Wonderful Time 1996 - Articles Page 2.6

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, I had the excellent opportunity to sit down with Eric Sciotto, Director and Choreographer of Rock of Ages at MTWichita, and Brian J. Marcum, Artistic Director at MTWichita. It was a wide ranging interview, with a very stream of consciousness feel, and they were gracious enough to grant me an hour over a lunch break during rehearsal last Tuesday. The energy was high, and I was able to get some excellent insight into Eric’s choreographic process. I also spoke to Brian about leading MTWichita into a new era.

The new West End cast has been announced for Daniel Raggett's production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, following a sell-out run at Lyric Hammersmith.

The Paris Opera announces the resignation of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director at the end of the  22/23 season for personal reasons.  

Ballet Tech’s Kids Dance will return to The Joyce Theater June 8-11 following an acclaimed production last year.

Austin Playhouse 2023-2024 Season will include an Austin premiere, two regional premieres, a return favorite, and an uplifting musical.

Popular Broadway performer Jason Danieley will stage 'Ragtime: The Symphonic Concert with the Boston Pops May 12-13 at Boston's Symphony Hall, and July 8 at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA.

 The Board of Trustees of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) has announced that Brian B. Crowe will succeed Bonnie J. Monte as the company's new Artistic Director starting on January 1st of 2024. 

The Muny has announced that three-time Tony nominated actor Robin De Jesús, Patti Murin, Michael McGrath, Ryan Vasquez and Nicholas Ward will star in the comedy to die for, Little Shop of Horrors, July 25-31, 2023.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and Steven Maler, Artistic Director, announce the complete cast and creative team for this summer's production of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth on the Boston Common.

The second mainstage production of Pasadena Playhouse’s six-month-long Sondheim celebration A Little Night Music opens April 30, 2023 (with previews beginning April 25th). David Lee directs this 50th anniversary production of A Little Night Music with a cast of 19, accompanied by a full-sized orchestra.  Jodi Long, who plays Madame Armfeldt, took some time to answer a few of my queries.

In the world of theatre, there are some shows that simply resonate on a different level. In my experience, this happens when the perfect cast comes together with visionary creatives at the perfect moment in time. And when these puzzle pieces all snap into place, it delivers a performance that just feels different, one that makes the audience feel like they are lucky to be in that moment together. If you have experienced this before, you know, it is truly magical. Typically, this has been, for me, a feeling primarily reserved for popular, highly acclaimed shows, usually on Broadway (but not always). On Thursday night – I experienced that same rush, those same chills, and that same rare feeling sitting in the audience for the first time at the historic Athens Theatre in Deland, Florida – witnessing their latest production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. As I sat there, I forgot that the amazingly talented cast were all volunteers – brought together by their love for the art and a passion for performance – and reveled as they delivered a stunning piece of musical theatre that was truly wonderous to behold.

With Marjorie Prime currently running at the company's home base in South London and Funny Girl on Broadway, the Menier Chocolate Factory announced forthcoming programming for 2023. Learn more about the lineup here!

 Performing Arts Houston has announced its 23/24 Season of national and international touring artists and new works from artists in the Houston community. The arrival of the new season will coincide with major advances in the multi-year renovation of Jones Hall, including the installation of new auditorium seating, expanded restrooms, and more.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has announced its 53rd season to be presented October 2023 through June 2024.

What did our critic think of WHAT HAPPENED TO STEVE: A CONVERSATION WITH STEVE BURNS at Reynolds Performance Hall?

What did our critic think of CHICAGO at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis? Chicago is celebrating 25 dazzling years and it has returned to Memphis! It is certainly a fan favorite, with exhilirating dancing and an iconic story that is known around the world. The 1975 musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, is the 2nd longest running Broadway musical (thanks to the 1996 revival), behind fan favorite Phantom of the Opera.

Have you ever wondered what was the most dramatic night in Broadway history? Well, boy, do I have a story for you! The year: 1980. The show: 42nd Street. I sat down with the show’s lead, the iconic and peerless Lee Roy Reams to get the true story straight from someone who was actually there that momentous evening.

Arguably one of the most famous singers of all time, Elvis emerged from humble country beginnings to become a rock & roll phenomenon whose influence was so huge it still resonates decades after his untimely death in 1977.  His energized interpretations of songs and unique performance style led him to both great success and initial controversy.

This is Our Youth, is a play written by Playwright Kenneth Lonergan (The Waverly Gallery) and Screenwriter (Manchester by the Sea). Youth premiered off-Broadway in 1996, and since its premiere has seen productions all over the world on Broadway, in Sydney and Toronto. The most recent Broadway revival featured Michael Cera in the role of Warren and Kieran Culkin in the role of Dennis, featuring Tavi Gevinson as Jessica.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and Steven Maler, Artistic Director, are very pleased to announce that Pakistani actor, writer, director, and producer Faran Tahir will return to CSC next summer to play the title role of Shakespeare's Macbeth on the Boston Common.

TEMAN (Teater Musikal Nusantara) did what many Indonesian thespians thought impossible: bring Jonathan Larson’s 1996 RENT to the country. The show’s themes — which proved to be just as relevant in 2022, if not more so — were powerfully brought to life through effective direction, heartrending performances, and delightful production design.

To commemorate what would have been her 60th birthday (on February 2), Blix Street Records will release a landmark new album, which pairs Cassidy's impeccable voice with the backing of the legendary London Symphony Orchestra.

George Bailey, Clarence, and the Bedford Falls community will come to life at Portland Center Stage this holiday season, in a fresh, inventive reimagining of the beloved holiday story. It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will begin preview performances on November 19, open on November 25, and run through December 24 on the U.S. Bank Main Stage. Tickets are on sale now.

Dracula, a novel written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897, became Stoker’s most definitive work. Told in an epistolary style through letters, journal entries, and newspaper articles, Stoker’s novel is never told through the eyes of a single protagonist. Our tale begins with a businessman by the name of Jonathan Harker traveling to the Transylvanian Castle of one Count Dracula, in order to procure a deed. Having merely escaped the castle with his life, after finding out the Count is a Vampire, Harker makes his way home to England, where the Count has now taken up residence with plans to plague the small seaside town of Whitby.