Better Days - 1991 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 9

Dayton's premier professional regional theatre continues its legacy of developing new works and its long-standing relationship with New York writer Michael Slade as it prepares for the first ever production of Slade's latest play, Family Shots, at downtown's The Loft Theatre. Charming family patriarch Sam Baker lies in a hospital bed, recovering from an apparent heart attack, but his wife, Marsha, won't stop making the crisis all about her -- much to the dismay of their son, Aaron. The young photographer wonders why his parents even stay together while he and his husband, Malcolm, deal with their own issues as newlyweds. Intimate, yet universal, Family Shots is a wildly funny and touching comedy about marriage -- its joys, challenges and responsibilities -- and what's worth fighting for. The production runs tonight, January 22 - February 8, 2015.

LONDON

Dayton's premier professional regional theatre continues its legacy of developing new works and its long-standing relationship with New York writer Michael Slade as it prepares for the first ever production of Slade's latest play, Family Shots, at downtown's The Loft Theatre. Charming family patriarch Sam Baker lies in a hospital bed, recovering from an apparent heart attack, but his wife, Marsha, won't stop making the crisis all about her -- much to the dismay of their son, Aaron. The young photographer wonders why his parents even stay together while he and his husband, Malcolm, deal with their own issues as newlyweds. Intimate, yet universal, Family Shots is a wildly funny and touching comedy about marriage -- its joys, challenges and responsibilities -- and what's worth fighting for. The production runs January 22 - February 8, 2015.

Following the internationally acclaimed production with sold-out engagements on Broadway and in London's West End, television legend, Oscar recipient and five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury returns to the stage in Noel Coward's smash-hit comedic play 'Blithe Spirit' in an exciting North American tour to be launched at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre.

After four years reviewing cabaret shows, more than two for BroadwayWorld, our lead New York cabaret critic Stephen Hanks will be giving up reviewing shows to be the BWW Cabaret section's Editor and lead feature writer. Here's how he became a cabaret reviewer, why he's giving it up, and who he's brought on board to make up BWW's new cabaret reviewing team.

It's that special time of year again -- time for Hell in Handbag's Annual Benefit -- and this year it's going to be better than Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa combined! Handbag is going to Deck the Halls - Deck the DEIDRE Hall(s), that is -- at A VERY SPECIAL RUDOLPH on Sunday, December 7, 2014 from 5 pm -- 10 pm at Dank Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave. in Chicago.

Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) has joined the cast of the Encores! Special Event The Band Wagon in the role of Jeffrey Cordova, an egotistical British director. (Roger Rees, previously announced in the role, is no longer available.) The Band Wagon cast stars Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, seven-time Emmy Award winner Tracey Ullman, Academy Award nominee Michael McKean, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse and Don Stephenson. The Band Wagon will open on Sunday, November 8.

THE LAST SHIP - the new musical with music and lyrics by 16-time Grammy Award-winner Sting and book by Tony Award winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Yorkey opens tonight, October 26. The Last Ship is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello and choreographed by Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Steven Hoggett. Scroll down to learn more about the full cast and watch the company onstage in a commercial for the show below!

This just in! Previously announced Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be joined by Tony Award winner Roger Rees, seven-time Emmy Award winner Tracey Ullman, Academy Award nominee Michael McKean, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse, and Don Stephenson in The Band Wagon, an Encores! Special Event from November 6 - 16, 2014 at City Center. The Band Wagon will open on Sunday, November 8.

The Postal Service is cooking up a feast of 20 million Limited Edition Celebrity Chefs Forever stamps today. The sugar-free, fat-free, zero-calorie stamps will be on the menu of the nation's Post Offices beginning today.

Following the internationally acclaimed production with sold-out engagements on Broadway and in London's West End, television legend, Oscar recipient and five-time Tony Award-winner Angela Lansbury returns to the stage in Noel Coward's smash-hit comedic play 'Blithe Spirit' in an exciting North American tour to be launched at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre.

The biggest challenge in personalizing a tribute show is when the set list is structured to tell a story about the performer's life. Those songs better be good, that life better be interesting, and that storytelling patter better be clever, humorous, and self-deprecating or an audience (let alone a reviewer) will tune you out quicker than a liberal accidentally hitting FOX News on the remote. I recently saw two different shows at The Duplex from enchanting young women performers—Carly Ozard and Nikki MacCallum--who deftly managed to weave their love of a singer (Bette Midler for Ozard) or a songbook (Kander & Ebb for MacCallum) into a tale of life journey and personal growth to produce charming and entertaining shows.

