It's a Wonderful Life - 2004 - London Articles Page 7

Today's subjects, Sherri Edelen and Thomas Adrian Simpson, are currently living their theatre lives in tech for Jesus Christ Superstar at Signature Theatre. Thomas is playing the high priest Caiaphas and Sheri, in a brilliant turn of non-traditional casting, will be playing King Herod. The production runs from May 9th to July 2nd.

Brenda Rae, a fast rising opera star in Europe, is now spreading her wings across the United States. She has a sound reminiscent of molten silver, a wide range, and a great deal of flexibility. At Santa Fe this summer she will sing Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, a romantic, bel canto opera about a real Scotswoman who lost her reason when forced to marry a man she did not love.

NY's SoHo Playhouse will extend the Off-Broadway debut of YouTube sensation Katie Goodman's Broad Comedy through May. The internationally-touring riotous, ridiculous, and in-your-face all-women troupe, Broad Comedy, stars Danielle Cohn, Molly Kelleher, Tana Sirois, Carlita Victoria and Katie Goodman.

During the 2017-18 season reveal gala at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall last week, Nicole Van Giesen, a member of the show's original Broadway cast, was on hand to perform 'Telephone Wire' from the score by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron. The response to the announcement that Fun Home will play Nashville October 10-15 was enthusiastic - some might even have called it 'thunderous' - and the audience filled with theater lovers rewarded Van Giesen with warm, generous applause.

Spring is here! Why doesn't my heart go dancing? Well, Mr. Lorenz Hart, personally, we are too damn busy with creating the magic of live theater: We're directing a show (Daddy's Dyin'…Who's Got the Will? opens next week - April 20 - at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson, thank you very much) and trying to make it out to see as much theater in Nashville as possible before old age takes its toll - it's tough out there for a theater critic!

It was just announced by Pulitzer Prize administrator Mike Pride that Lynn Nottage's SWEAT has officially won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 

The musical theatre scene is filled with adaptations of Hollywood movies, to the point of overflowing. Some of these musical stage versions of popular movies have not translated well (Ghost and Flashdance, I'm looking at you). On the other hand, a number of them have gone on to become highly successful Broadway musicals, winning a number of Tony awards as well as critical and audience raves. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is part of the latter group and is now getting a breezy and extremely fun production at Sooner Theatre in Norman.

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21) announced that it has established the The Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography (formerly The Fred & Adele Astaire Awards) to honor the best of theatrical dance and choreography, both on Broadway and off, as well as film and television.

No matter how you go about it - regardless of the circuitous route you take to divine an answer - Matthew Morrison just won't give any details away about his upcoming stint on the TV behemoth Grey's Anatomy. Forget that it's been the subject of pop culture buzz and an internet frenzy earlier in the week, the actor, who refers to himself as 'a song and dance man,' won't give up any spoilers to satisfy clamoring fans and inquisitive reporters.

A charming though perplexing adaptation of the 2004 film, FINDING NEVERLAND jets into too many erratic directions at any given moment and doesn't gel completely as a whole. And for all its gorgeous, visual splendor, it is surprisingly lacking in honest-to-goodness stage magic. The touring version of the 2015 Broadway stage musical adaptation continues at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through April 2, 2017.

Artistic Director Robert Falls announces Goodman Theatre's new 2017/2018 Season, which builds on the theater's 40-year commitment to producing works that are representative of American society. In announcing the new season, Falls serves up a dynamic mix of works from culturally and aesthetically diverse playwrights-new plays and revisited classics that address the most significant issues facing the country today.

Penobscot Theatre Company is proud to present an All-Star Improv Cabaret, one night only, Sunday, April 2, at 7:00 pm, at the historic Bangor Opera House.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces the 2017-2018 season programming for its BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops series. The upcoming season of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics marks its 10th season under the musical leadership of Music Director Manfred Honeck and the orchestra's 122nd year since its founding.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces the 2017-2018 season programming for its BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops series. The upcoming season of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics marks its 10th season under the musical leadership of Music Director Manfred Honeck and the orchestra's 122nd year since its founding.

