Lady in the Dark Revival 1997 - Articles Page 3.4

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best musical theatre characters from 1940-2020; see if your favorites are on our list of the best characters from Broadway musicals.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best TV episodes from the 1950's to 2020; see if your favorites made the list!

The Beatles! Rihanna! Michael Jackson! Johnny Cash! Kanye West! The Rolling Stones! Aretha Franklin! Bob Dylan! Miles Davis! Nirvana! BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the greatest albums from the rock and rap era (1950-2020); see if your favorites made the grade!

Celebrating 50 years of 'Bringing Dance to Life' in New Orleans, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) continues its golden anniversary year with a glittering, star-studded 50th Anniversary Evening of Stars on Jan. 25 at 6 p.m., at the Mahalia Jackson Theater.

The Old Globe's 2020 Summer Season brings to Balboa Park an extraordinarily talented group of artists who will delight audiences with their unique takes on four great works of theatre. The season incudes a classic American musical, a new adaptation of a 20th century thriller, and two of Shakespeare's masterworks on our outdoor stage.

The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month. All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless noted.  Tickets can be purchased by calling 312-733-WINE (9463) or by visiting www.citywinery.com/chicago.

From November 21st-24th, Judson Theatre Company will be presenting a production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actor Alan Campbell, who will be starring in the role of Sir Wilford Robarts.

The first clue that ANASTASIA was going to be different than what I expected was a note on the title page reading, “Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Pictures.” Plural? A savvy journalist, I quickly asked Siri to bring up the imdb page for “Anastasia”. Turns out Fox made ANASTASIA twice, the 1997 animated off-brand Disney princess movie and a 1957 film that scored Ingrid Bergman's second Oscar and marked Helen Hayes' transition to the big screen. And it turns out the musical version has more in common with LES MISERABLES and RAGTIME than BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Gone is the hell-wizard Rasputin, his talking fruit bat sidekick, and the singing demon caterpillars. At intermission, I asked my third grade niece, Adalyn, how she was liking it. “It's awesome…it's real people, like no Beast or anything. No animals.” We decide that Disney staged musicals are great but more it's more impressive when you can achieve the magic without a story that departs from reality. ANASTASIA is historical fiction hypothetical. It poses a “what if…?” that a daughter of the last czar of Russia (The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna) escaped when the czar's family was executed in 1918. Rumors persisted for decades that Anastasia did, in fact, escape. In 2007, DNA testing confirmed the remains of all four Grand Duchesses were in the Imperial grave. In this version, Terrence McNalley's book follows Anastasia's rediscovery of her identity after surviving the attack on her family and sustaining some plot enabling amnesia. Renamed “Anya” she grows up and makes a life in post-Revolution Russia. Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress (in a staggeringly moving performance by Joy Franz) has fled to France and offered a cash reward for anyone escorting the rumored alive Anastasia to Paris. The wily duo Vlad (Edward Staudenmayer) and Dmitry (Jake Levy) pull a My Fair Lady style makeover on Anya to collect the Dowager's prize. They are pursued by Gleb (Jason Michael Evans). A Soviet officer drawn to Anya romantically but tasked with finding and eliminating the last Romanov. Anya's memory becomes somewhat coaxed back, but the Dowager has stopped seeing Anastasia claimants after too much heart-break from countless frauds. It sounds dark, but with high-tech digital scenery and inspired performances across the cast it is delightful. Stephen Flaherty (Music) and Lynn Ahrens (Lyrics), responsible for bringing us RAGTIME, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, LUCKY STIFF, as well as the Oscar nominated songs carried over from the animated film. ANASTASIA is a perfect context for this pair. “Stay, I Pray You” (my favorite song of the evening) is evocative of RAGTIME's “New Music”. The two songs literally race my heart in a strangely specific way. My real test of a National Tour at Gammage is how fast I get the music playing in my car on the way home. At ANASTASIA I was already finding, “Stay, I Pray You” walking through the parking lot. The rest of the score is similarly haunting. Lila Coogan, as Anya/Anastasia, powers through the score with nuance, clarity, and passion. Tari Kelly, as Countess Lily, and Stadenmayer (Vlad) were Adalyn's favorite performances and I have to agree. This incredibly gifted pair take the “triple threat” designation (singer, dancer, actor) and go quadruple with the addition of flawless comic timing. The choreography by Peggy Hickey is masterful. It somehow combines inventive and traditional throughout and the ten-minute slice of “Swan Lake” infused into “Quartet at the Ballet” is the highlight of the second act. It's a fun-size version that gets an under-represented art form onto the plate. This kind of trope often means the plot putting the plot on hold. But here, it is the connective tissue between Anya, Dmitry, the Dowager, and Gleb as they each bring us up to speed heading into the show's climax. Ultimately, the show's success comes from applying a higher artistic standard to the “previously-animated-film-now-theatrically-staged” genre. It cashes in on the name draw of the 1997 film then gives the viewer something much more enriched than what they think they are coming to see.

It takes a village to create a masterpiece. OBIE Winner, José Rivera ('Marisol' and 'References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot'), premieres another powerful stage-work at the East Village's arts haven, The theater at the 14th Street Y.

Randolph Entertainment is pleased to announce today, on the 42nd anniversary of Groucho Marx's passing, the Chicago premiere of An Evening with Groucho, starring award-winning actor and director Frank Ferrante, will play one night only on Sept. 17, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. at The Spiegeltent ZaZou located on the 14th floor in the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop-Theatre District, 32 W. Randolph St.  Tickets are on sale now by calling 312-488-0900 or by visiting the following link.

Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) and Artists at Play (Julia Cho, Stefanie Lau and Marie-Reine Velez, Producing Artistic Leaders) announced today that rehearsals are underway for the Los Angeles Premiere of Lloyd Suh's THE CHINESE LADY at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles). Rebecca Wear (Lauren Yee's Samsara a?" Coeurage Theatre) directs the Los Angeles premiere featuring Amy Shu (Susan Soon's He Stanton's We, the Invisibles a?" Cal State L.A.) as a?oeAfong Moya?? and Trieu Tran (LADCC Nominated for a?oeAlan Stranga?? in Equus a?" East West Players) as a?oeAtung.a?? Performances play from September 5 a?" 29, 2019, with the official press opening on Saturday, September 7 at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue) in Los Angeles.

Three legendary icons. Three beloved motion pictures. Three best-selling soundtrack albums. One epic concert celebration.Feinstein's at the Nikko is thrilled to present A Star is Born: The Concert on Friday, August 9 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, August 10 (8 p.m.). Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga each stole our hearts with "A Star is Born."

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the full company for the UK premiere of the musical of Robert James Waller's bestselling novel The Bridges of Madison County in a new staging by Trevor Nunn.

With Orpheus Descending opening at the theatre, and Fiddler on the Roof playing at the Playhouse Theatre, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces that Jenna Russell will lead the company for the UK premiere of the musical of Robert James Waller's bestselling novel The Bridges of Madison County in a new staging by Trevor Nunn. The production opens on 23 July, with previews from 13 July, and runs until 14 September. Public booking is now open.

With The Bay at Nice currently running at the Menier and Fiddler on the Roof playing at the Playhouse Theatre, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the European premiere of the musical of Robert James Waller's bestselling novel The Bridges of Madison County in a new staging by Trevor Nunn. The production opens on 23 July, with previews from 12 July, and runs until 14 September. Booking opens for supporters of the Menier today - 7 May, with public booking on 13 May at 9am.

Just in! Two-time Tony Award and three-time Emmy Award winner Laurie Metcalf and two-time Emmy Award winner Eddie Izzard will star on Broadway next season...

The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced its 2019 lineup of 63 diverse and engaging short films in competition, including 31 world premieres. This year's shorts program includes a cross-section of international and U.S. filmmakers, curated from a record 5131 submissions with female filmmakers directing 45% of the selections. The short films will be presented in 11 distinct competition programs, consisting of six narrative, four documentary, and one animation program. There will also be special screening programs for the annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival and the debut of shorts from The Queen Collective, a program aimed at accelerating gender and racial equality behind the camera. The 2019 shorts lineup is programmed by Sharon Badal and Ben Thompson. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 - May 5.

The little OPERA theatre of ny(LOTNY) presents the New York Premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera in two acts, OWEN WINGRAVE, with libretto by Myfanwy Piper, at GK Arts Center, 29 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, from May 9-12, 2019, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $20-$45 and are available at www.ticketcentral.com.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Metamorphoses. This co-production with the Guthrie Theater is led by nationally and internationally renowned writer and director Mary Zimmerman.

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces a major revival of David Hare's The Bay at Nice. Richard Eyre directs Martin Hutson, Ophelia Lovibond, David Rintoul and Penelope Wilton. The production opens on 19 March, with previews from 14 March, and runs until 4 May. Tickets go on sale to supporters of the Menier on 21 January, with public booking opening at 9am on 28 January.

Central Works' 2019 season begins February 16 and runs through November 24, 2019 featuring the world premieres of 4 new plays. This 29th season begins with a bizarre comedy, followed by a Victorian mystery, a political thriller, and then in the fall it takes us on a deep dive into the sensual world of author Christina Garcia. The 2018 Season was celebrated and nominated for the comedy and SRO runs of Patricia Milton's Bamboozled and Cristina Garcia's King of Cuba which featured Marga Gomez as El Comandante. Milton's Bamboozled was a finalist for 6 TBA Awards, including Outstanding World Premiere, Entire Production, and Outstanding Direction - it won for Entire Production, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Performance for its 2 principal actors, Stacy Ross and Chelsea Bearce. Central Works is committed to new works inspired by social issues, classic texts, and history - every production received a TBA Awards Recommendation, and each played to responsive houses every weekend!

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Metamorphoses. This co-production with the Guthrie Theater is led by nationally and internationally renowned writer and director Mary Zimmerman.

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces principal company for its major revival of one of the world's most-beloved musicals of all time, Fiddler on the Roof, in a new staging by Trevor Nunn. Joining the previously announced Andy Nyman (Tevye) is Judy Kuhn as Golde, with Harriet Bunton (Hodel), Dermot Canavan (Lazar Wolf), Stewart Clarke (Perchik), Matt Corner (Fyedka), Joshua Gannon (Motel), Louise Gold (Yente), Kirsty MacLaren (Chava) and Molly Osborne (Tzeitel).

Broadway Records and Yellow Sound Label today announced that The Beast in the Jungle (Original Score Recording) will be released digitally and in stores on Friday September 14, 2018. The album is currently available for pre-order at www.BroadwayRecords.com and Amazon.com.

October brings four Prime Original series, one Prime Original series special and one Prime Original movie exclusively available for Prime members to stream or download at no additional cost to their membership.