Taylor News

Tickets are now on sale for Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Bass Performance Hall.

Stefani, a three-time Grammy Award winner, has achieved global success as a performer, songwriter, frontwoman for iconic band No Doubt, and multi-platinum solo artist. To date, she's sold more than 50 million units worldwide. Stefani currently serves as a coach on the 19th season of the four-time Emmy Award-winning competition series 'The Voice.'

“Heavy” arrives with a futuristic and fashion-forward music video helmed by Assaad Yacoub, who previously directed Benet’s viral “Jungle Kitty” and “Banjo” visuals. “Heavy” is written by Ben Obi (producer), BeBe Zahara Benet, Taylor Hamilton and Diego Wyatt; and is released via Producer Entertainment Group/Warner Brothers/Savannah Street.

On the track, a nostalgic R&B loop underlines Kash’s hard-hitting and emotionally-charged bars. Between thumping 808s, sizzling hi-hats, and lively snaps, she unleashes three incendiary verses punctuated by her nimble flow and quotable punchlines. Alternating between deft rapping and dynamic singing, she ponders the ups and downs.

OWENN has worked with A-list artists such as Beyonce, Rhianna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. OWENN became a staple of Taylor Swifts’ show on her 1989 Tour and Reputation Tour, and starred alongside her in her music video for “Lover'' as well as Normani in her video for “Motivation.” Check out tour dates with Taylor Swift!

Don't Get Too Cozy is an 18-track collection masterfully produced by industry giants such as Troy Taylor (Boyz 2 Men, Trey Songz, Babyface), Louie Lastic (Goldlink, Kehlani, AmbréL), and GRAMMY Award winner Eric Hudson (John Legend, Nas, Kanye West). The record's theme, an earnest pursuit for love and enlightenment.

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?

Following multiple West End runs, and continuing success at its home - The Other Palace in London, Heathers the Musical is coming to The King’s Theatre, Glasgow as part of a new UK and Ireland tour. This is the first time the highly anticipated show has been to Glasgow, and it runs from Tuesday 27 June to Saturday 1 July 2023.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced full cast and creative team for their forthcoming production of the show-stopping classic musical La Cage aux Folles (29 July – 16 September, press night 8 August 2023).

Florida Theatrical Association (FTA) presents the rock musical LIZZIE at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 – 13.  

Last night CABARET at the Kit Kat Club welcomed Kate Hudson, Billie Piper, Leslie Mann, Emma Corrin and more to a gala performance celebrating Maude Apatow as the new ‘Sally Bowles’ and Mason Alexander Park as the new ‘Emcee’.

Cortland Repertory Theatre takes a time trip back to 1980 with their second production in the 51st annual summer season as they present the pop musical “Xanadu”, running from June 21 - 30.

An all new trailer has been released of the brand-new stage musical Mrs. Doubtfire, currently at the Shaftesbury Theatre with press night on 22 June 2023.

Drama Desk winner and Emmy nominee Eugene Pack's The Pack Plays will be presented at the Groundlings Theatre on Sunday, June 25th at 7 pm at the Groundlings Gary Austin Stage (7280 Melrose Ave).

Aladdin will begin performances in San Francisco at BroadwaySF’s Orpheum Theatre on Wednesday, August 2 for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 13.  

Second Stage Theater has just announced three initial productions for its upcoming 45th Anniversary Season. Check out the full lineup here!

The Grand Prairie Arts Council presents SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Julian Fellowes, and direction by Mallory Roelke. The show runs June 16 - 25, 2023, at the Uptown Theater.

​​​​​​​ Overture Galleries' summer exhibitions delve into aspects of the vast natural world and beyond—from insights into the animal kingdom, to emotional portraiture and journeys to the mystical and surreal.

This summer, Midnight Theatre presents 'KTP's Juke Joint Jubilee,' a monthly concert series featuring the sultry soul and blues inspired vocals of the magnetic Kyle Taylor Parker.  Joining this month’s lineup of special guests are Kayla Davion (Tina, white girl in Danger) and Danny Marin (Drunk Musicals).

Last night, June 14, 2023, Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone opened the American Black Film Festival at the New World Center in Miami. Director Juel Taylor, Producers Charles D. King, Stephen 'Dr.' Love, Tony Rettenmaier, Datari Turner, actors John Boyega and Teyonah Parris were in attendance. Check out the photos now!