On the Make - 1932 - Broadway Articles Page 18

Readers of Broadway World Minneapolis are familiar with the big splashy Broadway tours that come through Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre and St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Arts, as well as what's happening at our own big theaters like the Guthrie. But my goal as a Broadway World contributor is to make you aware of the great work that some of the smaller companies around town are doing. Two great examples right now are nimbus theatre, which does consistently good work as well as hosts other small companies at their Northeast Minneapolis home, and Candid Theatre Company, which recently won an Ivey for their new play DOGWOOD. nimbus' production of August Strindberg's GHOST SONATA combines original music, ingenious set design, and video projections to enhance the deeply layered 100 year old play. Candid's production of the historical true-crime drama HAUPTMANN presents a compelling story with the barest of sets and costumes. Both are worth your time and deserve a bigger audience than the ones I was a part of. Keep reading for more details on both shows. Moral of the story: don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path and give a new theater a try. You might discover something pretty great.

San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley announced today the appointment of Daniel Knapp as director of production, effective February 11, 2015. Knapp currently serves as artistic production director and head of company management of the world-acclaimed Bregenz Festival in Austria. He succeeds Greg Weber, who has joined the staff of Tulsa Opera as managing director.

Texas stage legend, Jaston Williams, is heading back to Galveston's The Grand 1894 Opera House. This time around he is bringing his newest play, MAID MARIAN IN A STOLEN CAR, to tickle our ribs. Gearing up for the production, Jaston Williams talks to me about why you should see MAID MARIAN IN A STOLEN CAR.

Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) has joined the cast of the Encores! Special Event The Band Wagon in the role of Jeffrey Cordova, an egotistical British director. (Roger Rees, previously announced in the role, is no longer available.) The Band Wagon cast stars Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, seven-time Emmy Award winner Tracey Ullman, Academy Award nominee Michael McKean, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse and Don Stephenson. The Band Wagon will open on Sunday, November 8.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline grossed over $1 Million during its six month run at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza., making up 58% of STAGES 2014 ticket revenue. Always... Patsy Cline was originally produced by STAGES during its record-breaking 2013 Season, which resulted in two added performances and historic attendance. Nightly, the audiences stopped the show with thunderous applause for numbers like 'Crazy,' 'Lovesick Blues,' and 'Your Cheating Heart.'

Theatrical Outfit continues its 'Season of Compassion' with the poignant and meaningful drama My Children! My Africa!, written by South-African-born playwright Athol Fugard who won a Tony Award for lifetime achievement in 2011. This is the 38th season for Theatrical Outfit, the second-oldest professional theater company in Atlanta, and the home of stories that stir the soul.

The New York Philharmonic has announced final principal cast members for its semi-staged production of Kern & Hammerstein's Show Boat, November 5-8, 2014: Tony-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress Jane Alexander will portray Parthy, and Erika Henningsen will portray Kim.

San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley and San Francisco Opera Association President Keith Geeslin today announced that Gockley will retire in July 2016, concluding a ten-year, seven-month tenure with the Company and capping an internationally acclaimed and award-winning career spanning 44 years as one of America's most prominent opera impresarios. Gockley, who will be 73 at the end of the 2015–16 season, became the Company's sixth general director when he joined San Francisco Opera in January 2006. Today's announcement was made at a War Memorial Opera House press conference.

This just in! Previously announced Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be joined by Tony Award winner Roger Rees, seven-time Emmy Award winner Tracey Ullman, Academy Award nominee Michael McKean, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse, and Don Stephenson in The Band Wagon, an Encores! Special Event from November 6 - 16, 2014 at City Center. The Band Wagon will open on Sunday, November 8.

