Sam Simahk News

Lyric Opera of Chicago's grand-scale production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, featuring Broadway stars Kate Baldwin and Paolo Montalban as Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam, runs April 29 through May 22 (press opening April 30) at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Check out a first look at the pair in costume below!

The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) today announced the nominees for the 20th Annual IRNE Awards, which honors the best of the previous year's actors, directors, choreographers, designers and companies across the full spectrum of large, mid-size and fringe theater companies.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced today casting for the remaining principal roles in its grand-scale production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, featuring Broadway stars Kate Baldwin and Paolo Montalban as Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam. Additional Broadway artists Ali Ewoldt (Tuptim), Alan Ariano (The Kralahome) and Rona Figueroa (Lady Thiang) join the cast, along with Sam Simahk (Lun Tha) and Chicagoland artists Charlie Babbo (Louis Leonowens), Jomar Ferreras (Interpreter), John Lister (Captain Orton), David Parkes (Sir Edward Ramsay), Peter Sipla (Phra Alack) and Matthew Uzarraga (Prince Chulalongkorn). All but Lister make their Lyric debuts with The King and I.

There's Sondheim music galore playing at the Lyric Stage Company as Producing Artistic Director and recognized Sondheim expert Spiro Veloudos directs an octet of Boston musical theatre performers in SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM. In effect, the composer/lyricist is the ninth member of the ensemble as he appears onscreen, larger than life, providing intimate commentary on his life, his process, and his words and music. The video affords the opportunity to sit through a master class with the master, and the living, breathing actors demonstrate his brilliance with their starry interpretations.

The Lyric Stage's own award-winning Sondheim expert, Spiro Veloudos, turns his unique vision to Sondheim on Sondheim, an intimate portrait of the famed songwriter in his own words and music. With songs taken from nineteen Sondheim shows produced over a 62-year period, eight of your favorite Boston-based musical-theatre artists will perform well-known, rarely-heard, and cut material, featuring video commentary from the master himself.   Learn how the greatest musical-theatre composer of all time thinks about writing songs, and how he creates his award-winning productions.

National Asian Artists Project (Baayork Lee, Executive Artistic Director) whose mission of 'showcasing the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach and educational programming' is pleased to host the 4th Annual DISCOVER: NEW MUSICALS, an evening of staged readings of new short musicals tonight, December 7, 2015 at 7:30pm at the 47th Street Theater (304 West 47th Street, New York).

National Asian Artists Project (Baayork Lee, Executive Artistic Director) whose mission of "showcasing the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach and educational programming" is pleased to announce the 4th Annual DISCOVER: NEW MUSICALS, an evening of staged readings of new short musicals on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 7:30pm at the 47th Street Theater (304 West 47thStreet, New York).

Musical Theatre Factory in association with The Chelsea Symphony will present the gala concert event "Get Yourself Some New Orchestrations," the launch of an exciting new series which pairs emergent musical theatre writers with Broadway orchestrators to commission stunning new orchestrations of their shows.

Don't Tell Mama continues to foster the development of new musicals in their ongoing series, under the direction of Max Friedman, with a staged reading of Noel Carey & Ryan McGovern's new musical THE SHOWMEN.

The genius of Stephen Sondheim is on display in Huntington Theatre Company's production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and Artistic Director Peter DuBois casts a vast array of local actors with a few Broadway veterans for a luminous spectacle. Lavish costumes and lush orchestrations counter a minimalist scenic design, and the singing and acting do justice to one of Sondheim's masterworks.

The Huntington Theatre Company opens its 2015-2016 season with the Tony Award-winning musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Stephen Sondheim's most romantic and popular work, led by Tony and Olivier nominee Haydn Gwynne, as well as Broadway's Stephen Bogardus and Lauren Molina. Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (after all the terrible things I do; Smart People; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Becky Shaw) directs. Performances run through October 11, 2015 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Huntington Theatre Company opens its 2015-2016 season with the Tony Award-winning musical A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's most romantic and popular work, led by Tony and Olivier nominee Haydn Gwynne, as well as Broadway's Stephen Bogardus and Lauren Molina. Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (after all the terrible things I do; Smart People; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Becky Shaw) will direct. Performances will run tonight, September 11, through October 11, 2015 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre.

Lerner & Loewe's classic musical MY FAIR LADY launches Lyric Stage's 2015-16 season tonight, September 4.

The Huntington Theatre Company will open its 2015-2016 season with the Tony Award-winning musical A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's most romantic and popular work, led by Tony and Olivier nominee Haydn Gwynne, as well as Broadway's Stephen Bogardus and Lauren Molina. Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (after all the terrible things I do; Smart People; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Becky Shaw) will direct. Performances will run September 11 - October 11, 2015 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. Check out the video below on outfitting the cast in the show!

The Huntington Theatre Company will open its 2015-2016 season with the Tony Award-winning musical A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's most romantic and popular work, led by Tony and Olivier nominee Haydn Gwynne, as well as Broadway's Stephen Bogardus and Lauren Molina. Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (after all the terrible things I do; Smart People; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Becky Shaw) will direct. Performances will run September 11 - October 11, 2015 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre.  BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast below!

The Huntington Theatre Company will open its 2015-2016 season with the Tony Award-winning musical A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim's most romantic and popular work. Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (after all the terrible things I do; Smart People; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Becky Shaw) will direct. Performances will run September 11 - October 11, 2015 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) presents a developmental reading of Windywoo and Her Naughty Naughty Pets, a new musical based on the popular Naughty Naughty Pets franchise, featured on Cartoon Network and Disney's Hyperion Books for Children. The developmental readings will take place July 11 at 1pm and July 13 at 4pm and 7pm at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

Carla Ching's family caper comedy FAST COMPANY completes the 2015-16 Lyric Stage season!

Creators of the recent failed Broadway musical BIG FISH are testing the waters of regional theater with a more intimate, scaled back version of their splashy father-son story now premiering at Boston's SpeakEasy Stage through April 11.