readings for industry professionals at Chelsea Studios at 1pm and 4:30pm on April 18, 2007. The book and lyrics are by Stephen Cole and the music is by David Krane. Cole and Krane based the show on their real life experience of being commissioned to write the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. The reading will be directed by Marcia Milgrim Dodge (Lucille Lortel Nominee for Seussical) and features a cast of five including Rob Bartlett (Little Shop of Horrors, The Imus Show), Mary Birdsong (Martin Short-Fame Becomes Me, Hairspray), Brad Oscar (The Producers, Spamalot), Seth Rudetsky (The Ritz), and Ray Wills (The Producers). One day three years ago both Stephen Cole and David Krane (who did not know each other at the time) received an email that read: 'We want you write musical. How much?' This began an unbelievable but true journey that introduced the two 'short Jews' to an alien world of camels, deserts and crazy Egyptian theatrical producers. During the course of this crazy Arab adventure, Stephen and David starred in their own personal Bob Hope-Bing Crosby 'road picture' that took them to Dubai, Qatar, London, Bratislava and back to the USA after writing and presenting a huge original musical for the Emir of Qatar and one thousand of his invited guests. When they returned, they had no other choice but to write their story in the only way they knew how: as a musical! The names have all been changed, but the story is totally true.

A Class Act NY, New York's premier acting studio for kids and teens, has announced their 2008 dates for their One Week Broadway Summer Camp, Camp ACA. Camp ACA will take place for 5 fun-filled, jam-packed days in Midtown Manhattan - Monday, August 18 through Friday, August 22, from 9 am - 5 pm daily.

A Class Act NY presents a series of workshops for their students: March 2 with Ray Wills and May 4 with Barrett Foa.

A Class Act NY, New York's premier Acting Studio for kids & teens, has announced their 2008 dates for their One Week Broadway Summer Camp, CAMP ACA. CAMP ACA will take place for 5 fun-filled, jam-packed days in Midtown Manhattan - Monday, August 18 through Friday, August 22, from 9 am - 5 pm daily.

The York Theatre Company presented the 16th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 12 to Broadway playwright Joseph Stein. The Award culminates York's yearlong celebration of Stein with the Fall 2006 and Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series - the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances.

The York Theatre Company presented the 16th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 12 to Broadway playwright Joseph Stein. The Award culminates York's yearlong celebration of Stein with the Fall 2006 and Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series - the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances.

The York Theatre Company announces the cast for the 16th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 12 where York will honor Broadway playwright Joseph Stein. The Award culminates York's yearlong celebration of Stein with the Fall 2006 and Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series - the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances.

Tony Award-nominee Marla Schaffel has been cast in the title role of the York Theatre Company's 'Musicals in Mufti' presentation of Carmelina, which will take place from October 20th through 22nd

More performers have been cast in the Ravinia Festival's concert staging of Anyone Can Whistle, which will play on August 26th and 27th with Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris

In this very first journal entry, Raymond Jaramillo McLeod, now starring as 'Wreck' in Wonderful Town, takes us through the show's early rehearsal period. New installments will be available each week.