Spanning 150 years, Pacific Overtures tells the story of Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in the "Floating Kingdom" of Nippon in 1853. The show chronicles the influence America had upon Japan, detailing and dramatizing the westernization of Japanese culture.
Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced today that the company will present a new production of Richard Wagner's monumental four-opera masterpiece, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) starting in 2016-17.
Broadway and Television's Telly Leung (Godspell, Rent, Wicked, Glee) returns to San Diego for a special Valentine's Day Eve show on Thursday, February 13 at 8 pm at Martinis Above Fourth Table + Stage entitled, "Telly Leung: The Ups & Downs of Love."
Today in 1976, Pacific Overtures opened at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it ran for 193 performances. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler, the musical is set in 1853 Japan and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, through the lives of two friends caught in the change. The original Broadway production of Pacific Overtures in 1976 was presented in Kabuki style, with men playing women's parts and set changes made in full view of the audience by people dressed in black. A Broadway revival ran at Studio 54 from December 2, 2004 to January 30, 2005, directed by Amon Miyamoto and starring B.D. Wong as the Narrator and several members of the original cast.
On Saturday, December 7, TheatreWorks opened the Broadway musical 'Little Women' to an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd in Palo Alto, CA. After the performance, attendees emerged into the courtyard of the Lucie Stern Theatre to find snow - make with theatre magic! - followed by a champagne reception and meet-and-greet with the cast. Check out photos below by David Allen.
Great Performances presents the New York Philharmonic's concert staging of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical Company with an all-star cast
Symphony Space opens its 2013-14 Music season with 'Kurt Weill on Broadway,' tonight, October 7 (8 pm) at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Weill's One Touch of Venus. Ted Chapin hosts a stellar cast featuring Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines, plus winners of the international Lotte Lenya Competition.
Great Performances presents the New York Philharmonic's concert staging of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical Company with an all-star cast including (in alphabetical order) Craig Bierko (as Peter), Stephen Colbert (as Harry), Jon Cryer (as David), Katie Finneran (as Amy), Neil Patrick Harris (as Robert), Christina Hendricks (as April), Adam Lazar (as Paul), Patti LuPone (as Joanne), Jill Paice (as Susan), Martha Plimpton (as Sarah), Anika Noni Rose (as Marta), Jennifer Laura Thompson (as Jenny), Jim Walton (as Larry), and Chryssie Whitehead (as Kathy).
Great Performances presents the New York Philharmonic's concert staging of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical Company with an all-star cast
Signaling the start of the social season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will hold its annual Gala Concert tonight, September 7 at 8:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. This year's Gala will be led by BSO Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly. The concert features the band Pink Martini with vocalist Storm Large, who will collaborate with the BSO for an intoxicating mix of cabaret, samba, jazz and Hollywood musicals. National Public Radio's news correspondent Ari Shapiro, a frequent guest vocalist with Pink Martini, will perform.
Signaling the start of the social season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will hold its annual Gala Concert on Saturday, September 7 at 8:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. This year's Gala will be led by BSO Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly. The concert features the band Pink Martini with vocalist Storm Large, who will collaborate with the BSO for an intoxicating mix of cabaret, samba, jazz and Hollywood musicals. National Public Radio's news correspondent Ari Shapiro, a frequent guest vocalist with Pink Martini, will perform.
Symphony Space will open its 2013-14 Music season with 'Kurt Weill on Broadway,' Monday, October 7 (8 pm) at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. The show takes place on the 70th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Weill's One Touch of Venus. Ted Chapin hosts a stellar cast featuring Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines, plus winners of the international Lotte Lenya Competition.
Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has announced the 2014 season, in which, through the prism of a dozen plays, the Stratford Festival will explore the theme of Madness: Minds Pushed to the Edge.
Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis will collaborate on A BED AND A CHAIR: A New York Love Affair, a new musical event featuring Sondheim's music arranged and performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. This Encores! Special Event, directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator John Doyle, with choreography by Parker Esse and musical supervision by David Loud, was conceived by Peter Gethers, Jack Viertel and John Doyle, and will run for seven performances, November 13 - 17 at City Center.
Bay Street Theatre presents the final production of the 2013 Mainstage Season with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, beginning August 6 and running through September 1. The show stars Peter Scolari with Conrad John Schuck and Jackie Hoffman. The book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim; music direction by Ethyl Will; and directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.
