(09/05/2019) - ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!
(07/29/2019) - The mob is after Deloris. The solution? Hide as a nun in a traditional convent! a?oeHere Within These Walls,a?? she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Deloris breathes new life into the church and community (a?oeTake Me to Heavena??), but blows her cover. How is this Sister Act going to save her? A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, Sister Act is reason to REJOICE!
(07/10/2019) - There is tremendous support in our audience for bringing younger people into the theatre, and we're having some success in that regard. I'm positive, but I'm also unsure of where we are headed with digital technologies and what they mean for our industry and the larger culture. Our challenge, I suppose, is to be adaptive to what comes along without giving up the wisdom and glories of the past.
(07/01/2019) - We can placate a certain segment of society by providing 'enrichment' courses in the arts, but it should no longer be a mystery that you can't achieve holistic education without a strong emphasis in the arts. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released an astounding statistic that reports over $763 Billion of contribution by the arts sector to the US economy. That's around 5 million workers in the industry, which accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation. Yet here we are, still waiting for an increase in financial support for arts programs in the schools. You can talk about Broadway, Hollywood, and TV culture all day, but young people are tomorrow's audiences and we owe it to the industry to develop an enlightened culture of young participants and consumers of the arts.
(06/26/2019) - Early in my acting career, I was represented by an agency that got me an audition for a recurring role in the series Breaking Bad. It clearly would have been the biggest break of my acting career. I had a short side of two pages to learn for the audition. Usually, I have a pretty photographic memory for lines, and I work hard to be sure I know them cold. But for this audition due to nervousness I could never get the lines solid, and sadly what the producers saw was not a potential character in their show, but an actor clearly struggling to remember the next word he was supposed to say. My biggest opportunity and worst audition all rolled into one disappointing 10-minute take.
(06/07/2019) - When You're an Addams! It's the ultimate nightmare: daughter Wednesday, the ultimate Princess of Darkness, has grown up and fallen in love…with a sweet young man from a respectable family!
(05/03/2019) - The Oldest Established Crap Game! Grab your fedora and join Nathan Detroit as he tries to establish the biggest craps game in town, deal with his long-time girlfriend's desire for marriage (Adelaide's Lament), and convince fellow gambler Sky Masterson to finance his venture (Luck Be a Lady).
(04/26/2019) - Scottsdale Musical Theater Company - one of the biggest producers of musicals in the Valley - is pleased to share some photos from their current production of Thoroughly Modern Millie!
(04/22/2019) - Southwest Shakespeare Festival presents Harlem Shakespeare Festival's All-Female OTHELLO starring Debra Ann Byrd as OTHELLO and Ella Loudon as IAGO with Natalie Andrews, Megan Lindsay, Amy Driesler*, Troi Hall, Kellyn Masters and Ryan L. Jenkins with Cello Orchestrations by Wei Guo.
(03/15/2019) - A mother. A daughter. THREE possible dads. A wedding you'll never forget! ABBA's timeless songs, including Take a Chance on Me, Chiquitita, and Dancing Queen, tell this enchanting saga of a free-spirited mother, her daughter, and the three men who may be Dad. This Broadway-blockbuster international sensation is an unforgettable show filled with love, laughter, and friendship that will leave you dancing in the aisles!
(02/20/2019) - Musical Theatre of Anthem (MTA) announces their upcoming production of The Music Man Jr., a musical production based on Meredith Willson's six-time-Tony-Award-winning musical comedy about a fast-talking salesman who gets his heart stolen by the town librarian.
(02/14/2019) - Musical Theatre of Anthem (MTA) announces their upcoming production of Daddy Long Legs, a musical stage production based on the treasured novel that inspired the classic 1955 film about a witty and winsome young woman and her mysterious benefactor.
(01/25/2019) - Love, dreams, and the joy of being alive! A musical adaptation of the Academy Award-winning film featuring some of George and Ira Gershwin's most beloved music including I Got Rhythm, The Man I Love, and They Can't Take That Away from Me, this is an enduring story of hope, romance, and love in a city rebuilding from the heartbreak of World War II.
