Simmons News

The 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman is notable for its stars, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and of course, the theme song that inspired it, Roy Orbison's Number One hit “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Yet there's another song closely associated with the film – the adult contemporary smash “Fallen” by Lauren Wood.

Tales of Hopper, in a collaboration between choreographer Cherylyn Lavagnino and composer Martin Bresnick, uses dancers cast as figures plucked from selected Edward Hopper paintings. Human connections are illuminated though gestural movement steeped in subtext, with Bresnick's original compositions for piano, violin, and cello bringing emotional undercurrents to the surface. Transparent set pieces reference Hopper's environments, contextualizing each of the eight vignettes as they unfold. Tales of Hopper marks a departure for Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, asking each of the dancers to step into the new roles of actor and collaborator in the company's most character-driven work to date.

On Saturday, January 25th, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida featured a special livestream presentation of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, featuring performances by Broadway stars Alton Fitzgerald ('The Lion King'), Kissy Simmons ('The Lion King'), Heidi Blickenstaff ('The Little Mermaid') and Gavin Lee ('Mary Poppins').

Hadestown has won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album! The announcement was made during the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony on Sunday, January 26. 

On Saturday, January 25th, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will feature a special livestream presentation of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, featuring performances by Broadway stars Alton Fitzgerald ('The Lion King'), Kissy Simmons ('The Lion King'), Heidi Blickenstaff ('The Little Mermaid') and Gavin Lee ('Mary Poppins'). Check back tomorrow at 7:55pm to watch live!

Most theatergoing people know of Sam Shepard's a?oeTrue Westa??. It's considered a classic of American Theatre. But I have a question for you, a?oeHave you seen it?a?? It's revived every few years on Broadway but not so much locally. And I will admit, I knew it but never had the opportunity to see a production. So, when the Seattle Rep announced it as part of their season, I was thrilled to fill in that gap in my theatrical knowledge. And then when they announced a stellar cast including Kevin Anderson who killed it in last season's a?oeLast of the Boysa??, I was even more thrilled. And now after seeing it (finally) I can see why it's a classic with its superb dialog and storytelling and why actors, such as Anderson, clamor to be able to sink their teeth into these meaty characters when they come around.

Seattle Rep presents Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-nominated story of sibling rivalry, True West. Seattle Rep Artistic Director Braden Abraham directs the play, which is set to star Kevin Anderson (Seattle Rep's Last Of The Boys) and Zachary Ray Sherman (Seattle Rep debut) on the Bagley Wright stage.

Today, RTG Features and 1091 Media in partnership with SLAM, releases the official trailer and key art for the upcoming debut of A Kid From Coney Island - a soulful documentary based on the life of former NBA player, Stephon Marbury. The documentary is helmed by Executive Producers Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman. Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, the producers of 2013's box office smash Fruitvale Station, are attached as producers as well as Jason Samuels. A Kid From Coney Island was directed by Chike Ozah and Coodie Simmons, responsible for creative visuals for artists such as Kayne West, Christina Aguuilera, Erykah Badu, Pitbull and more.

Bill Simmons' The Ringer is collaborating with HBO to create a multi-part documentary film series rooted in the music world. The untitled six-film project will concentrate on pivotal moments or stretches for a popular artist or band, an iconic album or the music business as a whole, with each film helmed by a different director. Executive produced by Simmons, Polygram Entertainment and Universal Music Publishing Group executives Jody Gerson and Marc Cimino, the series is expected to air in 2021 on HBO as a special six-week event.

Coventry audiences will be among the first to experience a brand new on-stage thriller when Robin Hawdon's Revenge comes to the Belgrade Theatre next month.

Milwaukee Rep's Quadracci Powerhouse kicks off the New Year with the joyful play The Legend of Georgia McBride from rising star playwright Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance). Kevin Kantor returns to Milwaukee Rep as Casey, after a dazzling debut in the American Premiere of Things I Know To Be True last season. They are joined by 2013/14 EPR Armand Fields (Ms. Black for President, Steppenwolf) as Rexy/Jason, Shavanna Calder (Hairspray, Nat'l tour) as Jo, Courter Simmons (Jersey Boys, Broadway) as Miss Tracy Mills and Associate Artist James Pickering (A Christmas Carol, Milwaukee Rep) as Eddie.

On Saturday, February 1, 2020 at the Jill Newhouse Gallery on the Upper East Side, artists of color will engage in a special talk about European art for the tenth annual Master Drawings New York. Conceived by Savona Bailey-McClain and Jill Newhouse, this event hopes to diversify the conversation about art and bridge time periods, artists and audiences in this 21st century.

Milwaukee, have your dollar bills handy! Though it's only been on stage since 2014, Matthew Lopez's Georgia McBride is on its way to becoming a bonafide dragtastic legend. Now on stage at the Milwaukee Rep, under the fantastic direction of Meredith McDonough, the heat and heart in this play about an Elvis impersonator turned drag queen is the uplifting, energizing show audiences need right now.

Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director; Quinn Metal Corbin, Advancement Director) announced today complete casting for the return engagement of Ethan Lipton's TUMACHO, directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman.

Rehearsals are underway for the ne UK tour of The Phantom of the Opera! The show's official Twitter page is giving us a look inside the rehearsal room.

Milwaukee Rep's Quadracci Powerhouse kicks off the New Year with the joyful play The Legend of Georgia McBride from rising star playwright Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance). Kevin Kantor returns to Milwaukee Rep as Casey, after a dazzling debut in the American Premiere of Things I Know To Be True last season. They are joined by 2013/14 EPR Armand Fields (Ms. Black for President, Steppenwolf) as Rexy/Jason, Shavanna Calder (Hairspray, Nat'l tour) as Jo, Courter Simmons (Jersey Boys, Broadway) as Miss Tracy Mills and Associate Artist James Pickering (A Christmas Carol, Milwaukee Rep) as Eddie.

Playhouse Theatre Academy is a theatre school offering recreational classes and pre-professional training. All programs, classes and workshops are held at the 224 EcoSpace, which is conveniently located for anyone in Greater Hartford area or beyond. Registration is now open for the next session of Creative Kids classes (ages 4-6).

Disney World is presenting a Disney on Broadway concert series during Epcot International Festival of the Arts this month. The series kicked off this weekend and you can check out a video from Gavin Lee and Heidi Blickenstaff's performance!

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) hosted the 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards on the evening of Saturday, January 18 at the Hollywood Palladium. A full list of winners is below.