The American Musical and Dramatic Academy News

Smart and full of smiles, "Legally Blonde the Musical" opens at the Olmsted Performing Arts Center (OPAC) - http://www.olmstedperformingarts.com - in Olmsted Falls on Friday Sept. 25. It will be a totally awesome weekend, for sure, you guys.

Tweiss Productions and Nicholas James Opalenik/Event Horizon Productions will present a helluva show in Times Square this October, the original musical Hell's Belles, with book and lyrics by Bryan D. Leys and music by Steve Liebman. Hell's Belles will begin performances at The Elektra Theatre at The Times Square Arts Center (300 West 43rd Street) on October 3, opening October 24 for a limited run through December 27, 2015. The show features direction by John Znidarsic, music direction by Mary Feinsinger, and musical staging by Eugenio Contenti. Tickets are $39, $69, $99 and can be purchased by visiting HellsBellesTheMusical.com or by calling 866.811.4111. Cast to be announced soon.

The Winter Park Playhouse Spotlight Cabaret Series continues its exceptional programming with the powerfully talented Laura Hodos debuting her newest solo cabaret Life Upon The Wicked Stage September 16 and 17, 2015.

In a race against time, men and women are left frantically searching high and low to find the perfect mate, aided by technology and swiping left or right, perfectly datable people are put through the ringer as they spin the relationship roulette wheel with the hopes of not landing on a sociopath. Tinder Roulette: A Musical Memoir is written and performed by Mel DeLancey, directed by Bryan Enk with musical direction by Norma Jeanne Curley, will play at the 13th Street Rep (50 West 13th Street) beginning October 2 and opening on October 10 through October 24. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by visiting tinderrouletteshow.com.

As the Lyric Stage has shown with Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Big River, and more, our forte is turning a grand musical into a completely thrilling event in our uniquely intimate space. Now, director Scott Edmiston will re-fashion My Fair Lady, the delightful story of a down-on-her- luck London flower girl taken on as an 'experiment' by a chauvinistic speech therapist, into another Lyric Stage winner. Based on George Bernard Shaw's beloved play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady introduced the world to a treasure trove of classic tunes including 'I Could Have Danced All Night,' 'On the Street Where You Live,' 'The Rain in Spain,' and 'I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face.'

Theatre Now New York presents the world premier of Welcome to Paradise, an original play written by Julie Marino and selected for this summer's 2015 Thespis Theater Festival.

Theatre Now New York presents the world premier of Welcome to Paradise, an original play written by Julie Marino and selected for this summer's 2015 Thespis Theater Festival.

"It couldn't be better, unless it was longer . . ." was a comment heard from the audience at the hilarious opening of The Grand Illusion, a Kansas City Fringe Festival 2015 offering produced by Egads! Theatre Company. The Grand Illusion plays on the stage at the Arts Asylum located at 1000 E. 9th Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Spencer Brown with Associate Director Ashley Pike created, directed, and stars in the musical comedy cabaret.

The Chickasaw Nation presents a Master Class "How to Audition and Song Interpretation," led by Broadway star Emily Skinner, from 1:30 - 4 p.m.,  Sunday, July 19, at the arts & humanities building.

The award-winning musical, A Letter to Harvey Milk, based on the short story "A Letter to Harvey Milk" by Leslea Newman,  will enjoy an invite-only industry reading in New York City on Monday, June 22, 2015 at Times Square's Playroom Theatre. A Letter to Harvey Milk, has a book by Jerry James, Cheryl Stern and Laura I. Kramer, lyrics by Ellen M. Schwartz with additional lyrics by Cheryl Stern, and music by Laura I. Kramer, it has been musical directed, arranged and orchestrated by Ned Paul Ginsburg, and the reading will be directed by Evan Pappas (Performer: Parade, My Favorite Year).

Town Hall presents Broadway Rising Stars: a national showcase that introduces New York audiences to the next generation of up-and-coming talent as chosen by a panel of discerning judges from among the most outstanding new graduates from schools such as the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, CAP21, Circle in the Square Theatre School, Marymount Manhattan College, The New School, NYU's Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and other acclaimed institutions. The 2015 Rising Stars is spearheaded by Scott Siegel, creator/writer/host of Town Hall's beloved Broadway by the Year series. Nightlife-winner Scott Coulter directs and acclaimed singer/songwriter Howard Fishman provides musical direction.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival kicks off the summer season by opening its historic grounds and studios to the community through morning dance classes beginning Monday, June 8.

San Diego Musical Theatre announces the second production of their 2015 season, Singin' in the Rain, May 22 - June 7, 2015 (press opening on Saturday, May 23), at the Spreckels Theatre on Broadway in downtown San Diego.

Quién es Quién en el Teatro en México, permitirá conocer y reconocer a los talentos que han hecho o hacen posible esta industria en el país. Hoy: Mauricio Martínez

The popular TV series "Hunting Season," created by Jon Marcus and starring Ben Baur, is set to debut its second season on Vimeo On Demand, with a ninety-day exclusive window. The first episode of Season Two premieres Tuesday, May 5th at Vimeo.com/OnDemand/HuntingSeason. A new episode will premiere every Tuesday for four weeks.

Broads' Word Theatre has announced the opening of its premiere production, Fifty Shades of Shrew, an all-female production of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, directed and adapted by Danielle Ozymandias.

The Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project will present its second annual benefit, A Night of A Thousand Genders, an evening of cocktails followed by a very special one-night-only cabaret evening celebrating the beauty and resilience of gender expansive youth and their families on Monday, March 23, 2015 from 6:00-8:30pm at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street).

Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Boublil & Schonberg's Les Miserables will welcome several new cast members for its second year on Broadway beginning tonight, March 3 at The Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street).