Motown the Musical - 2017 - US Tour Articles Page 17

Subsequently adapted into an Oscar-nominated film, Sweet Charity is a modern Broadway classic following the trials and tribulations of Charity Hope Valentine (played by Trehearn).

General entertainment television network INSP has set the premiere date for the third season of its popular original culinary-travel series State Plate.  The new season will bow on Monday, September 24th in a new timeslot: 12:00PM ET.  Hosted by former American Idol winner, musician, and restauranteur Taylor Hicks, State Plate takes viewers on a tour of the most iconic foods across the country.  The announcement was made by Doug Butts, SVP of Programming for INSP.

Flat Rock Playhouse continues the 2018 season Music on the Rock Concert Series with 70's Summer Nights. Audiences can expect an upbeat evening of dance, drama, and delight at this Music on the Rock Concert.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Octavia Spencer and Queen Latifah will star in in The Rhinelander Affair following the controversial 1925 DIVORCE trial in New York involving a man from an upper-class New Rochelle family who married a bi-racial, working-class woman. It is a ripped from the headlines story from the 1920s with many meaty roles in what was a roller coaster ride about money, love, racism and betrayal.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced that Ain't Too Proud-The Life and Times of the Temptations, which premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, has broken the single-week box office record for the week ending Sunday, July 22, with a gross of $955,660.50. The critically acclaimed production, that ended its sold-out, five-week, pre-Broadway run on Sunday, broke the previous record of $916,877.00, held by the Kennedy Center's own 2011 hit production of Follies.

Omaha Performing Arts announces an exciting addition to its 2018-2019 season. Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends will bring their New Worlds tour to the Holland Performing Arts Center Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 7:00 PM. Tickets to this performance and five more exciting performances go on sale at 10:00 AM Friday, July 13 at TicketOmaha.com, the Ticket Omaha* Box Office inside the Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas Street or by phone at (402) 345-0606.

The ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival offers a season of live, professional musical theatre productions that run from August to October each year. Our Festival is modeled after the 'summer stock' tradition of staging shows: we use a resident company of actors and artists to create a series of musicals, with an all-new production presented every few weeks across our three-month season.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Crystal Monee Hall (RENT, The Mickey Heart Band) and Marcus Paul James (RENT, In The Heights, Greatest Showman) in "Where Is The Love" a concert celebrating the music of Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack.

Tear down the mountains. Yell, scream and shout for Dreamgirls, Playhouse on the Square's final musical offering of its 2017-2018 season. Co-directed and choreographed by Jordan Nichols and Travis Bradley, Playhouse on the Square's Dreamgirls is a two and a half hour theatrical energy drink, jam packed with slick production numbers performed by a fresh cast that is plainly up to the task of quenching the audience's thirst for a great time. There is much to be excited about with this production of Dreamgirls, which seems uniquely at home in Memphis, a city whose history and reputation are so intertwined with music and the superstars it has produced. Although the first third of Act I can be described as somewhat frenetic, the production quickly settles in and finds its footing, anchored by electrifying, well-directed performances by Breyannah Tillman as Effie, and Napoleon M. Douglas as Jimmy Early.

The Flat Rock Playhouse 2018 season continues by bringing audiences another hit musical theater experience, Broadway on the Rock, running July 6th - July 21st on the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage. In response to the 2017 hit production of Music of the Night: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Flat Rock Playhouse's brand new production of Broadway on the Rock, will feature music from Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Hair, Oliver, Brigadoon, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Wicked and more!

Featuring shows from around the world and shows from around the corner, the 2018-19 Season of Performing Arts at the Harris Center for the Arts are now on sale.

American Authors and Brandon Victor Dixon join the incredible slate of performers for NBC's annual "Macy's 4th of JulyFireworks® Spectacular," which airs Wednesday, July 4 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT) with an hourlong encore presentation at 10 p.m. Dixon will be joined by the iconic Harlem Gospel Choir for a rendition of the patriotic "America the Beautiful."

Alberta Bair Theater has added four additional shows since the season preview for its stakeholders on May 24:  for fans of 60's rock: Felix Cavaliere & Gene Cornish's RASCALS with special guest Carmine Appice on drums on Friday, September 7 at 7:30; for fans of 80's rock and Broadway musicals: ROCK OF AGES on Monday, November 19 at 7:30;  for a fun ladies night out during the holidays: 'Twas a Girls Night Before Christmas on Friday, December 14 at 7:30;  and for family entertainment at its best the multi Tony awarded THE SOUND OF MUSIC on Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9, both at 7:30.

