Things We Want 2007 - Articles Page 7

A populist candidate, promising to return the country to greatness, becomes president of the United States, and then all hell breaks loose in It Can't Happen Here, a new play based on Sinclair Lewis' eerily prescient 1935 novel, adapted for the stage by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen. Foothill Theatre Arts presents It Can't Happen Here, directed by Bruce McLeod, for three weeks only, now through November 19, 2017 at the Lohman Theatre, on the Foothill College Campus (at the bottom of the hill), 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

For his follow-up to 2016's purely improvised studio recording Strength & Power (featuring pianist Jamie Saft, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Balazs Pandi), the ever-adventurous trombonist-composer Roswell Rudd made a decided shift in direction on his first RareNoiseRecords release as a leader by embracing jazz standards he has loved and played throughout his long and illustrious career.

Adam Sklute was named Artistic Director of Ballet West in 2007, Since then he has expanded Ballet West's repertoire, visibility, and overall outlook with exciting company premieres; increased touring and public exposure and greater focus on Ballet West Academy.

In its six year hiatus from American television from 2007-13, people would always asked comedian Greg Proops, 'Do you miss not doing WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY anymore?' Proops would always shake his head.

Award winning EMH Productions continues its sixth season of provocative and compelling theatre with the dynamic and chilling two character drama TOYER: An Unavoidable Tragedy by Hollywood playwright and actor Gardner McKay.  This timely 90 minute play delves into the mind games of a serial lobotomist of women, dubbed The Toyer by local LA police.  The struggle for power over one another, the willingness to believe what we want to, to buy into what a person is telling us because the truth is too awful to face speaks to the state of our nation in this current climate of political unrest.  TOYER will run Thursday October 12th (preview) through Tuesday October 31st, 2017 at the Ooley Theatre located at 2007 28th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818. 

In 2001, I went to spend a year at a drama school in Buenos Aires. I went because I 'liked' theatre, because I'd fallen in love with an Argentine writer called Borges, and because I thought that going to drama school in Argentina would be a good way to improve my Spanish. I didn't expect it to be the year that changed my life.

On Today, July 1, from 7 pm to 10:30 pm, Brookfield Theatre presents Christmas in July: Battle of the Christmas Musicals. This festive event treats audiences to 45-minute previews of 3 brand new holiday-themed musicals. At the end of the evening, audiences vote for their favorite and the winning show will be performed as a full-length staged reading in December. Come meet the writers, enjoy the shows, and vote for your favorite musical!

With the challenges of putting a brand new musical on its feet, finding a moment where actress Alysha Umphress could steal away from rehearsal for this interview was a challenge of its own. And when we did connect, it was not without technical difficulties on my end, and a coffee spilling fiasco on her end as she prepared for her long day of rehearsal. Through it all, Alysha, who has appeared on Broadway in AMERICAN IDIOT, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, BRING IT ON and ON THE TOWN (starring opposite DFW's Jay Armstrong Johnson), was upbeat, down-to-earth, excited to talk about her new big gig, and just as happy to humor me with stories from her early career.

On Saturday, July 1, from 7 pm to 10:30 pm, Brookfield Theatre presents Christmas in July: Battle of the Christmas Musicals. This festive event treats audiences to 45-minute previews of 3 brand new holiday-themed musicals. At the end of the evening, audiences vote for their favorite and the winning show will be performed as a full-length staged reading in December. Come meet the writers, enjoy the shows, and vote for your favorite musical!

Any time a high school theater department takes on a Stephen Sondheim musical, the intensity level cranks up a notch. So when drama teacher Joseph Donia took on Into the Woods, which the school last did in 2008, he needed some extra expertise behind the scenes to deal with Sondheim's uniquely difficult vocal score. Enter Kayla Bailey, a graduate of Oaks Christian High School (2007), Cal Lutheran University (2011), and a former Miss Ventura County (2012), who has been seen locally mainly as a performer. Donia chose Bailey to be his vocal director despite Bailey never having served in that capacity before. But when, as the saying goes, opportunity knocks, you go for it, and Bailey, who has a uniquely positive spin on life, leaped in feet first and has been having the time of her life. We spoke with Kayla in between performances about this unique experience, one which has already had a major effect on her career outlook going forward.

When an icon is as approachable, affable and humble as Ben Vereen is, it is easy to see why he has been so successful. The winner of a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for his role in Pippin, Vereen is, at the age of 70, showing no signs of slowing down. Luckily for us, he is bringing his energy and talent to our area to perform with the Stockton Symphony on May 6 and 7.

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE by Gene Luen Yang broke boundaries when it won the 2007 Printz Award and was a 2006 National Book Award finalist. No graphic novel had ever received either award before. The graphic novel has gone on to win many other awards and become a school reading staple.

The 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced its lineup of 57 thought-provoking and diverse short films in competition, including 36 world premieres. The selected shorts, 40% of which were directed by women, and include filmmakers from every corner of the globe, were curated from a record 4,385 submissions. They will be presented in 10 distinct competition programs, consisting of five narrative, four documentary, and, for the second year, one animated program. In addition, there is the Sports Shorts program as part of the 11th annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, sponsored by Mohegan Sun. The Shorts program, sponsored by Nutella Originals, is a part of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 19-30.

