Big Deal - 1961 - Chicago Articles Page 5

The potential prospect of the entertainment behemoth known as GLEE taking on perhaps the finest American musical ever written - WEST SIDE STORY - is enough to make any Broadway baby near-exultant, yet when the songs of the classic Bernstein/Sondheim score then are allowed to act as all-too-apt musical commentary on risque dramatic content in the highly controversial episode itself - all-too-appropriately named "The First Time" - a cataclysmic consequence can almost be counted on to inevitably arise. And, it did. Again. And again. And again - all night long. While it may have very well been Kurt, Rachel and Blaine's first roll in the hay, it would be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack to find much - if any - fault whatsoever with GLEE's button-pushing and excellently played tribute to Tony and Maria. Given what resulted from the doomed coupling of those Shakespeareans - Tony and Maria being more modern-day answers to Romeo and Juliet, of course - the ire of all the up-in-arms conservative helicopter parents in the country - and Capulets and Montagues, too, for that matter - could not even dare to try and contain the joy, excitement and sheer pleasure of what is undoubtedly one of GLEE's finest hours to date. There was a message or two to be learned, too. Yes, indeed, GLEE taking on WEST SIDE STORY went all the way - and then some. So, whether you are a Jet or Shark, you must be compelled to give it up for GLEE and its ode to WEST SIDE STORY.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE announces their EXHIBITION AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW for JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) announces preliminary program highlights for RADAR L.A., an international festival of contemporary theater running June 14-20. The festival is produced by REDCAT in collaboration with Center Theatre Group and The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival (New York), and a consortium including Theatre Communications Group, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, LA Stage Alliance and the Los Angeles Theatre Center. $50 multi-event passes go on sale in April and will allow audiences to attend performances for as little as $10.

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) announces preliminary program highlights for RADAR L.A., an international festival of contemporary theater running June 14-20. The festival is produced by REDCAT in collaboration with Center Theatre Group and The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival (New York), and a consortium including Theatre Communications Group, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, LA Stage Alliance and the Los Angeles Theatre Center. $50 multi-event passes go on sale in April and will allow audiences to attend performances for as little as $10.

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) announces preliminary program highlights for RADAR L.A., an international festival of contemporary theater running June 14-20. The festival is produced by REDCAT in collaboration with Center Theatre Group and The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival (New York), and a consortium including Theatre Communications Group, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, LA Stage Alliance and the Los Angeles Theatre Center. $50 multi-event passes go on sale in April and will allow audiences to attend performances for as little as $10.

REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) is proud to announce preliminary program highlights for RADAR L.A., an international festival of contemporary theater running June 14-20.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater concludes its 16th season with the world premiere of Carson McCullers Talks About Love, a theater piece with music written and performed by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Suzanne Vega ("Tom's Diner," "Luka") with music by Ms. Vega and Tony Award-winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening).

On March 11th, 2011 the New York Pops pays tribute to the late Judy Garland in a special concert at Carnegie Hall. The show will play homage to her famous 1961 concert at the same location, and features Broadway stars Ashley Brown, Heather Headley and Karen Olivo (as well as special guest Lorna Luft) All week we are speaking with the people involved in this special night, and today we are talking with Ashley Brown about Judy Garland, returning to Broadway in Mary Poppins and what comes next.

On March 11th, 2011 the New York Pops pays tribute to the late Judy Garland in a special concert at Carnegie Hall. The show will play homage to her famous 1961 concert at the same location, and features Broadway stars Ashley Brown, Heather Headley and Karen Olivo (as well as special guest Lorna Luft) Conductor Steven Reineke talks with BWW about the show.

WEST SIDE STORY will end its Los Angeles engagement on January 2nd, 2011.

Broadway/L.A. and the Producers of the national tour of the current smash hit Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY are proud to announce that, due to popular demand, the show has extended its Los Angeles engagement by two weeks. Added performances December 21st through January 2nd, 2011 will go on sale to the public on Sunday October 17th at 10am. WEST SIDE STORY will begin performances at the Pantages Theatre on November 30, 2010, and will now play a strictly-limited five-week holiday season engagement through January 2, 2011.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director, Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce its 25th Anniversary season productions.

The July 2010 National Jazz Museum in Harlem schedule puts particular focus on the visual side of the jazz genre, as we feature classic films in our Jazz for Curious Listeners series (inaugurating a new collaboration with The Maysles Institute), interview one of the premier jazz photographers in the nation, Frank Stewart, for our flagship Harlem Speaks public program, and screen a rare film of 'The High Priestess of Soul,' Nina Simone.

The July 2010 National Jazz Museum in Harlem schedule puts particular focus on the visual side of the jazz genre, as we feature classic films in our Jazz for Curious Listeners series (inaugurating a new collaboration with The Maysles Institute), interview one of the premier jazz photographers in the nation, Frank Stewart, for our flagship Harlem Speaks public program, and screen a rare film of 'The High Priestess of Soul,' Nina Simone.

For Women's History Month, an interview with the singer and activist, who has a new recording of 'Over the Rainbow' out and upcoming shows at Cafe Carlyle.

In March 2010, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem presents public programming that brings jazz fans closer to artists-emerging to living masters-that embody the art form that defines America to itself and to the world.

Today, John McGrath, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales announced the company's first year of work at a press briefing in Cardiff that was simultaneously broadcast to the world via the internet.

Goodman Theatre launches its new 2009/2010 Season with tap dancing, acrobatics, tumbling, guitar- and ukulele-playing in an original take on the rarely-produced Marx Brothers classic musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, October 19, 2009.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie, after a 48 year absence, as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) beginning Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.

After a 48 year absence, Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) beginning Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.

Goodman Theatre launches its new 2009/2010 Season with tap dancing, acrobatics, tumbling, guitar- and ukulele-playing in an original take on the rarely-produced Marx Brothers classic musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

After a 48 year absence, Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) beginning Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.

Goodman Theatre launches its new 2009/2010 Season with tap dancing, acrobatics, tumbling, guitar- and ukulele-playing in an original take on the rarely-produced Marx Brothers classic musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie, after a 48 year absence, as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) beginning Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.