Richard Little News

After over a year of being shuttered due to COVID-19, Perseverance Theatre is reopening its doors and returning to live, in-person theatre in the fall. National and local health and safety guidelines will be in place.

Boogie woogie piano genius and vocalist Tom Seals is hitting the road with his debut UK theatre tour. The 45s Tour will see Tom travel to venues across England and Scotland as he entertains audiences with a variety of genres from blues and jazz to swing and soul with his much-celebrated boogie-woogie style.

honor of Black leaders who shaped and defined American history, The Marsh is presenting Darryl Van Leer’s riveting The Escape of Frederick Douglass on its digital platform, MarshStream. Van Leer wrote and stars in the acclaimed production, which brings to vivid life the early years of African American rights activist Frederick Douglass, from his youth as an unruly boy caught in a slave training camp to his gripping and suspenseful train ride to freedom. Immediately following the performance, Van Leer will be joined by The Marsh Founder/Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman for a Q&A. The Escape of Frederick Douglass will be streamed on Saturday, April 24 at 7:30pm PDT. For more information, please visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. BroadwayWorld up with Van Leer last week from his home base in Nashville, Tennessee. An actor with some notable film & TV credits, Van Leer is perhaps best known for his stage works about political and cultural leaders, including musical performers such as Ray Charles and Little Richard. We discussed The Escape of Frederick Douglass and how he went about bringing such an iconic historical figure to life, and his thoughts on finding hope in difficult times. Van Leer has made it his mission to take inspiration from these great historical figures and pass it on to his audiences.

This special 90-minute show will be held at The Winter Park Playhouse with socially distanced seating in place.  Net proceeds will support The Winter Park Playhouse's year-round musical programming in-house and out in the community. 

SHOUT SISTER SHOUT! Has announced its creative team. Playwright Cheryl L. West (FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer; Jar the Floor), will be joined by Kenneth L. Roberson (Avenue Q; All Shook Up), who will direct & Joseph Joubert (Respect; The Color Purple) as arranger & orchestrator for the musical about the Godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll.

Brittany Howard performed Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic tune 'You'll Never Walk Alone' during last night's Grammy Awards ceremony.

The Beach Boys were in a career low, and Maharishi had begun to fade from his media darling days as the Indian 'guru' to the Beatles, Mia Farrow, the Beach Boys and others. With photos andheadlines of the hip and famous at his ashram in India, Maharishi had burst into the spiritual mythology of media hype, creating a worldwide market for similar gurus, endless lines of clothing and Indian music of the brilliant Ravi Shankar, among others.

The uncommonly versatile actor/writer/musician Darryl Van Leer has made it his mission to provide inspiration to others. It would therefore be hard to think of a more perfect way for The Marsh to launch Black History Month than with a live performance of his electrifying one-man play, Mandela: Let Freedom Reign, which it will present on MarshStream on Saturday evening, February 6th. From his early life to his epic struggles against apartheid, Nelson Mandela comes to vivid life in this life-affirming performance. An icon of democracy and social justice, Mandela’s life-long dedication to promoting forgiveness and equality are celebrated in this stirring reminder of one man’s incredible impact. Mandela: Let Freedom Reign will be presented at 7:30pm PST on Saturday, February 6th on MarshStream. Van Leer will also appear two days prior to that on Stephanie’s MarshStream at 7:30pm PST on Thursday, February 4th to discuss the play and perform a brief excerpt. For more information, visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. Also, please note that the performance on February 6th will be live only, and not archived for later viewing. Van Leer is a man of many talents who has enjoyed an exceptionally wide-ranging career. While his theater work has focused primarily on his one-man shows about iconic historic and musical figures, he has also racked up some impressive film and TV credits in ensemble projects, sharing the screen with acting luminaries such as James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Rue McClanahan. BroadwayWorld spoke with Van Leer last week from his home base in Nashville, Tennessee.  In conversation, he is instantly and effortlessly engaging, warm and upbeat, and clearly thankful for the opportunity to create and perform works of inspiration. His Kentucky roots are evidenced by the delightfully musical lilt in his speech patterns.

The Wick Theatre has been keeping audiences entertained for months now with their dynamic Supper Club Cabarets, which take place in the grand lobby, but now the time has come to open the doors to the main theatre! The first show will be appropriately, Back Home Again, a John Denver tribute by Tom Becker and his band, who have been featured on PBS.

The Wick Theatre is bringing back live entertainment with a wonderful series of Supper Club events, concerts and theatrical productions.  All safety and social distancing procedures are being followed. For more information and tickets, please visit www.thewick.org or call the box office at 561-995-2333.

Billy Porter is a singer, composer, actor, playwright and director from Pittsburgh, PA. He currently stars as Pray Tell on the FX television series Pose, for which he won an Emmy Award.

Variety reports that Elton John's 'Elton: Jewel Box' album will contain 148 songs, including 60 previously unreleased ones.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has contributed words to a book of artwork by SuperSize artist Morgan Howell.

After record-breaking opening week sales, Rubicon Theatre Company has announced details related to the first event of Rubicon Goes Retro, the company's Safe-Distance Drive-In Theatre Concert Series featuring live 75-minute concerts at the Ventura County Fairgrounds that patrons can enjoy from the safety and comfort of their cars. The concerts feature multimedia, lights, and sound through an FM transmitter.   

After record-breaking opening week sales, Rubicon Theatre Company has announced details related to the first event of Rubicon Goes Retro, the company's Safe-Distance Drive-In Theatre Concert Series featuring live 75-minute concerts at the Ventura County Fairgrounds that patrons can enjoy from the safety and comfort of their cars.

One theatre company in California has found a creative way to change that for their audiences. Rubicon Theatre Company, based in the beachside community of Ventura, has become the first non-profit professional regional theatre in the nation to announce a Safe-Distance Drive-In Theatre Concert Series.

Joe Stilgoe is a well-known pianist, singer and songwriter. Over the past few years, he's turned his hand to composing musicals such as The Jungle Book and The Midnight Gang. The Midnight Gang, based on David Walliams' novel of the same name is currently available online as part of the Chichester Festival Theatre at Home series. We spoke to Joe about his career and how he is spending lockdown.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

The Colony Theatre in Burbank has announced The Colony Comedy Series - Hosted by Damon Williams, three evenings of non-stop laughter beginning on Friday, April 17, and continuing on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, August 22. Curtain will be at 8pm for all three shows.

Raue Center For The Arts invites you to come onboard! Raue Center has announced a special fundraising event perfect for Valentine's Day! Stargazers Ball: The Love Boat will leave port at 6 p.m. on February 15, 2020.