I'LL SAY SHE IS is a revue in which the Marx Brothers attempt to thrill and amuse a wealthy heiress in search of excitement. Their resulting adventures, in a riotous series of comedy sketches and musical numbers, take them to Wall Street, Times Square, a Chinatown opium den, and even Napoleon's palace.
I'LL SAY SHE IS established the Marx Brothers as one of the greatest comedy acts of all time. However, unlike their later stage musicals The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, I'll Say She Is was never adapted for film, or revived on stage. The show was lost to history, until writer, performer, and Groucho Marxist Noah Diamond spent six years researching, restoring, and adapting it. Diamond's new book Gimme a Thrill: The Story of I'll Say She Is, the Lost Marx Brothers Musical, and How it Was Found has just been released by BearManor Media.
Singer/songwriter, viral sensation, innovative entrepreneur and charismatic entertainer Karen Waldrup is releasing the project she calls the album she's always wanted to make on July 13 in partnership with The Fuel Music. Justified, produced by award-winning producer Garth Fundis (Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, Don Williams, etc), is an eleven song album featuring a fresh new country sound meshed with the soulful nostalgia of Waldrup's home state of Louisiana.
KH: The first time I performed was my Nana and Boppa's basement in Skaneatales, NY, where my sister and I would reenact the entirety of Annie to the vinyl record. I was probably 5. The first time I performed for people was as a Storyteller in Once on this Island Jr. at Mill Middle School. I was in 8th grade. The first time I performed for money was the first Buffalo Stories at Road Less Travelled. I was less than a month out of college. Though I can't confirm this, I'm sure the critics raved about me every time.
Off-Center, the most unconventional line of programming at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is proud to announce the selections for Bite-Size, an evening of original, short plays and performance pieces by Colorado artists, presented at BookBar and directed by Meridith C. Grundei.
BWW caught up with Isley Lynn to talk about her five-star rated play Skin A Cat which debuted at the Bunker Theatre in 2016.
Imagine a musical with the warmth of Christmas, the spring colours of Easter, and the fun of dancing turkeys at Thanksgiving! Drayton's Holiday Inn is an enchanting romp through the calendar with stops at all the major holidays for singing and dancing. What's not to like? Currently on stage in Drayton, the show comes to Grand Bend and Cambridge later this year.
Today's subjects Bob Banghart and Georgia Stitt are currently living their theatre lives as the composers (Banghert and Stitt) and lyricist (Stitt) of what I consider to be one of the best new musicals I've seen in a good long while. I am referring to the Alaska-based world premiere musical Snow Child, now running through May 20th at Arena Stage.
PlayPenn, the nationally-recognized new play development organization based in Philadelphia, is proud to announce their Summer 2018 Education offerings, which include both courses in Philadelphia and around-the-globe via a unique online platform. A number of internationally-recognized theatre artists are part of the program's faculty, including the return of Obie-winning performer Nilaja Sun, local favorite Michael Hollinger, and acclaimed writer Winter Miller.
On April 21, 2018, Patrick Marber spoke about Travesties with Education Dramaturg Ted Sod as part of Roundabout Theatre Company's lecture series.
