Roger Bean News

With the recent success of competition programs such as American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and, of course, Dancing With The Stars, competitions such as the now successful Stage LA's Next Great Star have caught the attention of many a young hopeful. Although the first of the 6 week competition has passed, the competition has five more weeks of competitive talent lined up. The producers have just announced the complete line up of celebrated judges for the reamaining dates of Jan 13, 20, 27 and Feb 3 adn 10 (below).

Associate Artistic Director Josh Morrison will direct the regional premiere of David Davalos' Wittenberg, a play set in 1517 in the university town that was home to the legendary Dr. Faustus, Martin Luther, and Shakespeare's fictional tragic-hero Hamlet. Supposing the characters are there at the same moment in time, Davalos creates a playground on which Faustus and Luther volley for influence on young (undecided major) undergrad Hamlet.

Writer-director Roger Bean has turned innocent musical nostalgia into his livelihood. He has shaped jukebox musicals out of WWII ditties and radio jingles, but his topmost achievement is The Marvelous Wonderettes, a '50s-and-'60s revue. The irresistible sound of '50s and '60s pop tunes hold a distinctive soft spot in the hearts of those who grew up listening to them; that's for certain. But the music's cross-generational charm has an even broader reach.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present WINTER WONDERETTES, created and directed by Roger Bean, choreography by John Vaughan and musical direction by Brian Baker. WINTER WONDERETTES opened on Saturday, December 8 and runs through Sunday, December 30, 2012 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada. BroadwayWorld has a look at photos from opening night below.

11th Hour Theatre Company opens its Mainstage season with the Philadelphia area premiere Roger Bean's Winter Wonderettes. In this sequel to 11th Hour's summer smash hit, The Marvelous Wonderettes, four best friends set out to spread a little Christmas cheer at Mr. Harper's annual holiday party. This show features some of the most popular pop holiday songs of all time. The show will run at the brand new Theatre Horizon, 401 Dekalb Street, Norristown. It begins previews on Friday, December 7, opens Monday, December 10 at 7 p.m. and closes Sunday, December 30. Tickets cost $15-$31. Discount tickets are available for students. Tickets and more information are available online at www.11thhourtheatrecompany.org or by phone at (267) 987-9865.

Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal has set Sunday, December 9 as auditions for the 7th consecutive year of LA's Next Great Stage Star®, it was announced today by producers Michael Sterling and Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates in Los Angeles, CA. www.msapr.net. For the second consecutive year - author, actress, concert headliner, and arts philanthropist Barbara Van Orden joins Sterling and Monsour by gifting LA's Next Great Stage Star® with the Barbara Van Orden Grant which provides invaluable assistance to production of the annual competition.

Roger Bean's The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns, the eagerly awaited sequel to the popular off-Broadway jukebox musical The Marvelous Wonderettes, has a brand new cast album. The show opened July 7th at Laguna Playhouse to sparkling reviews. Wonderettes creator Roger Bean has selected 32 songs for the new show and each one, from beloved classic to hidden treasure, has received the signature Wonderettes touch for the new album.

Nordstrom's may not be ready to get into the Christmas spirit before November 27, but Stages Repertory Theatre is reprising last year's wildly popular musical celebration of the season. Roger Bean's WINTER WONDERETTES is more a yuletide cabaret than a musical with plot. The barely-there story is about the Marvelous Wonderettes performing at Harper's Hardware Holiday Happening. Yet, the best gift of all is that Stages has reassembled their original Marvelous Wonderettes, giving these talented ladies a third opportunity to wow Houston audiences with every ounce of their charismatic star power.

Stages' favorite girl group returns in a seasonal sequel. The Wonderettes (original cast) are back in this all-new holiday musical, WINTER WONDERETTES, written and created by Roger Bean.

Kansas City's American Heartland Theatre in Crown Center has announced their 2012-2013 season, which will include 5 Kansas City Premieres and one favorite holiday hit. Starting off the season is comedy about family by one of AHT's favorite playwrights, Sean Grennan, MAKING GOD LAUGH. The season also includes a riotous adaptation of the thriller, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. The holidays have everyone laughing with the return of the Sisters of Mount St. Helens in NUNCRACKERS.

Stages' favorite girl group returns in a seasonal sequel. The Wonderettes (original cast) are back in this all-new holiday musical, WINTER WONDERETTES, written and created by Roger Bean.

'Tis the season to conclude Fox Valley Repertory's 2012 theater series with the nostalgic holiday musical of the 60's by Roger Bean, THE WINTER WONDERETTES. Directed and choreographed by Patrick Stinson with music direction by Ken Jones, performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; box office 630-584-6342).

Fox Valley Rep, in residence at Pheasant Run Resort, announces their calendar-year 2013 season of nostalgic musicals and award-winning comedies, including Joe DiPietro's comedy thriller, The Art of Murder, to the heavenly hit musical, Forever Plaid, followed by a rocking '60s musical about love and marriage, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, then to a rollicking song-and-dance revue of America's beloved Cole Porter, Let's Misbehave!, to a touching no-place-like-home holiday family comedy, Making God Laugh.

As Autumn begins to stake its claim on Houston's weather and the 2012-2013 theatre season is coming into full swing, I was invited backstage to chat with Cameron Bautsch, playing Skip Henderson, and Adrian Coco Anderson, playing Lois Franklin, in Stages Repertory Theatre's lauded and loved production of Roger Bean's crooning jukebox musical, LIFE COULD BE A DREAM. With just under an hour until curtain, backstage was buzzing with crewmembers making sure everything was in place and ready to go for that evening's performance. Underscoring our conversation was beautiful classical pieces being perfectly played on the pianos on the Yeager stage, where the cast and crew of 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS were also preparing for that evening's performance.

Originally set to close September 2 Stages Repertory Theatre extended the Roger Bean crooning jukebox musical LIFE COULD BE A DREAM until October 14, 2012. The bubbly, fun, and popular musical is still going strong and delighting Houston audiences with its light story and amazing vocals.

Swift Creek Mill Theatre presents Marvelous Wonderettes by Roger Bean. The Mill produced the holiday sequel to this show two years ago - now we bring you the terrific show that started it all! Tom Width directs with musical direction by Paul Diess, lights by Joe Doran and costumes by Maura Lynch Cravey. The show runs September 13 through October 20, 2012. Check out photos from the production below!

11th Hour Theatre Company is set to bring audiences a mix of high-energy Mainstage musicals next season and a provocative blend of new musicals with their Next Step Concert Series. The season will also include their 8th annual Philly Rocks concert.

Kansas City's American Heartland Theatre in Crown Center has announced its 2012-2013 season, which will include five Kansas City Premieres and one favorite holiday hit. Starting off the season is comedy about family by one of AHT's favorite playwrights, Sean Grennan, MAKING GOD LAUGH. The season also includes a riotous adaptation of the thriller, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. The holidays have everyone laughing with the return of the Sisters of Mount St. Helens in NUNCRACKERS.

The Stages Rep presents the Southern classic STEEL MAGNOLIAS, opening this week, and the regional premiere of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM continues through September 2.

Stages Repertory Theatre promised to keep the fun in summer with its selection of summer shows, and they have delivered with the 50s & 60s flashback, doo-wopping delight LIFE COULD BE A DREAM. While many a theatergoer is getting tired of the run-of-the-mill jukebox musical, this well-conceived and produced jukebox musical is sure to delight and entertain. Stages Repertory Theatre is presenting a quality show that the whole family will love, providing a wonderful evening of Broadway quality live theatre to Houston audiences in an intimately Off-Broadway setting.