Hold Everything

Fertile Ground 2026 wrapped up last weekend, and on the whole, it was fantastic. I saw 17 shows, which included readings of plays by well-known local playwrights, new works by rising stars, and some fun genre-bending original performances. Here are my notes about the final set. If you missed my first two review roundups, find them here and here.

A joyful revival that reanimates the spirit of the show that once jolted Broadway.

For its 2026 season, Chautauqua Opera Company is deepening its commitment to developing new operas while bringing fully staged productions to Chautauqua Institution's Amphitheater.

‘We Are Ipswich’, an independent collective of nationally acclaimed arts and heritage organisations, is bringing the festive spirit to Suffolk like never before. This season, they’re joining forces to launch Ipswich Entertains for Christmas – a campaign showcasing a spectacular line-up of premier league art and culture that promises thrilling, high-quality entertainment for all ages.

Blackfriars Theatre has announced its 2023-2024 Season, commemorating 74 years of locally-produced theatre in downtown Rochester, NY! The 74th Season boasts a powerhouse line-up of entertaining and engaging stories, transporting audiences from pristine 18th century estates of French artistocrats to the seedy underground nightclubs of 1930s Germany.

The Mint Theater company will be presenting the American Premiere of Noel Coward's The Rap Trap, and the world premiere of Becomes a Woman by Betty Smith (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn).

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents the dazzling Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo making its long-awaited return to the Center with Romeo and Juliet. Considered by many to be the iconic ballet of renowned choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, Romeo and Juliet has been performed more than 250 times around the world, usually greeted with rousing standing ovations -- and has been added to the repertoire of seven major dance companies.

Deemed one of the '25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World' by MovieMaker Magazine in 2019, the Third Horizon Film Festival returns for its fifth edition. This year the festival will be hosted hybrid style with a thoughtfully curated mix of in-person and virtual screenings beginning June 24, 2021, through July 1, 2021, in Miami, Florida.

Ground Floor Theatre has announced the return to live theatre with an updated 2021 season schedule along with two titles for the 2022 season, and the second quarter GFT In Residence Artist. After moving rain falls special on me and Anna in the Tropics from the 2020 season, GFT has now set dates for both.

Alexandra Eckhardt is an accomplished Music Supervisor and bassist, having worked with artists including Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, and many more! Eckhardt most recently supervised the music for the film, Passing, which premiered on January 30th at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the showcase of new independent work selected across the Feature Film, Short Film, Indie Series and New Frontier categories for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Convulsive events happen. Sometimes they turn from considerable to colossal. The implications generally tend to take years to play out and, in worse cases, spiral into unpredictable and unintended consequences.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

The music, the lyrics, the story, and the characters - every element of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party is very intense and intriguing. This production, presented by the Syracuse University Department of Drama at Syracuse Stage, doesn't hold back either. Set in the Jazz Age of the Roaring '20s, this production features a stellar cast, impressive set and lighting design by Alex Koziara, and meticulously detailed direction by Katherine McGerr. The spot-on choreography by Andrea Leigh-Smith and the powerhouse performances of the entire cast take center stage in this wild performance of Lippa's The Wild Party.

The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, the annual festival that honors legendary novelist Philip K. Dick through the dynamic power of science fiction film, is returning for its seventh outing with a full schedule of events. For the first time since its inception, the festival will hold a bi-coastal gathering presenting a lineup of films, premieres and panels for audiences in New York City, Los Angeles and Santa Ana, CA. The ambitious endeavor will provide a platform for independent filmmakers who tackle a variety of themes that empower the narratives of Philip K. Dick, whose work continues to serve as a profound mark on the literary and entertainment worlds.

The Czech Philharmonic today announced the appointment of Semyon Bychkov as Chief Conductor and Music Director starting in the 2018-19 season. Mr. Bychkov has been a frequent guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic since first appearing with the Orchestra in 2013, and he is also currently the Artistic Director of The Tchaikovsky Project, which he launched with the Orchestra last October and which encompasses concerts and a Decca recording cycle.

A diverse all-star lineup of GRAMMY Award nominees, GRAMMY winners, entertainers and film and TV stars took stage last ight for THE 59TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Live Artery 2017, New York Live Arts' dynamic showcase of new and recent works by Live Arts residency and commissioned artists, opens January 6 and runs through January 9, 2017.

Live Artery 2017, New York Live Arts' dynamic showcase of new and recent works by Live Arts residency and commissioned artists, opens January 6 and runs through January 9, 2017.

This morning, The Recording Academy and 2016 GRAMMY Best New Artist, Meghan Trainor, kicked off this year's GRAMMY Awards nominations by revealing nominees in the four General Field categories (Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Album Of The Year) live on 'CBS This Morning.

The Los Angeles theatre that carries David Geffen's name serves its community as well as emerging playwrights.

The Fugard Theatre's production of CABARET begins with a perfectly realised moment of theatre. Before long, the magic of that moment wears off, and this production of the classic John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff musical begins to flounder in Matthew Wild's directionless staging of the piece.

Producers Letty Aronson and Julian Schlossberg present the world premiere production of the brand new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film. Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY officially opens tonight, April 10, 2014 at The St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

Howard Hawks, the quintessential Hollywood director known for his mastery of many genres, will be the subject of a complete retrospective at Museum of the Moving Image from today, September 7 through November 10, 2013. The Museum will present 39 features. All of the films will be shown in 35mm-many in stunning restorations-except for Red Line 7000, which will be shown in 16mm.