Applause - 1982 - Off-Off-Broadway Articles Page 3

Without a doubt, Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical CATS is of an era. Based on one of Lloyd Webber's favorite books as a child, T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, it was a perfect vehicle for the tastes of theatre lovers in the eighties, the decade of excess. The large-scale production, which opened on Broadway in 1982, was a highly theatrical concept featuring an elaborate light show, impressive dance numbers, and an intoxicating score, exactly what the public had come to expect from the composer of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA.

Featuring dancers and musicians from Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Celtic Woman, Murphy's Celtic Legacy is the next generation Irish dance spectacular. Created by Chris Hannon, former principal dancer for Lord of the Dance, the choreography combines traditional Irish and Modern dance techniques, along with multimedia elements. The 19 dancers and seven-piece band weave an original tale drawn from Irish folklore-a tale of Kings and Queens, rebels and magic, epic battles between good and evil.

If you're looking to enjoy some holiday cheer in the comfort of a toasty theater look no further than the Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performing Arts Center's production of the family favorite 'Annie.' Lavish sets by the masterful Patrick Grossman, a spacious house with a majority of plush red seats and some of the best talent on the island - this production is nothing less than you would expect from this company. Although there are multiple other companies also producing 'Annie' this season I must say this would be quite difficult to top.

The 32nd ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles, the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States, ended on a huge high note with its biggest audience in over three decades.  The programming consisted of 40 narrative films, documentaries, television series and shorts, including many U.S. and West Coast Premieres along with 25 leading Israeli filmmakers and actors in attendance. For the first time, the Festival awarded to the Audience Choice Award winners $100,000, granted by Festival sponsors BCL Finance Group, TUNNEL Post and Opus Post Production.  The funds will be divided among the winning filmmakers to produce their next films.

James Greene, a character actor with an illustrious stage career, but perhaps best known for his four-year stint on TV's 'The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd' with writer and director Jay Tarses, died on November 9, 2018, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91.

Well-ensconced on the UCLA campus, Los Angeles Theatre Works presents audio theatre, or as pre-millennials call it 'radio drama,' a throwback technique of decades-old entertainment enhanced by current day technology. I had the chance to delve into the inner workings of LATW from one of the co-founders herself, Susan Albert Loewenberg.

Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including 'Tomorrow.'

Tony® award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, ALittle Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare &Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, previewing Wednesday, June 6 with a press opening Thursday, June 7 and closing Sunday, June 10, 2018.

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday June 10th at 8/9c hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. It's the biggest award show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. We can't help but wonder what chances this year's Best Musical and Best Play nominees have of taking home the ultimate prize...

That joyful noise you hear coming from the Hollywood Pantages Theatre this month is the thrilling sound of female empowerment, and it is reverberating like thunder from the heavens in the dynamically robust national tour of THE COLOR PURPLE. Director John Doyle's Tony Award-winning reinvention of the musical - which took Broadway by storm in 2015 - rings like a clarion call to arms for every woman who's ever been violated, abused, or otherwise kept down by a man, and, on opening night, the powerful women leading the cast proved themselves more than capable of leading the charge.

The Broad today announced the lineup for the third edition of Summer Happenings at The Broad, a music and performance series sponsored by Leading Partner East West Bank. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a “wildly eclectic mix of music and art,” the summer event series – one of Los Angeles' most popular and anticipated events – will showcase more than 35 prominent and emerging artists and performers over four events. Tickets, including Series Passes (offers a savings of $25 and tickets to all four Summer Happenings), create-your-own ticket packages (offers a savings of $5 on each event when tickets are purchased for two or more events) and individual tickets ($30 advance), are available now at www.thebroad.org/happenings.

Tony® Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause) comes to the Bay Area this summer, starring in his acclaimed one-man show Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song, conceived by Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas, with direction by Kleinbort and musical direction by Janas.

The Juilliard School today announced that alumnus Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter, director of Juilliard Jazz Studies, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, will address the graduates at the school's 113th commencement ceremony, which takes place Friday, May 18, 2018, at 11am in Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Mr. Marsalis received an honorary doctor of music degree from Juilliard in 2006. This will be the final commencement for Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi, who has had a long association with Mr. Marsalis and asked that he be the commencement speaker. In July, Damian Woetzel will begin as the school's seventh president.

Sometimes, the very best show to watch in a theater is the one that happens when there is no audience around. NOISES OFF, now playing at Coronado's Lambs Player's through May 200th, proves this true in the farce that pokes fun while also simultaneously being a loving homage to the art of the theatre.

Parsons Dance - under the Artistic Direction of David Parsons - is excited to announce that its annual gala will take place on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, as part of the company's recently announced two-week return engagement to New York City's Joyce Theater. This year's gala, honoring legendary Broadway composer and multiple award-winner Stephen Schwartz, will feature two pieces specially created for the evening, in addition to the previously announced Joyce Theater programing.

What do Jay-Z, Kobe Bryant, Archie Bunker, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ed Koch, Bart Simpson, Bruce Campbell, Bonnie and Clyde, and J-Lo have in common?  The answer: Charles Strouse (and his hit songs)!

The Broadway Across America engagement of the 2016 Tony Award Winning Revival of THE COLOR PURPLE presented a performance brimming with soul and spirit to The Hobby Center. Based on Alice Walker's 1982 novel, the show follows the difficult journey of Celie (Adrianna Hicks), a young black mother in early-20th century Georgia. A story of coming of age and growing-into-her-own, Celie navigates prejudice, star-crossed love, motherhood, and a wealth of hurt as she relies on faith and sisterhood to push her through to better days.

Families are invited on an interactive and illuminating journey through Arts Centre Melbourne's little known spaces in Sandpit's The Story of Lamp from 8 - 16 July.

Happy Tonys season BroadwayWorld! Is your CD collection and iPod Tonys ready? The big show-the 71th annual Tony Awards-is just over 24 hours away! Naturally, New York City and theatre fans across the world are excitedly buzzing about this year's ceremonies, which will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 8/7c on CBS. As always, this Broadway season has some exciting contenders in the musical categories, and to get you ready for the big night, I'm recapping the albums you should be listening to (or at least pre-ordering).

The 71st Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday June 11th at 8/9c hosted by Kevin Spacey. It's the biggest award show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. We can't help but wonder what chances this year's Best Musical and Best Play nominees have of taking home the ultimate prize...

Piano legend Byron Janis releases Byron Janis Live on Tour, an album of never before released live recordings of performances by the internationally celebrated pianist.

Since first achieving fame as a teen pop sensation in the 1950s, Neil Sedaka has kept America singing for six decades. He brings the timeless hits of his storied career to Heinz Hall to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during the PNC Pops weekend May 12-14.

Artists Repertory Theatre presents the World Premiere of The Talented Ones by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Jane Unger. Preview performances run April 25 through April 28, the play opens April 29 and runs through May 21 on the Morrison Stage. The Talented Ones is Artists Rep's first new play development commission for Table|Room|Stage (T|R|S) as part of the Oregon Community Foundation's "Creative Heights Initiative."

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature NEXT TO NORMAL in Connecticut, I AM MY OWN WIFE in Oklahoma, and RULES OF SECONDS in Los Angeles, just to name a few. Check out our top features below!

Present Laughter, starring Academy Award and two-time Tony Award winner Kevin Kline in his triumphant return to Broadway, opens tonight at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Directed by Tony Award nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel.