MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Director George C. Wolfe Joins RUSTIN
by Sarah Jae Leiber - Feb 11, 2021
George C. Wolfe, the decorated director of the film adaptation of August Wilson's 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' has been tapped to direct 'Rustin,' a new film at Netflix produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions.
Broadway Theatres to Dim Lights in Memory of Tony Award Winning Producer Margo Lion
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 20, 2020
The Broadway community mourns the loss of multiple Tony Award® winning producer Margo Lion, who died on January 24, 2020 at age 75. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of the Jujamcyn Theatres (the Al Hirschfeld, August Wilson, Eugene O'Neill, St. James, and Walter Kerr Theatres) where Ms. Lion often collaborated and worked; as well as the American Airlines, Bernard Jacobs, Helen Hayes, Neil Simon, New Amsterdam, Lincoln Center, Lyric Theatre, and Samuel J. Friedmans; in New York for one minute on Saturday, February 29 at exactly 7:45pm.
Birdland Has Released Its January Schedule
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 7, 2020
Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are kicking off the new year with a star-studded January schedule! At Birdland Jazz Club, catch the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, under the direction of Scotty Barhart and special guest vocalist Carmen Bradford; Karrin Allyson as she pays tribute to Mose Allison; and the Hot Sardines, among others!
Photo Flash: All-Access Pass To The National Black Theatre Festival Gala With Andre De Shields
by Robert Diamond - Aug 5, 2019
2019 Tony winner Andre De Shields has been attending The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, N. C. since 1995. Dubbed the 'Black Theatre Holy Ground,' NBTF is the international outreach program of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, founded by the late Larry Leon Hamlin in 1979. The Festival, also founded by Hamlin, has been held biennially since 1989. The NCBRC celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, while the NBTF celebrated its 30th.
BWW Interview: Ben Vereen Discusses His Award-Winning STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN Cabaret Show
by Shari Barrett - Jul 3, 2019
Triple-threat entertainer Ben Vereen's legendary performances transcend time and are woven into the fabric of this country's artistic legacy with his on stage, screen and television appearances continuing to inspire and influence artists of all ages. Vereen is currently continuing to tour the world with his one-man show STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN which has received rave reviews internationally. On July 19th and 20th, he is bringing the show to the Catalina Jazz Club and shared with me how much he is looking forward to entertaining his loyal fans in the Entertainment Capital of the World once again.
TV: George C. Wolfe Explains How He Brought the Bloody Tale of GARY to Life on Broadway
by Backstage With Richard Ridge - Jun 3, 2019
When it comes to directors of live theatre, they don't get much bigger than George C. Wolfe, who has a whopping seventeen Broadway credits on his resume. This season, Wolfe was back at the helm of the ship at the Booth Theatre, where he brought Taylor Mac's zany, 'batshit crazy' (-the Hollywood Reporter) and ingenious new play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus to life.
Counting Off the Tony Awards Already Won by the 2019 Nominees!
by Nicole Rosky - Jun 8, 2019
The 2019 Tony nominees are already winners... literally. For some, this marks their first nomination, but others have already won Tony Awards in seasons past. We took a look at which nominees have won at least a Tony or two (or nine) - amongst them, they've gathered a total of 69 awards!
Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive Announces Faculty Members
by Sarah Hookey - May 8, 2019
VIOLETA ANGELOVA, YVES DE BOUTEILLER, KEITH LEE AND IAN POULIS will be members of the faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ms. Angelova and Mr. de Bouteiller will be teaching from June 3-7, 2019, and Mr. Lee and Mr. Poulis will be teaching from June 10-14, 2019.
WATCH NOW! Zooming in on the Tony Nominees: Toni-Leslie James
by Nicole Rosky - May 6, 2019
The Tony Awards are like Christmas in June for theatre lovers, and that makes this year's nominees the reason for the season. This year's Tony nominees transported us with the magic of theatre, and we're saluting their work by taking a closer look at their extraordinary accomplishments. Today we're studying up on Toni-Leslie James!
Throwing Out My CDs by Ben Rimalower: FALSETTOS
by Ben Rimalower - Mar 1, 2019
Okay, this week, I only have to throw out two CDs, but it hurts!
I'll never forget May 31, 1992--the 46th Annual Tony Awards. I had just turned 16 and was eagerly tuning in to absorb the Broadway of it all. I didn't really know much about any of the shows, other than that friends and family in New York had flipped for Guys And Dolls and that my parents had loved an earlier incarnation of Jelly's Last Jam when it played the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Glenn Close was hosting and Patti LuPone was presenting and I was not moving from my seat on the couch until I had a ranked list of the shows I wanted to see when I got to New York to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving.
