As You Were - 1920 - Broadway Articles Page 11

a?oeGypsya?? is undeniably one of the all-time great achievements of the American musical theater. It possesses a thrilling combination of showbiz razzmatazz and dramatic intensity, grounded in Arthur Laurents' complex book and wrapped in an incomparably tuneful and stirring score by Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim. For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of seeing a?oeGypsy,a?? here's the basic rundown. This a?oemusical fablea?? is pretty much the ultimate backstage musical, set in the 1920's/30's against the backdrop of the dying vaudeville circuit and based on the true tale of the ultimate stage mother and her two daughters. Momma Rose, dissatisfied with the lousy cards life has dealt her, pushes her two young daughters to careers in show business as a way of fulfilling her own dreams. In real life, one eventually became successful actress June Havoc, and the other perhaps the most famous American stripper of all time, Gypsy Rose Lee. The show is replete with kiddie acts, charm songs, comic numbers and roof-raising anthems, all performed with a dual edge of gusto and desperation.

David Hirata is the creator and sole performer of a?oeA Box Without a Bottom (Soko-nashi Bako)a?? currently running at The Marsh Berkeley. Within the context of a magic show, Mr. Hirata connects his own personal story to that of earlier Japanese magicians in a way that explores the illusions of race and identity in America. Talking with him, it's evident that he's a true magic geek as he delights in sharing his extensive knowledge about the history of magic and finding hidden links to his heritage as a Japanese American.

There's a reason that Frank Loesser's a?oeGuys & Dollsa?? has endured all these years and keeps coming back, it's a near perfect musical. It's fun and frothy with that rare breed of songs that all move the story along and tell a story of their own. But with these songs, and because of them, you need a love story that reads true, connections with everyone on stage, and storytelling in the staging and choreography as well as in the dialog and lyrics. And while the current production at Village Theatre has some numbers that worked and some wonderful performers, it lacked those three elements making the show a nice collection of performances with no spark or cohesion.

When thinking of the great composers and playwrights whose works have graced Arena Stage, these are the names that come to mind. So when Disney's Newsies was announced for this season, it is understandable why some were shaking their head quizzically.

George Gershwin loved going to nightclubs. One evening when he was “on the town' with his pal Fred Astaire as they were in a club enjoying a group of entertainers George turned to Fred and said…”Where do all these new young talented people come from”?

When tragedy strikes it is often the relationships forged between those who survived that allows the victims to carry on. This shared experience bonds strangers and families alike. But what about those who were spared? Though family and friends not present may have avoided the worst, they, too, struggle with reconciling the impact to those they love and the guilt they feel having not been impacted directly. And all involved have to find a way to move on and live their lives. This prevailing emotion is at the center of Barbara Lebow's play, A SHAYNA MAIDEL which is now playing at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford.

The F. Scott Fitzgerald classic 'The Great Gatsby' is almost 100 years old, but the story still resonates.

RADIUM GIRLS, D.W. Gregory's sobering play based on real events is onstage at the Kimmel Theatre on Midland University campus. Yellowed newspaper articles about the Radium Girls, photographs, and copies of luminous watch faces and drinks are on display in the lobby, getting us prepared for the story to come. And let me tell you: this is one not to miss.

Lately John Austin's career seems to have two constants, exploring society's most topical issues and doing so at Arena Stage.

IN CIRCLES is a feast for the eyes, even if Gertrude Stein's texts as lyrics seem nonsensical at times. Just go with the flow and let the atmosphere of the avant-garde 1968 theatre scene set your mind free! If only Stein's lover Alice B. Toklas was there to hand out her special recipe brownies to enhance the 80-minute experience!

It's true what they say; the classics never do go out of style. That's particularly true with 1927's The Jazz Singer. The first feature-length 'sound film,' Alan Crosland's The Jazz Singer made history with its use of synchronized sound, however it's also remembered for its controversial use of blackface. Now, almost a century later, audience members get the opportunity to re-discover such a significant production in an entirely new medium.

When the Seattle Rep announced their season and I saw they were taking on Paula Vogel's incredible play a?oeIndecenta?? I was thrilled. But even more so I was surprised as to how many of my friends hadn't heard of it. I mean, it was nominated for a Tony, and even had the entire thing shown on PBS at one point. But still it was only the major theater geeks that had this one on their radar. Well, now that it's here I'm pleased to state that the Rep's production completely met and exceeded my expectations and now I can share my thoughts on this stunning play with you, Dear Readers, and explain why you need to catch it.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents renowned German clarinetist David Orlowsky and Italy's famed Quartetto di Cremona in a spellbinding Klezmer journey on Saturday, October 12, 2019, at 7:30 pm in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at The Wallis.