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free staged readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists. Members of the 2017/2018 Playwrights Unit include Sam Collier, Ricardo Gamboa, Isaac Gomez, Kristin Idaszak and Nigel O'Hearn. Free, one-time-only readings take place July 14-18 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); to make a reservation call 312.443.3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org/PlaywrightsUnit. Availability is extremely limited.

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free staged readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists.

The Flat Rock Playhouse 2018 season continues by bringing audiences another hit musical theater experience, Broadway on the Rock, running July 6th - July 21st on the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage. In response to the 2017 hit production of Music of the Night: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Flat Rock Playhouse's brand new production of Broadway on the Rock, will feature music from Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Hair, Oliver, Brigadoon, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Wicked and more!

An inspired mash-up of posh and punk, Head Over Heels is an unpredictable, Elizabethan romp about a royal family that must prevent an oracle's prophecy of doom. In order to save their beloved kingdom, the family embarks on an extravagant journey wrought with mistaken identities, jealous lovers, sexual awakening, scandal and self-discovery, where everything (and everyone) is not quite what it seems. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Matt Manuel was born and raised in Detroit, MI, 'the heart of Motown.' He got his start as a competitive gymnast. When he was 13, he had to quit gymnastics, which he says broke his heart. His mother convinced him to try a piano lesson while his brother took a voice lesson. The teacher accidentally switched their lessons, which made Manuel realize he could sing. He studied theatre in high school, but once in college, focused more on vocal performance, so he would be classically trained. He was a contestant on season 13 of AMERICAN IDOL, which jump started his career. Since then, he has never stopped working. Manuel plays Marvin Gaye in MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. I had the chance to speak with him while MOTOWN recently had a tour stop in Boston, MA.

Creators Carly Brooke Feinman and Cassie Willson are thrilled to announce the casting for their original musical If Sand Were Stone, making its Off-Broadway debut this July as part of the 2018 New York Musical Festival's (NYMF) Next Link Project. Featuring original music by Ms. Willson and original book & lyrics by Ms. Feinman, If Sand Were Stone will play a 5-performance run at The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row beginning July 18, 2018.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) announces Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Ethan Slater as the 2018 NYMF Honorary Chair.

Producers Carmen Pavlovic (Global Creatures) and Roy Furman have announced additional casting for the new musical King Kong. Joining the previously announced Christiani Pitts, (A Bronx Tale) as Ann Darrow, and Eric William Morris (Mamma Mia!) as Carl Denham, will be Erik Lochtefeld (Misery, Metamorphoses) as Lumpy.

On Thursday, June 7, Hill-Freedman World Academy (HFWA), a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia, will release the original album WHAT'S GOING ON, the second offering from the school's Hill-Freedman Records label. The label, and the album, are part of Hill-Freedman's IB Design/Music Technology curriculum. The album will be released at a ceremony at 9:30 AMin the school auditorium at 1100 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Philadelphia.

The date was May 25th 2018. On the Friday evening blessed with clear skies, Graha Bhakti Budaya was filling out with people coming to watch the 9th musical drama production by Jakarta Performing Arts Community (JPAC) - DREAMGIRLS. It was the opening night and the anticipation coming from everyone was palpable. The event had 7 months of preparation and promises of being bigger and better than before. Following last year's WEST SIDE STORY, JPAC once again bought the performance license for DREAMGIRLS, this time through Tams-Witmark Music Library.

"Country crooners, '80s hitmakers and man's best friend are among the headlining talent Poway OnStage have lined-up for their 2018/19 Professional Performance Series. This season we are delighted to welcome old friends and new talents to the Poway stage," says Poway OnStage President and CEO Michael Rennie.  "Returning Poway OnStage alum include perennial Poway favorites and equal opportunity offenders The Capitol Steps, guitar masters the Romeros; and celebrity talents from Dancing with the Stars and American Idol performing the all-new Motown with a Twist."  

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the 13th Annual Chicago Sings concert; Chicago Sings The MGM Musicals, Monday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m., at Second City's UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave, directed by Keely Vasquez and Artistic Director Michael Weber with music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Beckie Menzie.