Summer Stages: BWW's Top Summer Theatre Picks in Maine
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Jun 14, 2013
With the start of Memorial Day, hordes of summer visitors flock to Maine for an idyllic summer of sailing, swimming, hiking, kayaking, and reveling in the beauty of the rocky coast, serene lakes and mountains, and pine-scented air. But exploring the outdoors is not the only reason to visit the state whose moniker is 'Vacationland.' For theatre lovers there are some excellent opportunities to experience exciting professional and community theatre productions.
PCPA Prepares for the 2013 Summer Season
by Kelsey Denette - May 9, 2013
PCPA Theaterfest's upcoming 2013 Summer Season - which runs from June 13 through September 29 - features an effervescent assortment of theatrical experiences including musicals, comedies and penetrating drama. With the Marian Theatre in the midst of renovations, the Severson Theatre will be the primary Santa Maria venue for two productions, while Solvang will host two transferring shows and two productions which will play exclusively in the outdoor Festival Theater.
Stephen Sondheim & Wynton Marsalis to Collaborate on A BED AND A CHAIR Concert at New York City Center, Nov. 13-17
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 18, 2013
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.
Alan Gilbert and the NY Philharmonic to Present A DANCER'S DREAM in Collaboration With Giants Are Small
by BWW News Desk - Apr 9, 2013
The New York Philharmonic will present A Dancer's Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky, a multidisciplinary, theatrical reimagining of the ballets The Fairy's Kiss and Petrushka, created by Giants Are Small. Sara Mearns, New York City Ballet principal dancer, will star in the production, which will be conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert, directed and designed by Doug Fitch, choreographed by Karole Armitage, and produced by Edouard Getaz - Thursday, June 27, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m.
Regional Theater of the Week: Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine
by BWW Features - Apr 3, 2013
BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the Internet, is excited to announce a new feature to its comprehensive regional coverage - the Featured Regional Theater of the Week! Each week, BWW will introduce its readers to a regional theater located in one of our (over 130!) coverage cities. By exploring these different venues, their history and showcasing the production seasons, BWW continues its commitment to expand our presence in communities and cities across the United States. This Week's Featured Regional Theater: John Lane's Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine
Dallas Theater Center Presents THE ODD COUPLE, Now thru 4/14
by BWW News Desk - Mar 15, 2013
Dallas Theater Center presents Neil Simon's classic American comedy, The Odd Couple, directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. When two men with struggling relationships, neat and particular Felix Ungar and disheveled and rough-edged Oscar Madison, decide to live together, the results are funny and poignant. The Odd Couple opens with previews tonight, March 15 and runs through Sunday, April 14 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
STAGE TUBE: Meet the Cast of MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL; Performances Begin Tonight!
by Nicole Rosky - Mar 11, 2013
Get ready, 'cause here it comes- MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL that is! MOTOWN begins preview performances tonight, March 11 and will open on Broadway on April 14, 2013 at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46 Street).Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL will feature a book by Berry Gordy and music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue. Meet the company of the new musical with videos of them from past productions and roles below!
Dallas Theater Center to Present THE ODD COUPLE, 3/15-4/14
by BWW News Desk - Feb 28, 2013
Dallas Theater Center announced today the upcoming production of Neil Simon's classic American comedy, The Odd Couple, directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. When two men with struggling relationships, neat and particular Felix Ungar and disheveled and rough-edged Oscar Madison, decide to live together, the results are funny and poignant. The Odd Couple opens with previews on Friday, March 15 and runs through Sunday, April 14 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Ogunquit Playhouse Announces 2013 Season
by Kelsey Denette - Feb 22, 2013
May 22 through October 20, the Ogunquit Playhouse 'invites fans to sing, dance, laugh and most of all dream with some of Broadway's most beloved and spectacular shows.'
GYSPY FAC Theatre Company’s Silver Season, 9/27
by Kelsey Denette - Aug 29, 2012
Gypsy, America's most acclaimed musical, will kick off the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company's 25th season, Sept. 27 - Oct. 21, in the SaG?Ji Theatre. Premiering on Broadway in 1959, Gypsy debuted at the end of the golden age of musical comedy, and symbolizes the beginning of true musical theatre, a new era that straddled the lines between comedy and drama. Gypsy follows the life of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee and is full of comedy, honest drama, and vivacious musical numbers with lyrics written by a young Stephen Sondheim.
