Friends Like These - 2005 - New York Articles Page 20

Remember The Marvelous Wonderettes and Life Could Be a Dream? Creator Roger Bean had two tremendous musical hits in these shows. The Marvelous Wonderettes featured four FBF, and Life... four guy pals. They both focused on living your dream to the fullest, and featured young teens aspiring to the max. Both had great background pop songs of the 50s, 60 and beyond. Wonderettes went beyond the teen years with two sequels Winter Wonderettes and Caps and Gowns, in which we saw the gals grow up and meet life's struggles head on. On the shelf since about 2005, Honky Tonk Laundry is Bean's two character musical a la Always Patsy Cline, where he took pop country music and let two ladies have their way with it. They become best friends in the process, compared to Thelma and Louise. Currently onstage at the Hudson in Hollywood, Honky Tonk Laundry is a big audience winner due to its dynamic stars Bets Malone and Misty Cotton, who sing and act the bejesus out of it. Some might call it overkill with anyone else, but these two uber talents keep the audience begging for more. In Roger Bean musicals, the plot is slight and overshadowed by the fun musical numbers and silly dia

Ed Greene died peacefully in Los Angeles on August 9th, with his family by his side. He was 82 years old. Ed is survived by his wife of ­­­30 years, Lynne Cruise, and his children, Grant, Sam, Lynda and Larry in Los Angeles, and his brother David in Toronto. 

Tectonic Theater Project has announced casting for the New York premiere of Uncommon Sense, a new play about living on the autism spectrum, which the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture presents for five weeks only, October 25 to November 26, at The Sheen Center's Loreto Theater (18 Bleecker Street, NYC). The work is written by Anushka Paris-Carter and Andy Paris and directed by Andy Paris under the artistic direction of Tectonic's founder, Moises Kaufman.

MNM Productions' Company is the latest venture by theatrical producers and arts consultants Marcie Gorman-Althof and Michael Lifshitz. Company is their sixth major musical following A Chorus Line, Side By Side By Sondheim, Hair, The World Goes 'Round and, most recently, Monty Python's Spamalot. MNM Productions' Company will be appearing at the Marshall E. Rinker Playhouse of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts through August 6, 2017.

The American Theatre Wing has announced new appointments to its Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee.

Strawdog Theatre Company and Artistic Directors Michael Dailey, Heath Hays and Anderson Lawfer are proud to announce the company's 30th Anniversary Season: the Chicago premiere of Barbecue, August 17 - September 30, at Steppenwolf Theatre's 1700 Theater,  1700 N. Halsted Street as a LookOut Visiting Company; the Chicago premiere of Pillars of the Community, January 19 - March 30, 2018 and the world premiere of Damascus, May 11 - June 24, 2018 at Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave. Subscriptions start at $55 per package, a 25% discount, and are on sale now at Strawdog.org. Subscribers also receive invitations to workshop presentations of Take Me, a new musical by Jon Langford and Mark Guarino, in development with Strawdog throughout Season 30. 

Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold said: 'We are thrilled to present three major new productions at the Almeida, including two world premieres and one rare revival. Spanning the Atlantic and beyond, this season is a timely and limitless interrogation into contemporary cultural anxieties and the power we have over our own lives.'

Joe's Pub at The Public Theater has announced its nightly performances for this week, July 12-23, featuring Bridget Everett, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Jeffrey Steele, Tacoma Narrows, Matt Alber, Meow Meow, Shaina Taub, Charming Disaster and more. Scroll down for details! 

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is pleased to present a free performance by the world-renowned and ever-creative dance company, Pilobolus, on Thursday, July 6. The performance will take place at the Prospect Park Bandshell (9th St. & Prospect Park West), is free to the public (with a suggested $5 contribution at the gate) and begins at 8:00 P.M.

Featured performances for the month of July at City Winery Chicago, include political satirists The Capitol Steps on July 2, Dweezil Zappa, son of the late Frank Zappa, on July 7, R&B Grammy-nominated duo Les Nubians on July 10, British rockers The Graham Parker Duo on July 12, Country Music Association Musician of the Year Mac McAnally on July 19, stand-up comedian Sandra Bernhard (July 20-21) and more.

Parisian culture, Polish politics, and the piano are the focus of this summer's annual Bard SummerScape festival, with seven weeks of music, opera, theater, dance, film, and cabaret keyed to the theme of the 28th Bard Music Festival, 'Chopin and His World.'

