A Class Act - 2000 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 20

We asked, and you answered! As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the classic musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum just celebrated the anniversary of its opening night on Broadway! To celebrate, we asked BroadwayWorld readers to name the stars that they would love to see take on the iconic role of Pseudolus. Check out some of your most popular answers below!

Multi-faceted, creative hyphenate Charles Busch will be appearing in his latest reincarnation of his 1999 classic cult-fav DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! for four performances May 17 through May 19, 2019 for L.A. Theatre Works. Dazzlingly filling out the crazy cast of characters of DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! - Mark Capri, Willie Garson, Ellis Greer, Jeffrey Self and Ruth Williamson. I had the wonderful chance to revisit Charles' gracious wit after almost two decades previous.

Though it seems like it will never be here, there will be summer and the Cleveland theater scene will heat up. Here's a list of some of the offerings that are being staged.

Two years ago, lying on a couch in the #9 Lounge at the Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria, VA, I was eulogized. I had watched other audience members receive secret family recipes, help rehearse a marriage proposal, even destroy a speed limit sign with a hammer. But the card I drew was Death. So, naturally, I was eulogized in front of the rest of the audience. The thing my funeral had in common with all these other short vignettes was the sense that, without my involvement, none of this could happen. I mattered. When it was done, I opened my eyes, took the flower offered to me, and found my seat. The oration was by Quill Nebeker, my Medium for the evening.

Black Swan State Theatre Artistic Director Clare Watson has commissioned playwright Jane Bodie to write a new play called Water for the theatre company's 2019 season. Bodie takes some time to answer a few questions about the play and gives us some insight into her life as a playwright. 

Magic Theatre announced today that the company's 2019 Gala Fundraiser, Magic Masquerade: Warhol's Factory, will be held at Gallery 308 (Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123) on Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. Individual tickets to the Gala are available now for $500.00, with Silver Tier Tables (including 10 tickets with Premier seating) available for $5,000.00 and Gold Tier Tables (10 tickets with VIP seating, with an Artist at your table) are available for $10,000.00. Tickets and tables may be purchased online at magictheatre.org/engage/magic-gala, by calling 415-441-8822.

The University of Washington Musical Theater program will present two events in May, a devised work of musical theater called This Moment and a panel discussion called Double Threats: Actors Who Sing, Singers Who Act.

Today's subject Julia Rhoads is currently living her theatre life as the founding Artistic Director of Lucky Plush Productions. Lucky Plush is a dance company that melds dance with theater, dialogue elements, and more. Their work entitled Rooming House can be seen at the Kennedy Center from May 2nd through May 4th in the Terrace Theater

BRIC, the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, is pleased to announce the lineup and sponsors for its 41st annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. With 29 performances (June 4 - August 10), the Festival launches a new season for the pioneering NYC arts-and-media organization. With new leadership at the institution's helm, BRIC is recommitting itself to presenting programming that is reflective of Brooklyn's eclecticism and diversity, and this season will feature a wide array of free, world-class performances at the beautiful Prospect Park Bandshell. 

A delight in watching celebrities behave badly drives most of the audience's interest in the new musical REMEMBER RUDY, directed by Carla Parker and running at the Ochre House Theater through May 11.

Risk is something that is important for theatre. If theatres never took risks, they never would be able to grow, or know what their audience is comfortable seeing. Ankeny Community Theatre is taking risks with their Studio series. For the final show of their 2018-2019 studio series, the presented 'Proof' by David Auburn. This show closed on 04/28/19 after a planned 1-week run.

While the 'Avengers, Endgame' movie is breaking records and bedazzling audiences with superhuman fireworks at the local movie theaters, another impressive pyrotechnic feat is taking place. White Plains Performing Arts Center is currently presenting 'The Bodyguard, the Musical' in a limited engagement. With the Whitney Houston catalog at its disposal, this show blows the roof off the theatre with vocal special effects rivaling the power of any Marvel hero.

The energetic Theatre Prometheus has skillfully mounted a timely production of 14, a play by Jose Casas in the 30-seat Caos on F Street space. Inspired by the deaths of 14 Mexican migrants in the desert bordering the USA and Mexico back in May 2001, Casas' play takes an unsparing look at the situation that has, of course, become worse 18 years later. He does it not by writing the stories of those who died (though he honors them by name); rather his characters live near the border, some in Mexico, others in Arizona, Texas, and California. Their stories combine to illuminate many facets of America's current argument/conversation about who gets to come into this country. The stalwart cast of four play 16 very recognizable people, each with opinions about and connections to that border. By concentrating on ordinary lives, Casas avoids politics and spotlights human behavior. Spending time with these 16 people is more informative than a long article in The Washington Post, as entertaining as reality TV, and frequently moving.

