Actor/director/author Bruce Kimmel is best known to audiences for his tremendous work with Kritzerland, his own company that produces updated albums of classic musicals as well as recordings of new ones like his A Carol Christmas, produced last year at Group Rep and currently nominated for several BroadwayWorld Awards. Kimmel is about to open The Man Who Came to Dinner at Group Rep on December 6. In our convesation he talks about his fondness for the play and gives us his vision for a successful production of it.
How do you envision The Man Who Came to Dinner onstage?
BK: Fast. Funny. I love the play, have played Banjo twice, so it's really fun to come back to it as a director. The comedy is as funny as it's always been and it's also great to be able to bring whatever we can bring to it. But, for me, pace is key - the play can run long, but I'm making sure that doesn't happen here.
Why do you think it has endured all these years even though it's a period piece with the mention of many, many names people today do not recognize?
BK: The central situation is so relatable - someone takes over your house and your life, and disrupts everything, but, in the end, ends up being helpful to people. Add to that, the assortment of crazies who populate Sheridan Whiteside's wo
The dynamic story shared through comedy skits and songs deals with the journeys many women face from admiring their mother's chests (a?oeOne day I'll be like Mommy or Barbie!a??), to training bras and cup sizes, dating while dealing with wandering eyes (a?oeCleavage'), to pumping at work and breastfeeding in public (a?oeDon't Blame Me, My Baby is Hungrya??), to facing breast cancer. The energetic songs incorporate humorous pieces like a?oeLife in Boobs,a?? a?oeWife Beater Tank Top,a?? and a?oeSuck It, Cancera?? to the inspirational a?oeI'm Dianea?? which will tug at your heartstrings and inspire you to accept yourself exactly the way you are.
American Theatre's brightest young voices are part of the newly formed Independent Writers Lab, which will be hosting a reading series of four new plays at The Fountain Theatre December 3 - 5, 2019. The series will feature readings of original works from playwrights Carla Ching (Nomad Motel, Atlantic Theater Company), Bernardo Cubria (The Giant Void In My Soul, Ammunition Theater Company), Joy Gregory (The Shaggs, Playwrights Horizons), and Charlotte Miller (Thieves, Rising Phoenix Rep/Rattlestick).
Three plays by Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein will be presented in two triple-header days of theatre readings when JWT, director Stan Zimmerman and an all-star cast salute the groundbreaking artist who made a career out of exploring the lives of intelligent, talented women.
When the producers of Collaborative Artists Ensemble were searching for their next play, they were looking for something that explored different aspects of mother/daughter relationships, and they found one that added the element of dementia to the complexities of the dynamic. But the deciding factor, said Managing Director Steve Jarrard, was the beauty of the writing in a script they couldn't put down.
Voting is NOW OPEN and the first votes are in for the 2019 BroadwayWorld West Virginia Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! The nominees are set, and now you can vote to make sure your favorite local theatres and performers are recognized!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) honored outstanding members of the Los Angeles community at the annual Big Bash Gala on Friday, November 15, 2019, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills. Nina Jacobson, Founder and CEO of Color Force productions, received the 2019 Sherry Lansing Award, entrepreneur Michael Green received the 2019 Walt Disney Executive of the Year Award, Anthony Lynn, Head Coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, received the inaugural Defender of Potential Award in absentia. Kim Baldonado, the NBCLA Emmy Award winning reporter, was honored as the 2019 BBBSLA Big Sister of the Year. Mike Shumard was the evening's emcee and led the fundraising appeal. Actress Heather Hemmens (If Loving You Is Wrong; Roswell, New Mexico) presented her testimonial as a mentor and 'Big Sister'. The BBBSLA Big Bash Gala benefits youth facing adversity from underserved communities in Los Angeles.
When the producers of Collaborative Artists Ensemble were searching for their next play, they were looking for something that explored different aspects of mother/daughter relationships, and they found one that added the element of dementia to the complexities of the dynamic. But the deciding factor, said Managing Director Steve Jarrard, was the beauty of the writing in a script they couldn't put down.