Moisés Kaufman to Direct Berkeley Rep's PARADISE SQUARE: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, A.J. Shively, Kennedy Caughell, and More Star
by Julie Musbach - Nov 7, 2018
Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Paradise Square: An American Musical. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moises Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster. Paradise Square is produced by special arrangement with Garth H. Drabinsky in association with Peter LeDonne and Teatro Proscenium Limited Partnership.
Lumberyard Contemporary Performing Arts Under Construction Summer Festival Opens June 29
by Stephi Wild - Jun 20, 2018
LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts opens its inaugural summer 2018 season, which will fill venues surrounding the organization's highly anticipated new facility in Catskill, New York, with Scat!,a dance-driven musical from Urban Bush Women set in Hudson, NY's Club Helsinki (June 29-July 1). The season,which runs from June 29 - September 2, represents the fullest realization to date of LUMBERYARD's unique dual promise: to make transformative contributions both to the cultural landscape and economic health of Upstate New York and to the field of contemporary performance in New York City and the U.S. by bringing renowned and emerging artists across the performing arts landscape to Catskill for out-of-town premieres, often incubated through LUMBERYARD's signature technical residencies.
Tony Award-winner Savion Glover Comes to SOPAC
by Stephi Wild - Feb 26, 2018
Hailed by The New York Times as "the greatest tap dancer who has ever lived," Savion Glover brings his high energy and fancy footwork to the South Orange Performing Arts Center stage on May 19 at 8 p.m. in a very special evening. The OUT'KNiGHTz will be his percussion collaborators as he displays the singular talents that have brought him acclaim since childhood. This Tony Award-winning tap dancer, choreographer and producer is celebrating his 33rd year as a performing artist.
Michael Feinstein, James Monroe Iglehart, Savion Glover, Alvin Ailey and More Set for NJPAC@20: FRIENDS IN CONCERT!
by BWW
News Desk - Sep 23, 2017
Symphonic music, tap, R&B, modern dance, American Song and all that jazz, performed by an array of artists beloved by audiences around the world, will be experienced for one night only in "NJPAC@20: Friends in Concert!" today, Sept. 23 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). This special occasion at 7 p.m. in Prudential Hall celebrates the Arts Center's 20th anniversary season (2017-18).
Michael Feinstein, James Monroe Iglehart, Savion Glover, Alvin Ailey and More Set for NJPAC@20: FRIENDS IN CONCERT!
by BWW News Desk - Aug 9, 2017
Symphonic music, tap, R&B, modern dance, American Song and all that jazz, performed by an array of artists beloved by audiences around the world, will be experienced for one night only in "NJPAC@20: Friends in Concert!" on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). This special occasion at 7 p.m. in Prudential Hall celebrates the Arts Center's 20th anniversary season (2017-18).
Brian Stokes Mitchell to Make Provincetown Debut at The Crown & Anchor This August
by BWW News Desk - Jul 27, 2017
Producer Rick Murray will present two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell in his Provincetown debut, Sunday August 6 for two performances only, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. in the Paramount Theatre at The Crown & Anchor. Mr. Mitchell will be accompanied by acclaimed music director and conductor Mark Hummel.
GOOD MORNING, THEATERATI for April 26, 2017
by Jeffrey Ellis - Apr 26, 2017
GOOD MORNING, THEATERATI! We hope you are feeling hale and hearty this morning as we pose the musical question: Do you have tickets to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (running at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday)? If not, make every effort to get downtown to see the show. It's truly remarkable and you will be moved more than you could possibly imagine. So there! Get to it!
Ebony Repertory Theatre Presents FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 6, 2017
Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT - Producing Artistic Director Wren T. Brown) announced today that ERT will present FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE starring Emmy Award-winner Obba Babatunde (Dreamgirls/Tony nomination). Written by Clarke Peters, this exuberant, international hit musical pays tribute to the music of rhythm and blues pioneer Louis Jordan. ERT's production, directed and choreographed by Keith Young (On The Town), with musical direction by Abdul Hamid Royal (FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE/original Broadway production) will commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the musical's Broadway production. Performances will run May 18 - June 11, 2017 with an official press opening on Saturday, May 20 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 West Washington Boulevard) in Los Angeles, 90016.
Single Tickets to Go Onsale for Mira Nair's MONSOON WEDDING on Monday 11/14
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 9, 2016
Berkeley Rep today announced that single tickets for the world premiere of the new musical Monsoon Wedding will go on sale to the general public on Monday, November 14. Monsoon Wedding will have its world premiere at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre next spring. Previews begin Friday, May 5, 2017 and the show runs through Sunday, June 25, 2017. Press night for Monsoon Weddingwill be Friday, May 19, 2017.