It's a month of legends at Blue Note Hawaii with the Godfather of British Blues John Mayall, one of the most celebrated vocalists of our time, Dionne Warwick, and the band of reggae legend Bob Marley, The Wailers, all gracing the stage this May at Blue Note Hawaii. Local favorite Leipono kick us off on May Day, followed by Kuana Torres Kahele in his tribute to the island of Maui featuring Amy Hanaiali'i. Mike Lewis & Friends promise to bring the house down in a tribute to the music of Prince featuring sultry songstress Ginai. There's a night of Hawaii Jazz All Stars with Josh Kaye and Mike Lewis, welcoming some of the island's best jazz musicians. The Island 98.5 Rocksteady Reggae Series continues this month with the formidable Wailing Souls and The Wailers. Celebrate Mother's Day weekend with ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro, and the incomparable Willie K returns to the stage. Musical tributes this month from Mike Lewis & Friends include Thelonious Monk, Chuck Mangione, Chet Baker and Sade and Josh Kaye & Friends will pay homage to the great Aretha Franklin featuring vocalist Sherry Graham. The Honolulu Jazz Quartet will present a tribute to Broadway Classics with a jazz twist
A central force behind this year's midterm election campaign is neither a political party nor a candidate. It's Emily's List, which for the last three decades has worked to assist Democratic women in politics. Originally organized around fundraising - Emily is an acronym for Early Money Is Like Yeast - the group now recruits and trains as well as finances women candidates. Its only litmus-test issue is support for abortion rights. What makes the organization loom so large in 2018 is the combination of Hillary Clinton's 2016 defeat and Donald Trump's provocations from the White House. More than 300 women - a record - are now running for Congress. Thousands more have stepped forward for offices at all levels of government. That the emergent Me Too movement has also propelled women into the 2018 arena adds a special irony. Before becoming president of Emily's List, Stephanie Schriock managed the winning 2008 Senate campaign of Al Franken - whose resignation last year made him the highest-profile Democratic casualty of the movement. CNBC Editor at Large John Harwood talked with Schriock at Emily's List headquarters in downtown Washington about prospects for women fueling a Democratic takeover of Congress. A partial transcript from Speakeasy with John Harwood featuring Emily's List President Stephanie Schriock follows.
Critical Mass Performance Group's AMERYKA has been chosen as the next production of this year's Center Theatre Group's second annual BLOCK PARTY running April 19 through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. We had the opportunity to talk to Nancy Keystone, CMPG's founding artistic director, and director and co-writer of AMERYKA, as she rhapsodizes on all things cultural, critical and collaborative.
Karen, Ruch, director of Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties at Open Stage Harrisburg, comments, 'It's interesting that the Urban Dictionary explains that 'a betty epitomizes a modern day queen, commonly associated with increased levels of self-worth (because she continues to create it). She has the power and agency to be irresistibly sexy and feminine minutes after effortlessly emasculating a mere dozen men with her intellect and ability to deliver. She is educated, deep, witty, simple and young-hearted. She is naturally beautiful, honest, brave, loyal and nurturing. She is the whole package; balanced, quirky, open-minded, complex and flawed. She can be raw with her words, and gentle with her touch. She is soulful, connected and driven. A modern day triple-threat, go-getter. Most commonly found being creative. An entrepreneur, wife, mother, daughter, sister, girlfriend.'
Particularly in light of the 2016 documentary I Am Not Your Negro, author and civil rights activist James Baldwin is garnering new attention and appreciation for his astute analyses of race, class, and sexuality in U.S. culture. Our reading group will take up his groundbreaking semi-autobiographical first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953). Attendees are invited to read this seminal text that brought mid-20th Century African-American literature out of the shadow of Richard Wright while deftly exploring the post-Civil War Great Migration, its southern roots, its religious inflections, and its generational tensions. The suggested edition is the most recent paperback (ISBN 978-0345806543). Traditional New Orleans fare of coffee and beignets at Muriel's Jackson Square with lively discussion to follow led by Festival favorite and Southern literary scholar Gary Richards. Seating is limited to 50 persons; pre-registration is required.
After wrapping up twelve consecutive months of total viewer growth in February on the back of the network's groundbreaking brand of brave storytelling, A&E is adding four new projects to its signature nonfiction slate, it was announced today by Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming. On the heels of recent critical and ratings successes including Emmy(R)- award winning series 'Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,' 'Born This Way,' 'Intervention' and 'Biography,' along with one of the most-watched series on cable, 'Live PD,' these additions to the schedule reinforce A&E's core mission to deliver thought-provoking nonfiction programming.