Berkshire Theatre Group announces the final production of its upcoming 2017 Summer Season will be Mark Medoff's Tony, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award-winning play, Children of a Lesser God, which will begin performances on Thursday, June 22 at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage. Opening night is set for Saturday, June 24 at 8pm.

As the centerpiece of the Company's 25th anniversary season, Target Margin Theater and Abrons Arts Center will present a rare revival of Eugene O'Neill's great trilogy, Mourning Becomes Electra, directed by Herskovits, and running April 26-May 20. Part Greek tragedy, part family play, part history play, Mourning Becomes Electra (O'Neill's 1931 adaptation of Aeschylus 'The Oresteia') mashes myth, Freudian psychology and melodrama into an epic six hour production.

BrightSide Theatre, Naperville's only professional theatre performing in the historic downtown district, is pleased to announce its fifth production of the BrightSide Theatre Youth Project with the musical -Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.  Directed by BrightSide Artistic Director Jeffrey Cass and playing March 11-19, 2017 at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Street in Naperville, tickets are on sale now atwww.BrightSideTheatre.com or by calling 630-447-TIXS (8497). 

Mistaken identities, family secrets, artistic ambitions, and terrible puns set the stage for Contra Costa Civic Theatre's world premiere production of The Lost Years by Los Angeles-based playwright Cynthia Wands, from April 7-30. The production, directed by CCCT Artistic Director Marilyn Langbehn, marks only the second world premiere in the company's 57-year history. For tickets and information visit the theatre's website at www.ccct.org or call 510.524.9012.

The 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced its lineup of 57 thought-provoking and diverse short films in competition, including 36 world premieres. The selected shorts, 40% of which were directed by women, and include filmmakers from every corner of the globe, were curated from a record 4,385 submissions. They will be presented in 10 distinct competition programs, consisting of five narrative, four documentary, and, for the second year, one animated program. In addition, there is the Sports Shorts program as part of the 11th annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, sponsored by Mohegan Sun. The Shorts program, sponsored by Nutella Originals, is a part of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 19-30.

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC's LGBT themed production of the classic musical 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying' will premiere at the Lincoln Theatre in DC on March 10, 11 & 12, 2017 at located at 1215 U Street NW. This is the first LGBT production of 'How To Succeed' to date. Famous songs like 'I Believe in You,' 'Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm' and 'Brotherhood of Man.' all appear in their original composition, just with a little more glitter! How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tells the story of J. Pierrepont Finch and his rise to the top of the corporate ladder with the aid of a simple self-help book. Along the way, he learns how to find your name on the executive door and win the secretary's heart quicker than you can say "nepotism." I had an absolutely wonderful conversation with the show's director and the organization's artistic director Thea Kano about her background and why this production is so important.

Emmy award-winning composer and Yamaha artist Michael Whalen wants his music to put you to sleep. His new album, “Dream Cycle” (Valley Entertainment) succeeds at this, inspiring rest, relaxation, wellness, meditation and ultimately, sleep—a crucial activity that eludes so many of us, particularly in these unsettling post-election days.

Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl, winner of the 2016 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award and a MacArthur 'genius' grant, will be directed by Courtney O'Connor at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, opening February 26 and running through March 26, 2017. Previews begin February 24. 

Directed by Carla Kingham. Set and Costume Design by Ruta Irbite. Lighting by Kieron Johnson. Sound by Max Pappenheim. Produced by Audrey Thayer. Presented by Marricdale Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre. Supported by the B. S. Johnson Estate.

Second Stage Theatre presents the New York premiere production of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tracy Letts' play, MAN FROM NEBRASKA, directed by David Cromer.

The hilarious and beloved gender-bending musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, featuring the bawdy humor of Harvey Fierstein and the melodies of Jerry Herman, is in the final month of rehearsals before taking to stage at Carrollwood Players on March 17 through April 8.