A Class Act - 2001 - Broadway Articles Page 12

In 'Grandma's Quilt' by Karen A. Brown, an elderly poor, unpretentious Black woman in rural Arkansas is sewing a quilt as the final act of her life. Each scrap of material is a prism into a chapter of her family's past. As she reflects on each period, she transforms into younger versions of herself to lead us through the history that she intends to pass on to her granddaughter. One actress portrays the old woman at six points in her life as well as the granddaughter. Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the play's New York premiere March 11 to 21 at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place. Two performers will share the unusual acting challenge of playing what is essentially seven characters: author Karen A. Brown from March 11 to 14 and actress Deidre Monique Benton from March 18 to 21. Director is Anthony Jay Hamilton.

Innsbrook After Hours announced that Aaron Lewis will perform June 24th at the SERVPRO of Richmond Pavilion, Get The Led Out will perform on August 6th, and Train will perform August 14th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 21st at 10:00 AM at www.innsbrookafterhours.com. A limited number of early bird general admission tickets for each show will be available for one week.

The Trustees of the Corinne Burton Memorial Trust will present the first ever London production of John Mortimer's legal comedy, NAKED JUSTICE, Upstairs at the Gatehouse from 1 to 5 April, with an amateur cast of barristers, solicitors and a High Court Judge, and a professional creative team led by director Alexander Lass, with design by Isabella Van Braeckel and lighting and sound design by Steve Taylor.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER summons mental images in an instant. Bell-bottoms, elongated lapels, disco balls, big hair, crazy colors, intense patterns, everything shiny imaginable. What's not to love? That is the visual feast being served up by Beef & Boards, and what a feast it is.

MaryJo Mundy, the highly acclaimed and beloved cabaret singer and founder of the longest running open mic at the famed Gardenia, hosts the 4th night of what celebrates and fosters musical theatre/cabaret performers, while also showcasing her own remarkable talent. On the third Saturday of every month Ms. Mundy (co-hosted monthly by Alexis Gach and singer/songwriter/producer Hillary Rollins ) throws a 'cabaret party' on-stage at the Gardenia along with three guest performers.

The newly formed J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company (Jim Jimirro, Executive Producer/Co-Founder; Robert W. Schneider, Artistic Director/Co-Founder) has announced the cast and creative team for the second of the three productions in the company's inaugural 2020 season: the 1962 hit musical, No Strings, with book by Samuel Taylor, and music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers.

The newly formed J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company (Jim Jimirro, Executive Producer/Co-Founder; Robert W. Schneider, Artistic Director/Co-Founder) announced today a bonus series of programs for its inaugural 2020 season. Opening the season is Seesaw, which will play February 13-23, 2020, followed by No Strings (February 27 - March 8, 2020) and A Class Act (March 12-22, 2020) at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Free and open to ticket holders, Lagniappes, from the Louisiana French meaning a bonus or gift, are designed to enhance audience appreciation of classic works with cast talkbacks, visits with the producers, and interviews with the cast and personnel of the original productions.

PROOF is an interesting, four person, theatrical enterprise that explores the nexus between genius and profound mental illness. This 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner by David Auburn is currently completing its extended run at Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre's Warwick Theatre in midtown this Saturday February 25.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival has been the starting place for a number of plays and musicals that end up securing a spot on the Great White Way! Recently, there have been multiple Broadway hits that began at the Festival. In honor of the most recent, Grand Horizons, we're taking a look back on some other biggest WTF transfers from the past few years!

Looking back at the (often unexpected) strides and achievements made in 2010s, Indonesian Broadway-style musical theater is poised for a renaissance in this decade. However, challenges are still abound for Nusantara thespians to keep the momentum going towards sustainable success.

The hype surrounding French lyric tenor, Benjamin Bernheim is becoming hard to ignore. Based on last night's performance in the Staatsoper Unter den Linden's listless, tired production of LA BOHÈME, there is reason to believe that Mr. Bernheim will live up to his hype

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) welcomes Broadway sensation, composer Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel, The Civil War), who joins Jekyll and Hyde revival star and American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis and the star-studded cast of the 2019 TRU Love Benefit: Follow Your Art, Fulfill Your Dreams, honoring York Theatre Producing Artistic Director James Morgan and multi-talented stage, screen and concert performer and producer Haley Swindal.

The national tour of COME FROM AWAY, a Broadway musical about the true story of the small town that welcomed the world, will make its Indianapolis debut at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler Arts Center for a limited engagement January 21-26. COME FROM AWAY tickets are on sale now at the Butler Arts Center box office, online at ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Groups of 10 or more can book now by calling 317-632-7469 x103.

What has little-known backstories on classic characters, a green leading lady and larger-than-life production value? Nope, not Wicked -- but Shrek the Musical at Walnut Street Theatre checks all the same boxes. The Oldest Theatre in America's take on their holiday show is a Broadway-quality rousing good time for all ages.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the initial line-up of featured performers for the 2019 TRU Love Benefit: Follow Your Art, Fulfill Your Dreams, honoring James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director of The York Theatre, and performer-producer Haley Swindal.

