Conceived, choreographed, and directed by Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp (Movin' Out) and by special arrangement with the Frank Sinatra Family and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, COME FLY AWAY follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub. Blending the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on-stage big band and 14 of the world's finest dancers, COME FLY AWAY weaves an unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My Way," and "That's Life," into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and seduction.
The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives, along with Sinatra's signature arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Quincy Jones, among others, and brand new charts, for this fresh innovative musical.
'A man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?' once wrote the poet Robert Browning. The line is about setting goals, striving, and ambition, all of which can be commendable desires. But sometimes in the world of cabaret, the desire to achieve the next level or to raise one's personal bar can be an overreach and overly ambitious. Such was the case with two shows staged this past week by two accomplished singers-Shana Farr and Jillian Laurain--who over the past couple of years have garnered mucho kudos for their vocal prowess and solid shows. Nobody could fault these lovely ladies for pushing their performance envelopes, but in both cases they fell short of their goals.
Smokey Joe's Cafe-The Songs of Leiber and Stoller transports audiences to the golden age of rock, rhythm and blues this spring at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Director Randy Johnson returns to Arena Stage following the success of A Night with Janis Joplin (which enjoyed two runs at Arena Stage followed by a subsequent run on Broadway) to helm this Grammy Award-winning tribute to legendary songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, which originally opened on Broadway in 1995 and became the longest running musical revue, topping 2,000 performances. Bursting with hit tunes including 'Hound Dog,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Love Potion #9' and 'On Broadway,' Smokey Joe's Cafe showcases choreography by Parker Esse (Arena Stage's The Music Man, Oklahoma!) and music direction by Victor Simonson (Center Stage's A Civil War Christmas, Arena Stage's 3 Mo' Divas) and runs April 25-June 8, 2014 in the Fichandler Stage.
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition film selections
On the heels of a highly successful run of George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker', Oregon Ballet Theatre will show a multitude of facets with REVEAL at the Keller Auditorium, today, February 22 - March 1, 2014.
Pittsburgh CLO presents the WORLD PREMIERE of the hysterical original musical comedy Judge Jackie Justice, which will run tonight, January 31 through April 27 at the CLO Cabaret.
On the heels of a highly successful run of George Balanchine's “The Nutcracker”, Oregon Ballet Theatre will show a multitude of facets with REVEAL at the Keller Auditorium, February 22 – March 1, 2014. Four works will appear on the bill, three of which were or will be created on the dancers of OBT. Former Artistic Director Christopher Stowell returns to choreograph his first new work on the company since departing from that post a year ago. Returning to the OBT stage are James Kudelka's “Almost Mozart”, created for the company to much acclaim in 2006 and chosen for the ballet's most recent appearance at the Kennedy Center in the Ballet Across America festival last June, and Christopher Wheeldon's “Liturgy”, a profound meditation set to the music of Arvo Pa?rt which OBT first performed in 2012. Rounding out this feast of dance is Nicolo Fonte's daring and visually striking “Bolero”. Former Principal Dancer Artur Sultanov returns to the stage for only these performances to partner Principal Dancer Alison Roper in every show of this work, originally created on the duo in 2008.
Broadway PR firm Polk & Co.'s founder and president, Matt Polk, has just announced that Tom D'Ambrosio, Wayne Wolfe, Frances White and Colgan McNeil will be joining the public relations, media strategies and social media firm. Beginning January 6, 2014, the four press agents, formerly of The Hartman Group, will join the existing company of five including press agents Jessica Johnson and Michelle Bergmann.
The holidays are upon us with plenty to celebrate at the Kimmel Center's campus of events and performances.
Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast for the WORLD PREMIERE of the hysterical original musical comedy Judge Jackie Justice, which will run January 31 through April 27 at the CLO Cabaret.
The holidays are upon us with plenty to celebrate at the Kimmel Center's campus of events and performances.
Let's see what the critics had to say...
Just last week, Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group announced the casting and initial tour schedule for their spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera launching a major North American Tour in Providence, R.I. at the Providence Performing Arts Center. With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, the most successful musical of all-time, will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this one of the largest productions on tour in North America. Meet the rest of the cast below!
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, celebrates American artist Paul Simon, whose birthday is October 13, with the release of the monumental career-spanning 15-disc Paul Simon - The Complete Albums Collection available as a physical and digital release today, October 15.
The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter, an annual favorite visited by millions of children and adults, returns to the American Museum of Natural History today, October 12.
Curtains up! AIR TWYLA propels Pacific Northwest Ballet into its new season with a trio of works by its first artist-in-residence, renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. The program includes the world premiere of Waiting at the Station with a commissioned score by New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint. Sharing the program with Waiting at the Station are the Scottish-inspired Brief Fling (a PNB premiere) and Tharp's homage to Ol' Blue Eyes and ballroom dance, the unforgettable Nine Sinatra Songs. AIR TWYLA runs for only seven performances, tonight, September 27 - October 6 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.