Critically-acclaimed country music artist Kellie Picker, legendary jazz musicians Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Grammy-winner Shawn Colvin, and two Legendary Ladies of Motown, Mary Wilson of The Supremes and Martha Wilson & The Vandellas, are just a few of the artists set to appear at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University during its 2017-2018 season.

La Jolla Playhouse, nationally-renowned for its commitment to the development of new work and new theatrical forms, is pleased to announce the dates and selected projects and collaborators for its third Without Walls (WoW) Festival of immersive and site-based work.

Joe's Pub is proud to support exciting upcoming performances including some of Folk and Country's most enticing artists! Highlights include Kentucky singer/songwriter Joan Shelley on June 21-22; an all-acoustic show from Okkervil River with opener Jesse Hale Moore on June 27; Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams together on July 12-13; Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame inductee Jeffrey Steele on July 14; experimental fiddle from Gaelynn Lea, last year's Tiny Desk Contest winner, with opener and Kerrville New Folk winner Ben de la Cour on July 15; the album release of Tacoma Narrows' The Currents We Are In, also on July 15, Tony Trischka's Early Roman Kings: The Music of Bob Dylan on July 23; Jean Rohe performing songs from her work-in-progress, 'The Odysseus Agreement,' on July 29; and, singer/pianist Olivia Chaney, who is currently collaborating with The Decemberists on the British Folk project Offa Rex, on August 3. Scroll down for more details, pricing and more!

The Havana Lyceum Orchestra have arrived in the U.S. just ahead of the East Coast Tour they'll embark on with pianist Simone Dinnerstein in support of their critically acclaimed new album, Mozart in Havana (Sony Classical, 2017).

JAPAN CUTS, North America's premiere showcase for new Japanese cinema, returns for its 11th installment July 13-23 to serve up a slice of the best and boldest films from Japan never before seen in NYC with special guest filmmakers and stars, post-screening Q&As, parties and more. Boasting a thrilling slate of epic blockbusters, shoestring independents, radical documentaries, mind-bending avant-garde, newly-restored classics and breathtaking animation, Japan Society's renowned summer film festival promises a bounty of cinematic discoveries for film fans and pop culture enthusiasts alike.

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its nightly performances for the next two weeks, June 7-18, 2017. Scroll down for details!

Artists Repertory Theatre has extended two play commissions, as part of the company's ambitious new play development program Table|Room|Stage (T|R|S).

With a new solo album release, All The Way, Justin Hayward will now embark on his first solo tour of Australia - with two special shows in Sydney and Melbourne in October.  Over the past five years Justin has enjoyed a thriving solo career.  

Estranged is the third release from Egyptian-American songstress Lisa Said. Her first full-length album No Turn Left Behind released August 2016.

History will be made in Times Square in May when the 'Crossroads of America' plays host to The Drag Queens of Comedy 2017, featuring 10 of the most outrageous and uproarious drag queens to ever throw shade over the 'Great White Way.' Producer, celebutante and heiress Sasha Soprano presents the largest drag queen show ever served up to The Big Apple!

The ultimate "rags-to-riches" fairytale comes to The Children's Theatre at Way Off Broadway this spring when Disney's Cinderella Kids returns to the stage May 6th. One of the most popular Disney princesses of all time, Cinderella is a favorite of children of all ages.

GOOD MORNING, THEATERATI! Welcome to Thursday, May 4, 2017 - can you believe it's already this far along in the year - and that it's another #TheatreThursday? Today, we're posing the musical question: Are all our artistic efforts worth it during these oh-so-trying times? The answer, most certainly, is a resounding "YES!" You see, gentle readers, it's during times like these that the spirit of creativity, the expression of our collective imagination and the ability to transform and to transport become even more vital to the continued existence of humankind. We implore you to continue to live life dramatically!

Strikingly refined yet pleasingly grounded and altogether delightful, the gorgeous 2015 Broadway musical stage adaptation of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS---inspired by the Academy Award-winning 1951 movie musical of the same name---is a sweepingly lush, dance-centric production that combines the high-brow sophistication of classical ballet with the pure exuberance and emotional highs and lows of musical theater. The resulting hybrid? Absolutely beguiling. The national tour production continues its 'S'wonderful' Orange County debut through May 7, 2017.