Surflight Theatre Presents THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Now thru 8/25
by BWW News Desk - Jul 24, 2012
The hills are alive as Surflight Theatre continues its 2012 season with The Sound of Music. Directed and choreographed by Charles Abbott, with music direction by Ben Krauss, The Sound of Music opens tonight, July 24 and runs through August 25, 2012. Tickets ($36-$54) are available by calling 609-492-9477 or at www.surflight.org.
Kirsten Scott and Brandon Albright Lead GREASE at Music Circus, Now thru 7/1
by BWW News Desk - Jun 26, 2012
Grease, the satirical Broadway hit that launched the movie musical sensation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, will be at Wells Fargo Pavilion from tonight, June 26 - July 1. With book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease will get the 2012 Music Circus season off to a singing, dancing, high energy start.
Kirsten Scott and Brandon Albright Lead GREASE at Music Circus, 6/26-7/1
by BWW News Desk - Jun 15, 2012
Grease, the satirical Broadway hit that launched the movie musical sensation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, will be at Wells Fargo Pavilion from June 26 - July 1. With book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease will get the 2012 Music Circus season off to a singing, dancing, high energy start.
Berry Gordy Jr.'s Autobiographical MOTOWN Musical Gathers Creative Team
by James T Harding - Jun 15, 2012
Kevin McCollum and Doug Morris will co-produce MOTOWN on Broadway next year, according to Michael Riedel in the New York Post. The musical is a biographical jukebox musical using the story and Motown hit catalogue of Berry Gordy Jr.. Charles Randolph-Wright will direct.
Shirley Jones, Patrick Cassidy, Adrienne Barbeau and More Set for Music Circus' 2012 Summer Season
by BWW News Desk - Jun 14, 2012
After auditioning performers in New York City, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale has announced casting for the 62nd Music Circus season, including celebrated stage and screen stars as well as audience favorites from previous Music Circus seasons. The five-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion includes Grease, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof and Crazy for You.
BWW Interviews: Good Food and a Good Role Beckon Broadway's Ben Davis to Nashville
by Jeffrey Ellis - May 17, 2012
Ben Davis isn't even in Nashville yet, and already he's eating like a native: "This morning," he confides in a telephone interview from his home in New York City, "in anticipation of your phone call and our upcoming trip to Nashville, my wife and I had sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast."
FLASH: Sixteen Going On Sixty - THE SOUND OF MUSIC
by Pat Cerasaro - Apr 20, 2012
Today we are saluting one of the most beloved Broadway scores of all time, created by the formidable show business songwriting dynasty of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein - THE SOUND OF MUSIC. While the original 1959 Broadway production was well-received and won Mary Martin a Tony Award for her winsome Maria, the property has gone on to win over generations the world over thanks in no small part to the 1965 Robert Wise feature film version starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. On Monday, Carnegie Hall will be presenting a special concert version of the family- friendly show starring Laura Osnes, Tony Goldwyn and Brooke Shields. Be sure to check out my comprehensive conversation with Brooke Shields, who will be playing the Baroness, available here, and, also, stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for my upcoming InDepth InterView with the Maria of the concert presentation, rising Broadway superstar Laura Osnes. So, what exactly is it about THE SOUND OF MUSIC that has won over audiences of all ages for more than fifty years and set hearts aflutter and souls stirred? Is it the dramatic story of a family torn apart by death and war only to be brought back together again when least expected by a kindly maternal nun? Is it the slice of life depiction of the family dynamic and how we can all relate to one or many facets of it therein? Is it the ensuing romance between Maria and Captain Von Trapp and their delicately portrayed courtship (particularly when considering the ravishing duet added for the film, "Something Good")? Or, is it that classic Rodgers & Hammerstein score - containing a dizzying assortment of standards that have gone on to become ingrained in our ears, minds and hearts, as well as made a fixture of pop culture itself - "Do-Re-Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Edelweiss", "The Lonely Goatherd", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", the title song and beyond. AMC's hit series MAD MEN even featured one of the most beloved SOUND OF MUSIC duets on a recent broadcast as an ironic episode capper all too befitting of the moment (and, given the 60s setting of the series, era) - Betty Draper mischievously sneaking an extra bowl of ice cream set to the strains of "I Am Sixteen Going On Seventeen". Between the MAD MEN song reference, the ongoing SOUND OF MUSIC film singalongs occurring every week (with many patrons coming in costume and with props, ala ROCKY HORROR) around the world and the countless professional and amateur productions that crop up every year, as well as the glitzy Carnegie Hall concert on Monday, THE SOUND OF MUSIC has never gone out of style - it shall forever remain sixteen, even when the show itself is not too far away from hitting sixty.