I Am Tree - 2012 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 16

Nominations for the 40th Annual Annie Awards have been announced. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony which will take place on February 2 at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Goodman Theatre announces Jimmy McDermott, former associate artistic director at Writers' Theatre, as the recipient of the 2012/2013 Season Michael Maggio Directing Fellow for Chicago-based directors. As a fellow, McDermott will receive a stipend and the opportunity to assist on a Goodman production-from early research and design through the casting and rehearsal process to the opening-and become involved in the Goodman's artistic team. Previous Maggio Fellows include Lynn Ann Bernatowicz (2002/2003), Mignon McPherson Nance (2003/2004), Ann Filmer (2005/2006), Dado (2006/2007), Anthony Moseley (2007/2008), Joanie Schultz (2009/2010) and Anna Bahow (2011/2012).

URBAN TALES presented by Théâtre Urbi et Orbi and the Centaur Theatre Company, will run December 12-15, 2012. Directed by Harry Standjofski with music crafted and performed by Nick Carpenter, this sixth edition plays the 12th through 15th at 8 p.m., with a matinee performance on December 15th at 2 p.m.

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Great Russian Nutcracker, five hand-selected "Musical Wunderkind" in cities across the country open performances accompanying a Moscow Ballet ballerina with St Saens The Dying Swan.

Z2 Entertainment will present Laurie Berkner to the Boulder Theater on Saturday, February 2 , 2013. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, November 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am for $25 general admission seated, $30 reserved & $50 VIP.

The critically acclaimed guitarist Michael Schenker has just posted the official trailer for his upcoming Temple of Rock: Live In Europe CD, DVD and Blu-ray. Check it out below! Schenker has also launched the official Temple of Rock Live microsite HERE.

THE LAST SONG is the long awaited final studio album from legendary performer Anthony Newley. Recorded in London between 1996 and 1997, these timeless songs represent Anthony Newley's final recordings and have remained unreleased, until now.

The new Broadway production of the Tony Award winning play The Heiress began previews on October 6th and will open tonight, November 1st at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th St.). The show will play a limited run through February 10, 2013. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Actor/comedian Tim Allen (ABC's "Last Man Standing"), actress Connie Britton (ABC's "Nashville"), Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, Country Music singer/actress Jana Kramer ("One Tree Hill"), multimedia superstar Reba (ABC's new "Malibu Country"), Hayden Panettiere (ABC's "Nashville"), actress/director/producer Kimberly Williams Paisley, Darius Rucker and Jake Owen are confirmed as presenters on "Country Music's Biggest Night™."

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces its upcoming film series and events:

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, have announced the first production of their 22nd season, the west coast premiere of THE DETECTIVE'S WIFE, written by Keith Huff (The Bird and Mr. Banks, Pursued by Happiness, A Steady Rain), directed by Mark St. Amant (The Bird and Mr. banks, Pursued by Happiness) and starring Taylor Gilbert as Alice Conroy.

Houston Grand Opera opens its 2012-13 season in grand style on October 19, with a brand-new production of Puccini's La boheme starring Dimitri Pittas and Katie van Kooten.

On a beautiful Tuesday evening, I visited with the cast and crew of SRO Production's [TITLE OF SHOW], written by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen. They were hard at work in their intimate rehearsal space, and I was luckily enough to see them rehearse the rousing "Nine People's Favorite Thing" and "Die Vampire! Die!" If the small preview I saw, the camaraderie shown in the interview, and sheer amount of fun the cast and crew are having are any indication of what Houston audiences are in for, this is sure to be a stellar production.

Yesterday's MEET THE PRESS WITH DAVID GREGORY on NBC featured interviews with Romney supporter Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) and White House senior adviser David Plouffe; a roundtable conversation with conservative activist and founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Ralph Reed, Fmr. Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), the BBC's Katty Kay, NBC News political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd; and the latest live from Afghanistan with NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel.

Vital Theatre Company has announced the world premiere of Fancy Nancy The Musical, opening September 29th, 2012 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway. With a book by Susan DiLallo, music by Danny Abosch, and direction and choreography by Sam Viverito, Fancy Nancy The Musical is based on the bestselling children's book series by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. This magnifique musical-that's fancy for great show-begins performances on September 29th, 2012 with a "pink carpet" press opening.

THE LAST SONG is the long awaited final studio album from legendary performer Anthony Newley. Recorded in London between 1996 and 1997, these timeless songs represent Anthony Newley's final recordings and have remained unreleased, until now.

The producers of the new musical HANDS ON A HARDBODY announced today that Benjamin Millepied has withdrawn from the production due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts and that, going forward, Sergio Trujillo (Memphis, Jersey Boys) will assume musical staging responsibilities for the show. Theatre, dates, and ticket information for the Broadway production of HANDS ON A HARDBODY will be announced shortly.

Photographer Bob Carey's much anticipated compilation of self-portraits in a tutu is now available. Ballerina, a hard cover 9 x 12 book with a foreword by Amy Arbus, showcases color photographs and back-stories about the journey behind the images. The captured images present both impertinent playfulness and vulnerability, themes that run thoughout much of Carey's work. The project has taken Carey from Italy to Times Square, and he hopes to turn the photos of himself into an inspirational force behind breast cancer awareness. Net proceeds from the sale of Ballerina will go directly to The Carey Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Carey and his wife Lindato provide support to women diagnosed with breast cancer and their family members.

Broadway makes its way to Atlanta this fall with the Southeastern premiere of Time Stands Still at Horizon Theatre. Playwright Donald Margulies' latest work about finding happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy received a Tony nomination for Best Play in 2010. Time Stands Still is the fourth and final production of Horizon's 2012 season and runs tonight, September 14 - October 14.

When Masquerade Theatre closed earlier this year, many Houstonians felt pangs of anguish and hoped for an angel of theatre to bestow upon the organization a grant that would allow them to remain open. Masquerade, as far as we know, is not reopening; however, many of their former cast members have been assembled for Music Box Musicals' inaugural performance of their inaugural season-Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Tony Award Winning ASSASSINS.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, have announced the first production of their 22nd season, the west coast premiere of THE DETECTIVE'S WIFE, written by Keith Huff (The Bird and Mr. Banks, Pursued by Happiness, A Steady Rain), directed by Mark St. Amant (The Bird and Mr. banks, Pursued by Happiness) and starring Taylor Gilbert as Alice Conroy.

Vital Theatre Company has announced the world premiere of Fancy Nancy The Musical, opening September 29th, 2012 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway. With a book by Susan DiLallo, music by Danny Abosch, and direction and choreography by Sam Viverito, Fancy Nancy The Musical is based on the bestselling children's book series by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. This magnifique musical-that's fancy for great show-begins performances on September 29th, 2012 with a "pink carpet" press opening.

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is extending the run of its critically acclaimed production of Cymbeline, directed by Antoni Cimolino, General Director and Artistic Director designate.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces the full cast for Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones. The comedy will play at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from November 2-December 9, 2012. The Press Opening is Friday, November 9, at 7:30 pm.

Despite being completely busy preparing for the concert staging of A TOUCH OF VENUS, Paul Hope, Artistic Director and Founder of Bayou City Concert Musicals, took a break from his busy schedule to talk to me about his innovative and charitable organization. Since it's inception, Bayou City Concert Musicals has been providing Houston audiences with well-produced and lauded performances of often-neglected musicals. Continuing to grow an ever-increasing loyal audience and fan following, I asked Paul Hope to tell me more about Bayou City Concert Musicals and the shows they choose to produce.