The New York Philharmonic has announced several additions to the cast of the semi-staged production of Kern & Hammerstein's Show Boat, November 5-8, 2014: Tony-nominated actor Christopher Fitzgerald (who will portray Frank); Tony-nominated actor Norm Lewis, who appeared on Broadway as Porgy in The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess (Joe); Broadway performer Alli Mauzey (Ellie); Broadway and television performer Edward Watts (Steve); Emmy- nominated comedic stage and screen actor Fred Willard (Cap'n Andy); and Broadway performer NaTasha Yvette Williams (Queenie).

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza will continue tonight, September 18th to October 12th.

NY Philharmonic is kicking off their 2014-15 season with LA DOLCE VITA: THE MUSIC OF ITALIAN CINEMA. Celebrating the music of Italian cinema, the concert will feature famous music pulled from Filippo Sugar's library of soundtracks. With so many exciting elements coming together to make LA DOLCE VITA one of NYC's hottest tickets in September, I spoke with Filippo Sugar and Rene Fleming about the concerts and what audiences can expect.

Theatrical Outfit continues its 'Season of Compassion' with the poignant and meaningful drama My Children! My Africa!, written by South-African-born playwright Athol Fugard who won a Tony Award for lifetime achievement in 2011. This is the 38th season for Theatrical Outfit, the second-oldest professional theater company in Atlanta, and the home of stories that stir the soul.

Multi-platinum recording artist, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and philanthropist Avril Lavigne has teamed up with CrowdRise, an online fundraising platform

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador" to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 - January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador" to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 - January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

In By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, acclaimed dramatist Lynn Nottage (winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Ruined), has illuminated the irony and hurtful absurdity of the Black struggle in Depression-era Hollywood to break the chains of racial stereotyping and to land good roles with good lines. iTheatre Collaborative, a gem of a company in the heart of Phoenix boldly stages this play under the direction of Charles St. Clair and with a cast that artfully commands the stage. Nicole Belit is exquisite, endowing Vera with elegance, grace, and the self-assurance that was required to leap from handmaiden to film star.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza will continue September 18th to October 12th. The theatre company's momentous production of Always... Patsy Cline will play five performances per week Thursday through Sunday, following a brief two week hiatus. Always... Patsy Cline was originally produced by STAGES during its record-breaking 27th Season, which resulted in two added performances and historic attendance. Nightly, the audiences stopped the show with thunderous applause for numbers like 'Crazy,' 'Lovesick Blues,' and 'Your Cheating Heart.'

Showboat, Kern and Hammerstein's 1932 classic, provides an enjoyable musical experience. Containing several well known numbers, it affords numerous moments for indulgent musical theatre nostalgia.

Debbie Reynolds – actor, singer, dancer, author, champion for the preservation of the artifacts of film history and for the understanding and treatment of mental illness – has been named the 51st recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest honor:

In 1932, Leni Riefenstahl attended a rally where Adolf Hitler spoke. She was so mesmerized by his public speaking ability that she reported that she had an apocalyptic vision that included a stream of water touching the sky and shaking the earth.

Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will star in The Band Wagon, an Encores! Special Event based on the classic MGM movie of the same title, from November 6 - 16, 2014 at City Center. The show has a book by Douglas Carter Beane adapted from the screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with music by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz. The Band Wagon will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall with music direction by Todd Ellison. The Band Wagon will run for 12 performances, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital “American Cultural Ambassador” to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, will return to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 – January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

Cabaret is set in 1930s Berlin, just around the time the Nazi Party began rising to power in Germany. The Emcee, Sally Bowles and a raucous ensemble take the stage at the Kit Kat Klub nightly to tantalize the crowd, and to leave their troubles outside. But as life in pre-WWII Germany grows more and more uncertain, the club, a metaphor for the threatening state of the late Weimar Germany begins to fall apart.

The New York Philharmonic will present a semi-staged production of Kern & Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning musical Show Boat, November 5 - 8, 2014. Vanessa Williams will star as Julie, Julian Ovenden will star as Gaylord Ravenal, and Lauren Worsham will star as Magnolia, all in their Philharmonic debuts. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.