Mother's Day could be extra-special this year for the moms of the University of Michigan Department of Musical Theatre (UMSMTD) 2018 graduating class. Most likely, many of them will accompany their just-graduated seniors to New York City and celebrate Mother's Day on the Great White Way. Then, on Monday, May 14, 19 of the 20 UMSMTD grads will be having their first professional auditions in their chosen career of theatre.
Music Theatre Wichita opens its 2017 Season, "Hollywood to Broadway: A Summer Festival of Musical Theatre" with the 2002 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, playing June 14-18 in the Century II Concert Hall in downtown Wichita, KS. The first of five locally produced Broadway-scale productions, Thoroughly Modern Millie launches the organization's 46th season, which is also the 30th season for producing artistic director Wayne Bryan.
Casting is announced today for Music Theatre Wichita 46th Season, 'Hollywood to Broadway,' featuring five lavish stage musicals inspired by films, including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Hairspray, and the Kansas premieres of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Disney's Newsies.
Along with Theatre in the Park, Playmakers Repertory Company and ABC 11, DPAC hosted this year's Triangle Rising Star Awards onstage on Sunday evening, June 2. The Triangle Rising Star Awards (TRS) is a program that brings together area high school musical theater students to perform together and compete against one another for educational scholarships. Last year's winners, Sam Hamashima and Anna Higginson, presented the awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, while awards were also given for Best Ensemble and Best Musical.
On June 2, the best and brightest from area high schools gathered together at the 2013 Triangle Rising Star Awards, honoring the best in high school musical theater. Each of the 20 finalists were nominated based on performances in their schools' productions, and represented a diverse array of shows including The King and I, Godspell, and Grease, among others.