It's a Wonderful Life - 2004 - London Articles Page 16

The 2014-15 Performing Arts Season of The Grand 1894 Opera House promises countless opportunities to 'Celebrate with The Grand!'

On June 19th, at the sixth annual Cultural Access Network Awards, three organizations and one individual will be honored for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to increasing access to the arts for people with disabilities. The Awards are offered annually by the Cultural Access Network Project, cosponsored by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State; for the fifth year in a row, the event will be held at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

The nine-time Tony Award®-winning singular sensation A Chorus Line, conceived by Michael Bennett and featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, kicks off the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are June 24 - 29.

Back at the Delacorte for his fifth Shakespeare in the Park, the TV star talks about playing the fool, getting typecast and living in L.A. and Italy.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces a distinguished list of music headliners to be presented at the 55th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The 10-day celebration of the arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is unlike any other in the nation. The world-class, multi-disciplinary festival is free to attend and is open to the public. Attracting over 400,000 visitors annually, the Festival begins on the first Today in June and takes place at the confluence of Pittsburgh's famed three rivers in Point State Park, throughout picturesque Gateway Center, and in the city's world-renowned Cultural District.

Mad Cow Theatre has announced that Aradhana Tiwari will join the company as Resident Director, beginning with the 2014 - 2015 season. Tiwari is a Central Florida-based artist who has guest-directed at Mad Cow since 2012. Her production of The Road to Mecca in 2012 was the first in Mad Cow's Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre, one of two spaces in the company's new location in downtown Orlando.

The story is about a prince and princess from two different kingdoms who were wed at infancy. While the prince anxiously anticipates meeting his now 21 year old bride, she has started a women's university, preaching the virtues of woman over man, and that 'man is nature's sole mistake'. When Princess Ida does not show up as agreed upon, Prince Hilarion and a couple of friends infiltrate the university as new students, and hilarity ensues. The two kings threaten war to solve the problem, the prince offers love. Ida must decide whether she can continue her noble experiment.

It's been rumored, talked about, discussed and we've been reporting on it for what feels like forever -- and now, it's official! Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that it will present Tony & Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth as 'Lily Garland' and Golden Globe & SAG Award winner & Tony nominee Peter Gallagher as 'Oscar Jaffe' in a new Broadway production of the classic musical ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY features music by Cy Coleman and book & lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green.

Pacific Symphony's critically-acclaimed American Composers Festival (ACF) continues for the 14th year with 'From Screen to Score: New Concert Music by Famous Film Composers'-who happen to be four of today's biggest Hollywood heavy-hitters: John Williams ('Star Wars,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'E.T., the Extra Terrestrial'), Howard Shore ('Lord of the Rings,' 'The Hobbit,' 'Hugo'), James Horner ('Titanic,' 'Star Trek,' 'Apollo 13') and Elliot Goldenthal ('Alien 3,' 'Batman Forever' and 'Batman and Robin'). Together, these iconic composers boast 11 Oscars and countless billions of box office dollars. They also hold the ironic position of simultaneously being the most-heard orchestral composers ever (the soundtrack for 'Titanic' sold 30 million copies), yet their music is the least performed.

FAT PIG tells the story of Tom (Jonathan Bray), a young career guy who hits it off with Helen (Deidra Edwards), a bright, sexy woman who happens to be plus-sized. As he reluctantly finds himself falling in love, Tom's colleagues (Kirsten Kollender and Nick Stabile) are brutal in their assessment of his new love. LaBute probes our carb-counting, extreme makeover nation by asking tough questions. How much has our relentless pursuit of beauty turned us into an uglier species?

Cabaret opened on Thursday, April 24 to rave reviews.

Entering its sixth season in 2014-15, CONTACT!, the Philharmonic's new-music series, will include five programs featuring World, U.S., and New York Premieres, four of which explore the new-music scene from four different countries, and a fifth curated and hosted by composer John Adams. CONTACT! will return for three programs at SubCulture, co-presented with 92nd Street Y: John's Playlist, featuring works by five composers selected by John Adams; a concert of works by Israeli composers, featuring The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Lisa Batiashvili alongside Philharmonic musicians; and a performance of works by Italian composers. Two CONTACT! programs will take place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Met Museum Presents: a concert of works by Nordic composers conducted in part by Music Director Alan Gilbert; and a program featuring works from Japan, conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky.

