Jump 2007 - Articles Page 2

Donald R. Walters, Esq., board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida's Theatre & Arts Honors, today announced the recipients of four Special Awards that will be presented at the 44th awards ceremony that will now be virtual.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

On Wednesday, March 18 at 7 pm, Princeton-based composer and conversationalist extraordinaire Julian Grant tells all­­a?"or maybe just enougha?"about his life, travels, and musical adventures in China and Central Asia at a free Soundtracks talk at the Princeton Public Library. While living in Hong Kong, he hosted a classical music radio show. He also lived in Tokyo and, from 2007-10, in Beijing, where he worked with the Beijing New Music Ensemble and attempted to master the yang qin (butterfly harp). This immersion in learning a traditional Chinese instrument proved to be the genesis of a suite of music titled a?"a??a??a?? (Five Generations, One House), a work soon to be given its US premiere by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.   

Tony-nominated composer Paul Gordon is one of those rare musical theater creators who, like Lin-Manuel Miranda, can write the whole show a?" book, music and lyrics. Gordon's latest work is the musical a?oePride and Prejudicea?? soon to start its world premiere run at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. He has formed a close relationship with the company over the years, including hit productions of his shows a?oeJane Eyre,a?? a?oeEmma,a?? a?oeBeing Earnest,a?? and a?oeDaddy Long Legs.a?? Interestingly, Gordon initially found success as a composer of pop music writing for, and collaborating with, numerous recording artists, including Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, Alanis Morissette, Smokey Robinson and Dionne Warwick. An abiding love for musical theater led to a fortuitous meeting with esteemed director John Caird that opened up a whole new career for Gordon. BroadwayWorld caught up with him while he was still in the thick of the rehearsal process for his new show, which can be a very stressful time. In conversation, Gordon appeared surprisingly calm as he chatted about the development of a?oePride and Prejudicea?? and his plans to build new audiences for musical theater.

The Rubin Museum of Art has announced its first exhibition of 2020, 'Measure Your Existence,' a new group show organized by guest curator of contemporary art, Christine Starkman. Opening February 7, 2020, the exhibition will feature six contemporary artists who address the fleeting nature of existence through performance, installation, film, sculpture, and photography.

The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month. All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless noted.  Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.

“I think early on as a band, we were trying to be one thing - a punk and ska band,” says Glenn Stewart, drummer for Clearwater, FL's punk band VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE (VOC). “When it came time to write the fifth album, we didn't want to do that. There wasn't any specific direction.  In the end, we all feel like we've achieved a bigger, more mature sound that still has that great VOC flavor.”

This October, Brittany K. Allen will star in the world premiere of her play Redwood at Portland Center Stage at The Armory. In Redwood, a young Black woman's relationship with her white boyfriend is thrown into turmoil when her uncle's exploration of their family's lineage reveals that her ancestors were enslaved by her boyfriend's ancestors. Guided by a hip-hop dance class chorus, this singular American story is about finding a way to live and love in a present that's overpopulated with ghosts.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??The Association for Theatre in Higher Education named Randy Reinholz (Choctaw), the recipient of their most prestigious honor, named for Ellen Stewart, well-known Artistic Director of the acclaimed La MaMa Theater in New York. Reinholz, a celebrated leader in the field of theater and higher education, has been at the forefront of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice for 25 years as the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Native Voices at the Autry, the only Equity theater company wholly dedicated to developing and producing Native American plays.

Few characters become so embedded in the fabric of pop culture that merely the mention of a color can elicit their memory. Such is the case, however, for Elle Woods, the golden-haired Malibu native at the center of Legally Blonde. Talk about the color pink for too long and someone in your circle is guaranteed to quote one of the now-iconic lines made immortal by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 film. The 2007 Broadway musical burdened its star, Laura Bell Bundy, with the responsibility of carrying on Ms. Witherspoon's legacy while appearing in almost every scene and belting her lungs out. This hot pink explosion of female empowerment and sisterhood is a deceptively demanding production with a non-stop score by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin. While the DC premiere at The Keegan Theatre is a fun evening, the overly-choreographed production feels like Elle Woods' first day at Harvard: its trying a little too hard.

Everyone loves a little nostalgia, especially when it comes to their favorite television shows and movies growing up. For millennials and Gen Z-ers, these probably include a few DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movie) and series. Several of the stars of these films and TV shows have gone on to further their acting and singing careers on Broadway, and some even got their start on the stage. Below is a list of stars that you may or may not know have a few theatre credits under their belt!

Which Broadway shows are the longest running of all time? Which current Broadway productions have a chance of breaking the top ten? We've got the full list!

