Just So 1985 - Articles Page 4

Business and Marketing Strategy For The Proactive Performer is a culmination of Kimberly's 10+ years working as a Top 10 Performing Arts Business Coach (known as The Broadway Expert) and 25 years working as a Performer who is foremost known as the first and only actress to play leading roles in 2 Off-Broadway Musicals at the same time, as well as the Fanny Brice go-to gal (4 shows/2 CDs) . 

Hoping to catch a play or musical in the near future but can't make it to New York City? Look no further than BroadwayWorld's comprehensive guide to all of the current and upcoming touring productions!

BroadwayWorld is saddened to learn that theatre director Michael Boyd has died from cancer. His career took him from training in Moscow to artistic directorships at the Tron Theatre Glasgow [1985-96] and the Royal Shakespeare Company, after joining as an Associate Director in 1996.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical officially opens on Broadway tonight, Thursday, August 3rd, 2023, at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre. Read reviews for the production!

Irvine Barclay Theatre has announced more shows for its 2023-24 season. One of the most popular performing arts venues in Orange County, Irvine Barclay Theatre presents renowned artists in a wide range of genres, from jazz, classical, country, Motown, and global music, to comedy, dance, theater, captivating speakers, and more.

oin Atlantic Theater Company's The Judith Champion MixFest as they showcase the best of traditional diaspora music. Immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of cultural heritage and experience a melodic journey through the rich traditions of the diaspora. Don't miss this unifying event that brings together diverse musical talents on one stage.

Not sure about which Broadway show to see this Summer 2023? Below, check out a full list of whats new on Broadway and which productions to catch before they're gone for good!

YES comes to the State Theatre of New Jersey on September 30, 2023. YES: CLASSIC TALES OF YES will be performed with Special Guest Roger Dean. A Live Presentation and Art Gallery will be on site.

The Granada Theatre has announced the 7th Annual  Granada Theatre Legends Gala on Saturday, September 16, 2023. This annual event is one of Santa Barbara's most highly anticipated evenings and features inspiring honorees, extraordinary talent, and dedicated patrons of the arts all in one place to support Santa Barbara's performing arts community. 

His remarkable story of served as an inspiring example of healing and hope to many around the world, following the release of “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” which won actress Jessica Chastain her Academy Award for Best Actress.  Randy Havens of TV's Stranger Things played Pieters. He was also portrayed in Elton John's 'Tammy Faye' musical.

On June 24th, the industry lost a beloved and most interesting member of the family, and Marilyn Lester remembers her friend for Broadway World.

Elena Skye will play Twiggy in the world première of Close Up – The Twiggy Musical at The Menier Chocolate Factory.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced the selection of five Honorees who will receive the 46th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. Learn more about the honorees here!

Back to the Future: The Musical begins Broadway performances tonight, Friday, June 30, 2023 and officially opens Thursday, August 3, 2023 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. Meet the cast of Back to the Future here!

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?

'Good Vibrations'? 'California Girls'? 'I Get Around'? See where your favorite Beach Boys songs land on the list!

Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, June 5, 2023.

 TheatreSquared Artistic Director Robert Ford, Executive Director Martin Miller, and Director of New Play Development Dexter J. Singleton announced the lineup of new plays for the 15th annual Arkansas New Play Festival (ANPF).

Tina Turner, the 'Queen of Rock'n Roll' has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.  With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model. 

Bard Fest, Indy's only annual Shakespeare Festival, is producing the epic two-play cycle of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer-prize-winning Angels in America. They will present Part One - Millennium Approaches and Part Two - Perestroika in rotation throughout the month. In anticipation of its landmark June premier, some of the cast of Angels in America (AIA) answered some questions about the show.

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022/2023 season with a production that celebrates the pure joy and simple fun of live theatre, the fan favorite and ultimate whodunnit, CLUE. The production runs June 7 to 25 in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.

It's TOP FUN - Matt Hale's laugh-packed 80s themed hypnotic show heads to the Fringe 

What did our critic think of ANGELS IN AMERICA, PART I: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, MA?

A modern musical fairytale, Once On This Island is Romeo and Juliet set in the French Antilles with the two lovers on opposite sides of a race and class divide. Regent’s Park Theatre opens its 2023 season with a humdinger of a revival, a real foot-stomper that rings in the ears long after the last song finishes.

A Red Orchid Theatre has announced its 31st Season. Learn about the productions, see who is starring, and learn how to purchase tickets.