The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) will present the Abbey Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre's acclaimed 2016 production of CYPRUS AVENUE, a new play written by David Ireland and directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone, featuring Stephen Rea, who last performed at The Public in 2008 in Sam Shepard's Kicking a Dead Horse. Following encore engagements at Dublin's Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre (April 30-May 19) and the MAC in Belfast (May 23-26), CYPRUS AVENUE will begin previews for a limited eight-week run on Saturday, June 2 and run through Sunday, July 29 in The Public's LuEsther Hall, with an official press opening on Monday, June 25.
Almost two years after its first performance, the Royal Shakespeare Company's critically acclaimed Hamlet returns to the stage. A revival of Simon Godwin's 2016 production, this international tour brings together old and new faces.
As the tour reaches its London leg, James Cooney spoke to us about returning to the play, the bond between Horatio and Hamlet, and dealing with self-doubt as an actor.
'I think if you've seen the movie, if you've read the book, you won't be disappointed with the musical. You won't be like, 'Oh, I wish they would've left it alone.' No, you'll be like, 'That was amazing.'
If you struggle with managing your busy schedule, making it to the gym, while you just can't say no to that giant chocolate chip cookie with your name on it, you aren't alone! Under the direction of Matthew E. Silva, WAISTWATCHERS THE MUSICAL with Book and Lyrics by Alan Jacobson and music by Vince Di Mura, takes us inside Miss Cook's Women's Gym where four women share their marital pitfalls, a "little more to love" body size issues, and their weakness for sweet treats. Their universal tales of weight loss struggle amid lives in turmoil will keep you laughing continuously, wishing it could assist you in losing a few pounds of your own during the 90 minutes of hysterics!
Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968, will celebrate its 49th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit on Monday, April 2, 2018 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues). Honorary Chair for the event is Tony Award-nominated actor/singer and 2016 Rosie Award-winner Norm Lewis. Two-time Tony Award-nominee Brad Oscar will be Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
Following a five year search for a permanent home, Target Margin Theater (Founding Artistic Director David Herskovits, Associate Artistic Director Moe Yousuf, General Manager Lu Liu) is proud to present the world premiere of Pay No Attention To The Girl (March 29-April 21), which marks the Company's debut off-Broadway performances in their new 3,250 sq. ft. home in Brooklyn. Directed by Founding Artistic Director David Herskovits, Pay No Attention To The Girl is an interlocking set of tales about the deceptions of the sexes that lead us deep into the labyrinth of The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Silk Road, MENA (Middle Eastern / North African), and South Asian stories.
Martyna Majok wrote IRONBOUND to share the story of the everyday challenges and hurdles of a Polish immigrant surviving in America, basing this theatrical piece on her own mother's experiences. Already in previews, IRONBOUND officially opens February 7, 2018. Martyna took some time out to answer my inquisitive questions in much depth.
Artistic Directors of Paines Plough James Grieve and George Perrin today announced the company's full Programme 2018.
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the workshop Raising Money for Theater: Who, How, and When to Ask, part of TRU Boot Camps on February 4, 2018 from 10am - 6pm at 151 W. 46th St., 8th Floor, NYC. Basic pricing is $175 for non-members, $150 for TRU members with $25 off for early birds, thru 1/26. Discount codes available for anyone who has applied to any of the upcoming festivals, as well as students. Email TRUStaff1@gmail.com with proof of a festival application, or a student ID, and TRU will provide you with a code for $40 or $60 off (for a Festival price of $135 or Student price of $115).
The Railway Children is a delightful show with beautiful music and a wonderful message about the importance of kindness. The concert staged at Cadogan Hall featured lyrics and a book by Katie Lam and music by Alex Parker, who also conducted.
To celebrate this amazing milestone, we checked in by phone with Michael Crawford, from New Zealand. As many know, along with a long career creating numerous roles, the star also inspired the creation of this very web site. After I saw the production myself in 1994, my father said 'If you thought that was great, you need to hear the original...' And, the rest is BroadwayWorld history.
1924 | Broadway |
Broadway |
2016 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
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