The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's Super October! Local productions of 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Titanic,' 'Parade' and 'The Wild Party' have folks excited! 'At Last' and 'Cole Porter's Greatest Hits' honor past artists, the Savoyaires mount 'The Grand Duke,' and Des Plaines goes 'Legally Blonde.' Colleges produce 'Into The Woods' and 'In The Heights, 'Amazing Grace' arrives downtown and more!
Folger Theatre launches its 2014/15 season in Rome with William Shakespeare's enduring political tragedy, Julius Caesar from October 28 - December 7, 2014. Robert Richmond (Richard III and Henry V at Folger) directs the epic portrait of the battle between ambition and honor, conspiracy and loyalty, leading an outstanding ensemble including Anthony Cochrane (Broadway's War Horse and Folger's Henry VIII) as the honorable Marcus Brutus, and Maurice Jones, making his Folger Theatre debut as Caesar's closest ally, Mark Antony.
I'm happy to confess that this piece was a total, happy accident.
Following the internationally acclaimed production with sold-out engagements on Broadway and in London's West End, television legend, Oscar recipient and five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury returns to the stage in Noel Coward's smash-hit comedic play 'Blithe Spirit' in an exciting North American tour to be launched at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre.
The Geffen Playhouse announces its production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. Written by Scott Carter, executive producer and writer for Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect and Real Time, this whip-smart philosophical comedy features Larry Cedar (Deadwood, PBS's Square One TV), David Melville (Travel Channel Lawrence of America, film Ironclad) and Armin Shimerman (Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Associate Artistic Director at The Antaeus Company) and will be again helmed by director, Matt August (Broadway How the Grinch Stole Christmas). Discord begins previews on October 7 with the press opening on October 15. The closing date is currently scheduled for November 16.
Poetry has been with the author who goes by the pseudonym of The Virgin Poet as a way of expressing in a spontaneous manner his ideas that have been thoroughly contemplated. Through poetry, he is able to pass the necessary moments away from society and in individualism to later reintroduce it filled with artistic airs (whenever he is making descriptions) what he has taken from society. Other times, he uses poetry to dress his personal or adopted thoughts with aesthetic vigor, so that they can be seen in a more appealing way.
THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE, the world's best-selling touring magic show, will make its Broadway bow this fall at the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway), beginning previews on November 26 and opening on December 4. It will play a strictly limited six-week engagement through January 4 2015 as part of a 30-city US tour. Tickets for THE ILLUSIONISTS go on sale today at www.ticketmaster.com.
Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed tonight, July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director.
Last summer Beach Haven's Surflight Theatre came back from superstorm Sandy with a superb production of 'Les Miserables' starring Broadway's Bart Shatto as Jean Valjean. This summer, Broadway's got 'Les Mis,' but luckily the beach still has Bart. Shatto currently stars as not one, but two 19th century protagonists, 'Jekyll & Hyde,' in Frank Wildhorn's 1997 musical sensation. It's almost as if he were playing Valjean and Javert. If such a thing were possible, Shatto would be the man to do it.
Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed on July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director.
Grab the umbrellas! Audiences will be delighted by Pittsburgh CLO's production of Singin' in the Rain, May 30-June 8 at the Benedum Center. A talented cast of Broadway's best and Pittsburgh CLO veterans will take this feel-good movie-musical off the silver screen and on to the Benedum Center stage.
Grab the umbrellas! Audiences will be delighted by Pittsburgh CLO's production of Singin' in the Rain, May 30-June 8 at the Benedum Center. A talented cast of Broadway's best and Pittsburgh CLO veterans will take this feel-good movie-musical off the silver screen and on to the Benedum Center stage.
Oscar-nominated actor and founding Wooster Group member Willem Dafoe and legendary performer Mikhail Baryshnikov are a dapperly dressed odd couple, forced to deal with the most inconsiderate of corpses in this surreal melding of absurdism, pitch- black comedy, and vaudeville from iconic director Robert Wilson, THE OLD WOMAN.