The Country Music Association's acclaimed CMA Songwriters Series Presented by   U.S. Bank has announced a performance in Portland, OR at Aladdin Theater Sunday, Dec. 8 featuring top tunesmiths Marcus Hummon, Lori McKenna, Lee Thomas Miller and Tenille Townes. The series hosts an intimate round of performances with some of Country Music's hottest songwriters taking turns sharing the stories behind their hit songs and performing them as originally written. Tickets for the performance are $20 (plus fees) and go on sale Friday, Nov. 1 at 12:00 PM/CT (10:00 AM/PT) through Aladdin Theater and CMAsongwritersseries.com. $1 of each ticket sold will benefit the CMA Foundation, CMA's philanthropic arm, which is committed to investing in high quality music education programs for all students in the United States. 

The lines between myth and reality become increasingly blurred in Defenders. When Iceland was threatened with invasion by Germany in WW2, the allies decide to step in. The world premiere from Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company by Cailin Maureen Harrison, and directed by Reena Dutt, follows three American G.I.s who are shipwrecked on the remote island of Hrisey off Iceland's northern coast. The stranded G.I.s find themselves with missing weapons, few supplies, and a broken radio. They realize they must rely on the locals for survival but, like current-day warfare, the locals fear the loss of their culture, their women and their safety with the presence of foreigners on their land. Defenders opens on November 9, with performances continuing through December 8 at The Broadwater Black Box in Hollywood. One lower-priced preview takes place on November 8.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents the 2019 TRU Love Benefit: Follow Your Art, Fulfill Your Dreams, on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 12noon at Caroline's on Broadway, 1626 Broadway (between 49th & 50th Streets). Tickets start at $85 (show only, and two drinks). For additional information and ticket tier pricing, please visit https://truonline.org/events/2019-tru-love-benefit/.

There comes a moment quite near the conclusion of Roxy Regional Theatre's production of Assassins that is both brilliant and chilling, perfectly encapsulating what the Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical is all about.

The newly formed J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company launches its inaugural 2020 season with three musical gems: Seesaw (February 13-23, 2020), No Strings (February 27 a?' March 8, 2020) and A Class Act (March 12-22, 2020) at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd street).

Two years ago, I revisited French Woods Festival of the Arts (which I attended from 1999 to 2002 as a camper/teen actor and then as an assistant director/stage manager) and BroadwayWorld kindly published an article I wrote about the experience. In light of my responsibilities at work (attorney by day, theater critic by night) and at home (including a hyperactive toddler and commuting daily between NY and NJ), I was not planning on visiting again this past summer, but that instantly changed when I learned that the camp was planning on presenting 1776 for the first time in nearly two decades - and with an all-female cast.

The Rochester Broadway Theatre League and Albert Nocciolino announce the national tour of COME FROM AWAY, a Broadway musical about the true story of the small town that welcomed the world, will make its Rochester debut at RBTL's Auditorium Theatre for a limited engagement November 19-24.

The lines between myth and reality become increasingly blurred in Defenders. When Iceland was threatened with invasion by Germany in WW2, the allies decide to step in. The world premiere from Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company by Cailin Maureen Harrison, and directed by Reena Dutt, follows three American G.I.s who are shipwrecked on the remote island of Hrisey off Iceland's northern coast. The stranded G.I.s find themselves with missing weapons, few supplies, and a broken radio. They realize they must rely on the locals for survival but, like current-day warfare, the locals fear the loss of their culture, their women and their safety with the presence of foreigners on their land. Defenders opens on November 9, with performances continuing through December 8 at The Broadwater Black Box in Hollywood. One lower-priced preview takes place on November 8.

Bristol Riverside Theatre announces that Founding Director Susan D. Atkinson and Artistic Director Keith Baker will be stepping down from their day-to-day roles at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Atkinson is credited with helping to rejuvenate Bristol Borough during her 33 years of service. She led the way in turning an old adult movie theatre into a professional theatre company that has produced five world class productions a year for the past 33 years. Baker steps down after 28 years of service to the theatre. He wore many different hats at BRT, directing, singing and acting in over 120 plays and musicals, and steering its artistic vision. The duo will step down from their roles at the conclusion of the current season. The BRT Board of Directors has launched an extensive search for a new artistic director. Later in the season, look for news of a special event that will honor Atkinson and Baker's service to the organization and the community. 

Elizabeth is convinced her husband Robert is at death's door, and she's determined to get the whole brood together for a final family holiday, quickly, before his bird has flown. Of course, all three kids and their spouses have their own lives, agendas and emergencies, but a few obstacles won't stop Elizabeth. Some people will do anything to defend their nest in the world premiere of Last Swallows, a modern family dramatic comedy by Cailin Harrison. Kiff Scholl directs Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company's production, opening on September 21 with a run through October 20 at the The Other Space @The Actors Company in West Hollywood. One lower-priced preview takes place on September 20.