In the Beginning 00/00/0000 - Articles Page 6

I've been acting since 1989 - a union member of both major acting unions since the late 1990's/early 2000's. During my career, I've been described as a 'working actor,' an 'actor's actor' and/or 'a blue collar actor.' There have been times where even though I have called myself, with outward pride, an actor; internally, I've felt lacking. I never went to a four-year acting program. I actually started out as a visual artist, attending art school after high school. But even as a child in North Carolina, I'd strike poses in my bedroom mirror, as if I was appearing in the opening credits of shows like 'Hawaii Five-O,' humming the theme song as I vamped it up. I had the dream, but I honestly didn't even know there was such a thing as an acting school.

HBO Max launches May 27th, but that's just the beginning of what this exciting new streaming bundle has to offer. The month of June brings hundreds of sizzling hot movies and series to keep everyone in the family entertained all month long.

This Spotlight focuses on Simon Levy who began his directing career in San Francisco, then moved to Los Angeles in 1990 where he has been the Producing Director for the Fountain Theatre since 1993. His directing and producing credits are numerous, with over 100 productions in Los Angeles and San Francisco that have won more than 200 awards. His journey has been blessed with having wonderful mentors along the way, which has enabled the talented director to earn his living doing theatre and earned him great respect from the entire L.A. Theatre community.

The 1990 cult film favorite Pump Up the Volume will make its world premiere as a rock musical at Point Park University's Pittsburgh Playhouse this April. The musical features book and lyrics by Jeremy Desmon and music by Jeff Thomson; direction by Dave Solomon, choreography by Emmy-nominated choreographer Stacey Tookey, music supervision and orchestrations by James Sampliner, scenic design by Emmy-winning designer Jason Ardizzone-West, costume design by Pei-Chi Su, co-lighting design by Jen Schriever and Grant Wilcoxen, and sound design by Steve Shapiro. Pump Up the Volume is based on an original screenplay by Allan Moyle and is produced in collaboration with RWS Entertainment Group, a New York-based full-service production company that creates award-winning custom entertainment, live events and branded experiences worldwide, and John Breglio.

BROADWAY IN HOLLYWOOD (Nederlander Organization) has announced the Spectacular Spectacular 2020-21 Season, consisting of seven Broadway national tour productions which will play both the Dolby Theatre and Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. This season marks the second such season that Los Angeles theater audiences will have regular access to blockbuster national touring productions at both iconic theatres on Hollywood Boulevard.

The Black Crowes' Chris and Rich Robinson will herald the thirty-year anniversary of their landmark quintuple platinum debut album Shake Your Money Maker with a UK & European tour beginning October 10 with a show at 3Arena in Dublin. The tour will continue across Europe, as well as 6 cities in the UK, including London, Glasgow, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff & Leeds.

This year, Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will celebrate her 30th anniversary at the helm of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) now approaching its 58th season with an electrifying lineup of plays. Under Ms. Monte's leadership, the Theatre has evolved into one of the most respected classical theatres in the nation.

 'Surely, you can't be serious!' In 2020, 14 of movie history's greatest romances, funniest comedies, scariest monsters, boldest visions, ultimate adventures, and most unforgettable dramas will be back in movie theaters across the country as Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies present the fourth annual, yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.

A holiday tradition returns as the McCallum Theatre welcomes the Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2019 at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 18. The show is made possible through the generosity of Wayne and Rachelle Prim. Since the beginning of his career, Koz has been all about dodging expectations and traditions. His brand-new holiday album, Gifts of the Season, is his seventh holiday release, and features the very same guests with him on this year's Christmas tour.

The Black Crowes' Chris and Rich Robinson will herald the thirty-year anniversary of their landmark quintuple platinum debut album Shake Your Money Maker with a world tour beginning June 17 in Austin, Texas. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now. To celebrate the announce, the band will play two intimate shows, first at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City this evening, followed by the Troubadour in Los Angeles on November 14. More info about tickets will be shared on @theblackcrowes Instagram page. The Black Crowes, which Melody Maker proclaimed as 'the most Rock n' Roll Rock n' Roll band in the world' will be playing their debut, described by Rolling Stone as, 'a guitar-party cracker that marries Southern R&B crunch and Anglo cock-strutting attitude' in its entirety plus all the hits from the band's illustrious catalogue. The ever-volatile Robinson brothers have not played a show since 2013 when they vowed never to play or speak together again. Thankfully for fans, times seems to have healed these wounds.

Full of clever antics and comical wit, the heartwarming family film Home Alone is sure to get everyone into the holiday spirit with a hearty laugh or two along the way.

For audience members who saw Once On This Island during its recent Tony Award-winning revival on Broadway, actress Tamyra Gray has some pointers in regard to the show's national tour, which launches tonight at Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center: a?oeThere's a new set-up,a?? she explains. a?oeSince we are no longer in the round, our set has been restructured and it's really, really cool: It's like you've walked into this village and you're watching events unfold.a??

Cirque du Soleil marks its 30th anniversary in the UK with a celebratory exhibition from 19 September to 9 October with free entry at London's historical Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Fans can immerse themselves in the story so far, understand the journey of Cirque du Soleil, from creation to the travelling circus today, hear the music, and take an up-close look at costumes, masks and more! A truly global company with shows that have visited more than sixty countries and using themes evoked from different cultures around the world, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is the perfect venue for this exhibition celebrating 30 years in the UK alone.

