Soft Power 2019 - Articles Page 9

The world premiere of the new off-Broadway play Eco Village has found its cast and design team. Loosely based on the experiences of playwrightPhoebe Nir at the Bread and Puppet Theater, Eco Village explores the complexities of community and the boundaries of human behavior. The show will play at The Theatre at St. Clement's, 423 W. 46th Street, New York, NY 10036 from January 15-February 16 2019. Eco Village will preview from January 15-21, with opening night on January 24. Performances: Monday and Wednesday at 7pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $35-69 and can be purchased at ecovillagetheplay.com.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theater of color and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce its nominations for the 29th Annual Ovation Awards, which will be held on Monday, January 28, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. The annual Ovation Awards "are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, created to recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production, and design in the Greater Los Angeles area," according to LA STAGE Alliance, which administers the awards.

As with each passing season, 2018 proved to be another exceptional year for theater not only in Souther California in general but also in Orange County---my home base. This year, the OC finally welcomed the debut of what has become this century's most awarded and most renowned stage musical ever about the Founding Father etched regally on the 10 dollar bill. Meanwhile, So. Cal. enjoyed a powerful surge of new stage works that explored Asian-American experiences, a positive step forward in the presentation of diverse voices we seldom hear from on the stage. A pair of touring musicals---both opening in the O.C. in early 2019---made such an impact in their Los Angeles engagements for me personally that I had to include them in my list, even though I have not 'officially' reviewed the productions for print. With that said, here is my 'Best of 2018' from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby---a mixture of outstanding shows and brilliant performances that made a lasting, memorable imprint in my theatergoing experience this year.

The McCallum Theatre presents Dave Koz & Friends 'Christmas Tour 2018' today, December 18, at 8:00pm as part of the Fitz's Jazz Cafe at the McCallum series. A holiday tradition returns to the McCallum as Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2018 brings together a magical combination of musicians to celebrate this special season. Celebrated saxophonist Koz will be joined by special guests Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler and Keiko Matsui performing their hits and jamming on fresh, lively arrangements of seasonal favorites in a high-energy show for the entire family. 

Carole Shorenstein Hays announced today that Book Passage at the Curran will welcome Senator Kamala Harris onSaturday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m. The event is part of Curran's popular SHOW & TELL series, featuring topical and entertaining one-night-only events. Guests will join Senator Harris for an inspiring discussion about the core truths that unite us and the big challenges we face together.

The artist, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, began writing and performing at an early age, tinkering around on his father's guitar and experimenting with songwriting. He released his debut album, 'All Seasons' in 2016 and immediately hit the tour circuit to bring the music to audiences from coast to coast. He's performed over 300 shows and already has a multitude of accolades under his belt including being named the Shepherd Express 2017 'Best of Milwaukee' winner for 'Best Acoustic Musician' and a Wisconsin Area Music Industry nomination for 'Best New Artist' in 2016. He spent most of 2018 writing and recording the songs that comprise 'Love, Future You' with producer Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, Joshua Radin) and co-writers Kyler England and Garrison Starr. The collection of songs is powerhouse pop perfection that will have listeners hitting repeat again and again.

Art House Productions is proud to announce its winter mainstage production of Allison Gregory's Not Medea, directed by Adin Walker. Performances run, December 6,7,8, 13, 14, 15 at 8:00pm, and Sundays, December 9 and 16 at 3:00pm for a total of eight performances, with ASL and Audio Interpretation at the Friday, December 14th performance. Beginning at 6:30pm prior to the December 14th performance, the Art House Access Committee will host a free mixer for artists with and without disabilities. Wine and hors d'oeuvres included. In concurrence with Not Medea, the Art House Gallery will be open for its inaugural Affordable Art Show featuring over 75 fine art pieces all selling for $500 and under. Art House Productions is located at 262 17th St, Jersey City, NJ 07310. For tickets and more information visit www.arthouseproductions.org

The McCallum Theatre presents Dave Koz & Friends 'Christmas Tour 2018' on Tuesday, December 18, at 8:00pm as part of the Fitz's Jazz Cafe at the McCallum series. A holiday tradition returns to the McCallum as Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2018 brings together a magical combination of musicians to celebrate this special season. Celebrated saxophonist Koz will be joined by special guests Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler and Keiko Matsui performing their hits and jamming on fresh, lively arrangements of seasonal favorites in a high-energy show for the entire family. 

Billboard, the leading destination for charts, news, trends and innovations in music, announced today that Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will host its 13th Annual Women in Music event on December 6 in New York City. For the first time, Billboard will present the Executives of the Year Award to four powerhouse females for their incredible leadership in the music industry: Danielle Aguirre, Executive VP/General Counsel for the National Music Publishers Association; Dina LaPolt, Founder/Owner of LaPolt Law, who serves as legal counsel to the Songwriters of North America; Jacqueline Charlesworth, of counsel, Covington & Burling; and Susan Genco, Co-President, Azoff MSG Entertainment.