It's been rumored, talked about, discussed and we've been reporting on it for what feels like forever -- and now, it's official! Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that it will present Tony & Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth as 'Lily Garland' and Golden Globe & SAG Award winner & Tony nominee Peter Gallagher as 'Oscar Jaffe' in a new Broadway production of the classic musical ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY features music by Cy Coleman and book & lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green.
Tonight, May 2, TheatreWorks New Milford will debut Alfred Uhry's 1997 comedy-drama, THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO, winner of the Tony Award for Best Play. The curtain goes up at 8:00 p.m. on this four-week run.
The May broadcasts of The New York Philharmonic This Week - the weekly radio series of concerts and recordings by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by Alec Baldwin - begin with Christoph von Dohnanyi leading the Orchestra in the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Brahms, featuring Paul Lewis as soloist in his Philharmonic debut, and Schumann's Symphony No. 2. The following week, Sir Andrew Davis returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct the U.S. Premiere of Julian Anderson's The Discovery of Heaven, a New York Philharmonic Co-Commission with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Franck's Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra, with Marc-Andre Hamelin as soloist in his Philharmonic subscription debut; and selections from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet.
The North American tour of Disney's THE LION KING celebrated 12 triumphant years on the road on Sunday, April 27 in Atlanta. Since launching in April 2002 in Denver, CO, THE LION KING North American touring productions have played nearly 7,000 performances during 135 engagements in 77 cities. The record-breaking tours have been seen by more than 15 million theatergoers and grossed over $1 billion to date.
On Friday, May 2, TheatreWorks New Milford will debut Alfred Uhry's 1997 comedy-drama, THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO, winner of the Tony Award for Best Play. The curtain goes up at 8:00 p.m. on this four-week run.
Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Violet, starring Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell,Alexander Gemignani and Joshua Henry, officially opens tonight at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).
Oscar®-nominee Hal Holbrook returns to the Capitol Center for the Arts tonight, April 11 at 8:00 PM in Mark Twain Tonight! - his acclaimed Tony Award-winning one-man show which celebrates the humor, satirical wit, and timeless observations of Mark Twain. Tickets start at $45 and are on sale now at the Capitol Center box office, located at 44 South Main Street, Concord, NH
There's a lot of buzz that Ellen might be a candidate to take over for David Letterman when the long-time host retires next year.
Director Aaron Dalton brings the award-winning Off-Broadway show to the York Little Theatre's Studio Theatre
The musical Violet, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book & lyrics by Brian Crawley, directed by Leigh Silverman begins previews this week at the American Airlines Theatre.
Pacific Northwest Ballet continues its 2013-2014 season with George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. A complete delight for all ages, this full-length ballet is based on William Shakespeare's comedy about the romantic adventures, quarrels and reunions of two pairs of mortal lovers and the king and queen of the fairies. Balanchine's Midsummer, which New York City Ballet premiered in 1962, was the first original evening-length ballet he choreographed in America. Staged by PNB Founding Artistic Director Francia Russell, PNB's production is an enchanted landscape where misunderstandings and mayhem weave tangled paths through the opulent layers of Martin Pakledinaz's designs and Balanchine's marvelously crafted partnerings. All ends well in Act II's wedding festivities with the recognition of ideal love, tenderly portrayed in an exquisite pas de deux. A Midsummer Night's Dream plays for eight performances only, April 11-19 at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206. 441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street.
I've enjoyed some success performing my one-man shows (and the one-nun shows too!) on the London cabaret scene since 1997. I've been lucky enough to perform at some fabulous venues, from The Purcell Room to Pizza on the Park, and at one of my second homes in Theatreland, the Jermyn Street Theatre. There's also been the excitement of performing in international venues, such as two seasons at Don't Tell Mama NYC and even taking my alter ego, Sister Mary McArthur, to open The New Space Theatre 2 in Cape Town.
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