The Broadway musical is finally coming to Oslo and on September 16, 2020, it is ready for
Norwegian premiere at Chateau Neuf! The true story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It will star Atle Pettersen, Nicolay Ramm, Mathias Luppichini and Sindre Postholm. The production will be directed by Tore Sergei Myklebust and choreographed by Kirsty McDonald (Flashdance - The Musical). Hans Einar Apelland will serve as Musical Director and stage design and costumes by Takis.
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) today announced that Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Ronan Farrow will receive the Equity in Entertainment Award at its annual Women in Entertainment breakfast gala on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. The honor, which recognizes an individual who has worked against gender-based discrimination and toward greater inclusion of women and people of color in the entertainment industry, will be presented by former Fox News anchor, whistleblower and journalist Gretchen Carlson.
Tony®, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, will return to D.C.'s National Theatre by popular demand from Tuesday, December 17, 2019 through Sunday, January 5, 2020. The show marks the ninth installment in the venue's 2019-2020 Broadway at the National series, which is set to include an unprecedented 17 productions.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) honored outstanding members of the Los Angeles community at the annual Big Bash Gala on Friday, November 15, 2019, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills. Nina Jacobson, Founder and CEO of Color Force productions, received the 2019 Sherry Lansing Award, entrepreneur Michael Green received the 2019 Walt Disney Executive of the Year Award, Anthony Lynn, Head Coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, received the inaugural Defender of Potential Award in absentia. Kim Baldonado, KNBC's Emmy Award winning reporter, was honored as the 2019 BBBSLA Big Sister of the Year. Mike Shumard was the evening's emcee and led the fundraising appeal. Actress Heather Hemmens (If Loving You Is Wrong; Roswell, New Mexico) presented her testimonial as a mentor and 'Big Sister'. The BBBSLA Big Bash Gala benefits youth facing adversity from underserved communities in Los Angeles.
State Theatre New Jersey presents the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning musical Jersey Boys for two performances on Tuesday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 4 at 8pm. Tickets range from $40-$98.
When the producers of Collaborative Artists Ensemble were searching for their next play, they were looking for something that explored different aspects of mother/daughter relationships, and they found one that added the element of dementia to the complexities of the dynamic. But the deciding factor, said Managing Director Steve Jarrard, was the beauty of the writing in a script they couldn't put down.
Writers in Performance is a 12-week writing and performance workshop hosted by BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, culminating in two public presentations. Throughout the course of the workshop, talented actors, playwrights, poets and storytellers have explored writing exercises, theater games, improvisation, movement techniques, and ensemble work in a safe, creative environment. This season, the theme and title of the Writers in Performance show is a?oeDream.a?? Writers in Performance participants are diverse by design; not only in ethnicity, but by age, and experience as well, mixing professionals with students.
The producers of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award winning musical Jersey Boys announced that John Rochette will play the role of Tommy DeVito beginning tonight, Monday, November 18, at New York City's New World Stages (340 West 50th Street) Stage 1. John has previously appeared in the Jersey Boys ensemble on Broadway, on tour and at New World Stages.
The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, celebrated 5,000 performances of its North American Tour Saturday evening, November 16 at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY.
A New England Christmas, staged and performed by Pontine Theatre Co-Artistic Directors, Greg Gathers and Marguerite Mathews, includes original adaptations of two seasonal tales: A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and A Winter Story based on the writings of South Berwick, Maine author, Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909).
When the producers of Collaborative Artists Ensemble were searching for their next play, they were looking for something that explored different aspects of mother/daughter relationships, and they found one that added the element of dementia to the complexities of the dynamic. But the deciding factor, said Managing Director Steve Jarrard, was the beauty of the writing in a script they couldn't put down.
That harmonious hit jukebox musical Jersey Boys is once again back at Syracuse's Landmark Theatre as part of the Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series: Broadway in Syracuse. The musical of course tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
