The Apollo News

DIFFERENT STAGES has announced its 2019 - 2020 season!

Award-winning comedian Adam Kay will now share entries from his diaries as a junior doctor across two "electrifying" shows of stand-up and music at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Live at the RSC: Comedy Festival.

THE SPITFIRE GRILL begins its previews July 10, 2019 at the Garry Marshall Theatre under the direction of its artistic director Dimitri Toscas. This musical (by James Valcq and Fred Alley) takes place in the rural town of Gilead, Wisconsin during a simpler era. I had the opportunity to interview a stunning vocalist I have seen on various Los Angeles stages, Ashley Argota, who will be imbuing her powerful vocals to the role of Shelby Thorpe, a pivotal part of the Gilead community.

"One Giant Leap: The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, 50 Years On" brings together renowned astronauts, journalists and acclaimed actors from stage and screen to commemorate a pivotal accomplishment for America and humankind, July 21 at The Town Hall.

This summer season at the Hollywood Bowl celebrates Academy Award-winning films and iconic music by some of the biggest names in film music: John Williams' stirring score for Jurassic Park; beloved music of George Gershwin from the Oscar-winning film An American Paris; and Nicholas Hooper's spectacular score for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Each film is shown in full on the Bowl's giant screen with the orchestra performing the music live.

There's a transcendent moment in 'Twisted Melodies,' the one-man Donny Hathaway show by Kelvin Roston Jr. at Mosaic Theater Company, in which the audience and performer are one, singing and clapping to 'The Ghetto,' under his direction, and getting a groove on.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts (www.usdan.org), one of the preeminent nonprofit arts day camps in the country, today announced the Festival lineup for its 2019 Season, which kicks off on July 2. Curated by Usdan's Festival Artistic Director Jonathan Shmidt Chapman, the 2019 program consists of student performances as well as 14 different professional acts, representing genres from classical and pop music to dance, poetry, musical theater, and more.

HBO will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission moon landing with a special encore presentation of the Emmy®-winning 1998 miniseries FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON.

Seth Zvi Rosenfeld will discuss his career as a writer in theater, film, and TV with Ben Snyder, the Dramatic Writing Coordinator for St. Francis College's MFA in Creative Writing, as part of the College's Write in Brooklyn discussion series.

Arturo O'Farrill, a six-time Grammy-winning pianist, composer and music educator, has been appointed professor of global jazz studies and music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. His teaching will focus on performance and composition and on redefining the perimeters of Latin jazz.

The Houston Symphony closes out the ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights with an Independence Day celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre: Star-Spangled Salute, a Houston tradition of more than 75 years. Houstonians can enjoy patriotic tunes, a celebration of the Apollo 11 space mission, and an incredible firework display in a free and family-friendly setting at 8:30 p.m. on July 4.

A kid's place is exploring space! Kids and families coast-to-coast will be inspired to take “one giant leap” into the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing celebration this summer with Ready Jet Go! and a “universe” of space-themed fun! From a new hour-long special, “Ready Jet Go!: One Small Step,” airing throughout June and July on PBS KIDS (check local listings), to an IMAX screening at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, from out-of-this world events on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to Ready Jet Go! space camps in cities nationwide this summer, young fans will be set to put on their spacesuits for the historic milestone!

What do you want to happen when you die? The ancient Greeks hung their heroes in the stars. On Monday, June 24, Smithsonian Channel cameras will capture an emotional, 21st-century version of this timeless human story, when 152 people mark the end of their life on Earth – by having their ashes shot into space. Celestis Memorial Spaceflights is lifting the cremains of 152 space enthusiasts off to their greatest and final adventure. Now, cameras are on the ground to capture the stories of Celestis participants and their loved ones as they witness this emotional launch to be shown in an upcoming Smithsonian Channel program, HEAVENLY BODIES (w.t.).

Crown the Empire have announced their new album Sudden Sky. The album is available for pre-order here and will drop on July 19 via Rise Records. 

JULY WILL be a month of dance, music and laughter at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. The month begins with The Marlowe Dance Showcase (Wednesday 3 July), an annual event giving local dance groups and schools the chance to perform on The Marlowe's main stage.

Following its Tony-nominated hit Broadway run at Studio 54 seen by tens of thousands, Tony Award winner John Leguizamo's one-man play LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS will launch its North American tour at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York on June 20-21, 2019. The critically acclaimed production will continue to more than a dozen cities across North America including stops in Dallas, Durham, Hartford, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Brunswick, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Washington, DC among others. A limited number of tickets for the Apollo engagement are still available. For more information, visit apollotheatre.org.

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

2019 Marin County Fair, Over the Moon! kicks off in high gear this summer offering spectacular fun for five days and providing something for everyone. The 2019 fair will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing as well as the things Marin County values the most: family, art, agriculture, and the environment. The Fair opens on WEDNESDAY, JULY 3RD and runs through SUNDAY, JULY 7TH.  Ticket prices range from $15 - $20 and are available online and at the entrance. A small service fee applies. The Box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 11am to 4pm. For more information including headline entertainment visit www.marinfair.org or call the Marin Center box office at 415- 473-6800. 

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

Approaching the 50th anniversary of NASA's most audacious achievement to be the first to land a man on the moon, HISTORY's new one hour documentary 'Moon Landing: The Lost Tapes,' premiering Sunday, July 14th at 10PM ET/PT, tells the incredible true story of mankind's greatest leap. Packed with newly uncovered footage, rare photographs and previously untelevised audio interviews, the documentary captures the Apollo 11 astronauts' hidden doubts and fears as they stand on the brink of making history. Each moment revealing the unfolding drama, dangers, and decisions leading up to the successful July 16, 1969 launch during Richard Nixon's first term as president.