Greater Boston Stage Company proudly announces Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol, a joyful, family-friendly spin on a holiday classic. Tiny Tim is determined to have his father home for Christmas day even if it means teaching Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in Christmas cheer. Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens' novel by Tony Award winner Ken Ludwig ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) and his son Jack, this heartwarming hour-long Christmas tale is full of family fun for all ages. Directed by Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, performances run December 8 - 23, 2018.

San Francisco Playhouse announced casting for Lauren Yee's King of the Yees, headlined by Obie and Lucille Lortel Award-winning actor and San Francisco native Francis Jue. The play, centered on San Francisco's Chinatown, was inspired by Yee's family and their deep connections within the community. Joshua Kahan Brody will direct the Playhouse production.

Art House Productions is proud to announce its winter mainstage production of Allison Gregory's Not Medea, directed by Adin Walker. Performances run, December 6,7,8, 13, 14, 15 at 8:00pm, and Sundays, December 9 and 16 at 3:00pm for a total of eight performances, with ASL and Audio Interpretation at the Friday, December 14th performance. Beginning at 6:30pm prior to the December 14th performance, the Art House Access Committee will host a free mixer for artists with and without disabilities. Wine and hors d'oeuvres included. In concurrence with Not Medea, the Art House Gallery will be open for its inaugural Affordable Art Show featuring over 75 fine art pieces all selling for $500 and under. Art House Productions is located at 262 17th St, Jersey City, NJ 07310. For tickets and more information visit www.arthouseproductions.org

Performance Space New York presents the No Series (January-May, 2019), unleashing the powerful artistic and political tool of refusal. The institution's third themed series under Executive Artistic Director Jenny Schlenzka (following the 2018's Posthuman and East Village Series) foregrounds projects that reflect on oppression and the task of building worlds from modes of survival outside the dominant culture, which seeks to dehumanize, destroy, erase, and exploit. Often reflecting the community and care fostered in the margins of colonial, ableist, hetero-patriarchal, and capitalist societies, the artists in the No Series engage modes of being beyond the individualism and alienation on which these structures thrive. Hopelessness and invisibility can provide the foundations for vibrant, self-determined worlds.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its annual holiday family opera tradition with The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me, December 14-16, 2018, in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Based on Jeanette Winterson's award-winning children's book which tells the Nativity story from the donkey's point of view, The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me features music by Tony-award winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) and a libretto by the late poet J.D. 'Sandy' McClatchy. These performances star current and former members of WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.

This was an outstanding performance.

Honoring one of the world's most revered artists, The Music Center celebrated Joni Mitchell on November 6 and 7, 2018, with two all-star concerts - JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration Live at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - and an exclusive gala, co-hosted with Vanity Fair and its editor Radhika Jones, which feted her 75th birthday and raised funds for The Music Center's artistic programming, specifically free and low cost programming for underserved communities. The concerts featured performances by Brandi Carlile; Glen Hansard; Emmylou Harris; Norah Jones; Chaka Khan; Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson; Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores; Graham Nash; Seal; James Taylor; and Rufus Wainwright. The artists lit up the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage performing Mitchell's songs, which spanned all stages of her career. Co-musical directors Brain Blade and Jon Cowherd provided the evenings' musical arrangements.  

BWW Review: Folkoperan and Cirkus Cirkör's Astounding Production of Satyagraha Lifts Philip Glass' Opera to New Heights

On the 27th of October, 2018, music enthusiasts gathered in the magnificent Salle Garnier in the Monte-Carlo Casino to enjoy an extraordinary 'Blues Night' with Manu Lanvin, Johnny Gallagher and no one less than legend Buddy Guy. Never before have these three gifted masters shared a stage in Monaco, and thus the promise of a unique and rocking evening was in the cards.

Solo Queens Fest 2 at Bootleg Theater is pleased to announce the participation of Best of Son Of Semele Theatre Company's Solo Creation Festival 2017, "The Animal Monologues" by Amy Raasch. The expanded version of this new multimedia show, directed by Matthew McCray, opens in Los Angeles October 25 through November 18, 2018.  Tickets on sale through at www.TheAnimalMonologues.com

Winner of Son of Semele Theatre Company's Solo Creation Festival 2017, media installation artist Amy Raasch follows her recent NYC debut with a handful of timely new characters in a freshly-expanded version of her new multimedia show, "The Animal Monologues," opening at the Bootleg Theater as part of the Solo Queens Festival in Los Angeles October 25.

Chameleon Touring Systems recently deployed a cutting-edge Martin by HARMAN lighting solution for a stunning new production of Mamma Mia! currently touring across Australia

Broadway chanteuse Margo Seibert, star of ROCKY and IN TRANSIT, may be one of the most underappreciated talents treading the boards of the Great White Way. Across the years, I've never seen her in something where I didn't find her to be captivating and stellar. And, those same superlatives can be easily applied to her truly enchanting forthcoming debut solo album, 77TH STREET.

Starlight Children's Foundation, an organization whose mission is to create moments of joy and comfort for hospitalized kids and their families, unveiled today its newest initiative, Starlight XperienceTM virtual reality, a groundbreaking new technology program that offers millions of seriously ill children a fun and exciting way to explore the world and beyond through the magic of VR.