Broadway star Jim Newman ('Hands on a Hardbody', 'Curtains', 'Steel Pier') joins the cast of the new musical 'The Paparazzi' for a reading this November 11th and 12th at 305 West 38th Street, Ripley Grier Studio Theater. Newman plays country music star Jimmy Maguire who falls prey to the paparazzi and their penchant for distorting the truth. The show has music and lyrics by Al Tapper and a book by Tony Sportiello. The reading on the 11th will be at 6pm, while the one on the 12th will be 1pm.
On Thursday night 'The Paparazzi' opened at the Vivien Blumenthal Theatre in Guadalajara, Mexico and the place lit up like a Hollywood premiere. Ten actors brilliantly portraying dozens of parts, including celebrities, photographers and paparazzi, all led by the ghost of Walter Winchell in a new musical by Al Tapper and Tony Sportiello, brought to life by legendary Mexican director Mauricio Cedeno.
In 2010 the musical 'Sessions', (produced by Algonquin Theater Productions, book, music and lyrics by Al Tapper) opened in Guadalajara, becoming the first Off Broadway musical to ever play in Mexico's second largest city. It won Best Musical of the Year.
The book and songs for the new musical 'The Paparazzi' are being written in Manhattan but the director, actors and designers who are going to bring it to life are three thousand miles away. Mau Cedeno is currently in Guadalajara, Mexico, directing rehearsals for the brand new show with songs by Al Tapper and book by Tony Sportiello, who reside in New York, Utilizing email and Facebook the collaborators work on the show daily despite being in two separate countries. 'The Paparazzi' is scheduled to open at the Vivien Blumenthal Theatre in Guadalajara this October,
With all the talk of building walls between Mexico and the U.S., it's encouraging to know there's also talk of creating bridges between the two countries, at least in the world of theater. Since 2010 Algonquin Theater Productions in New York has been working with acclaimed Mexican director Mauricio Cedeno in Guadalajara to create new works which transcends politics or national interests. Productions of the Algonquin musicals Sessions and National Pastime have been produced in Guadalajara, with National Pastime being the 'most awarded musical work in the history of Western Mexico.' The companies are now trying something revolutionary: they are creating a new musical simultaneously in both New York and Guadalajara. They feel that now more than ever artists across the world must reach out and embrace the craft in a way which shows we all have a common core of humanity.
'The Paparazzi' is a new musical about the tabloid news industry dominated by the fictional paper, the New York Beacon. In keeping with the premise, Algonquin Theater Productions has chosen to advertise its upcoming public readings on social media with a series of satirical, eye catching fake headlines. Each one features a member of the cast with a famous celebrity.
Algonquin Theater Productions presents the reading of an original musical by Al Tapper and Tony Sportiello, ripped from today's headlines. At a time when CNN, MSNBC and FOX are falling over themselves to fight the label of being 'fake news', the New York Beacon embraces it. The Paparazzi highlights the men and women who sacrifice their blood, their sweat and their dignity in an effort to get the raciest, steamiest, most provocative pictures and stories involving celebrities, regardless of the truth. L.R. Davidson plays Christie Barnes, an ambitious young reporter whose dream is to win a Pulitzer Prize but whose reality at the moment is stuck following D List celebrities at weddings and bar mitzvahs. Spencer Plachy plays the morally bankrupt owner of the Beacon, less interested in 'all the news that's fit to print' so much as how many Likes it will get on the Facebook Page. Drama Desk Award Winner Ken Jennings (Sweeney Todd) narrates the modern day fable as the spirit of Walter Winchell in the Broadway bound musical featuring the talents of Abe Goldfarb, Laua Kaldis, Kelli Maguire, Michael McIntyre and Dan Van Why.
Mauricio Cedeno, in association with Algonquin Theater Productions/Armando Morales/Cultura UDG/Secretaria de Cultura de Jalisco brings back their award winning smash musical hit National Pastime to the historic Teatro Vivian Blumenthal in Guadalajara, Mexico for eight encore performances, starting December 7th.
Mauricio Cedeno, in association with Algonquin Theater Productions/Armando Morales/Cultura UDG/Secretaria de Cultura de Jalisco brings back their award winning smash musical hit National Pastime to the historic Teatro Vivian Blumenthal in Guadalajara, Mexico for eight encore performances, starting December 7th.
Based on actual events, 'Mesquite, NV' by Leegrid Stevens is a dark comedy about power and politics that is one part Coen Brothers and one part Preston Sturgis.
Saturday night the largest theatrical festival in Mexico, the 2017 MET Jalisco, gave out their awards for excellence The ceremony was held in the historic Degollado Theater, in Guadalajara, Mexico. For the first time in the festival's twenty-one year history, a musical was included - National Pastime, music and lyrics by Al Tapper, book by Tony Sportiello, directed by Mauricio Cedeno.
Based on actual events, 'Mesquite, NV' by Leegrid Stevens is a dark comedy about power and politics that is one part Coen Brothers and one part Preston Sturgis.
Broadway veteran Ken Jennings will be portraying legendary newspaper columnist and radio personality Walter Winchell in the upcoming reading of the Broadway bound musical The Paparazzi, September 18th 3pm at The Davenport Theatre (354 West 45th Street).
On Friday, July 28th, the Jalisco Culture Secretariat announced the fifteen selected productions which would participate in historic XXI State Theater Show of Jalisco, Mexico, 2017. More than eighty shows throughout Mexico were considered, out of which fifteen were chosen, including National Pastime.
No, not that paparazzi, although no doubt they will be present, too. The Paparazzi is the original new musical by Algonquin Theater Productions, bursting its way to Broadway in 2018.
Algonquin Theater Productions, in association with What If Productions is proud to present The Bet, a new musical by Tony Sportiello and David Wolfson, as part of this year's Midtown International Theatre Festival.
The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works, July 15 - August 6, 2017 at the WorkShop (312 W. 36th Street, NYC). New York's oldest continuing theater festival will present 100 plays in 23 days!
The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works, July 15 - August 6, 2017 at the WorkShop (312 W. 36th Street, NYC). New York's oldest continuing theater festival will present 100 plays in 23 days!
This is an auspicious year for John Chatterton and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. MITF is now the OLDEST CONTINUING THEATRE FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK! John Chatterton has set the gold standard for presenting new and exciting independent theatrical works in NYC. This year's special festival brings more than 100 productions to Manhattan - as well as an astounding number of international works. The 18th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival once again proves itself to be one of the best reasons to stay in New York in July!
