Robert Kelley News

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's production of Paul Gordon's Pride and Prejudice is now streaming on Amazon

What better way to spend a summer evening than in the company of artistic genius in the form of iconic composer Ludwig van Beethoven as interpreted by renowned musical theater artist Hershey Felder? On Sunday July 12th at 5pm PDT, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will present a livestream of the hit show Hershey Felder: Beethoven, an intimate and theatrical portrait of the legendary composer. Tickets to the livestream are available on TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's website (www.theatreworks.org) with proceeds to benefit TheatreWorks while the Tony-winning regional theatre remains dark due to the Covid pandemic. Inspired by an account of a Viennese doctor who spent his boyhood by the Beethoven's side, this enchanting musical features masterful performances of some of the composer's greatest works, from a?oeMoonlight Sonataa?? to the a?oeNinth Symphonya?? and the a?oeEmperor Concerto.a?? The enormously popular show's 2017 World Premiere still holds TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's box office record to date. BroadwayWorld recently had the pleasure of speaking with Felder from his home in Florence, Italy where he will be performing the livestream. As cicadas whirred in the background (really!), we had a wide-ranging discussion about Beethoven, Felder's relationship with TheatreWorks, the pandemic and the wonders of Florence. In conversation, Felder is an engaging amalgam of seemingly contradictory qualities, at once erudite and folksy, brainy and empathetic, quick with an arcane cultural factoid or a self-deprecating remark, equally expressive of joy and sorrow.

It is time for Robert Kelley to take a richly-deserved curtain call. June 30th will be his last day as Artistic Director of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley after a mind-blowing 50 years in that role. It is not hyperbole to state there isn't another individual who has had a more profound influence on the Bay Area theatre landscape. Kelley founded TheatreWorks as a scrappy, community theater company in April, 1970 and guided its transformation over the years into a Tony-winning powerhouse and nationally-recognized incubator of new works. BroadwayWorld had the pleasure of speaking with Kelley earlier this spring to discuss his half-century history with TheatreWorks.

To mark the conclusion of its 50th Anniversary Season and celebrate the legacy of Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is hosting TheatreWorks Treasures, a once-in-a-lifetime virtual auction allowing fans and supporters of the company the opportunity to snag rare and exclusive treasures from its 50-year history.

Due to overwhelming demand TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in partnership with Hershey Felder Presents will offer streaming access for the recorded livestream of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Originally performed live from Florence, Italy by virtuoso performer/playwright/director Hershey Felder on Sunday, May 10, this celebrated solo show pays tribute to America's greatest songwriter, Irving Berlin.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has the perfect Mother's Day entertainment for you! On Sunday May 10th at 5pm PDT, they will band together with a number of theaters across the country to present a livestream of the hit show 'Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,' a tribute to America's greatest songwriter. Tickets to the livestream are available on TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's website (www.theatreworks.org) with proceeds to benefit TheatreWorks while the Tony-winning regional theatre remains dark due to COVID-19. BroadwayWorld recently caught up with TheatreWorks Artistic Director Robert Kelley to chat about the company's ongoing relationship with Felder, and also to check in on how they've been managing to juggle so many unknowns in planning their 2020-21 season. Kelley remains steadfastly upbeat and enthused about future possibilities even as he winds down his astounding 50-year tenure as Artistic Director under decidedly different circumstances than he had originally envisioned.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, Artistic Director Designate Tim Bond, and Executive Director Phil Santora announced changes to TheatreWorks's 2020-21 Season, which is now scheduled to begin in October 2020.

As a part of the mitigation efforts surrounding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announces the cancellation of programs beginning in June 2020 including its planned production of The Book of Will, its celebration of founder Robert Kelley entitled Sunday in the Park with Kelley, and summer Playmakers Camps, as well as its 2020 Summer Internship Program.

Good news for musical theater lovers! TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's recent, acclaimed production of Paul Gordon's Pride and Prejudice will now be available to stream. Presented by Streaming Musicals, Pride and Prejudice will receive a a?oevirtual opening nighta?? on Friday, April 10 at 3:30pm PT/ 6:30pm ET, with an encore presentation at 7:00pm PT/10:00pm ET. Tony Award winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom) and Julie James, Program Director/ Curator of SiriusXM's a?oeOn Broadwaya?? channel, will host the a?oevirtual opening night,a?? which will include an intermission discussion with the creative team members including TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, who directed the new romantic musical comedy. Streaming during the April 10 a?oevirtual opening nighta?? will be free. Pride and Prejudice will then be available to stream on StreamingMusicals.com for a minimal fee. BroadwayWorld recently caught up with Robert Kelley to learn more about his production of Pride and Prejudice and also to touch base with him on how TheatreWorks was weathering the current health and economic crisis.

Streaming Musicals has announced a special free live streaming event: on Friday, April 10, the site will host a 'virtual opening night' for the debut of Pride and Prejudice, in a new musical adaptation by Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon (Broadway's Jane Eyre). Gordon is also represented on Streaming Musicals with his musical adaptation of Emma. 

It's a sad scenario that has been playing out in theaters all over the world for the past several weeks. How to reach the heart-breaking decision to cancel a show, knowing that you're about to put a team of people out of work and deprive your audience of some much-needed solace at this critical time? BroadwayWorld spoke with Robert Kelley, Artistic Director of the Tony-winning TheatreWorks Silicon Valley on March 13th, the morning after the company had decided to postpone their much-anticipated production of RAGTIME until Spring 2021 and prematurely end the run of THEY PROMISED HER THE MOON. The good news, at least for now, is that TheatreWorks is still moving ahead with its final play of the season, Lauren Gunderson's THE BOOK OF WILL, set to open in early June. Kelley describes it as a love letter to the theater.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announces that tickets are now on sale for audiences to view via digital streaming the Northern California Premiere of Laurel Ollstein's They Promised Her the Moon.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announces that all upcoming performances of They Promised Her the Moon and Ragtime will be cancelled due to rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and in accordance to the Department of Public Health's updated policy suspending gatherings of 250 people or more.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will end its 50th anniversary season with the Regional Premiere of Lauren Gunderson's The Book of Will, directed by TheatreWorks Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley in his final show at the helm of the theatre company he founded.

Last night, supporters of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley gathered to hear the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award-winning company and its Board of Trustees announce the launch of its 50th Anniversary Campaign, a $5 million fundraising campaign to ensure the future success of the nationally-acclaimed theatre, including commissions for new plays and musicals. 

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will celebrate its 50th birthday in April 2020 with the return of the timeless hit musical Ragtime, helmed by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley. This sweeping and stirring musical masterpiece paints a portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century, interweaving the lives of three familiesa?"white, African American, and immigranta?"finding their places and pursuing the American Dream in a rapidly changing world. Featuring the Tony Award-winning book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Terrence McNally (Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink) and the Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Anastasia, Seussical The Musical), the musical is based on E. L. Doctorow's best-selling novel of the same name. An enthusiastic favorite much anticipated by TheatreWorks audiences, Ragtime will begin performances April 1, 2020 and has already been extended by a week to May 3, 2020 (press opening: April 4, 2020) at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Mountain View, CA 94041. For tickets (starting at $30) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

Theatre enthusiasts packed the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts tonight to hear Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, incoming Artistic Director Tim Bond, and Executive Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announce the lineup for the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award-winning company's 2020-21 season, which launches this summer.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will celebrate its 50th birthday in April 2020 with the return of the timeless hit musical Ragtime.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has announced that the World Premiere Musical Pride and Prejudice has established a new all-time box office record for the 2019 Tony-winning theatre company.