As You Like It - 1997 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 3

Countertenor John Holiday stars as Akhnaten in LA Opera’s spectacular revival of the acclaimed Philip Glass opera, February 28 through March 22 - and I can’t wait to see it.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 50th Anniversary Season with August Strindberg’s master class in marital warfare The Dance of Death, adapted by Conor McPherson, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov and featuring an all ensemble cast. 

It’s… Hairspray! BroadwayWorld is taking a look back at what the cast of this beloved musical has been up to since the show first graced the Broadway stage!

Ruth Eckerd Hall will host the 4th Annual Clearwater Smooth Jazz Jam on May 30 and 31, featuring top jazz artists. Tickets for the event will go on sale this Friday.

The reason the play works at all is because of the sheer strength of its production values and the commitment of its cast. When you look at all the design elements – sets, lighting, illusions, choreography – and combine it with performers who move through that space with the same ease as one breathes, it create a cohesive, immersive world that feels both magical and meticulously controlled.

Beginning Monday, February 2nd, the Tony-winning, record-breaking Broadway hit Chicago will welcome M. Kilgore as “Mary Sunshine” along with new ensemble members Austin Dunn, Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Christopher Kelley and Jeff Sullivan.

During and prior to the Golden Age of Broadway, songs regularly premiered on stage and then charted, spending time on the radio and becoming popular worldwide. In the 1960s, Broadway songs and popular music diverged, and work from musicals was no longer synonymous with chart hits. There have certainly been a good share of exceptions since that decade, as Broadway has evolved to mirror popular, current music genres. Several of the songs that have broken through to the Billboard charts can be heard on Broadway! 

The history of shows that have transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway is well documented. Hundreds of Broadway plays and musicals started out off-Broadway before making the leap to a Broadway house. But much more rare is the circumstance of a show starting out off-off-Broadway (that’s right, two ‘off’s!) and traveling all the way to the main stem. One of these shows is playing right now, and is a major theatre success story with off-off-Broadway roots!

The Broadway production of Ragtime was a glorious accomplishment, a riveting testament to the original American musical and to all that America itself could be. The show ran for 834 performances at the Ford Center, closing in the final year of the 20th century. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, taking home four.

This interactive murder mystery invites the audience to help solve the mystery. Clue The Musical asks audiences at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre whodunit January 9-February 7.

Theatre By The Sea owner and producer Bill Hanney has announced the 2026 Summer Schedule, which will include four beloved musicals. The season will open with Little Shop of Horrors.

Marking its 31st year, LA Art Show will return to the LA Convention Center. Led by director and producer Kassandra Voyagis, the fair will feature more than 90 exhibitors.

Looking back over 2025, it appears I sat in a dark room and wrote barely legible thoughts into a notebook on about 150-odd occasions. By the grace of God and the BroadwayWorld UK editor, I saw a real smörgåsbord of delights, everything from highly anticipated West End theatre to opera, dance, circus, cabaret, comedy and immersive theatre.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will join Palm Beach Symphony for the Masterworks Series Concert at Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.

It wasn’t until later on in theatre history that revivals began including shows that weren’t initially well received or financially successful in their initial engagements. As musical theatre continued to evolve, and more shows entered the canon, a consensus began to grow about shows being worthy of additional exploration even if they hadn’t been hits the first time around. What about musicals that had been ahead of their time, musicals that had fallen prey to circumstances, early works by writers who became successful later on, and of course, shows that found an audience after closing via their cast recordings?

The idea of the concept album took flight at the same time as the idea of the rock musical. A concept album introduces audiences to the score of a musical by deliberately releasing an album of the songs before any live production exists at all. The concept album ostensibly stands on its own terms.

Cher, Paul Simon, Whitney Houston, and more will be honored during the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Jan. 31, 2026. The event will celebrate the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustee Award and Technical Grammy Award recipients at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. 

This season, three plays are receiving Broadway debuts which already made significant noise off-Broadway in their original productions, years ago. Becky Shaw, Bug, and Marjorie Prime will all be opening on Broadway in early 2026 in brand new productions. The first and last are spending time on Broadway at the Hayes under the auspices of Second Stage while Bug is being presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at their home, the Friedman. 

Next week, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including 54 Celebrates Hanukkah, Jantzen Theatrical’s Christmas in New York and more. 

The Storm Theatre Company announced the cast and creative team for for its upcoming production of An Ideal Husband, the classic play by Oscar Wilde which will be presented at The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will present the return of the American Songbook series with a new season curated by producer, creative director, and Lincoln Center Artist-in-Residence Clint Ramos.

Marieann Meringolo is bringing her critically acclaimed Annual Holiday Show IN THE SPIRIT to Chelsea Table + Stage on Saturday, December 6th. Read a conversation with her about this enchanting sleigh ride through a musical Winter Wonderland.

In a kinder, gentler world, Ben Folds’ name would be mentioned in the same breath as piano greats Billy Joel and Elton John. Like the other two, Folds is a brilliant lyricist, a fantastic pianist, and an amazing storyteller.

The Old Globe has revealed the full cast and creative team of a special concert presentation of ¡Cómo el Grinch robó la Navidad!, the world premiere Spanish language version of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Hackett didn’t fall below any standards; he set new ones. He delighted the crowd with electrifying solos and spread the spotlight around equally to the rest of the band.