Thumbs Up! 1934 - Articles Page 9

I've mentioned before that I don't generally care for musicals. Never have. I did fall in love with West Side Story as a kid, but when other movies like Oklahoma!, Carousel, Paint Your Wagon, and yes, even Annie Get Your Gun came on tv, I was outta there. This is how it has been for most of my life (although I did get to see Wicked on Broadway, and wowzer!)

If every theatre review compared each show to the last presentation by the same company, we would be lost beyond the already limited capabilities of “thumbs up vs thumbs down” or “three and a half stars”.

The Geffen west coast premieres Paul Grellong’s POWER OF SAIL, already in previews. Weyni Mengesha directs the cast of Hugo Armstrong, Amy Brenneman, Bryan Cranston, Donna Simone Johnson, Tedra Millan, Seth Numrich and Brandon Scott. I had the chance to question Hugo, a familiar face on the Los Angeles theatre stages on being in POWER and his ongoing relationship with L.A. theatre.

I had no intention of becoming an assistant stage manager for my department’s production of Into the Woods this semester. It just happened. I’d like to make it clear before I get too far into this; I am not a stage management major. I have never been a stage manager for anything, much less a production of this magnitude.

Doune the Rabbit Hole, now the third biggest festival in Scotland, has today (Wednesday 26 January 2022) announced additions to a bumper 2022 lineup to mark its return this Summer.  

Singer Jim Caruso and singer/pianist Billy Stritch will celebrate the release of their new CD, The Sunday Set with a virtual listening party on Tuesday, January 25 at 7pm ET.  The show will be available on the Cast Party Network on YouTube, on BroadwayWorld.com, and on the Birdland, Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso Facebook pages.  The recording is currently #4 on the iTunes Jazz Charts.

CLUB44 RECORDS has announced the release of The Sunday Set, the new album from Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso today, Friday, January 21. The team now reunites for this new selection of urbane standards, jazz favorites and sly comedy numbers

CLUB44 RECORDS announced the release of The Sunday Set, the new album from Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso, which will debut on Friday, January 21. The album, recorded live at The Birdland Theater, features vocals from Stritch and Caruso, with Stritch on piano and Steve Doyle on bass.

King’s is the story of a pioneering musician with a powerful impact and a captivating voice who enters, for the first time, the ancient—almost sacred—territory of the blues, R&B, and American roots music. Through its nine tracks, all either composed by King or borrowed from others, there is a marvelous feeling of rediscovery of that magical style.

For the second year in a row, the megastar artist took the top spot on Pandora’s Top Thumb Hundred, led by her GRAMMY-nominated #1 hit, “Up.” Last year, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” seized Pandora’s #1 most-thumbed spot. Other top artists on the list include Adele, Drake, Lizzy, and Doja Cat.

Lucie Jones has just finished a marathon stint playing Jenna Hunterson, most recently in the UK Tour of Waitress. She has hung up her apron and will perform two exclusive headline Christmas shows, Lucie Jones at Christmas, in Cardiff and London on 13 and 14 December, respectively. We spoke with Jones about Waitress, Les Mis, Christmas, and taking on the role of Elphaba in 2022.

As actors, we grow up programmed to say yes to everything and everyone. We hear that everyone is replaceable, and if you don't try anything and everything- you get fired. I learned to bend over backwards in order to please people and get roles. Jenny helped us rewrite that narrative. She helped me remember that we don't have to say yes to everyone. We are all just people, responsible for taking care of ourselves. We all deserve the autonomy to choose what makes us happy and safe.

Susie Mosher has done it again, and Stewart Green has the photographic evidence.

BroadwayWorld's new interview series Back on Broadway is taking readers on the exciting journey of Broadway's return to the stage! Next up in the series is Luba Mason, returning to her role as Mrs. Burke in Girl From the North Country.

It would appear that acclaimed baritone Sidney Outlaw is having the busiest year of his career. In addition to starring as composer Antonio Salieri in Opera San José’s new virtual production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s 'Mozart and Salieri,' Outlaw will be performing 'Barber of Seville,' 'Porgy and Bess,' and 'La Bohème.' BroadwayWorld speaks with Outlaw.

BroadwayWorld had the pleasure of speaking to Hudes about the five-year production process on Vivo, discovering the characters (and what they look like), and the core values around which she wrote the script.

As well as the self-titled single, the long-awaited comeback album from JJ's Music Retaliation also features nine other pieces, including: 'We Have to Make it Better Every Day,' 'You Can't Treat Me Like That Anymore' and 'Slim Beat.'

“THE BODYGUARD on stage sounds fun,” I thought, “but is there really anybody in Winter Garden who can handle Whitney Houston songs for two whole hours?” It turns out there are at least two people up to the task, and The Garden’s got them both...

By the pricking of my thumbs, something tipsy this way comes. Iambic pentameter? No, Sh!tfaced Shakespeare is all about inebriated pentameter. After all the various British lockdowns and subsequent theatre closures, the company are back at Leicester Square Theatre to bring the Bard to masses in gallant boozy fashion. After all, there’s nothing like a hilarious tragedy.

Slowly coming down from cloud nine after the sweet success of REGARD’s 25th indoor and outdoor edition, the Saguenay International Short Film Festival organization and the four juries unveiled the festival’s competition winners.

Bill  performed this show with rave reviews and sold out theatres in New Zealand earlier this year while he was there filming his new television series Patriot Brains currently airing on SBS.

Pandora launched Thumbprint Radio five years ago as a new kind of hyper-personalized music station for Pandora users, one that’s based off the songs that each user has thumbed-up to let Pandora know which ones they love the most.

Adam Blanshay is a Tony Award-nominated Producer, behind London productions such as Notre Dame de Paris, Waitress and Come From Away. We spoke to Blanshay about The Theatre Channel and where it’s going next!

Ian McQueen started CABARET ON THE COUCH as an online place for artists to commune and perform, and what he created is a cabaret communiity for 2021.

Marin Theatre Company partners with Working Theatre (NYC) and five other theatre companies in presenting the West Coast Digital Debut of Leila Buck's interactive theatrical experience, American Dreams. In the year of COVID-19, digital productions are the new medium and companies are experimenting with available styles, either live recorded productions or in this case, a Zoom presentation similar to our work at home business meetings.