Just So - 1990 - London Fringe Articles Page 3

Dear Readers, there are some shows that just hold a special place in your heart, even if they may not age as well as you hoped. Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ classic “Bye Bye Birdie”, currently playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, is one of those shows for me. I loved both movie versions, saw what I consider to be the quintessential production back in 1990 starring Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. Hell, I’ve even done the show several years ago. So, I’m a little picky about it when I see it again, and while this current production doesn’t surpass my previous experiences (I doubt anything could), it was certainly a solid production with a lot of fun moments going for it.

Brian Wilson, musical genius and founder of the Beach Boys, died today (Wednesday, June 11, 2025), so in honor of him, here is an article of the 40 greatest Beach Boys songs that I wrote for Broadway World two years ago.  Love & Mercy, Brian!

Interim Artistic Director Jonathan Norton discusses Dallas Theater Center’s 2025–26 season, including his world premiere play Malcolm X & Redd Foxx Washing Dishes, and how the lineup reflects the city’s diversity and artistic future.

Vincent Lancisi, Founding Artistic Director of Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Md, and executive at the professional equity theatre company since 1990, has announced plans to retire in June 2026.

Looney Tunes will take the Hollywood Bowl by storm in July as the beloved film-and-live-orchestra concert Bugs Bunny at the Symphony returns! Learn how to purchase tickets!

Today’s subject Carlos Acosta is currently living his theatre Life as the Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet. He has been in the position since January of 2020. Carlos’ work can be seen at the Kennedy Center in the Opera House from June 4th to the 8th when Birmingham Royal Ballet presents Black Sabbath- The Ballet.

Next month, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Tracie Thoms, Jenn Colella and more. See the full lineup here!

Alicia Witt's music has been described as ‘sharply personal, boldly melodic pop originals in the Carole King/Billy Joel vein’. I had the absolute pleasure to chat with the LONGLEGS star ahead of her upcoming show at 54 Below on June 1

The new musical Goddess can currently be seen in its New York premiere production at the Public Theater on Lafayette Street. Directed by the Public’s associate artistic director and resident director Saheem Ali, who is currently Tony Award-nominated for directing Buena Vista Social Club, Goddess is playing at the Public’s largest space by capacity, the Newman Theatre.

Rainbow Zebra Productions LLC and the Magic Theatre have announced the Magic Classics Reading Series. In Magic Classics, talented casts will present staged readings of plays that originally premiered at the Magic Theatre.

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has unveiled its 2025 summer conference lineup as well as a formal expansion of its developmental  programming into the fall and winter seasons. Learn more!

BroadwayWorld recently caught up with Richard Green, director of a new documentary about stage and screen star Catherine Coulson. In the interview, Green talked about capturing Coulson's legacy in the film, her love of the stage, and working with the late David Lynch.

Music Theatre International has acquired the rights to the “Hits Musicals Collection” from Lively McCabe Entertainment, the theatrical development company behind Clue and Mystic Pizza. Learn more!

Real Women Have Curves is open on Broadway! It’s the summer of 1987, and Ana Garcia dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles. But when her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, Ana finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds. Let's see what the critics have to say...

On Monday, Justina Machado joined TODAY to discuss some of her latest projects, among them her role in Broadway's Real Women Have Curves. Though this is her first time in the musical adaptation, her roots with the material go back several years.

I'll tell you why I decided to do it; then I'll tell you about the toughness, but I read this about 1999, and just loved it. It made the hairs on my arms stand up, especially visualizing the very last scene with the entire cast swaying back and forth, and giving the illusion of them not swaying. You're not sure if they are or not.

Josefina López, the celebrated Mexican-American award-winning playwright and screenwriter best known for creating and authoring the play and co-authoring the film Real Women Have Curves, was an undocumented five-year-old immigrant when she migrated with her family from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to the United States in 1974 to settle in Boyle Heights. And on April 27, she will be making her Broadway debut when Real Women Have Curves: The Musical opens on Broadway!

Into the Woods is a Tony Award-winning 1986 Musical written by Stephen Sondheim (Music/Lyrics) and James Lapine (Book), marking their second collaboration following Sunday in the Park with George (1984). Into the Woods premiered in 1986 at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and then was followed by a Broadway transfer in 1987 which amassed three Tony Awards (Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress. A year in which many know the “Great White Way,” was dominated by The Phantom of the Opera.

Jacob's Pillow has announced that Norton Owen, the organization's Director of Preservation and a longstanding leader in the dance field, will receive the 2025 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award in celebration of his 50th year on staff. Owen will accept this award at Jacob's Pillow's Season Opening Gala in Becket on Saturday, June 21. 

MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG showcases four very gifted young people with a love for Henson’s creations. That love is obvious in the show they have created. It is an hour of great fun.

If you’re at all familiar with the plays of Lauren Yee, Dear Readers, then you know of her delightfully odd situations, rich characters and scintillating dialog. People are still talking about last season’s “Cambodian Rock Band” but my favorite was her “King of the Yees”. Her work brings out the good and the bad in relationships and leaves you smiling or even giggling while tragedy strikes. And her latest, “Mother Russia”, with its World Premiere at the Seattle Rep, falls right in line with those other gems.

The Den Theatre has announced its upcoming April 2025 shows at the theatre’s Wicker Park stages including Ashley Hesseltine, Caitlin Cook, Juston McKinney, Jordan Jensen, Vittorio Angelone, and more.

Get ready for a night of timeless grooves and electrifying rhythms as WAR, one of the most influential soul and funk bands of all time, takes the stage at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts with An Evening With WAR.

International City Theatre (ICT) is opening its 40th Anniversary Season on February 21 with the Los Angeles premiere of the musical comedy Desperate Measures (inspired by Shakespeare's Measure for Measure). The rest of the season features all premieres, something ICT is not usually known to do. I decided to speak with the theater’s Artistic Director caryn desai (sic) (pictured) about that decision and the challenges faced over the years.

Previews are now underway for The Jonathan Larson Project and fans who have checked out the new musical already have intel on the more than 20 undiscovered songs, as audiences are treated to a brief breakdown as they leave the Orpheum Theatre. BroadwayWorld is excited to share an exclusive, in-depth version of the story behind each song, courtesy of the show's conceiver, Jennifer Ashley Tepper.