Line One - 1986 - London Fringe Articles Page 14

The original book and musical, a?oeInto the Woodsa??, by James Lapine harkens back to oh-so-common cultural classic children's stories including a?oeLittle Red Riding Hood,a?? a?oeCinderella,a?? a?oeJack and the Beanstalk,a?? a?oeRapunzel,a?? and a?oeThe Baker and his Wife,a?? among a few others. Lapine wove these iconic characters and stories into one of his own. It's a new and perverse story line controlled by a spiteful giantess and a egotistical witch. Stephen Sondheim's musical additional punctuate the tale and gave depth to characters from other tales such as the Big, Bad Wolf and two love-struck princes and the witch herself.

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, in association with East West Players, presents the Los Angeles premiere of Lauren Yee's The Great Leap. Urgent, sharp-witted and fast-paced, The Great Leap is an unforgettable night of theater. As two men from different cultures reunite and find themselves at a crossroads - one man struggling to keep his career alive and an old friend flourishing in a career he never wanted - a young Chinese-American gets lost in the Tiananmen Square Protest and finds himself at the accidental center of international attention. All three men must face their past and struggle to find their own personal victories in this compelling drama directed by Tony Award winner BD Wong.

In celebration of her upcoming induction into the National Theater Hall of Fame on November 18th, I sat down with Broadway legend, Donna McKechnie for a spirited, informative, career-spanning chat.

The six-strong cast includes theatrical stalwart Michael Bertenshaw (SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE, HAYMARKET WEST END, HAMPSTEAD THEATRE, CURVE, THE MINITURIST, THE CROWN, THE DA VINCI CODE), Yinka Williams (ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE, CHUTNEY! UK AND WORLD TOUR, LONDON ROAD), Tamara McKoy-Patterson (NATIONAL THEATRE, ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE), Michael Gonsalves, new graduate Kitty Hollingsworth and Theatre Peckham alumni Luis Gustavo Silva Navarro (ROBIN HOOD AND THE ARROW OF DESTINY).

In his Broadway debut in 1988, BD Wong won his Tony Award (Best Featured Actor in a Play) for his ground-breaking role of Song Liling in David Henry Hwang's M. BUTTERFLY. Over the last year, in between shooting his two television series (as Whiterose on Mr. Robot, and as Awkwafina's father in Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens), BD has managed to star in two theatrical productions of Lauren Yee's THE GREAT LEAP (in New York and in San Francisco), and now will be directing THE GREAT LEAP at the Pasadena Playhouse, which begins previews today November 6, 2019.

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, presents a co-production with East West Players, the Los Angeles premiere of Lauren Yee's The Great Leap, directed by Tony Award winner BD Wong. From the author of Cambodian Rock Band and King of the Yees, comes the story of an American basketball team in Beijing where the coaches find themselves in a conflict that runs deeper than the strain between the countries, and where a young player's actions become the accidental focus of attention.

Based on the 1960 movie directed by Roger Corman, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS by writer Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, is the marriage of a 60's love story and the apocalyptic sci-fi films of the era set to music.

Artistic Director Robert Falls announces an update to Goodman Theatre's 2019/2020 Season. The Chicago premiere of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, originally scheduled for the Owen Theatre, will move into the 856-seat Albert Theatre; the Falls-directed major revival of Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel, originally scheduled for the Albert Theatre, will move into the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre.

Evelyn 'Champagne' King, one of the most prolific R&B artists of our time and Grammy® Award winner will showcase her mega hit singles 'SHAME', 'I'M IN LOVE' and 'LOVE COME DOWN',  with her 5-piece band and back up singers as headliner for Halloween Palm Springs Thursday, October 31. The party starts at 4:00p.m. and entertainment from 5:00-10:00p.m.  Bringing the beat to the street will be Pulp Vixen, Probe 7, DJ Galaxy and Channel Q 103.1 FM's Lisa Pittman! 

The Broadway community mourns the loss of beloved performer, lyricist and women's healthcare advocate Phyllis Newman, who passed away on September 15, 2019 at age 86. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of the American Airlines, Broadhurst, Helen Hayes, Lunt-Fontanne, Lyric, New Amsterdam, Samuel J. Friedman, St. James, and Vivian Beaumont Theatres in New York for one minute on Friday, September 27 at exactly 7:45pm. 

MBnb is pleased to present Tee Corinne: Bodies of Work, an evolving presentation of materials relating to the extensive practice of Tee Corinne organized by artist and curator Jenni Crain. The exhibition will be on view from August 11th through September 15th, 2019.

W. Paul Wade and Devin Devi stand out in a show that needs so much more energy.

The Academy of American Poets is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 American Poets Prizes, which are among the most valuable and venerable poetry prizes in the United States. This year the organization has awarded more funds to poets than any other organization, giving a total of $1,250,000 to poets at various stages of their careers.

Morán Morán is pleased to present Eve Fowler's exhibition titled These Sounds Fall Into My Mind, the artist's first show with the gallery, which includes a film, video, and six wall pieces. All together, these works focus on her continued interest in the intersection of language, text, and the feminist perspective in contemporary art.

British synthpop stalwarts Nature of Wires present their new double album 'Modus', out on August 16 via Manchester's Analogue Trash label. Comprising 18 tracks, this is 80s-influenced synthpop with a dark edge. The album had its genesis in the late 80s and early 90s, when the band were in the middle of a creative hot streak.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature INTO THE WOODS in Los Angeles, Lea Salonga in SWEENEY TODD and more!

The soul-stirring sound of tango in its most authentic form comes to The Soraya, brought directly to Los Angeles by Laura Escalada Piazzolla, the wife of the late maestro Astor Piazzolla, on Thursday, October 3 at 8pm. 

Kevin Cahoon will co-star on the new season of Glow when it drops August 9th. Cahoon starred on Broadway asEd the Hyena in The Lion King and went on to be the stand by for John Cameron Mitchell in the original production of Hedwig. He also played George in The Wedding Singer, The Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and was in the revival of The Rocky Horror Show.

Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Cheryl Faraone about her career and the upcoming performances at PTPNYC.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents a unique discussion celebrating the historic and contemporary importance of True West to Steppenwolf.

Hailed as "The best LBGTQ Theater Festival in New York" by The Village Voice, HOT! The NYC Celebration of Queer Culture returns to Dixon Place for its 27th season. The oldest festival of its kind in the world, HOT showcases over 100 artists' most daring new work in theatre, dance, music, puppetry, literature, visual arts, and homoeroticism for the whole family! Tickets, ranging from free to $21, can be purchased from the Festival page at http://dixonplace.org/category/hot-festival/. All performances are at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street, in Manhattan's lower east side.

Celebrating its 37th anniversary, Outfest - the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen - today announced the complete programming lineup for the 2019 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, presented by HBO. The nation's leading LGBTQ festival will be held July 18-28, 2019.

M.I.A. has been awarded an MBE (Member of The British Empire). The recognition was announced as part of Queen Elizabeth's annual 'Birthday Honours List.' She was given the award for her 'services to music.'

Get ready, jazz fans! The award-winning JAZZ HOUSE KiDS® today announced the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019 line-up. The Garden State's largest and favorite music festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer with two jam-packed weeks from July 26 through August 10 featuring 250+ jazz musicians, 30+ musical acts, 2 marquee stages, 7 venues, and 20+ concerts and events.

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday June 10th at 8/9c hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. It's the biggest award show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. We can't help but wonder what chances this year's Best Musical and Best Play nominees have of taking home the ultimate prize...