(12/07/2018) - Fountain Hills Theater presents the world premiere of The 12 Days of Christmas, a new musical created by FHT's Artistic Director, Peter J. Hill.
(11/26/2018) - Based on the beloved classic film, Miracle on 34th Street tells the tale of last-minute Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa-replacement Kris Kringle, who may or may not be THE Santa Claus, and the people who take him in. Filled with humor, spectacle, and treasured songs such as My Wish, Expect Things to Happen, and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, this festive, heart-warming musical is a must-see for the family this holiday season. Show sponsored by Macy's.
(10/12/2018) - Winner of five Tony Awards, this musical set aboard the unsinkable Titanic tells of the passengers' hopes and aspirations on the historic maiden voyage that defined the 20th century. Unaware of the fate that awaits them, first-, second-, and third-class passengers marvel at the majesty of the "great ship, Titanic" and tell of their dreams of a better life in America. Titanic: The Musical is an epic, thrilling, and emotionally rich production not to be missed.
(09/27/2018) - Opening at Hale Centre Theatre on September 18, 2018 and playing through Nov. 13, 2018 is the Broadway comedy Dear Ruth. Produced by David and Corrin Dietlein, with direction by Cambrian James, Dear Ruth is a charming, romantic, highly entertaining Broadway comedy written by Academy Award winner Norman Krasna (a prolific writer with numerous Hollywood and Broadway hits, he is probably best known for his screenplay "White Christmas"). Dear Ruth was a huge Broadway success with 680 performances. It was later made into a very successful film of the same name starring William Holden, Joan Caulfield, and Edward Arnold.
(09/12/2018) - Musical Theatre of Anthem (MTA) announces their upcoming production of A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS, based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books and the beautiful Broadway musical. A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS hops from page to stage to tell the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons. Waking from hibernation, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. Throughout the year, two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special.
(08/27/2018) - Come one, come all, to the final night of the "Raise the Praise" tour! Altar Boyz is a sharp-witted parody about a fictitious all-singing, all-dancing Christian boy band from Ohio. Packed full of humor and dazzling dance routines, the show features songs with hilarious lyrics such as "Girl you made me wanna wait" and "Jesus called me on my cell phone." Get ready to be saved as Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham rock your soul!
(08/16/2018) - Continuing their signature new plays based on pivotal historical moments in our region, Borderlands Theater presents a timely new drama exploring the origins of the sanctuary movement. Written by Milta Ortiz, who penned 2015's award winning Mas, about the banning of ethnic studies classes in T.U.S.D., Sanctuary is based on the people and events leading up to the 1980's Sanctuary movement that ignited in Tucson when concerned citizens took a radical moral stand in support of people fleeing unimaginable violence.
(07/13/2018) - An Arizona regional premiere! Based on the hit Steven Spielberg film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying musical comedy that tells the true story of con man Frank Abagnale, Jr. - a brazen young man who fools some of the best security in the world.
(06/27/2018) - It's 1977 and Deloris Van Cartier is an aspiring singer in funky Philadelphia. After auditioning for her gangster boyfriend, Curtis' nightclub, she accidentally sees him kill one of his cronies. Deloris runs to the police, who place her in hiding until she can testify at Curtis' trial. But where can you hide a larger-than-life diva? Police officer and old friend of Deloris, Eddie Southers, finds the one place he's sure no one will look; a convent!
(06/27/2018) - It's really easy to write someone off as mentally ill when you don't understand them, and it's often easier to do this to yourself when you can't reconcile who you are and who you want to be.
(06/22/2018) - Cast members from Arizona Broadway Theatre (ABT) and Herberger Theater Center's (HTC) co-production of Disney's "Mary Poppins" took the show on the road Tuesday, June 19, for a very special performance at Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH).
