The Audience (i) News

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's summer family musical PETER PAN is chock full of dazzling moments that will delight children and adults alike. With music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe with a new book by Elliot Davis (based upon the book by Willis Hall), this production captures all the magic of the classic story of the boy who refuses to grow up in just 75 minutes. Adult audience members who are fans of J.M. Barrie's original novel or the iconic Disney animated film will find this PETER PAN a refreshing mix of the familiar and the new. And of course, young audiences seeing the story of PETER PAN for the first time will be altogether surprised and amazed by this telling.

Singapore got a dose of Hakuna Matata as the international tour of The Lion King makes its stop and opened in the lion city on Friday (29 June). This is the second time The Lion King is in Singapore, the first was in 2011 where it became the longest-running musical in Singapore's theatrical entertainment history playing to over 300,000 people during its eight-month season at Marina Bay Sands.

Everything goes right in this amazing production of one of the quirkiest shows of all time.

Frida Kahlo was an amazing artist that influenced many people. On the paper taking one of the best dancers in Israel to take her role in a biographic show should be a great success. But is it?

It's a musical theatre lover's dream show!

Today's subject, Alexandra Silber, is known on both sides of the pond as a versatile, killer performer. This international dynamo is currently living her theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) as Guenevere in Camelot. The production has been extended and now runs through July 8th in STC's Sydney Harman Hall space.

North Hollywood's Lonny Chapman Theatre was packed Friday night for the opening of Neil Simon's RUMORS. This classic farce followed five couples that had all been invited to a dinner party to celebrate a sixth couple's 10th anniversary. However, everything changed when the couples discover the host (Charlie) had shot himself, his servants and hostess were missing, and dinner hadn't been prepared. What divulged was utter nonsense and hilarity.

If you are an active viewer of Project Runway, Jesse LeNoir's name probably sounds familiar. The former contestant from Season 7 now resides in Los Angeles where he's an active actor and director. I caught up with LeNoir to talk about his current directorial work, Snyder Street Presents' debut production of DOG SEES GOD at The Sherry Theater in North Hollywood.

Many may have heard of the movie AN AMERICAN IN PARIS that starred Gene Kelly and featured such songs as "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," "S Wonderful," and "I Got Rhythm." Well, the recent Broadway hit of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS took some of the story, some of the songs, and added to it. What was created was a story that pays tribute to great shows of days gone by as well as adding new parts to make an extraordinary musical. As AN AMERICAN IN PARIS tours around North America, it is preparing to make a stop in Austin, Texas at the Bass Concert Hall from May 29-June 3, 2018. BWW caught up with actress Teri Hansen who plays Madame Baurel. She shared with BWW just what it was that brought her to be part of the amazing tour of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.

For over five plus decades Linda Lavin has enraptured audiences on stage, screen and television. She won the triple crown- Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her heart -breaking performance in Neil Simon's 'Broadway Bound'. She is known to million of fans as 'Alice' on her 9 -year ground breaking TV Series for which she won two Golden Globes. Celebrated playwrights Nicky Silver, Donald Margulies, Richard Greenberg and Charles Busch have written memorable and award winning roles for her. This renaissance woman does everything.

The opening night of Geneva, Switzerland's Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, at the Joyce Theater, on April 24, 2018 was lit up with ballet stars in the audience. I have been watching this worthwhile contemporary ballet company since the 1980's, and I was delighted to be there when they opened the current program in NYC. Since the '80s, under the direction of brilliant Argentinean choreographer Oscar Araiz, this ballet company became an exemplary contemporary ballet company. Since 2003 Philippe Cohen has been the Artistic Director, bringing top contemporary choreographers to work with the company.

If this is all you read, this is all you need to know. Stop what you are doing and get tickets to Megan Hilty's one-woman cabaret.

Once in a while, you come across a stage show that, on paper, may not have had the buzz that other high-profile shows may have had initially, but then you see it … and it just completely surprises you in the best possible way. That pretty much sums up my recent experience with the oh-so delightful NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, Musical Theatre West's buoyant and sublime new regional production of the 10-time Tony Award-nominated 2012 musical comedy now on stage at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach, CA through April 22. An irresistibly silly and infectiously tuneful stage show that will have you smiling from start to finish, this roaring 20's throwback with modern sensibilities provides lots of zany antics, lots of witty one-liners, and lots of spectacular song-and-dance showstoppers that will have you wondering---where has this show been all my life?

On a snowy Sunday afternoon, several of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers gathered in an old firehouse in Minneapolis to witness the rolling world premiere of a new play called MERMAID HOUR, which means that the premiere is happening in several theaters around the country. In this story of a 12-year-old transgender girl, her parents, and her friends, playwright David Valdes Greenwood set out to 'write a real portrait of a family life, not just an 'issue' play with a message of 'do this' or 'do that.' From where I was sitting, he succeeded. But what makes Mixed Blood Theatre's production of Mermaid Hour special is that it's the only one of the world premieres to feature music; the Mixed Blood team worked with the playwright to turn his play into a musical. As a musical theater nerd who thinks every play is better with music, I couldn't be happier with this turn of events. MERMAID HOUR: REMIXED is not only a real and relatable family story that features transgender characters, too often under- or mis-represented onstage, but it's also done in song!

The concert-theater hybrid plumbs the dark realities of a young refugee couple's struggles in 1908 Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Pasadena Symphony Association announces the contract renewal of Music Director David Lockington through 2021-22. Lockington renews his role which began in 2013. Since then, the orchestra has shown tremendous growth, cementing the Pasadena Symphony as the area's premiere destination for live symphonic music.

Due to overwhelming audience response, Florida Studio Theatre announces the fourth extension of Blue Suede Shoes through April 29 in the Goldstein Cabaret. With music from legends like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and James Brown, devoted audiences keep returning to FST's "Sensational" rock & roll music revue with a "Top notch" and "Absolutely mesmerizing" cast.

Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook on Friday, April 13, 2018 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC's Box Office at (201) 227-1030.

Mo Collins, a Minnesota native, moved to LA in '98 where she landed 'Mad TV,' giving birth to characters such as Lorraine, Stuart's Mother, Trina and more. Post 'Mad TV,' Mo built her credits with hit shows such as 'Parks and Recreation' as Joan Callamezzo, Gyna in '40 Year Old Virgin' and Susan on Netflix' 'Lady Dynamite' . Mo Collins garnered her first Emmy Nomination in 2017, for her work on the animated show 'F is for Family' on Netflix. She's about to open onstage at the Whitefire in Damaged Furniture.

Ted Sod: Why did you want to direct Amy and the Orphans by Lindsey Ferrentino? How did you get involved with this production?