Kate Brennan's The Shoebox transports audiences back in time to high school and early adolescence. This is a time that many adults would consider simple, yet, as revealed through the plights of Brennan's characters, the viewer is reminded how complicated and tumultuous it felt in the moment. The Shoebox is part of the fourth annual She NYC Arts Summer Theater Festival at The Connelly Theater, which strives to provide women writers, composers, and directors with resources to jump-start their careers in the theater industry.

Philadelphia-bred rock band The Starting Line have announced EST: 1999 Music + Stories, the band's summer, fall and winter tour celebrating its 20th anniversary. Visiting a number of markets the band hasn't performed in since 2008, the upcoming run will feature full live shows with sets spanning the band's entire catalog, along with storytelling detailing the band's history and narratives behind the songs. The band will visit markets such as Los Angeles, CA on July 20, Cleveland, OH on September 13, Denver, CO on November 15, Dallas, TX on November 16 and more. 

Juilliard Dance, led by director Alicia Graf Mack, continues its season with Spring Dances, a repertory program featuring Martha Graham's The Rite of Spring, Bill T. Jones' D-Man in the Waters (Part 1); and Alejandro Cerrudo's Little mortal jump.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) (William Carden, Artistic Director, Sarah McLellan, Executive Director) and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Doron Weber, Vice-President, Programs) announced today a second extension for the World Premiere of Behind the Sheet, written by Charly Evon Simpson (Jump) and directed by Colette Robert (Mary's Wedding). Part of the EST/Sloan Science & Technology Project (Graeme Gillis, Program Director; Linsay Firman, Associate Director), Behind the Sheet began previews at EST's Curt Dempster Theatre (549 W. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019) on January 9, 2019, and opened January 17. Originally set to close on February 3, the play will now run through February 17, 2019.

NBC has announced the first group of world-renowned, superstar acts who will compete on the all-new winter edition of TV's #1 alternative series, “America's Got Talent: The Champions,” premiering Monday, Jan. 7 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT.

City Winery Chicago has announced that Katharine McPhee will perform on Monday, November 5th. City Winery also announced many other shows, including its annual 10,000 Maniacs Valentine's run. The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, September 27 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

Paramount Theatre's production of LEGALLY BLONDE-THE MUSICAL lands the familiar tale of sorority-girl-turned-lawyer Elle Woods firmly in 2018, and it works well. Based on the 2001 movie, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2007, and, unlike some stage adaptations of beloved chick flicks, still resonates in today's post-Weinstein world. A strong female protagonist, working hard to achieve her goals, leaves behind toxic relationships and surrounds herself with people who believe in building each other up. While the narrative is empowering, LEGALLY BLONDE never lets the tone get too serious, with plenty of humor, larger-than-life characters, impressive dance numbers, and all the glitz, glam, and 'Omigod's that one would expect from the women of UCLA's Delta Nu.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Octavia Spencer and Queen Latifah will star in in The Rhinelander Affair following the controversial 1925 DIVORCE trial in New York involving a man from an upper-class New Rochelle family who married a bi-racial, working-class woman. It is a ripped from the headlines story from the 1920s with many meaty roles in what was a roller coaster ride about money, love, racism and betrayal.

Freeform announces its programming schedule for July 2018, which includes all-new episodes of critically acclaimed series “The Bold Type” and breakout summer hit “Marvel's Cloak & Dagger” and epic celebrations continue with more episodes of “Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings.” Additionally, fan-favorite comedy “Young & Hungry” concludes after five hilarious seasons, on Wednesday, July 25.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Pedro Capó, Grammy nominee Darrell Scott and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, June 28 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

New Titles Coming to Amazon Prime Video and Prime Video Channels July 2018

Juilliard Dance announces its 2018-19 season of performances of world premieres, masterworks in repertory, and new works developed by Juilliard students. The cornerstone of the season is New Dances: Edition 2018, featuring four world-premiere dances by innovative choreographers Stefanie Batten Bland (fourth-year class), alumnus Peter Chu (third-year class), Nelly van Bommel (second-year class), and Marcus Jarrell Willis (first-year class). Performances take place December 7, 8, 10, and 11, at 7:30pm and December 9 at 3pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater. In the spring semester, Juilliard Spring Dances features repertory works by acclaimed choreographers: Bill T. Jones' D-Man in the Waters (Part 1); Alejandro Cerrudo's Little Mortal Jump; and Martha Graham's The Rite of Spring. Performances take place on March 27-29, at 7:30pm and March 30, at 2pm and 7:30pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces actress-singer Lera Lynn, Nikka Costa ('(Out Here) On My Own' from the movie Fame), and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, June 21 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.