(06/07/2018) - Fountain Hills Theater Presents A Year With Rog And Toad Kids. Music By Robert Reale. Book And Lyrics By Willie Reale. Based On The Books By Arnold Lobel
(06/04/2018) - ABT's 100th Mainstage Production - Mary Poppins flies onto the ABT and Herberger Theater Center stages in the summer of 2018! Magically appearing just when she's needed most, Mary leads the Banks household on zany adventures with chimney sweeps, shopkeepers and an assortment of astonishing characters. With infectious music by Disney's legendary Sherman brothers (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Aristocats), "Anything Can Happen" in the world of Mary Poppins. Get ready for something "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
(04/20/2018) - Godspell, the first major musical by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, has entertained audiences around the world ! At the command of John the Baptist, a small group of ordinary people helps Jesus Christ tell his life's story. Set in the modern day, these disciples spread messages of love and tolerance through a series of musical parables.
(04/14/2018) - Limelight Performing Arts presents "Thoroughly Modern Millie," a madcap adventure filled with fun-loving flappers, dashing gentlemen, and a devious villainess audiences will love to hate. The show runs April 11-22, 2018.
(03/08/2018) - The Mermaid Hour is a journey into the complexities of parenting, one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of the human experience. The Mermaid Hour's mixed race family negotiates a tween child's gender transition and opposing parenting styles. The play reflects the spectrum of the world we live in with a diverse cast, showcasing varying sexual orientations. The beauty of the play lies in its ability to resonate with all types of families. It's heartwarming, humorous and poignant.
(03/08/2018) - Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert presents No, No, Nanette, a delightful Broadway musical by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. The lighthearted romp transports us back in time to the roaring 1920's where we meet three couples in the midst of a blackmail scheme. We meet Tom who wants to marry Nanette, Jimmy who is secretly the financial benefactor to 3 single young ladies, unbeknown to his frugal wife, Sue. And finally Billy, who is tasked with cleaning up Jimmy's mess, helping Tom win over Nanette, and keeping his own wife, Lucille, from getting suspicious!
(02/27/2018) - Experience the sixties counter-culture in all its psychedelic and bell-bottomed glory! As relevant today as when it opened on Broadway in the tumultuous spring of 1968, Hair is the original rock musical that defined a generation's struggles with community, war, peace and resistance. Sit back and be intoxicated by songs like 'Easy to Be Hard,' 'Good Morning Starshine' and the everlasting anthem 'Let the Sun Shine In.'
(02/20/2018) - Musical Theatre of Anthem (MTA) announces their upcoming production of Once on This Island Jr, a highly original theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, and the Tony-nominated Broadway musical by the legendary writing team, Ahrens and Flaherty.
(02/19/2018) - Ten years ago Emily Book, the lone survivor of a horrible school bus accident, was sent away from the tiny town of Spring Farm. Now, in her senior year, Emily must return in order to graduate from high school. When she arrives, shy and guarded, Emily is unwillingly thrust into the whirlwind of Spring Farm High. Guided by her biology teacher, Mr. Christopher, and befriended by head cheerleader, Jenny McGrath, Emily must learn to fit in with her classmates while yearning to stay out of the spotlight.
(02/16/2018) - Valley Youth Theatre presents The Hobbit, weekends from Friday, February 9th through February 25th at VYT's theatre in downtown Phoenix, 525 N. First St. (southeast corner of First and Fillmore Streets). Valley Youth Theatre is an award-winning professional theatre company for audiences of all ages. This production of The Hobbit is a dramatized version of the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings books which are also a popular movie trilogy by Director Peter Jackson.
(01/09/2018) - Written by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, It's Only a Play is a celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. The show takes place on opening night of Peter Austin's new play. At the home of his wealthy producer, Peter is joined by his best friend, the show's aging starlet, the director, and a drama critic, as the unlikely group anxiously awaits the late-night newspaper reviews. It's Only a Play promises kooky characters and big laughs in a rare comedy that's as smart as it is funny!
(11/17/2017) - Disney Theatrical's beloved musical, Newsies, is a terrific show for the whole family! Inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 and based on the 1992 film, Newsies follows Jack Kelly and a rag-tag group of newsies as they take on the biggest names in publishing in a remarkable fight for justice and fair pay. Packed with show-stopping choreography and a Tony Award winning score by Alan Menken,
