Rona Siddiqui News

Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director Tim Sanford, Managing Director Leslie Marcus), will, from today, May 13, through Thursday, May 16, accept entries for the Live for Five online lottery, giving out $5 tickets to the world premiere production of 2019 Whiting Award Winner Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop, (May 24-July 7), presented in association with Page 73 (Producing Artistic Director Michael Walkup, Managing Director Amanda Feldman). Directed by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill, Buyer and Cellar) and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly (Playwrights: If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhf**ka; Ugly (Black Queer Zoo), Fairview), A Strange Loop explores the thoughts of Usher, a black, queer writer working a job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, queer writer, working a job he hates while writing his original musical. Michael R. Jackson's blistering, momentous new musical (and his professional debut) follows a young artist at war with a host of demons-not least of which are the punishing thoughts in his own head-in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.

Bonnie Comley, Founder of BroadwayHD, was the guest speaker at MAESTRA's May seminar at SongSpace. Composer/lyricist and music director Georgia Stitt founded the MAESTRA organization in 2017 to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. The MAESTRA membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are underrepresented minorities in musical theater. Songwriter and composer, Kathy Sommer, moderated the seminar.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) has announced that in recognition of his 2019 Tony Award nomination and his history as a NYMF Alum, Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter) will be the 2019 NYMF Honorary Chair.

Letters to the President is a new multi-composer song cycle that reimagines letters written to Presidents throughout United States history. Each song is inspired by an individual archival letter and written by a different composer or writing team. The evening will feature composers' songs performed by a Broadway cast alongside readings of the letters that inspired them.

Tony nominee John Tartaglia (AVENUE Q, SHREK, Sirius XM On Broadway) will host ALittleNewMusic's 19th edition on Wednesday, 3.13.19, with music direction by LA Ovation Award-winning composer Gregory Nabours (THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS, MARILYN THE MUSICAL).

Letters to the President, the multi-composer song cycle, reimagines letters written to Presidents throughout our United States history. Each song is inspired by an individual letter and written by a different composer or writing team.

Playwrights Horizons, in association with Page 73, present the world premiere production of A Strange Loop, with book, music, and lyrics by 2017 Jonathan Larson Award and2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award-winner Michael R. Jackson, directed by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill, Buyer and Cellar), and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly (Playwrights: If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhf**ka; Ugly (Black Queer Zoo), Fairview).

Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia (AVENUE Q, SHREK, Sirius XM On Broadway), will host A Little New Music's 19th presentation of new musical theatre songs at the Catalina Jazz Club located in the heart of Hollywood.  Multiple LA Ovation Award-winning composer Gregory Nabours (THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS, MARILYN! THE NEW MUSICAL) returns as music director, leading the four-piece ALNM band.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with Stacey Kent, Gunhild Carling Sweden's 'Queen of Swing," The Ron Aprea Big Band and Vocalist Angela DeNiro, and more!

Celebrate the holiday season with Broadway Records first Christmas album, Michael Longoria: Merry Christmas Darling, available now at www.BroadwayRecords.com, Amazon.com, in stores and across digital platforms.

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with the following acts:

Heart On Sleeve Productions (Johnnie Moore Hawkins, Executive Producer) is delighted to present the world premiere of The Apple Boys: A Barbershop Quartet Musical, a one-of-a-kind musical that propels the uniquely American art form of the barbershop quartet into the stratosphere. Hilarious and heart-warming, The Apple Boys features a book by writer and performer Jonothon Lyons, music and lyrics by 2017 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Ben Bonnema (Adult Swim's Peter Panic, Boys Who Tricked Me), and is directed by David Alpert (If/Then, The Trip to Bountiful). Performances will begin November 30 and run through December 23 at HERE (145 Sixth Avenue) with an opening on December 9.

THML Theatre Company concludes its fall reading series with a presentation of Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan by Rona Siddiqui. Directed by Marshall Pailet and music directed by Heathcliff Saunders, the reading will take place on Monday, November 12th at 2:00pm at Ripley Grier Studios.

Broadway Records today announced that Michael Longoria: Merry Christmas Darling will be released digitally and in stores on Friday, November 9, 2018. This will be Broadway Records first Christmas album. The album is currently available for pre-order at www.BroadwayRecords.com and Amazon.com.

Quintessence of Dust Theatre Company presents Sing Away the Stigma: A Benefit for NAMI-NYC Metro

Sing Away the Stigma is a heartfelt, honest, life-affirming evening of brand-new songs by emerging musical theater composers and lyricists, inspired by true-life stories of those with mental health challenges. A dozen people from different backgrounds and walks of life, all living with a mental health condition, were interviewed and had their stories of struggle, strength, and hope turned into songs, which will be performed for the first time in this concert. Sing Away the Stigma is a testament to the power of musical theater, the strength of those living with mental illness, and the unique bond formed when the two meet.

Quintessence of Dust Theatre Company presents Sing Away the Stigma: A Benefit for NAMI-NYC Metro

Sing Away the Stigma is a heartfelt, honest, life-affirming evening of brand-new songs by emerging musical theater composers and lyricists, inspired by true-life stories of those with mental health challenges. A dozen people from different backgrounds and walks of life, all living with a mental health condition, were interviewed and had their stories of struggle, strength, and hope turned into songs, which will be performed for the first time in this concert. Sing Away the Stigma is a testament to the power of musical theater, the strength of those living with mental illness, and the unique bond formed when the two meet.

New York based composer and lyricist, Rona Siddiqui will be joined by Mykal Kilgore (Motown), Kenita Miller (Once on this Island), Samia Mounts (We Live in Cairo workshop), Jonathan Raviv (The Band's Visit), Sherz Aletaha (Disaster!), and Waseem Alzer (We Live in Cairo workshop) at The Kennedy Center in a concert, Rona Siddiqui: Halfghan on a Mission, featuring her original music on November 15 at 6 PM.