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the lineup of productions for its 2014/15 Season. The year will include world-premiere plays and musicals that have been developed at the theater, including Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine, a new play written and directed by Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson; and Be More Chill, a musical by Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz, adapted from the novel by Ned Vizzini and directed by Scott Ellis. The season will also include a range of world masterpieces and American classics, and work for audiences ages three and up

Berkeley Repertory Theatre continues the second half of its season with Tribes, a sophisticated and moving family drama by celebrated British playwright Nina Raine. Her profound and powerful new play became an award-winning hit in London and New York. Now renowned director Jonathan Moscone brings it to Berkeley Rep this April for its Bay Area premiere. Tribes follows Billy, a young man who was born deaf into a loquacious and highly opinionated academic family who raised him to lip-read and integrate into the hearing world. When he meets Sylvia - raised by Deaf parents and going deaf herself - Billy decides it's time to speak on his own terms and to be heard. Playing out in words, sign language, and sometimes mesmerizing silence, this penetrating drama examines familial love, notions of belonging, and the intersections of communication. Tribes began previews Friday, April 11, opens tonight, April 16, and closes on Sunday, May 11, 2014.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre continues the second half of its season with Tribes, a sophisticated and moving family drama by celebrated British playwright Nina Raine. Her profound and powerful new play became an award-winning hit in London and New York. Now renowned director Jonathan Moscone brings it to Berkeley Rep this April for its Bay Area premiere. Tribes follows Billy, a young man who was born deaf into a loquacious and highly opinionated academic family who raised him to lip-read and integrate into the hearing world. When he meets Sylvia - raised by Deaf parents and going deaf herself - Billy decides it's time to speak on his own terms and to be heard. Playing out in words, sign language, and sometimes mesmerizing silence, this penetrating drama examines familial love, notions of belonging, and the intersections of communication. Tribes start previews tonight, April 11, opens on April 16, and closes on Sunday, May 11, 2014.

Swarovski crystals are 'shining like the brightest star' in costumes for Broadway's HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. The musical is now in previews at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) and will open Tuesday, April 22.

Pacific Symphony's critically-acclaimed American Composers Festival (ACF) continues for the 14th year with "From Screen to Score: New Concert Music by Famous Film Composers"-who happen to be four of today's biggest Hollywood heavy-hitters: John Williams ("Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T., the Extra Terrestrial"), Howard Shore ("Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit," "Hugo"), James Horner ("Titanic," "Star Trek," "Apollo 13") and Elliot Goldenthal ("Alien 3," "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin"). Together, these iconic composers boast 11 Oscars and countless billions of box office dollars. They also hold the ironic position of simultaneously being the most-heard orchestral composers ever (the soundtrack for "Titanic" sold 30 million copies), yet their music is the least performed.

Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood New Jersey announces new shows for everyone!, see legendary comedian, Bob Newhart on Sunday, June 29, The English Beat with Special Guest Smalltown Scoundrels Wednesday, July 23rd and new shows for 2015 include Sha Na Na (The Music of Grease) - January 23 and Mummenschanz on Friday, January 30th … all these greats shows go on sale on Friday April 11, 2014 at 11am be sure to reserve your tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or bergenPAC's Box Office at 201.227.1030.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, announced that the world premiere of SOVEREIGN BODY, written by Emilie Beck and directed by Scott Alan Smith (That Good Night, Lady) opens tonight, April 4 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 24 at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA.

What happens when a strapping young Englishman suddenly finds he has become a woman? It's an amazing journey, to say the very least, in Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's sweeping and witty Orlando, beginning a 5-week run at Stage West tonight, April 3.

King Lear's fate is sealed in Shakespeare's play: to be tragically reunited with the one daughter he loves. But what would be the fate of his faithful Fool? That question lies at the heart of 'The Fool's Lear,' a new play by Randy Neale, which will have its New York premiere May 5 to 25 as a featured production of Phoenix Theatre Ensemble's Tenth Anniversary Spring Rep season at The Wild Project 195 E. 3rd Street (at Ave. B). This new, funny, poignant comedic drama follows the journey of the Fool and his King as they ply a path along side Shakespeare's great tragedy, exploring hilarious and harrowing byways between its scenes. Grant Neale directs and plays The Fool and Craig Smith plays The King in a play which South Carolina critics called a delight and a must-see comic drama.

Mega-watt stars light up the stage for Pacific Symphony's highly anticipated 2014-15 Pops series featuring seven not-to-be-missed concerts that include a bit of nostalgia, romance, celebration and a plethora of memorable music—all enhanced by the “Hollywood” sound of the orchestra. Led by Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman, the season blasts off with a tribute to the iconic Frank Sinatra, with such jazz standards as “Fly Me to the Moon.” Add to that legendary stars Paul Anka, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall and, just in time for Christmas—

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, announced today that the world premiere of SOVEREIGN BODY, written by Emilie Beck and directed by Scott Alan Smith (That Good Night, Lady) will now preview tonight, March 29 at 8pm; Sunday, March 30 at 2pm and Thursday, April 3 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 4 at 8pm and run through Saturday, May 24 at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA.

The American Dream takes on a Latin Beat, as Cabrillo Music Theatre will present the regional professional premiers of this 'new classic' - the multi-Tony-winning Best Musical of 2008, IN THE HEIGHTS. IN THE HEIGHTS fuses contemporary music with timeless family struggles, and its' warmth, humor and joyful message resonates with all ages. IN THE HEIGHTS opens tonight, March 28, 2014, playing until Sunday, April 6th, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.