As Is - 1985 - Broadway Articles Page 18

Dear Readers, when discussing the musical of Alice Walker’s classic novel “The Color Purple”, you must acknowledge the production’s own journey from the tepidly received original 2005 Broadway production to the enthusiastically received 2015 Broadway revival which launched the career of the incredible Cynthia Erivo. We can discuss them in a bit but to start I will say that the current production at Village Theatre is certainly in the 2015 camp, with its streamlined production and roof shaking performances.

Next month, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Tracie Thoms, Jenn Colella and more. See the full lineup here!

Initial casts have been revealed for Pride Plays 2025 in Washington, D.C., collaborating with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. See who is starring and learn more about Pride Plays!

Now heading into its second year on the road, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical has its destination set for the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) from Tuesday, June 10 to Father’s Day on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

Beat the summer heat and join Retro Rewind in the Gaslamp. Six amazing movies, three Sundays, two movies to choose from each Sunday. Learn more about the lineup here!

This fall, Jon Muq will join GRAMMY®-winning trio I’m With Her as direct support on their Wild and Clear and Blue tour. The run includes major stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and Muq’s adopted hometown of Austin.

It's a Summer Rewind from June to August at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts that will inspire audiences to crank up the hits and dust off those leg warmers for a totally tubular lineup celebrating the best of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. 

The much beloved childhood Hasbro board game Clue became a big screen hit in 1985 with the film directed by Jonathan Lynn starring Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn. Now, Toronto audiences get to play along with this laugh out loud lightning paced romp as Clue Live on Stage! takes to the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

Today’s subject Francesca Zambello is currently living her theatre life as the Artistic Director of Washington National Opera (WNO). She has been in the position since 2012. Her production of Porgy and Bess begins performances this evening in the Opera House at Kennedy Center where it will play through May 31st.

The Palace Theater will present 2025-2026 Webster Bank Broadway Series, with six fabulous titles! Regency heroines, a rock'n'roll icon, six suspicious dinner guests, a band on the verge of stardom, a fast-talking salesman and a charming librarian, and three blue musicians – this is a season of fantastic characters and delightful storytelling told across many theatrical forms!

Vassar College has announced the lineup for the 39th Powerhouse Theater Season. The annual summer season brings together some of today's most influential theatrical voices and welcomes the next generation of theater artists as members of the renowned Powerhouse Theater Training Program.

As Maine State Music Theatre opens its 2025 season with the sweeping Broadway musical Anastasia, audiences are invited on a journey from the twilight of Imperial Russia to the lights of 1920s Paris - a tale filled with hope, faith, and the search for identity. At the helm is director and choreographer Kenny Ingram, returning to MSMT after acclaimed productions of Funny Girl and 9 to 5, The Musical.

New subscribers can now reserve their seats for the 2025-26 Pavilion Performance Series Broadway shows! Next season's lineup includes both iconic stage performances and Sioux Falls debuts of new musicals.

A radical reimagining of the classic Elton John song, 'I'm Still Standing' has been released as the first single from Just For One Day - The Live Aid Musical (Original Cast Recording). Check it out now!

The North American Tour of BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical, now heading into its second year on the road, will welcome former Broadway cast members David Josefsberg and Nathaniel Hackmann as Doc Brown and Biff Tannen.

May 20, 2025 will mark the 31st anniversary of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA) given to ten risk-taking, mid-career artists - experimenters - who are challenging and transforming art, their respective disciplines, and society.

The Estate of Whitney Houston, Park Avenue Artists and Primary Wave Music are bringing the only authorized Whitney Houston Symphonic show to the Fred Kavli Theatre. Learn how to purchase tickets.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts will present Clue: On Stage, the side-splitting stage adaptation of the cult classic film and board game. This madcap mystery, directed by Segal Centre Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin, runs from June 8 to 29, 2025 in the Sylvan Adams Theatre.

Laurence Olivier nominated actor, Frank Ferrante, will mark his 40th consecutive year in the role of comedy legend Groucho Marx with a staged performance of An Evening With Groucho at Chicago‘s Teatro ZinZanni.

Charles Strouse, 96, the celebrated and multi-award-winning American film, television, and Broadway musical composer, died at his home in New York City on May 15.

The Mabel Mercer Foundation will present Elegance & Legacy: Celebrating the Mabel Mercer Foundation, a one-night-only gala event. Learn more and see how to attend!

Suzanne Vega will perform a career-spanning show including favorites like “Tom’s Diner,” “Luka,” and many more, plus new material from her forthcoming album Flying with Angels (May 2025) at Town Hall.

The new musical Goddess can currently be seen in its New York premiere production at the Public Theater on Lafayette Street. Directed by the Public’s associate artistic director and resident director Saheem Ali, who is currently Tony Award-nominated for directing Buena Vista Social Club, Goddess is playing at the Public’s largest space by capacity, the Newman Theatre.

Clue is based off of the 1985 black comedy film of the same name, based on the Hasbro game also of the same name. Reimagined by Sandy Rustin, with the help of Hunter Foster and Eric Prince, Clue provided roughly an hour and twenty-five minutes of continuous entertainment. It was a joy to watch.

The programming has been announced for Pride Plays 2025 in Washington, D.C., collaborating with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Learn more about the shows here!