The National Coalition Against Censorship has been joined by the National Opera Association, Article 19, The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, Free Expression Policy Project, freeDimensional, Freemuse, and PEN American Center in issuing a statement (read online) opposing the Metropolitan Opera's cancellation of live, high-definition screenings of John Adams' opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, to 65 countries. The statement urges the Metropolitan and its director, Peter Gelb, to reconsider and proceed with the scheduled simulcast. The list of organizations joining the statement is expected to grow in the next few days.

SummerWorks Performance Festival returns for its 24th year August 7 -17, 2014. This year's season is sure to thrill with exciting changes, a crop of new works and moments of intensity, self-discovery and much more waiting to be discovered. SummerWorks is excited to announce its new Hub at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St W), where they will host Live Art programming throughout the 2014 Festival, replacing last year's Performance Bar. SummerWorks is also pleased to return to venues such as Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Ave), the Lower Ossington Theatre (100 Ossington Ave) and the Scotiabank Studio Theatre (6 Noble St).

Following the record-breaking attendance of Festival 2013, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announces the full 2014 Festival free and ticketed event schedule. Jacob's Pillow is a National Historic Landmark, home to America's longest-running dance festival, and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Noted dance writer Jennifer Dunning has called the Pillow "the dance center of the nation, possibly the world."

Kim Novak presented this year Oscars. Afterwards, she received bullying from numerous people about her appearance. Novak decided that she was tired of all the bullying and wanted to speak out against it.

Canadian Rep Theatre kicks off the new year with the English-language premiere of Pacamambo by Quebec's award-winning Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Shelley Tepperman, and directed by Canadian Rep Artistic Director Ken Gass. This emotionally powerful and lyrical work opens January 21 and runs to February 2 (previewing from January 18) at The Citadel in Regent Park. Tickets range from $15-$36 with special pricing for families and students, and are available by calling 416-504-7529 or by visiting www.canadianrep.ca. Pacamambo, premiered in French in Montreal in 2000. Conceived as a play for children about death, it is a life-affirming and magical theatre experience for audiences of all ages. It tells the story of Julie, a young girl teetering between denial and rage, who disappeared for 23 days until discovered in her grandmother's apartment basement storage locker with her dog, Growl, and the badly decomposing body of her grandmother.

Canadian Rep Theatre kicks off the new year with the English-language premiere of Pacamambo by Quebec's award-winning Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Shelley Tepperman, and directed by Canadian Rep Artistic Director Ken Gass. This emotionally powerful and lyrical work opens today, January 21 and runs through February 2 (previewing from January 18) at The Citadel in Regent Park. Tickets range from $15-$36 with special pricing for families and students, and are available by calling 416-504-7529 or by visiting www.canadianrep.ca.

The Sundance Institute welcomes the members of the six juries awarding prizes at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, today, January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

Sundance Institute announced today the members of the six juries awarding prizes at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. Short Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony on January 21 at Park City's Jupiter Bowl. Feature film awards will be announced at a separate ceremony on January 25 in Park City, hosted by husband-and-wife duo Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally and livestreamed at www.sundance.org/live. Offerman headlines the film Nick Offerman: American Ham in the Festival's Premieres section. Mullally voices a character in the English-language version of Ernest and Celestine, which will have its world premiere in the Festival's new Sundance Kids section.

The Lark Play Development Center in collaboration with Mexico's National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONCA) is pleased to announce the 2013 Mexico/ U.S. Playwright Exchange Program. For the eighth year the Lark will host playwrights from Mexico and pair them with bilingual U.S. playwrights, actors, and directors for a ten day cultural exploration that establishes ongoing channels of communication between artists in both countries.

Canadian Rep Theatre kicks off the new year with the English-language premiere of Pacamambo by Quebec's award-winning Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Shelley Tepperman, and directed by Canadian Rep Artistic Director Ken Gass. This emotionally powerful and lyrical work opens January 21 and runs to February 2 (previewing from January 18) at The Citadel in Regent Park.

Executive Producer Kathy Connell vividly remembers the 14 months leading up to the inaugural Screen Actors Guild Awards® ceremony.

The Purple Rose Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that Jeff Daniels' The Meaning of Almost Everything has been recommended for consideration for the American Theatre Critics Association's annual ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award, honoring new scripts produced outside of New York City in the calendar year 2013.

The Lark Play Development Center in collaboration with Mexico's National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONCA) is pleased to announce the 2013 Mexico/ U.S. Playwright Exchange Program. For the eighth year the Lark will host playwrights from Mexico and pair them with bilingual U.S. playwrights, actors, and directors for a ten day cultural exploration that establishes ongoing channels of communication between artists in both countries.