Chicago - 1975 - Broadway Articles Page 19

From April 16-30, 2021, Carnegie Hall will present Voices of Hope, an online festival that examines the resilience of artists, exploring works that they felt compelled to create despite—and often because of—appalling circumstances and human tragedy.

The story of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Lion has continued to enthrall children and adults and been reinvented every generation. It found its most enduring place in American culture at the end of the Great Depression when The Wizard of Oz, the MGM feature film starring Judy Garland, opened on August 25, 1939.

After the company’s first summer away from Austin Gardens park in 46 years in 2020, Oak Park Festival Theatre returns to its outdoor home, located in downtown Oak Park, with “The Tempest,” by William Shakespeare, directed by Barbara Zahora. The production will be staged July 15-Aug. 21. 

The criteria are that these shows have been nominated for Best Musical from the 3rd Tony Awards (the ceremony that started the Best Musical category) in 1949 to the nominations of what will now be the 74th Tony Awards in 2021. I will be determining their signs based upon their Broadway premiere date. With those rules in mind, here we go!

Today's top stories: TodayTix launches in person concert series with Lauren Patten, Hamilton begins performances in Sydney, and more!

Actor, presenter and winner of Strictly Come Dancing Ore Oduba (Curtains / Grease) will star as Brad Majors in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show. Back by huge popular demand, the legendary musical will tour the UK between July 2021 and June 2022.

PS CLASSICS has announced the release of All the Girls – the new album from Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert – on CD online and in stores today, Friday, March 5. It was released in digital and streaming formats in December. The album marks the final recording by Ms. Luker, a Broadway luminary for over 30 years, who passed away late last year.

With Women in Theatre Through the Decades, we will be highlighting the vital role that women have played in theatre history, showcasing those who paved the way and who continue to make history today. This week, we are highlighting the accomplishments of women in theatre throughout the 1960s and the 1970s!

In honor of Women's History Month, we're taking a look at some iconic real-life women who have been portrayed on stage in musicals!

This week's Theater Stories features The Minskoff Theatre! Learn about the stars to have graced the Minskoff stage, including Debbie Reynolds, Debbie Allen, Bette Midler, Glenn Close & more; the theater's longest-running show, The Lion King, and much more!

This album was written and recorded from 2019 to 2021. Many friends brought their talents to the garage and those shut in during the pandemic were recorded via the internet.

There is a particular snobbery surrounding musical theatre: critics say that in a moment of high drama, crisis or emotion, the most unrealistic thing to do would be to break into song. Musicals are too camp, annoying and definitely not cool. They appeal to the coach parties of tourists rocking up in Leicester Square every weekend (those were the days!). However, musicals are not representations of real life, nor do they pretend to be. A successful musical has a magical combination of highly memorable music, an engaging storyline, incredible choreography and visually impressive set and costume design. It’s not a coincidence that the best musical theatre performers are called a triple threat, as they act, sing and dance, often without any perceivable effort.

Hopefully this list gives you some new reads, and if not, reminded you of some old favorites.

Iconic composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith has been named a 2021 USA Fellow by United States Artists. The award honors Smith’s creative accomplishments and supports his ongoing artistic and professional development. 

This week's Theater Stories features the Shubert Theatre! Learn about one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time, A Chorus Line, the incredibly successful production of To Kill a Mockingbird, the star-studded revival of Hello, Dolly! and more.

The Strand Theatre will stream the film Chicago on March 19 at 7pm.

Choreographer and director Camille A. Brown was honored by the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) on Thursday evening, January 14th, 2020 with the Distinguished Artist Award, presented by Alicia Adams, VP International Programming at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Martin Markinson, one of the leading Broadway producers and independent theatre owners of the past 50 years, died on Thursday, January 7th at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico surrounded by love. He was 89 years old.

Today we celebrate the birthday of the late, great Broadway icon, Gwen Verdon

Considered Mississippi’s first artist to work consistently in a Modernist style, Dusti Bongé (1903–93) was active in New York’s dynamic art scene and creative communities which flourished along the Gulf Coast in the 1930s through the early 1990s.

Beloved Broadway production supervisor Arthur P. Siccardi has passed away at 89. Arthur P., II was one of the best-loved figures in the American theater, with a distinguished career as a production supervisor that spanned five decades working with the biggest stars, directors and producers on some of the best-known shows in Broadway history.

Weaver, designer, collector, gardener, author, world traveler, entrepreneur, teacher, and cultural scholar, Jack Lenor Larsen was mentor to textile connoisseurs, designers, artisans and artists throughout his eventful and gratifying 93 years. He died peacefully on the evening of December 22, 2020 of natural causes in East Hampton, New York.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads. 

Ann Reinking’s kicks, smile, charisma, and passion will have an ever-lasting impact on me and the rest of the Broadway community. May she Rest In Peace.

PS CLASSICS will release All the Girls – the new album from Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert – on Friday, December 25 in digital and streaming formats. A CD will be available on Friday, January 15, 2021. The pair have recorded a celebration of womanhood in all its complexities and expressions.