Christmas in July - 2000 - London Fringe Articles Page 8

Lythgoe Family Panto (LFP) expands across America this holiday season, including a multi-year deal at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium beginning with their newest production - THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ. It will be directed by Bonnie Lythgoe and choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo (NappyTabs), with book by Kris Lythgoe and Michael Orland (American Idol) serving as musical arranger and supervisor. Casting is by executive producer Becky Lythgoe. This will be the seventh holiday season of Lythgoe Family Panto in Pasadena, and their second in this larger venue.

Eclipse Theatre Company announces 2019 season will feature the comedic works of playwright Christopher Durang

Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC), one of the world's leading children's choirs, celebrates the holidays with its annual Winter Concert, entitled "Winter Wonderland: Sounds of the Season," which marks the first stand-alone program led by the Chorus' new Artistic Director, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, on two consecutive Sundays, December 9 and 16, 2018, at 7:30 pm, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Some 250 choristers are featured in the multi-media vocal program, which is geared for people of all ages and includes an array of favorite carols, seasonal songs from Venezuela and winter-themed works by Bach, Kodaly, Elgar, Verdi, Saint-Saens and others.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Paradise Square: An American Musical. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moises Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster. Paradise Square is produced by special arrangement with Garth H. Drabinsky in association with Peter LeDonne and Teatro Proscenium Limited Partnership.

Some of the country's most exciting young stars - Jessica Barden, Kate O'Flynn, Hayley Squires, Luke Thallon and Russell Tovey have joined the highly-anticipated Harold Pinter season Pinter at the Pinter, together with the legendary Sir Antony Sher and Penelope Wilton.

Even if you have seen it before, I cannot stress enough how miraculous the current production of ANNIE is at the Hollywood Bowl, directed with creative ingenuity by Michael Arden. Featured in the cast of incredibly talented triple-threat (acting, singing, dancing) performers are Ana Gasteyer as the ruthless headmistress Miss Agatha Hannigan, David Alan Grier as the refined, generous billionaire Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks, Lea Salonga as his dedicated and caring assistant Grace Farrell, with newcomer Kaylin Hedges as Annie, who won the role over hundreds of other young girls from across the country who submitted video auditions to win role. Miss Hedges is the cornerstone of the production and her soaring, pitch-perfect voice and effervescent stage presence setting the jubilant tone for the entire ensemble.

Quite possibly the most popular family-friendly stage musical of all time, ANNIE---the classic 1977 Tony Award winner for Best Musical based on Harold Gray's 'Little Orphan Annie' comic strip---seems like a no-brainer choice to appear as the annual all-star summer musical at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl. So it's actually not a surprise that this plucky, unabashedly charming production---now causing giddy bursts of laughter and collective choruses of 'awwww's' at Hollywood's iconic 18,000-seat outdoor arena for two more performances this weekend---is such a perfect fit. And judging by its marvelous opening night performance this past Friday, July 27, the production itself is sure to win over anyone in attendance of its remaining shows.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces Flat Is Beautiful: The Strange Case of Pixelvision, August 10-16. 

Actordirectorwriter Michael Arden needs no introduction. He was nominated for a second Tony this past season for directing the Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical Once On This Island and is the first Artist.In.Residence at the Wallis Annenberg Theatre here in Los Angeles where he has directed Spring Awakening among many other productions. In our conversation he talks about directing Annie at the Hollywood Bowl, set to open next week Friday July 27. He also explores why the classic Award-winning show is still a popular revival.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company (ASC) will present an outdoor production of LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST by William Shakespeare July 13 - 29, 2018 on the front lawn of St. John's College located at 60 College Avenue in Annapolis, MD. One of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare's tale of love and courtship is brought to life in this Edwardian reimagining from the Annapolis Shakespeare Company.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company (ASC) will present an outdoor production of LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST by William Shakespeare July 13 - 29, 2018 on the front lawn of St. John's College located at 60 College Avenue in Annapolis, MD. One of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare's tale of love and courtship is brought to life in this Edwardian reimagining from the Annapolis Shakespeare Company.

