After the Show - 1951 - West End Articles Page 11

Crafting a musical theater hit is a lot like alchemy - the ancient study focused primarily on creating gold from baser elements - and oftentimes no matter the ingredients, directors never quite achieve the outcome for which they strive. But in the case of director/choreographer Everett Tarlton's production of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate (now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre through March 7), he has crafted something so special that it essentially defines the theatrical gold standard.

A Modest Little Man tells us something of the man and his achievements, Clement Attlee surrounded by egos and rivals (talented though) in this gem of a political comedy.

Irish Arts Center (IAC), a multidisciplinary center dedicated to bringing people of all backgrounds together through the excellence and dynamism of Irish arts and culture, announces its Spring 2019 season a cross-section of the exhilarating theater, music, dance, literature, art, and genre-defying performance coming from Ireland and Irish America, alongside educational events engaging participants with an array of rich traditions. With performances as wide-ranging as Margaret McAuliffe's acclaimed one-woman play The Humours of Bandon, Declan O'Rourke's epic song cycle Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, and Paul Muldoon's performance adaptation of a 1773 Irish poem, IAC provides an intimate home for artists' boldest visions. As construction on IAC's landmark permanent new home in Hell's Kitchen takes place just beyond the organization's original location, IAC's vast ambition and accomplishment will be on full display, outside and in, throughout Spring 2019.

As with each passing season, 2018 proved to be another exceptional year for theater not only in Souther California in general but also in Orange County---my home base. This year, the OC finally welcomed the debut of what has become this century's most awarded and most renowned stage musical ever about the Founding Father etched regally on the 10 dollar bill. Meanwhile, So. Cal. enjoyed a powerful surge of new stage works that explored Asian-American experiences, a positive step forward in the presentation of diverse voices we seldom hear from on the stage. A pair of touring musicals---both opening in the O.C. in early 2019---made such an impact in their Los Angeles engagements for me personally that I had to include them in my list, even though I have not 'officially' reviewed the productions for print. With that said, here is my 'Best of 2018' from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby---a mixture of outstanding shows and brilliant performances that made a lasting, memorable imprint in my theatergoing experience this year.

Facts and trivia surrounding the original production of 'The King And I,' which starred Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner. Lawrence would die of liver cancer a little more than a year into the run, at the age of 54.

David Mirvish and producer Karl Sydow are delighted to announce the full cast for the Canadian Premiere of Sting's acclaimed musical, THE LAST SHIP starring and featuring original music and lyrics by multiple Grammy Award winner Sting.  

A groundbreaking partnership has been forged between the AT&T Performing Arts Center and Dallas Summer Musicals that will provide even more opportunities for North Texas audiences to enjoy the best of Broadway.

The Dick Cavett Show Coming To DVD from SMORE Entertainment

Now onstage at the Roxy Regional Theatre in Clarksville through December 22, Miracle on 34th Street is among a small number of titles available to theater companies all over the United States looking for seasonal entertainment options for their loyal fans and season ticket holders. In fact, there's another production of the show opening at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts this weekend and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in Nashville has announced the show as its holiday offering in 2019.

Talented cast knows how to some some laughs.

This fable of a musical lacks passion and is rather bland.

Tickets for the Canadian premiere of Sting's acclaimed musical The Last Ship will go on public sale Monday November 12. Presented by David Mirvish and produced by Karl Sydow and Kathryn Schenker, the limited six-week engagement runs February 9 through March 24, 2019 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre.

A 1930s comedy for Christmas, Jeannie by rediscovered female playwright Aimee Stuart will open at the Finborough Theatre for a four-week limited season on Tuesday, 27 November 2018 (Press Nights: Thursday, 29 November and Friday, 30 November 2018 at 7.30pm).

The Wick Costume Museum's sixth installation, "those were the days" pays homage to the Broadway shows, signature fashions and pop culture moments of the 1950's and 1960's. The interactive tour features a star-studded collection of costumes worn by Barbra Streisand, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Cher, Lily Tomlin and more.

Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) announces the naming of its Studio 4B for the great American entertainer, actor, singer, and comedian Danny Kaye (1911-1987) and his wife Sylvia Fine Kaye (1913-1991), an accomplished lyricist, composer, and producer who mostly collaborated with her husband, writing material that he performed. The dedication completes the naming of all of BAC's studios and theaters for gifted artists, friends and/or mentors to Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov-a roster that includes philanthropist Howard Gilman; artists Jerome Robbins, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Rudolf Nureyev; and BAC's founding managing director emerita, Christina Sterner.

On the heels of a highly successful multi-city tour and prior to its Broadway return this holiday season, the world's best-selling touring magic show, THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY (www.theillusionistslive.com), will hit the road once again, kicking off in Kansas City Sept. 28-30 at Starlight Theatre. THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY is produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and MagicSpace Entertainment.

Starlight Theatre is pleased to announce its 2019 AdventHealth Broadway Series lineup, featuring a variety of shows sure to please Kansas City audiences. With so many fantastic productions hitting the road, Starlight booked a season to encompass five week-long Broadway musicals in addition to two weekend specials-giving patrons the ability to add or swap and customize their season to be truly theirs.

On the heels of a highly successful multi-city tour and prior to its Broadway return this holiday season, the world's best-selling touring magic show, THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY (www.theillusionistslive.com), will hit the road once again, kicking off in Kansas City Sept. 28-30 at Starlight Theatre. THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY is produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and MagicSpace Entertainment.

Show Time! The First 100 Years of the American Musical is created, written, and performed by Ben West, a 2017 recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Developed over the past four years from more than twenty archives in more than ten states, Show Time! features over two dozen songs in an electrifying live-action documentary, weaving music and performance through a narrative of world, cultural, and theatre history, telling the remarkable story of this uniquely American art form, charting its evolution from the mid-1800s through 1999. Show Time! will cover seven eras of the American musical: Cosmic Collisions (1866-1899), Birth of an Art Form (1900-1924), Rise of the Golden Age (1925-1930), Golden Age, Part One (1931-1950), Golden Age, Part Two (1951-1970), Fall of the Golden Age (1971-1980) and Growing Pains, or Identity Crisis (1981-1999).

Chicago is back in town and it's pure entertainment! With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history-and it still shows no sign of ever slowing down!

The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month.

John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff's Tony-winning masterpiece, Cabaret, opens at The Gateway on August 3, (Previews begin August 1) featuring unforgettable songs like "Maybe This Time," "Two Ladies," "Don't Tell Mama," and the title song, "Cabaret." Ticket prices range from $59-$89 per show with Previews starting at $49. Student discounts and group rates are available.  For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season, visit our website TheGateway.org, tickets on-line or through the box office at 631-286-1133.

In 1928, George Gershwin composed 'An American in Paris' inspired by the time he spent there. It wasn't until 1951 that An American in Paris hit the movie screen starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron as directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Starlight Theatre has announced that Broadway star and two-time Tony nominee Brad Oscar will lead the cast of the musical comedy phenomenon Hairspray, playing Starlight Theatre July 27-Aug. 2, as part of the 2018 Shawnee Mission Health Broadway Series. Hairspray's director, principal and ensemble cast will also include a number of performers with Kansas City roots, many of whom are making their return to the Starlight Theatre stage!

Following a hit run at New York's Lincoln Center Theater in 2015, Bartlett Sher's production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic makes its way to London's West End for a limited run at the London Palladium. Transferring with it is Tony Award nominee Ken Watanabe and Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, in the title roles.