Thomas Jefferson News

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents '54 Sings 1776' on July 3 and July 4, 2017. The Fourth of July meets Broadway in the fourth annual concert staging of the beloved musical, 1776, at Feinstein's/54 Below.   Featuring Broadway stars like Carrie St. Louis (Wicked/Rock of Ages) and Kyle Scatliffe (Les Miserables/The Color Purple) you're sure to feel patriotic watching this beautifully staged concert.

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre will present the Pennsylvania Premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Disney's Newsies, June 6 through July 23. The inspirational Disney's Newsies, based on the real-life Newsboys strike of 1899 and the 1992 film, was the toast of Broadway for more than two years.

This weekend only, join Landless Theatre at Frederick's Weinberg Center for something a little different.

What if Thomas Jefferson, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Martin Luther King shared the stage for the first time, or Frederick Douglas attended a Town Hall meeting with Ronald Reagan and Julia Child? Can a young woman of English descent in 1792 inspire a young woman of Asian descent in 2009? These are just a few of the heroes honored in the performance of Victoria Medina's One Nation, One Mission, One Promise.

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Carrie St. Louis and Kyle Scatliffe in "54 Sings 1776" on July 3 and July 4, 2017.

Hartland's Lake Country Playhouse is thrilled to announce the Lake Country premiere production of 1776, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone. 1776 is directed by past LCP Board Member Rebecca Schilling, with music direction by LCP favorite Catherine Pfeiler.

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage today announced 53 grants in support of the Philadelphia region's cultural organizations and artists. The 2017 awards total more than $10.3 million and provide funding for 12 new Pew Fellowships, 39 Project grants, and two Advancement grants.

Lantern Theater Company announced today that its record-breaking 2016/17 season closing production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord will extend its run to meet audience demand and will now close on Sunday, July 9, 2017. The following performances have been added:

London's Hamilton has found its ten-dollar founding father. The Daily Mail writes that Jamael Westman will take on the title role originated by Lin-Manuel Miranda on Broadway.

Lynchburg's Endstation Theatre will present The Complete History of America (Abridged) on July 16th.

Cast members from the national tour of HAMILTON performed the National Anthem prior to last night's Game 5 of the NBA Finals, which featured the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors.

Billboard reports that cast members from the national tour of HAMILTON will perform the National Anthem prior to tonight's Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Hamilton sensation and Brown University alumnus and honorary degree recipient Daveed Diggs returned to the college to give the class of a 2017 the baccalaureate address, and he did it in perfect fashion. With a rhythmic rap/poem, Diggs delivered words of inspiration and encouragement to the students. Watch the video, courtesy of Brown University on Facebook, below.

Primary Stages announced today that the world premiere of A WALK WITH MR. HEIFETZ, written by James Inverne (Wrestling with Elephants) and directed by Benjamin Kamine (Washer/Dryer), will now play on the Primary Stages Mainstage in January of 2018 at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St, New York, NY, 10014).

Cynthia Erivo sang Nessun Dorma, from the opera Turandot, during the WNO Opera Gala Concert at the Kennedy Center on June 3rd. Check out the video of an excerpt from her performance!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Carrie St. Louis and Kyle Scatliffe in "54 Sings 1776" on July 3 and July 4, 2017. The Fourth of July meets Broadway in the fourth annual concert staging of the beloved musical, 1776, at Feinstein's/54 Below. Showcase your patriotism with some of Broadway's brightest stars singing numbers such as "Sit Down, John," "He Plays The Violin," "Molasses To Rum," and more as we celebrate the great sacrifices our friends, family, and founding fathers have made to shape our nation.

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre will present the Pennsylvania Premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Disney's Newsies, June 6 through July 23. The inspirational Disney's Newsies, based on the real-life Newsboys strike of 1899 and the 1992 film, was the toast of Broadway for more than two years.

It is a staple image of American History - one that every American child learns about in school and one that comes to mind for many as the barbecues fire up and fireworks are prepared for Independence Day on the Fourth of July. I am speaking of the iconic image of the brave founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence. But how often does one think about these men and what they actually might have been like (their quirks, their personalities, their dreams) trying to sort out how to move forward in what had to be a stressful and tumultuous time. This story of the men you know (Franklin, Adams, Jefferson) and some you may not (Rodney, Hall, Dickinson) and the journey they take together to work through conflict and declare their freedom from England comes to brilliant life on stage in the Connecticut Repertory Theatre's (CRT) inaugural production of their Summer Nutmeg Series, 1776.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) presents the Tony Award-winning musical '1776,' from the book by Peter Stone, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Directed by Artistic Director and three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann, '1776' is the first show of the 2017 Nutmeg Summer Series and stars Broadway's verterans Jamie LaVerdiere and Gaelen Gilliland as John and AbiGail Adams, Richard Henry as Benjamin Franklin and Adam Harrington as John Dickinson. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

As part of its ongoing In Conversation Series of fascinating discussions with theater artists and special guests,  Lantern Theater Company will host noted historians and scholars Dr. John C. Van Horne and Dr. Charles T. Cullen for In Conversation: Thomas Jefferson's Religious Beliefs on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at approximately 8:15 p.m. These two eminent historians of the late colonial and Federal period of American history will explore what Founding Father Thomas Jefferson really thought about God, religion, and religious freedom. The hour-long discussion will focus on Jefferson's views on Christianity, freedom of conscience, and the establishment of religions, especially his authorship of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Presented in conjunction with the Lantern's production of Scott Carter's The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord, the program will also respond to the play, exploring the extent to which Jefferson lived up to the principles espoused in his own "gospels," The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth and The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. The conversation immediately follows the 6:30 p.m. performance on Tuesday, June 13, and is free to the general public with ticket purchase. Members of the press are invited to attend; advance reservations are required.