To kick off its 20th Anniversary Season, Smuin Ballet will head to Montana, the home state of late founder Michael Smuin, to present a tour that includes Smuin's much-loved Sinatra ballet Fly Me to the Moon, as well as the acclaimed Dear Miss Cline from company Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert and Jazzin', a saucy and seductive work by Darrell Grand Moultrie. Smuin Ballet's Montana tour will play today and tomorrow, September 8 - 9 in Michael Smuin's hometown of Missoula at the Montana Repertory Theatre and September 13 at the Mansfield Theatre, Great Falls. Tickets are available by calling each venue's box office (see info at the end of the release). The Great Falls performance will benefit McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, with which Smuin Ballet shares a close connection.
The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter, an annual favorite visited by millions of children and adults, returns to the American Museum of Natural History on October 12. Celebrating its 16th year at the Museum, this popular winter attraction transforms the iciest day into a summer escape, inviting visitors to mingle with up to 500 fluttering, iridescent butterflies among blooming tropical flowers and lush green vegetation in 80-degree temperatures. The Butterfly Conservatory will be on view through May 26, 2014.
The Broadway Experience returned for a sixth summer program at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center from July 29th - August 11th. With 22 professional educators from the Broadway community, TBE offered over 60 classes, workshops, lectures, and a performance based second week. TBE also launched a new Pre-Professional level for college age students and invited Sierra Boggess as guest speaker. Sierra spoke about her life on and off the stage, and took the time to answer questions and offer advice and inspiration. Scroll down for photos!
Curtains up! AIR TWYLA propels Pacific Northwest Ballet into its new season with a trio of works by its first artist-in-residence, renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. The program includes the world premiere of Waiting at the Station with a commissioned score by New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint. Sharing the program with Waiting at the Station are the Scottish-inspired Brief Fling (a PNB premiere) and Tharp's homage to Ol' Blue Eyes and ballroom dance, the unforgettable Nine Sinatra Songs. AIR TWYLA runs for only seven performances, September 27 – October 6 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, online at pnb.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street. AIR TWYLA is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, celebrates American artist Paul Simon, whose birthday is October 13, with the release of the monumental career-spanning 15-disc Paul Simon - The Complete Albums Collection available as a physical and digital release on Tuesday, October 15.
To kick off its 20th Anniversary Season, Smuin Ballet will head to Montana, the home state of late founder Michael Smuin, to present a tour that includes Smuin's much-loved Sinatra ballet Fly Me to the Moon, as well as the acclaimed Dear Miss Cline from company Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert and Jazzin', a saucy and seductive work by Darrell Grand Moultrie. Smuin Ballet's Montana tour will play September 8 - 9 in Michael Smuin's hometown of Missoula at the Montana Repertory Theatre and September 13 at the Mansfield Theatre, Great Falls. Tickets are available by calling each venue's box office (see info at the end of the release). The Great Falls performance will benefit McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, with which Smuin Ballet shares a close connection.
In one of the most unusual musical stories since Sweeney Todd, we enter into the world of transgendered people living in the rural south and the lives they lead in a hostile environment. With country and bluegrass music the difficulties and challenges of becoming who you are is explored with both brutal honesty and tender understanding.
“All For A Song,” is a new musical based on the life and career of Kansas City Jazz Legend Myra Taylor, who wrote such hits as “Spider and the Fly,””Take It Easy Greasy” and “Still Water.” She was also the first person to record the perennial classic “I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire,” with Harlan Leonard and His Rockets.
The JAPAN CUTS: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema returns for its seventh season, with 10 days of screenings and over 20 titles. JAPAN CUTS 2013 presents the roughest, sharpest, and smoothest of today's cutting-edge Japanese film scene, encompassing bigger-than-life blockbusters, high-concept art house titles, moving and provoking documentaries, delirious rom-coms, refined melodramas and a handful of UFOs-unidentified film objects. Featuring appearances by several special guest filmmakers, JAPAN CUTS 2013 kicks off July 11 with a blowout opening night party and runs through July 21, screening 25 titles, all of which are a mix of New York, U.S. and International premieres. The festival again dovetails with the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), which co-presents 12 films of the JAPAN CUTS lineup today, July 11-14.
Back on April 1, when he posted his third compilation of delayed cabaret reviews from shows staged during the winter, BroadwayWorld.com's lead New York cabaret reviewer promised Number 4 would come with arrival of summer. Okay, so he missed his self-imposed deadline by a couple of weeks. but here's yet another catch-up column with critiques of a half dozen spring shows performed by Bryan Batt, Dawn Derow, Lynly Forrest, Dennis McNeil, Anastasia Barzee, and Nina Hennessey.
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