Bay Street Theatre presents the final production of the 2013 Mainstage Season with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, beginning tonight, August 6 and running through September 1. The show stars Peter Scolari with Conrad John Schuck and Jackie Hoffman. The book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim; music direction by Ethyl Will; and directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.
Bay Street Theatre presents the final production of the 2013 Mainstage Season with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, beginning August 6 and running through September 1. The show stars Peter Scolari with Conrad John Schuck and Jackie Hoffman. The book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim; music direction by Ethyl Will; and directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.
The York Theatre Company and its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series kicks off the summer with Janet Brenner co-producing Fiction In Photographs, an original musical conceived and directed by Randy Redd, with Book by Dan Elish and Music & Lyrics by Dan Mills. With music direction by Adam Podd, the five-member cast will feature Cole Burden, Van Hughes, David Larsen, Lauren Pritchard and Ali Stroker. The By-Invitation-Only, one performance presentation is set for today, June 13, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. (The reading will not be held at The York Theatre Company.)
The York Theatre Company and its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series kicks off the summer with Janet Brenner co-producing Fiction In Photographs, an original musical conceived and directed by Randy Redd, with Book by Dan Elish and Music & Lyrics by Dan Mills. With music direction by Adam Podd, the five-member cast will feature Cole Burden, Van Hughes, David Larsen, Lauren Pritchard and Ali Stroker. The By-Invitation-Only, one performance presentation is set for Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. (The reading will not be held at The York Theatre Company.)
Glenn Carter* (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar, Whistle down the Wind), Stephen Rahman Hughes* (Emmerdale, Dream Team, Bombay Dreams, West Side Story), David Thaxton (Passion, Les Miserables) and Matt Willis (Wicked, Flashdance, Footloose and BRIT award winning member of Busted), join the previously announced Lee Mead (Wicked, Legally Blonde, BBC Series Winner of Any Dream Will Do) to complete The West End Men. All four will be joined by special guest star Kerry Ellis* (Wicked, Oliver, We Will Rock You, Born Free Tour with Brian May) for the limited run at the Vaudeville Theatre from 25 May to 22 June.
And this Monday, May 20th, John Bantay will do his farewell SPIN as he leaves to continue pursuing his career and becomes a stage manager at the long-running musical, Avenue Q. Speaking to John Bantay, I, of course, was curious as to what his favorite video clips have been over the years. He was reticent to put them in 'Top 10' format because, to him, he considers them all number 1's. So here's his hit list, in no particular order:
Glenn Carter* (Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar, Whistle down the Wind), Stephen Rahman Hughes* (Emmerdale, Dream Team, Bombay Dreams, West Side Story), David Thaxton (Passion, Les Miserables) and Matt Willis (Wicked, Flashdance, Footloose and BRIT award winning member of Busted), join the previously announced Lee Mead (Wicked, Legally Blonde, BBC Series Winner of Any Dream Will Do) to complete The West End Men. All four will be joined by special guest star Kerry Ellis* (Wicked, Oliver, We Will Rock You, Born Free Tour with Brian May) for the limited run at the Vaudeville Theatre from 25 May to 22 June.
Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis will collaborate on A BED AND A CHAIR: A New York Love Story, a new musical event featuring Sondheim's music arranged and performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, announced Arlene Shuler, President & CEO of New York City Center. This Encores! Special Event, directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator John Doyle, and conceived by Peter Gethers, Jack Viertel and John Doyle, will run for seven performances, November 13 - 17 at City Center. City Center's annual Gala Benefit will take place on Thursday, November 14 and will include a post-performance dinner at the Plaza Hotel.
Lee Mead (Wicked, Legally Blonde, BBC Series Winner of Any Dream Will Do) will be joined by special guest star Kerry Ellis for selected performances (Wicked, Oliver, We Will Rock You, Born Free Tour with Brian May) in The West End Men, running at the Vaudeville Theatre from 25 May until 22 June, with press night on 3 June 2013. The West End Men is directed by the award winning Mitch Sebastian (The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas) and produced by Milton Morrissey Ltd, Jason Haigh Ellery and in association with Paul Tyrer & Jamie Clark for The Booking Office. Further casting will be announced shortly.
A Finborough Theatre commission, the European premiere of the hit Off-Broadway musical ROOMS - A Rock Romance, plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited four-week season from Tuesday 23 April 2013, directed by multi-award-winning director Andrew Keates.
Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein have announced the world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Appropriate, directed by Gary Griffin, appearing as part of the 37th Humana Festival of New American Plays. Appropriate begins previews tonight, March 5, opens March 7 and runs through April 7.
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