An arresting artistic light shines over Lyric Arts in September, 2019. To begin their fall season,  Anoka's enterprising theater company produces on the Main Stage Theater, Bright Star--- a 2016 award winning musical by the creative genius of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. These two talents captured an interpretation of their Grammy Award winning album 'Love Has Come For You'  in their engaging production set in North Carolina through flashbacks beginning in 1945 that returns to  the early1920's. Lively compositions featuring bluegrass melodies enrapture the audience, while the musical's Southern ambiance and characters bring this uniquely American musical genre to stage life in one memorable and mesmerizing evening.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music Director Louis Langrée announce the release of the Orchestra's latest recording, Transatlantic. The album showcasing American composer George Gershwin's take on bustling Paris, French composer Edgar Varèse's take on New York's soundscape, and Igor Stravinsky composing the same work across two continents became available on Friday, August 30 for streaming and purchase digitally. A two-compact disc physical release of Transatlantic will be available September 13, 2019. This album includes the highly anticipated world premiere recording of the critical edition of George Gershwin's An American in Paris. The CSO also gave the world premiere performance of this new edition at La Seine Musicale in Paris in 2017.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Roxie) and Alinta Chidzey (Velma) lead the Sydney return of Walter Bobbie's multi award winning revival of John Kander (Music), Fred Ebb (Lyrics & Book), and Bob Fosse's (Book) CHICAGO

IMMERSIVE | LDN is a 32,000sq ft historic building in the heart of Mayfair, which was home to the Queen Victoria's Rifles Association until 2017. It includes three floors of immersive theatre and event spaces designated for performance, live gaming, events, escape rooms and private parties. For information about programming and venue hire visit www.immersiveldn.com

If Jayne Atkinson were looking for a tour-de-force, then she found one as the late Texas governor holding court at Arena Stage in Ann. Written by Holland Taylor, Ann is a one woman play about the late Texas Governor Ann Richards that is part reflective autobiography, part homage to public service, and always entertaining.

San Francisco Playhouse is thrilled to announce that their production of Dipika Guha's Yoga Play will move to Laguna Playhouse this fall. San Francisco Playhouse Artistic Director Bill English will direct, with most of the original Playhouse cast reprising their roles in the Southern California production.

Broadway and TV actor Frances Jue is currently starring in TheatreWorks' production of Julia Cho's 'The Language Archive.' Mr. Jue recently talked to BroadwayWorld about his lengthy and surprising career path, from his formative experiences with Stephen Sondheim and TheatreWorks to working with Tony winners David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, and of course his continuing role on the CBS television series 'Madam Secretary.' His fascinating story serves as an inspiring example for anyone who doesn't see a clear path to success or struggles to find a place to fit in.

The U.S. tour of the Olivier Award-winning THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG lands at the Ahmanson Theatre for its Los Angeles stop beginning July 9, 2019. This madcap play-within-a-play also won, among other laurels, the Tony for Best Scenic Design in 2017. I 'rightfully' got a chance to ask a few questions of WRONG's Brandon J. Ellis. Brandon's the U.S. tour's original Trevor, the sound and lighting tech handling the play-within-a-play THE MURDER AT HAVERSHAM MANOR, a 1920's murder mystery.

This is one fast and furiously entertaining show!

INDECENT now onstage at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in a co-production with Huntington Theatre Company, magnificently directed by Rebecca Taichman, is as close to a Broadway-quality production as you will ever see in the City of Angels, with incredibly entertaining, stylized movement performed by triple-threat performers, guaranteed to draw you into not only the story but the necessity of its truth being brought to the stage now.

Notable for being the final selection of Woolly's incomparable Founding Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz, Rajiv Joseph's 'Describe the Night' is a must-see for any serious DC area theatergoer

Jeff Goldblum is behind the piano at the helm of the jazz ensemble, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Providing smooth charm with playful vamp. The 'hep-cat' works the crowd with Q and A, playing trivia, and laying down classic jazz standards and improv. Sunday June 2nd, Goldblum's The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra will be performing an intimate and energetic jazz performance at the 2019 Viva Health Starlight Gala for the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.