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce the 2019 fall season at The Colonial Theatre and The Garage. Tickets are now available for purchase by contacting the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.

Broadway is coming to the big screen! Thirteen movie musicals are currently in development and are set to delight audiences in the coming months and years, from long-awaited movie adaptations to remakes and sequels of fan favorites. With such a variety to look forward to, we're getting you prepared by giving you a peek at each of the movies officially announced to receive the silver screen treatment! Take a peek at all the excitement, and be sure to check back in as even more are announced!

100 years ago, in 1919, the first democracy in Germany was established with the Weimar Republic, enabling unprecedented advancements in the fight for queer rights in Europe. 50 years ago, in 1969, a brick was thrown at the Stonewall Uprising, launching the modern queer rights movement in the United States and around the world. How has the LGBTQ+ community and its fight - in Germany and Washington, DC alike - evolved ever since? How has 2019 been shaped by the last fifty years of transatlantic rainbow friendship?

Today, D23, the official Disney fan club, has announced the eleven recipients for the 2019 Disney Legends Award. This year's recipients are Bette Midler, Wing Chao, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones, Kenny Ortega, Barnette Ricci, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Ming-Na Wen, and Hans Zimmer. 

In the latest North American touring production of what continues to be one of Broadway's laudable theatrical staples, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF's amiable patriarch Tevye is now being played by Israeli-born actor Yehezkel Lazarov, who gives the iconic role a fresh, less geriatric delivery that still shines with old-world charm, nuanced depth, and a down-to-earth, relatable persona. Lazarov--who leads this touring non-Equity iteration of the Bartlett Sher-directed 2015 Broadway revival--provides just one of the many reasons to reacquaint yourself with this enduring stage classic, now finishing up its limited engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through May 19, 2019. Sill lively and emotionally poignant--and quite relevant and timely to see through the lens of the uneasy times we live in--the stage musical offers a safe, if slightly sanitized view into the lives of poor Jewish families in turn-of-the-century Russia where the looming assault of pogroms are about to threaten their very lives and existence.

The Triad Theater, Off-Broadway Theatre, presents Queen Diva in "Strength of a Woman: A Phyllis Hyman Tribute 70th Birthday Celebration" on Saturday, July 6, 2019. The 120 minute tribute celebration begins with Phyllis Hyman's Disco Hit produced by New York's Own James Mtume 'You Know How To Love Me,' to Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Ladies Medley-Sophisticated Ladies, A Train, It Don't Mean A Thing, In A Sentimental Mood" to her pivotal vocal performance in Brooklyn's own Spike Lee's "School Daze" singing "Be One"  to her recording career beginning with Veteran Producer Norman Connors singing "Betcha By Golly Wow" to  her favorite songs "What You Won't Do For Love," to "Old Friend" a song she would dedicate to her numerous dear friends who died of AIDS in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that they will present the 2019 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to four outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry Broadway Inspirational Voices founded by Michael McElroy; Peter Entin, retired Vice President of Theatre Operations for the Shubert Organization; Joseph Blakely Forbes, Founder and President, Scenic Art Studios, Inc. and FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9.

Imagine getting ready for an evening at the theatre - most of us are excited and eager, anticipating an entertaining evening of dinner or maybe drinks with friends, then the thrill of the curtain rising. Now imagine you are a member of the population whose mode of transportation is a wheelchair or walker, or someone whose hearing or vision loss prevents the sights and sounds of the stage from being clear. Suddenly an evening out becomes a minefield of obstacles that can hinder or even prevent full enjoyment. That sense of excitement becomes anxiety. Logistics such as parking and stairs that most take for granted can easily become a barrier to an evening of music, theatre or dance.

The Triad Theater, Off-Broadway Theatre, presents Queen Diva in "Strength of a Woman: A Phyllis Hyman Tribute 70th Birthday Celebration" on Saturday, July 6, 2019. The 120 minute tribute celebration begins with Phyllis Hyman's Disco Hit produced by New York's Own James Mtume 'You Know How To Love Me,' to Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Ladies Medley-Sophisticated Ladies, A Train, It Don't Mean A Thing, In A Sentimental Mood" to her pivotal vocal performance in Brooklyn's own Spike Lee's "School Daze" singing "Be One"  to her recording career beginning with Veteran Producer Norman Connors singing "Betcha By Golly Wow" to  her favorite songs "What You Won't Do For Love," to "Old Friend" a song she would dedicate to her numerous dear friends who died of AIDS in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

Summer 1993 was an eventful year for this reviewer. I had just graduated from High School and was preparing for the next chapter in my life - college in Athens, Georgia. Like so many young people before me and so many after, it was a time in between, one that was both thrilling and completely terrifying. But it was also the beginning of a journey of self-discovery and an opportunity to redefine who I was and who I would be as a newly minted adult. So, it was particularly poignant to see the newest production from TheaterWorks (performed at the Wadsworth due to their current remodel), the musical GIRLFRIEND, with a book by Todd Almond and music by 90's rocker, Matthew Sweet.  

The Center for the Arts at George Mason University announced today the 2019/2020 season of Great Performances at Mason, its annual series featuring leading national and international artists in the disciplines of classical music, opera, jazz, ballet, modern dance, theater, and global music and dance. The Center also announced the return of the Family Series, offering its second season of affordable programming for young audiences.