How I Got to Broadway - Off-Broadway Articles Page 11

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching (Feb. 14 for those who do not know), have you thought of going to the theater to celebrate?

The original production of Rent opened over 20 years ago, and skyrocketed its cast to stardom, kickstarting the careers of some of Broadway's now-biggest names. Today we're taking a look at where they are now...

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is accepting submissions for the TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series. For information, submission guidelines, and to apply, please visit https://truonline.org/2019-play-guidelines/.Submission fee is free for TRU members, $25 for non-members. Submission deadline is January 12, 2019 (with a one-week extension for TRU members and plays that are submitted with a producer attached). 

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.

When the Met's literary advisor asked Nicholas Wright what he thought about doing the libretto for MARNIE, he said yes because he was really interested in working with composer Nico Muhly and Michael Mayer. He was somewhat reserved, however, about whether it was a good opera subject. That was understandable, of course, when he admitted, laughing, a case of mistaken identity.

New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) is proud to present the National New Play Network rolling world premiere of Marisela Treviño Orta's Wolf at the Door from October 18 to November 18. Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Marisela about her career and the upcoming show at NJ Rep.

Banana Boat Productions and New Perspectives Theatre Company (NPTC) are pleased to present The Key Game by noted London-based Jamaican playwright Patricia Cumper. The production runs October 17 - 28, 2018 at New Perspectives Studio, 458 West 37th Street with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm.

Set sail for adventure and swashbuckling fun with WonderQuest's production of Sophie and the Pirates

Tony Award-winner Sarah Jones will be encoring her one-womanmulti-character show SELLBUYDATE in Los Angeles, this time at the LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre, with previews beginning September 27, 2018. Having seen Sarah's show earlier this year at the Geffen, I jumped at the chance to dive into the back stories of Sarah and her multiple personalities she shares the stage with.

We chatted recently with Trafalgar Releasing's CEO Marc Allenby, and recently hired senior VP, programming and acquisitions Kymberli Frueh to get the scoop on everything the company is up to, the current state of event cinema and so much more. 

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST), Samuel Hodges, today announces full casting for the world premiere of Women in Power. NST Associate Director Blanche McIntyre directs Lydia Bewley, best known for The Inbetweeners, Plebs and E4's comedy Drifters, Elizabeth Boag, Anna Fordham, Lisa Kerr, Anne Odeke and Alicia Mckenzie. The production, in association with Oxford Playhouse, sees some of the UK's most influential female voices, Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips MP and Brona C Titley, come together to write this musical comedy based on the Greek classic, The Assemblywomen. The production opens on 13 September at NST City, with previews from 6 September and runs until 29 September. It will then run at Oxford Playhouse from 3 - 6 October.

Due to popular demand, TITAS Presents has added a third show for DIAVOLO (Saturday, September 15; 2pm matinee) at Moody Performance Hall.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST), Samuel Hodges, today announces full casting for the world premiere of Women in Power. NST Associate Director Blanche McIntyre directs Lydia Bewley, best known for The Inbetweeners, Plebs and E4's comedy Drifters, Elizabeth Boag, Anna Fordham, Lisa Kerr, Anne Odeke and Alicia Mckenzie. The production, in association with Oxford Playhouse, sees some of the UK's most influential female voices, Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips MP and Brona C Titley, come together to write this musical comedy based on the Greek classic, The Assemblywomen. The production opens on 13 September at NST City, with previews from 6 September and runs until 29 September. It will then run at Oxford Playhouse from 3 - 6 October.

Fresh off the national tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN, multitalented performer David Rossetti has returned to Atlanta from New York to shake things up at Stage Door Players.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the selection of four Honorees who will receive the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements, and a special Honors distinction for a work of art and its co-creators. Recipients to be honored at the 41st annual national celebration of the arts are: singer and actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, Country music entertainer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. This year, the co-creators of Hamilton-writer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, and music director Alex Lacamoire-will receive a unique Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.

Peak Performances kicks off its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of Hatuey: Memory of Fire, a rousing Afro-Cuban-Yiddish opera performed in English, Yiddish and Spanish, with music by Frank London, libretto by Elise Thoron, direction by Mary Birnbaum, and choreography by Maija Garcia.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with Tommy Igoe Sextet, Paul Marinaro with Shelia Jordan, Augie Haas, and more!

Erich Bergen made his first Broadway bow at last earlier this month as Waitress' new Dr. Pomatter. Just last week, BroadwayWorld's Steve Schonberg checked in with Broadway's newest MD to find out what's cookin' at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre!

Our team put our heads together to figure out who we'd want to appear in the production! Check out some of our picks below - and join in the coversation on Facebook and Twitter to share your thoughts!

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with Veronica Swift and the Emmet Cohen Trio, Django Reinhardt Festival Allstars, Tommy Igoe Sextet, Birdland Big Band, John Pizzarelli, Polly Gibbons, Carol Sloane, Memo Acevedo, Ronny Whyte, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

Recently, BroadwayWorld had the opportunity to interview Dane Laffrey who recently received his first Tony nomination for his work on the Broadway hit ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. Dane's design is an explosive exercise in controlled chaos. Since ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is a tale of magical realism set in the Caribbean, Dane channeled the current conditions of regions hit by 2016's Hurricane Matthew. The stage is covered in sand, a crashed semi-truck takes up a corner of the space, a pool of water is held back by a pile of sand bags, and a downed power line has even crushed some of the seats. It's a complex set that has engrossed countless audiences seated in its theatre in the round setting. A seasoned scenic design veteran, Dane has designed sets for productions across Japan, Australia, Norway and the United States. Throughout his twelve years in the New York circuit, he's built sets for Broadway productions such as Spring Awakening and Fool For Love, along with off-Broadway hits such as The Maids and Woody Harrelson's Bullet for Adolf, as well as the upcoming production of Tennessee William's Summer and Smoke.

Reese Witherspoon Confirms LEGALLY BLONDE 3 with nostalgic social media video!

According to Deadline, MGM is near a deal with Reese Witherspoon to reprise her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde 3, along with the majority of the creative team from the first film.

A soulful retelling of L. Frank Baum's beloved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz combines fairy-tale glamour with street smarts to make a classic fantasy sparkle for today.  And our directors and choreographer will bring a blast of New Orleans Creole magic to this production!  Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, The Wiz ingeniously mixes rock, gospel, soul, and jazz, and features hits like 'Ease on Down the Road,' 'A Brand New Day,' and 'Home.'

Felix Jarrar is a 22-year-old composer and pianist whose list of accomplishments includes performances at diverse venues such as Symphony Space, (le) poisson rouge, BAM's Fisher Hillman Studio and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. His works have been performed internationally by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra and the duo Unassisted Fold. He is currently working on his fourth opera, Tabula Rasa presented by Cantanti Project.