Simmons News

Starz, a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), announced today that Emmy(R)-winner and Oscar(R)-nominated actor James Cromwell ('American Horror Story,' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, 'The Young Pope') has been cast in a recurring guest role as 'Yanek' for season two of the STARZ Original series 'Counterpart.'

Full casting is today announced for Nuffield Southampton Theatres workshop production of Son of Rambow - The Musical, running at The Other Palace from 24 May - 2 June. Director of NST, Samuel Hodges, directs Gemma Goggin (Miss Smith), Scarlet Billham (Tina), Tom Mccall (Barry), Jon Tarcy (Didier), Richard Dempsey (Brother Joshua), Cat Simmons (Sarah) and Felix Warren as Will and Aaron Gelkoff as Lee. Son of Rambow - The Musical is an adaptation of the hit cult film featuring an original 80s pop soundtrack by two of the UK's most successful pop writers Miranda Cooper and Nick Coler with the book by Richard Marsh. This marks Cooper and Coler's debut in writing for the stage.

On August 25 this year, Leonard Bernstein would have celebrated his 100th birthday. To honor this centennial, the 2018 Bard SummerScape festival launches with the first major revival of the composer's Peter Pan. Commissioned from Olivier Award-winning director and Bernstein specialist Christopher Alden, and presented complete in an intimate new chamber arrangement, Bard's new production is the only one of Bernstein's theatrical works to be staged in the New York area during the centenary year. Alden's psychologically gripping treatment reveals the childhood fantasy's darker side, combining new choreography from Jack Ferver, with Bernstein's joyous, shimmering score. By turns whimsical and sinister, the production's cast is led by William Michals as Captain Hook,  Peter Smith as Peter Pan, Erin Markey, as Wendy, and Ferver as Tinker Bell.

'Womanhood shouldn't always mean motherhood.' The line from Tom Horan's new play about the invention of the birth control pill is sure to start some interesting conversations. Horan is the Phoenix Theatre's playwright-in-residence and this is the world premiere of The Pill. The show is performed by an all-female quintet of characters, including the infamous Margaret Sanger.

To conclude a highly successful inaugural season, Marietta Theatre Company is bringing audiences backstage with a musical about writing musicals with [title of show], running June 8 through June 23 at the Lyric Studio on the Square. Written by Hunter Bell with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen, the Obie Award-winning, internationally acclaimed, one-act musical tributes famous musicals of Broadway's past and the magic of collaboration and determination.

Extended improvisations arcing gracefully from contemporary jazz to the pianist's trademark spacious meditations, marked by the pianist/composer's identifiable sound-passion, strength, and power, flowing interchangeably with tender expressiveness.

Learn from Broadway stars this summer at Playhouse on Park! Broadway actors and teaching artists Eric Robertson and Michelle Pruiett visit the Playhouse as guest teaching artists for the Musical Theatre Preparatory Program. Friends of the theater may remember both Robertson and Pruiett as the two lead actors in the Playhouse's production of A Chorus Line in 2016!

A few spots remain for the Young Actor Musical Theater Preparatory Program at Playhouse on Park! Running from July 16-July 27, this two week full-day intensive musical theatre program introduces and prepares young actors for future training and/or performance in music, dance and theater. We are happy to work with students of all backgrounds and levels of training. All are welcome!

The talents of 21 Mercer County artists will be on display at the Gallery at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in 'Mercer County Artists 2018,' which runs from Monday, May 21 to Monday, July 9. The Gallery at Mercer is located on the second floor of the Communications Building on Mercer's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

TEDxAsburyPark "Passion," one of the largest and highest-rated TEDx conferences on the east coast, is set to take the stage at the legendary Paramount Theatre on Saturday, May 19th.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand – and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in original scripted and unscripted programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.

A musical like Priscilla is a big endeavor for any theatre company to take on due to its well-known songs and extravagant costumes. Kensington Arts Theatre's (KAT) production, directed by John Nunemaker, fell short of reaching diva status due to its poor production quality. Despite all of this, KAT manages to pull off an entertaining second half.

Unemployment is on the minds of many worldwide, and while rates continue to fluctuate many people are turning to alternative methods to pay the bills. Making light of this contemporary struggle, The Full Monty explores the tale of six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers who have exhausted their cash reserves, their job prospects, and their families. With the local factory closed, the men are relegated to the daily "wife" duties while the women venture out to make the big bucks.

ABC has given a Season 6 order to Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Music industry executives Alicia Pruitt(Warner/Chappel Music, Sr. Vice President, A&R), Jennie Smythe (Girlilla Marketing, CEO) and Tina Parol (Disney Music Publishing, artist & songwriter) have joined the Board of Directors of Nashville-based non-profit Music Health Alliance. The 18-member board, comprised of business leaders across multiple industries, help develop the strategic plans of Music Health Alliance in support of its mission to PROTECT, DIRECT & CONNECT members of the music community with medical and financial solutions.

According to Variety, ABC has renewed the Viola Davis drama How to Get Away with Murder for a fifth season. 

DAC Stage, in collaboration with The Lipstick Project, is producing the first ever all-female cast of Kander and Ebb's musical, Cabaret. The show will open on April 27th and run three weekends at the DAC's Weatherstone Studio. For this special production, Darien Arts Center Stage, the DAC's community theatre group, has augmented their pool of talent with that of The Lipstick Project, an all-female theatre group from Darien and surrounding towns, with a mission of empowering women through artistic opportunity and expression.

Forty years ago, two visionary leaders - Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller- took over an abandoned Upper West Side theater for an all-day free marathon concert called Wall to Wall Bach.  This event founded Symphony Space, and every year since 1978, Symphony Space has been presenting free marathon Wall to Wall events, hailed by The New York Times as 'an annual gift to the city of New York.'  In its 40th anniversary year, Symphony Space's signature concert event celebrates the centennial of a cherished American composer: Leonard Bernstein.  This FREE marathon concert will honor Bernstein's legacy with music, dance, conversation, film clips, and more, exploring the many facets of his creative life (May 19th, 3pm-11pm, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 95th and Broadway).

From the studio that produced the hit podcast, Missing Richard Simmons, Topic Studios today announced they are partnering with the award-winning John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, How to Talk to Girls at Parties) for a pioneering new podcast, "Anthem." This edgy anthology series will tell a unique American story though a distinct musical voice, with each season pairing an iconic songwriter with an experienced storyteller to bring audiences a fascinating tale from a neglected corner of the country. "Anthem" is currently in production and will be available to audiences later this year.

Once again, Dear Readers, we've ventured into the realm of one of my favorites. We recently had my all-time number one in town, but I'd have to say Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's "Hairspray", is certainly in the top five with its infectious and rousing score and incredible book from Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. I've seen countless productions including the original cast and even had the honor of being in the show. And now Village Theatre has thrown their wig in the ring with their own production and I have to say in some ways it surpasses all those others. With its Beat, Power, and Humor it's a true show triple threat.