Simmons News

I recently spoke with Mary Nye Bennett who is directing the inaugural holiday show for Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Your Happy Holiday, which will be performed at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta), Dec. 20-23.

'Be Our Guest!'  Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Broadway Musical will run at Patchogue Theatre from December 14th through December 30th and will be produced and presented by The Gateway.

As the 2nd annual “Heal The Music Day” wraps for 2018, more than 170 members of the music community – songwriters, musicians, performers, artist managers, publishers, business managers, record labels, trade organizations and more – pledged a percentage of their single-day revenues to support their fellow musicians and peers in the industry in times of medical crisis. With $300,000 raised in support of Music Health Alliance, every dollar donated equals $30 in life-saving healthcare resources. Music Health Alliance's free services range from access to doctors and hospitals, medicine, health insurance and finding financial assistance during times of illness.

 Bravo Media's “The Real Housewives of Dallas” delivers a two-part reunion, debuting Wednesday, December 5 at 10pm ET/PT. Host Andy Cohen sits down with Cary Deuber, Stephanie Hollman, LeeAnne Locken, Brandi Redmond, D'Andra Simmons and Kameron Westcott as the ladies speak their truths and settle the score for season three. 

The Board of Governors of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Chapter is pleased to announce the induction of ten talented individuals into the prestigious Gold & Silver Circles. The Gold & Silver Circles are comprised of an elite group of professionals who have made significant contributions to the New York television market. The Silver Circle recognizes individuals who have devoted a quarter of a century or more to the television industry. The Gold Circle honors those legends whose contributions span fifty years or more.

HBO Sports takes a deep dive into the fascinating, constantly evolving world of surfing, exploring how a group of dedicated teenagers changed the sport and its culture in the 1990s, when MOMENTUM GENERATION debuts TUESDAY, DEC. 11 (10:00-11:45 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

It's almost the end of this year of the dog. Yoga is in the mainstream, mindfulness has run rampant in the workplace and people talk about their higher selves in the same breath as their weekend. It is a time when "No religion' is the top pick on the recent census, but people are flocking to ashrams and silent retreats. At such a confusing time, the world needs a saviour, a sinner, a Spiritual Gangster to unpack it all. Joana Simmons is ready to provide just that in her brand new comedy cabaret.

Andrea Miller, Artistic Director of Gallim, returns to The Joyce Theater after a year as the choreographer-in-residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Building on her discoveries there, Miller's new work, To Create a World, harnesses the uncompromising virtuosity and raw vulnerability of the Gallim dancers in a provocative study of the human body and its instinct to survive. Performances are February 12-17, 2019 (Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm). The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), in Manhattan.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Central Pennsylvania Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

Madeline's back at Creative Cauldron this holiday season in Madeline's Christmas, returning December 6 - 23, 2018. Adapted from the classic children's book by the beloved author and illustrator, Ludwig Bemelmans, this delightful production returns after two sold-out runs in 2014 and 2017. Librettist Jennifer Kirkeby and composer Shirley Mier artfully tell Madeline's story, while director Matt Conner brings this exciting adventure to life. Veteran Scenic and Costume Designer, Margie Jervis, and Lighting Designer, John Sami have once again created a whimsical visual world for the production inspired by Bemelmans' timeless illustrations. Madeline's Christmas runs from December 6th through December 23rd, 2018 at Creative Cauldron, 410 South Maple Avenue. Show times are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm. And 4:00 pm. There will also be showings Tuesday, December 18th and Wednesday, December 19th at 7:30 pm. Press Night is Saturday, December 8th at 7:30 pm.

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this brand new musical holiday spectacular December 20-23, 2018. A dazzling event featuring Atlanta's favorites, sparkling dance numbers and luxurious costumes, YOUR HAPPY HOLIDAY performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta). For tickets, reservations and group pricing visit www.AtlantaLyric.com or call 404-377-9948.

A generous contribution of €150,000 ($171,000) to the Museo del Prado (the Prado), made equally by Friends of Florence and American Friends of the Prado Museum, will go towards restoring The Annunciation by Fra Angelico and other works not held at the Prado Museum to be included in a major exhibition slated for the coming year, Fra Angelico and the Rise of the Florentine Renaissance. The exhibition is part of the Prado's Bicentenary celebration in 2019.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 will present Tonya Pinkins and Brad Simmons in a new holiday show 'Naughty & Nice' on Sunday, December 16 at 9:30 PM. The Tony, Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning actress Tony Pinkins is known to theater, film, and television audiences everywhere, and perfectly pairs with Broadway music director and concert artist Brad Simmons. Together they bring a provocative and eclectic evening of music to The Green Room 42, just in time for the holidays.

It will tap its way into your heart.

Company of Rogues and the Pioneer Play Festival are proud to announce Sophia Simmons' smart, sharp and funny play about growing up, the universe and everything is the winner of the 2018 Pioneer Playwright Award.

The nominees for the 29th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were announced this week.

More than 1.5 million people have experienced Goodman Theatre's family-favorite, A Christmas Carol, 'one of Chicago's treasured Christmas traditions' (Theatermania), now returning for the 41st year. Under Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper's direction for the sixth year, the annual production 'remains the greatest seasonal story of all' (Chicago Tribune) and features Chicago actor Larry Yando, who leads the 26-member cast as the irascible businessman Ebenezer Scrooge. Joining Yando is Paris Strickland, who reprises her role as Tiny Tim for the second year. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who take him on a spectacular adventure through his past, present and future, helping him rediscover the joys of life, love and friendship. 

Thanksgiving is a time each year when we come together and give thanks for what we have and what we were able to accomplish during the past year. It is also a time to give back to those in our community, who are in need and less fortunate. In the spirit of giving, YWCA Yonkers (https://www.ywcayonkers.org), Tashera Simmons (Founder, Freedom of Truth) (https://freedomoftruth.org), and special celebrity guests are teaming to host a Pre-Thanksgiving Feast of Giving to those in need.

CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced that all eight episodes of the second season of its original comedy series NO ACTIVITY will be available to stream beginning Today, Nov. 22. NO ACTIVITY's second season debut marks the first time CBS All Access has released an entire season of an original series at once.

Teyana Taylor has just been announced as the special guest performer for the largest New Year's Eve party, in Atlanta, GA. Utopia NYE, created by Rufin Tshinanga and Justin Cobb of Utopian Village, is the premier destination for all partygoers in the city. Last year, Angela Simmons hosted the affair with a special performance from rapper and songwriter Cyhi The Prince with over 2,500 guests in attendance. This year, the dynamic duo will hold the event at Atlanta's popular 787 Windsor venue, where they have designed a unique and cutting-edge ecological oasis for all attendees to indulge in.