Derek Hough is coming back to Detroit! After the sold out successes of Move Live on Tour and Move - Beyond Live on Tour, he is returning with his own solo show, Derek Hough - Live! On Tour this Tuesday, April 30th at the Fox Theatre. It is a brand-new stage production featuring a live band with high-end choreography, and, as always, Derek's magnetic stage presence. It is a true fusion of dance and music as he explores styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa and hip-hop and everything between. Creative team and two-time Emmy winners, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs, co-created, directed, and supervised choreography for the tour. Derek is an Emmy Award-winning and New York Times Best-Selling author, as well as the only six-time champion winner in franchise history on the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars. This solo show has already been out on tour for a few weeks and pleasing fans across the country. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Derek before one of his shows to find out what makes his Derek Hough - Live! on Tour show so unique and why Detroit fans are going to have a night to remember. Check out what he had to say below!

Magic Theatre announced today that the company's 2019 Gala Fundraiser, Magic Masquerade: Warhol's Factory, will be held at Gallery 308

GRAMMY®-winning rock band SWITCHFOOT is gearing up for an exhilarating summer as direct support for legendary rock band Bon Jovi's This House Is Not For Sale 2019 European tour. The multi-platinum selling alternative rockers will also host their 15th annual SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM Beach Fest on June 29. For more information and tickets, please visit www.switchfoot.com.

BWW Review: THE GENTLEMAN CALLER at New Conservatory Theatre Center is a poignant, intimate meeting between two literary giants- Tennessee Williams and William Inge.

Class is in session at the School of Rock and they're teaching Jacksonville all about rock-n-roll! The musical featuring music from Tony Award winner Andrew Lloyd Webber, is based on the 2003 movie School of Rock. The musical follows a man, Dewey Finn (Merritt David Janes), as he impersonates his best friend Ned Schneebly as a substitute teacher at Horace Green. When Dewey realizes he is in way over his head, he hears his students playing classical music. He decides he will teach them about rock-n-roll, and they will compete in 'The Battle of the Bands.' The musical displays amazing music, a great story, and life lessons for everyone to take away.

Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson and San Francisco Ballet today announced programming for the 2020 Repertory Season. Building on a heritage of commissioning groundbreaking dance from today's top choreographers, uncovering new choreographic talent, staging modern classics, and preserving the works that make up the canon of classic ballet, the 2020 Season places SF Ballet at the forefront of innovation and preeminence. Highlights include two new SF Ballet commissions by Cathy Marston and Trey McIntyre, and a co-commission with American Ballet Theatre of a work by Alexei Ratmansky; as well as works by George Balanchine, David Dawson, Harald Lander, Edwaard Liang, Benjamin Millepied, Mark Morris, Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, and Stanton Welch. The Season's three story ballets include Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Wheeldon's Cinderella, and Tomasson's Romeo & Juliet.

All My Sons, playing through June 1st at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, is a dramatic and intense adaptation of the Tony-Award winning play. The play follows the story of Joe Keller, a working man who desperately wants to secure the business he spent so many years constructing. He is ready to hand it down to his son, Chris. Joe's wife Kate is still waiting for their eldest son Larry to return from war, determined that he is alive and will marry the former neighbor girl from next door, Ann, who happens to be the daughter of Joe's former business partner. To complicate this family drama, Chris and Ann are in love and want to get married. All My Sons shows a post-war American family in a spiral of lies, greed, love, and loss.

BroadwayWorld has learned that The Muny announced today 25 principal cast members for the first season of its second century. Complete company casting will be announced throughout April and May. The 101st season opens on a brand new, state-of-the-art stage with Muny favorite Guys and Dolls followed by the U.S. regional premiere of Kinky Boots. The season continues with 1776, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Footloose and a newly-reimagined Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon. Season 101 closes with the highly-anticipated Muny debut of Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Come to Omaha Community Playhouse's ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS prepared to die. Because you may die laughing at this all out wacky play by British playwright Richard Bean.

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is pleased to announce that Kathleen Turner, a living legend of the stage and screen, will be the guest of honor at this year's Performance Gala, the festival's annual fundraising dinner.

The Cabaret Theatre at Rutgers University finishes its 2018-19 season with their final musical production, The Wild Party.