Casting is now complete for the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of Annie. The new cast members are Roger Bart as Daniel 'Rooster' Hannigan, Kaylin Hedges as Annie, Ali Stroker as 'Star-to-Be,' Amir Talai as Bert Healy, Marlow Barkley as Kate, Amadi Chapata as Pepper, Noe Lynds as July, Rae Martinez as Tessie, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja as Molly, and Olivia Zenetzis as Duffy.

American Authors and Brandon Victor Dixon join the incredible slate of performers for NBC's annual "Macy's 4th of JulyFireworks® Spectacular," which airs Wednesday, July 4 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT) with an hourlong encore presentation at 10 p.m. Dixon will be joined by the iconic Harlem Gospel Choir for a rendition of the patriotic "America the Beautiful."

Next month, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

After a successful run in Central Park, playing to over 4,000 people, performances resume on Wednesday, June 27 in Rockefeller Park/Battery Park City for New York Classical Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by the company's Founding Artistic Director Stephen Burdman. The production will play this week through June 30, before continuing on to The Battery, Carl Schurz Park, and Brooklyn Bridge Park for performances through July 29. There is no ticketing, and all performances are free and open to the public. Performance schedule can be found at newyorkclassical.org.   

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free staged readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists. Members of the 2017/2018 Playwrights Unit include Sam Collier, Ricardo Gamboa, Isaac Gomez, Kristin Idaszak and Nigel O'Hearn. Free, one-time-only readings take place July 14-18 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); to make a reservation call 312.443.3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org/PlaywrightsUnit. Availability is extremely limited.

New Titles Coming to Amazon Prime Video and Prime Video Channels July 2018

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free staged readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists.

Keith Allen, Phil Davis, Paapa Essiedu, Rupert Graves, Gary Kemp, John Simm and Maggie Steed have joined the extraordinary company of Pinter at the Pinter, the unprecedented season featuring all twenty of Harold Pinter's one-act plays, running from September 2018 to February 2019, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Nobel Prize winner's death. The plays are directed by Jamie Lloyd, Patrick Marber, Ed Stambollouian, Lyndsey Turner and Lia Williams, with design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Jon Clark and Richard Howell, and sound and music by George Dennis and Ben & Max Ringham. Further casting to be announced.

Pittsburgh CLO's THE FULL MONTY will take it all off at the Benedum Center this summer July 6 - 15. With a book written by Terrence McNally (Ragtime) and the music/ lyric talents of David Yazbek (The Band's Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), this duo cooks up an aggressive crowd-pleaser that is both highly-entertaining and charmingly uplifting.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues its 56th season with its second Main Stage production, Titus Andronicus. Resident Director Brian B. Crowe will helm this rarely produced Shakespearean tragedy. STNJ veteran Bruce Cromer will play the title role; Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli and returning company members Vanessa Morosco and Benjamin Eakeley will play leading roles amongst a cast of 20 actors that also includes young artists from the Theatre's renowned Summer Professional Training Program.

Winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, with conductor Donald Nally, today announces its 2018-19 season, titled Aniara. The season-which is centered around exploring mankind's place in the universe, the relationships between humans, navigating through space and life, and the passage of time - features The Crossing's New York Philharmonic and Peak Performances debuts, the world premiere of the choral-theater work Aniara: fragments of time and space; and world premieres by Gavin Bryars, Michael Gordon, Thomas Lloyd, and Toivo Tulev.

July brings three Prime Original series exclusively available for Prime members to stream or download at no additional cost to their membership.

Take a fun-packed trip back in time to the electric 80's with the world premiere of Club Tropicana The Musical, a summer adventure of love in the sun, with a soundtrack of smash-hit pop classics - it really is the feel-good musical of the year!

July brings three Prime Original series exclusively available for Prime members to stream or download at no additional cost to their membership.