Wilhelm News

Class Act Books publishing has received two awards in the latest Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewers Choice competition. NEBRASKA: Walk the Shadow Trail and When Only the Nightmare Remains garnered First and Second Place awards in this year's contest. NEBRASKA: Walk the Shadow Trail by Toni V. Sweeney received 1st Place awarding in the Historical Romance category with her Western novel. Set in the Nebraska Territory in the mid-19th century, the novel tells the story of the friendship between an impoverished German nobleman and a halfbreed Pawnee cowboy. Running from his father's crimes, Baron Wilhelm von Brandt is helped to assimilate into life on the Great Plains by Johnny Moon, a ne'er-do-well living just this side of the Law. The well-researched novel details their building a prosperous horse ranch and the tragedy occurring when Will takes a Pawnee woman as his wife. Though Ms Sweeney's main genre is scifi/fantasy, she has written several western novels which have been well-received by the reading public. Rick McQuiston's When Only the Nightmare Remains placed 2nd in the Paranormal Horror/Suspense category. The narration recounts a small-town sheriff's fight against supernatural forces resurrected by one man's misguided attempts to gain immortality. Trapped inside a deserted mansion with only three adolescent boys to help him, the sheriff must figure out how to escape so he can protect his town. Mr. McQuiston has several horror novels published with Class Act Books. The Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewers Choice awards are held every year with reviewers for the website choosing the novels they think best represent each genre. Readers are then invited to vote on their selections. The awards are held yearly the last week of December. Class Act Books is a small press publisher releasing all genres to the reading public. Its authors and novels have received many awards. They are currently celebrating their third year under new ownership.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents the world premiere of THE LAST DEFENDER at the Chopin Theatre Downstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., tonight, Jan. 21, through Sunday, March 13, 2016 written and directed by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, with puzzle design by Sandor Weisz and art direction by DC Comic Artist and Company Member Chris Burnham.

Refuge Theatre Project's second season will open on January 29, 2016 with High Fidelity - the musical based on Nick Hornby's 1995 novel and on Stephen Frears' 2000 feature-film adaptation that starred Chicago natives John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Lili Taylor.

Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the recording of one of the world's most famous classical music events: the 2016 New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons. The live recording is available now exclusively at Amazon.com and ArkivMusic.com and as a download through all major digital service providers.  The CD will be released nationwide onJanuary 22.  The DVD and Blu-ray will be available on February 5.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's general director Anthony Freud and music director Sir Andrew Davis confirmed today the repertoire and casting for the company's 2016/17 season - the second season that they have fully planned together.  

Gary Naylor sees a powerful and important production that is of its time, but speaks with a loud and clear voice to our own.

Annie Enneking is an actor, singer and fight choreographer who plays Thea in new work, LULLABY, the world premiere in Theater Latte Da's new work initiative, NEXT 20/20. She tells a little about her part in this show and her future plans in this 6 Questions & a Plug.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents the world premiere of The Last Defender at the Chopin Theatre Downstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Thursday, Jan. 21 - Sunday, March 13 written and directed by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, with puzzle design by Sandor Weisz and art direction by DC Comic Artist and Company Member Chris Burnham.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents the world premiere of THE LAST DEFENDER at the Chopin Theatre Downstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Thursday, Jan. 21 - Sunday, March 13, 2016 written and directed by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, with puzzle design by Sandor Weisz and art direction by DC Comic Artist and Company Member Chris Burnham.

Martinis Above Fourth Table + Stage in San Diego is proud to announce the return of acclaimed singer/songwriter Spencer Day for an evening of fun and holiday merriment as we ring in 2016 starting at 7PM tonight, December 31. Day will perform a selection of pop & jazz favorites as well as new music from his upcoming album, Angel City.

Martinis Above Fourth Table + Stage in San Diego is proud to announce the return of acclaimed singer/songwriter Spencer Day for an evening of fun and holiday merriment as we ring in 2016 starting at 7PM on Thursday, December 31. Day will perform a selection of pop & jazz favorites as well as new music from his upcoming album, Angel City.

Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look at all of the upcoming plays from Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, and more, currently slated to bow on the Great White Way in 2016!

The convergence-continuum 2016 Season includes a Playwrights Festival, two world-premiere productions, two regional premieres, an Ohio premiere, a modern American classic, and a series of one-weekend special-event performances.

The Little Sisters of Hoboken are back! Dan Goggin's hit musical comedy NUNSENSE is praying for a new home on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Santa Claus is dead, the reindeer are armed, the elves are hedonistic party monsters, and all the children have gone mad. Welcome to Xmas Town, a dark and deranged city that was built after a mysterious disaster destroyed wholesome Christmas Town. But now the town is facing a new threat: rumors are flying that the true end is near. For our town of wicked holiday characters, this might be their last Christmas Eve. Part haunted house, part children's theatre for adults, The ChristmApocalypse: The Xmas Town Trilogy is a singular theatrical experience for the Holiday season.

The world premiere of NUTCRACKER! THE MUSICAL, which takes the classic ETA Hoffmann tale and Tchaikovsky's soaring classical music - familiar to fans of The Nutcraker ballet - and gives them a thrilling modern twist, with enchanting new Musical Theatre arrangements, debuts in a four-week season at the Pleasance Theatre, London N1 now through Sunday 3 January. Press are invited to review tonight 9 December at 7.30pm.

Santa Claus is dead, the reindeer are armed, the elves are hedonistic party monsters, and all the children have gone mad. Welcome to Xmas Town, a dark and deranged city that was built after a mysterious disaster destroyed wholesome Christmas Town. But now the town is facing a new threat: rumors are flying that the true end is near. For our town of wicked holiday characters, this might be their last Christmas Eve. Part haunted house, part children's theatre for adults, The ChristmApocalypse: The Xmas Town Trilogy is a singular theatrical experience for the Holiday season.

Hamburg im Rausch aus 1001 Nacht: Sonntagabend feierte das Disney Musical ALADDIN seine fulminante Europa-Premiere im Stage Theater Neue Flora in Hamburg. Über 1.800 Gaste verfolgten gebannt die zeitlose Geschichte von Aladdin, Dschinni und den drei magischen Wunschen. Mit der heiß ersehnten Premiere halt die opulente Show vom Broadway nun auch Einzug in die Musicalmetropole Hamburg. Bereits wahrend der Auffuhrung belohnte das Publikum die Darsteller und das Orchester mit euphorischen Standing-Ovations. Auch die Kritiker zeigte sich großtenteils begeistert von der nun schon dritten großen Premiere in Hamburg (nach Das Wunder von Bern und Liebe Stirbt Nie) in reichlich 12 Monaten. Wir haben hier die Pressestimmen zusammengefasst:

Mention author J. M. Barrie, and the immediate thought is Peter Pan. Peter Pan, the tale of a boy who refused to grow up, has become a cottage industry. Dolls, movies, a musical play, coloring books, cartoons, Halloween costumes, a non-musical play, and books are all available. There is even a psychological condition, 'The Peter Pan Syndrome,' which puts the spotlight on men who refuse to assume responsibility for their boyish actions.

Jason C. Tramm, artistic director and principal conductor of the Morristown based MidAtlantic Opera will serve as guest conductor for the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble's Annual Winter concert at the historic Julia Richman Auditorium, Sunday December 13th at 3PM.