Rex Smith News

After a most successful run last December, For The Record's LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE encores at The Wallis beginning November 27, 2019. FTR pairs the actual screening of the 2003 perennial holiday hit film Love Actually with live singers and a 15-piece orchestra on stage complementing the movie's soundtrack. I got the chance to grab a few minutes and some behind-the-scenes with the prolific, ever busy, For The Record Live executive producer Shane Scheel.

Casting has been announced for The Wallis and For The Record's production of LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert celebration of one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and the biggest, record-breaking hit in The Wallis' history, which is back by popular demand, now as a not-to-be-missed Los Angeles tradition with performances beginning the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and running through the weekend following Christmas (December 29).

Tom Wopat begins a series of Wednesday night concerts at the intimate Beach Cafe on October 23

Broadway legend Andrea McArdle, who originated the title role in the mega musical 'Annie,' along with platinum recording artist and Broadway star Rex Smith, whose Broadway credits include 'Grease' and 'Kiss Me Kate,' currently star in Hunterdon Hills Playhouse's summer musical, I Do! I Do! onstage through August.

What does an archive considered to be "the crown jewels" of public and network television and Anton Chekhov have in common? They are all headed to BroadwayHD, the premier streaming service for live theater, in May.  This month, BroadwayHD will be adding a selection of premier titles from the Broadway Digital Archive, which brings together Broadway plays and great works of literature produced for television over the past five decades. 

It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neilland inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including 'Christmas Is All Around,' 'The Trouble with Love Is,' and 'Both Sides Now.'

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neill and inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including 'Christmas Is All Around,' 'The Trouble with Love Is,' and 'Both Sides Now.'

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

The countdown to Christmas begins and ends with an all-out love blitz this year in For the Record's latest world premiere, LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, a hybrid entertainment that blends scenes from Richard Curtis' 2003 film Love Actually with live performances of the movie's soundtrack. Co-produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, it is a celebration of love in all its messy, complicated, wonderful glory in a Las Vegas-style vision designed to impress.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

For The Record returns to The Wallis with their holiday show LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE December 4th through 31st. Headliners for this multi-media concert (backed by a 15-piece orchestra) include Rumer Willis, Steve Kazee, Kelley Jakle, Rex Smith and B. Slade. LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE's music supervisor and arranger Jesse Vargas offered up some of his infrequent down time to most graciously share his history with FTR, as well as, his encompassing musical expertise with me.

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neill and inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including "Christmas Is All Around," "The Trouble with Love Is," and "Both Sides Now.'

As previously announced, this holiday season, the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning "For The Record" series returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time, Love Actually. Inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production of Love Actually Live, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, will transform The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production will include songs from the hit film, including "Christmas Is All Around," "The Trouble with Love Is," and "Both Sides Now."

Emmy Award winner Sally Struthers and Broadway & TV favorite Joyce Reehling headline Love, Loss, and What I Wore at Judson Theatre Company (Morgan Sills, Executive Producer and Daniel Haley, Artistic Director). Struthers is best known for her roles on All in the Family and  Gilmore Girls. Reehling is a beloved veteran of stage and television (Fifth of July, Law & Order). Love, Loss, and What I Wore opens Today, October 18 at 7:00 pm and runs through Sunday, October 21 at the Hannah Center Theatre (on the campus of The O'Neal School, 3300 Airport Road, Southern Pines, NC 28387).  Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

This Fall 2018, the talent appearing at New Hope's RRazz Room at The Clarion is a diverse mix of world class artists. There is something for all entertainment tastes at the intimate and comfortable RRazz Room New Hope, located within the Clarion Inn & Suites.

This Fall 2018, the talent appearing at New Hope's RRazz Room at The Clarion is a diverse mix of world class artists. There is something for all entertainment tastes at the intimate and comfortable RRazz Room New Hope, located within the Clarion Inn & Suites.