Set your clocks and pop your popcorn... the Oscars are just TWO days away! While the annual salute to Hollywood's best and brightest has never been as 'full-on Broadway' as, say, that other theatrical celebration typically held in June, we can't deny that recent ceremonies have contained a bit more theatrical glitz than not, thanks in no small part to the rising popularity of the movie musical.  With Lin-Manuel Miranda among the roster of nominees, and Pasek and Paul's global phenom LA LA LAND poised to take home Oscar gold, there's no doubt that trend will continue throughout this Sunday's ceremony. (And trust me, we Broadway buffs couldn't be happier!)  So, to celebrate… we've compiled a list of the most prominent 'Broadway-fied' Oscar moments of the last decade, featuring Tony winners, big Broadway numbers, and a whole lotta that aforementioned flash. Take a walk down memory lane, and relive these seven glorious moments went Oscar 'went Broadway.' 

cARTel: Collaborative Arts LA, with Associate Producers Brownies and Lemonade, Shifty Rhythms, and Department 4, are proud to announce the lineup for the 2017 BROKE LA Music & Arts Festival. The festival's new location will be 4560 Worth St and will occur on the new date of April 8th, 2017. The date move shifts the festival away from overlapping with Coachella weekend for the first time ever, kicking off festival season in Los Angeles. Commenting on the change, Executive Director Negin Singh notes, "It is important for us, first and foremost, that our event serve our artists in their professional development. We are proud of our unbelievable talent and want to ensure that those in the music industry as well as our audience can freely engage in discovery at our festival without having to sacrifice celebrating what's big in the mainstream festival circuit.'

CHEVELLE, with BLACK MAP and DINOSAUR PILE UP, will play the BOULDER THEATER on Today, January 26, 2017.

When scheduling an interview with Broadway and now West End star: Marisha Wallace, I was quickly reminded that London is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, so when we found an appointment that was congruently free; it was a little early for me... Flash forward to a 7am interview that started my day on the highest of notes: Marisha's bubbly and down to earth personality drew me in the first moment I saw her perform in the hit musical 'Something Rotten!'

Greensky Bluegrass is Anders Beck (dobro), Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), Mike Devol (upright bass) and Paul Hoffman (mandolin).

Laura Osnes' journey to Broadway was anything but ordinary. Having competed on the reality series GREASE: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT, she went on to win and make her Great White Way debut as a brunette Sandy in 2007. She proceeded to make craterous impressions on Broadway, replacing Kelli O'Hara in Lincoln Center's SOUTH PACIFIC, as well as originating the role of Bonnie in BONNIE & CLYDE, earning the first of her Tony nominations, followed by the titular Cinderella in Broadway's first production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, for which she earned her second. Osnes will return to Feinstein's/54 Below on November 27, kicking off a string of four shows in which she travels down the roads that might have been, performing songs from roles she nearly booked but, for one reason or another, never came to be. BroadwayWorld chatted with the sweet-as-pie multi-talent about why her forthcoming Broadway gig, THE BANDSTAND, is a vital piece of theater, her co-star Corey Cott, and the inspiration for her unusual cabaret premise (here's a spoiler: Osnes keeps a literal binder in her closet labeled 'Songs I Learned for Auditions').

Soho Theatre has a packed festival programme and recent weeks have seen the cult hit Fleabag break box office records, twelve shows filmed for its fledgling Soho Theatre Live TV and digital offer, two UK tours, and its latest crop of Soho Young Company's Comedy and Writers' Labs commence.

Joshua Bell is a classical superstar: violinist, cultural ambassador, and all-around inspiration. Musical Director of The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, television performer (Mozart in the Jungle!), and subway station busker-provocateur, he's a deep and unique talent.

CHEVELLE, with BLACK MAP and DINOSAUR PILE UP, will play the BOULDER THEATER on Thursday, January 26, 2017.

You may recognize Anthony Lee Medina from your TV screens, but this week he begins his turn as Usnavi in the Theatre Under The Stars-mounted production of IN THE HEIGHTS. Today we catch up with Medina to talk about the show, the 'glamorous' life of a working performer, and the awesomeness of Lin-Manuel Miranda.

No matter the song, style, or setting, Janice Hall, the multi-talented opera singer, cabaret chanteuse, and character actress, is her own master. She broke into the cabaret scene in 2010 in a big way with the 2011 Bistro Award Winner for Best Tribute Show and 2012 MAC Award Winner for Best Female Vocalist. The show that earned her those awards? 'GRAND ILLUSIONS: THE MUSIC OF MARLENE DIETRICH,' which Hall debuted in 2010 and will revive for one night on September 13 at 7:00 pm at the Metropolitan Room. Before Hall takes the stage this upcoming Tuesday night, we sat down for a discussion on career invention, reinvention, and versatility--- both Dietrich's and her own.

Today, Blonsky shares her fondest memories from the film, including meeting John Travolta for the very first time, and explains why she believes the message of Hairspray is one that still resonates today.