Reykjavik - - West End Articles Page 8

Improv-rock group Umphrey's McGee have always had an uncanny ability to melt down any genre of music, blend the molten styles, and hammer forge a new sound for each new song they write. While writing and recording their newest single, “Suxity,” the ingredients were—in guitarist and co-writer Jake Cinninger's words—part Sly Stone, part Alice In Chains. Premiered yesterday via American Songwriter, “Suxity” was the first song Umphrey's recorded during their sessions with producer Ryan Hewitt (The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers) at Nashville's famed Blackbird Studio.

The Washington Stage Guild continues its season of great writers with the Washington premiere of Bloomsday by Steven Dietz. This delicate, time-bending romance is set in James Joyce's Dublin on June 16th, the date on which Joyce's Ulysses is set. Robert returns to that city 35 years after meeting Caithleen on a walking tour of Joyce's Dublin. He and Cait meet again and revisit their youthful relationship, amid the echoes of Joyce's masterwork, and the missed connections of that earlier time in their lives. Helen Hayes Award winning Kasi Campbell will direct. A post-show discussion will follow the Sunday matinee on February 2nd, James Joyce's birthday.

The Black Box New Play Festival is Gallery Players' signature festival of new works by both new and established playwrights, featuring world premieres of new comedies and dramas. Now in its 23rd year, the festival will premiere 18 new plays over the course of three weekends. The festival opens Thursday, January 9 and runs through January 26, with a new collection of plays presented each week. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM, and Sundays at 3PM. There will be a talk back with the playwrights directly after the Sunday matinees.

Amanda Brennan is an acting coach, film director, producer, and the Principal Lecturer and Course Leader in MA Acting for Screen at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her recent coaching credits include Collette, Sex Education and His Dark Materials.  She is currently writing her second book on Acting for Screen which will be published in 2021. The Energetic Performer was published in 2016.

Hot on the heels of their first annual Woodlands Music and Arts Festival in Charleston, SC, and gearing up for their first annual Rockjavik event in Reykjavik, Iceland, world-renowned improv-rockers Umphrey's McGee are ready to release new music. Earlier this year, on a show day in New Haven, CT, the band found themselves recording a studio version of live show fan-favorite, “Ride On Pony,” at Telefunken Recording Studio. First played live back on April 5th, 2009, and written by guitarist Jake Cinninger a dozen years before that, this recording marks the first official release of the country-tinged, Bob Seger inspired tune. Today, Rolling Stone Country featured “Ride On Pony,” calling it “Nostalgic country-rock,” and making mention of the “Earnest acoustic strumming uplifted by arena-ready distortion-soaked chords and anthemic organ swells.” 

Ellen DeGeneres and her special guests spread more holiday cheer and gifts on night two of “Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways.”

Today Norfolk & Norwich Festival has announced new acts for its 2020 line up. John Grant will play Great Yarmouth Hippodrome on Friday 8 May; Kandace Springs will play St Andrew's Hall on Tuesday 12 May and Frozen Light will perform at The Garage on Tuesday 12 - Saturday 16 May.

The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival returns to its home in the historic French Quarter for its 34th annual celebration of contemporary literature, culture, theater, and the works of Tennessee Williams. More than a typical book festival, TWNOLF showcases award-winning writers, actors, musicians, and other artists in over 150 events in the French Quarter and other New Orleans venues. 

Boniface is pleased to share details of their highly anticipated debut record, to be released February 14th, 2020 on Transgressive. The self-titled album was recorded between Winnipeg and London by Boniface themselves, and producer Neil Comber (Charli XCX, Glass Animals, M.I.A). “This summer, I finished my debut record” Boniface explains. “It is a collection of stories about coming of age in a small town. An intimate series of vignettes from my youth that only came to be through collaboration with a handful of the kindest, most talented people I've ever met.

The world premiere of the gripping psychological thriller Ravens: Spassky vs. Fischer, written by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer) will open at Hampstead Theatre on Thursday 5 December. From one of Ireland's leading theatre directors Annabelle Comyn, this new play depicts one of the pivotal moments of the Cold War era, and one of the greatest sporting matches in history on stage for the first time – the 1972 'Match of the Century' between the two towering chess grandmasters from the USSR and USA, Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer.

The lines between myth and reality become increasingly blurred in Defenders. When Iceland was threatened with invasion by Germany in WW2, the allies decide to step in. The world premiere from Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company by Cailin Maureen Harrison, and directed by Reena Dutt, follows three American G.I.s who are shipwrecked on the remote island of Hrisey off Iceland's northern coast.

Trevor Noah is traveling the globe and expanding his Loud & Clear Tour to 2020 due to popular demand! With over 75 sold-out North American shows this year, including his sold-out show at Madison Square Garden with an expected 14,000 in attendance, Trevor is bringing his wildly successful tour to new cities.

Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir has today shared the first single & video from his forthcoming new album – premiered with KEXP, “Youth” is a reflection of the artist's childhood. He also announces his third album Bury The Moon will be released on February 7, 2020 on One Little Indian Records, with a full UK/EU/US tour to coincide.

The lines between myth and reality become increasingly blurred in Defenders. When Iceland was threatened with invasion by Germany in WW2, the allies decide to step in. The world premiere from Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company by Cailin Maureen Harrison, and directed by Reena Dutt, follows three American G.I.s who are shipwrecked on the remote island of Hrisey off Iceland's northern coast. The stranded G.I.s find themselves with missing weapons, few supplies, and a broken radio. They realize they must rely on the locals for survival but, like current-day warfare, the locals fear the loss of their culture, their women and their safety with the presence of foreigners on their land. Defenders opens on November 9, with performances continuing through December 8 at The Broadwater Black Box in Hollywood. One lower-priced preview takes place on November 8.

Hampstead Theatre today announces casting for the world premiere of the gripping psychological thriller Ravens: Spassky vs. Fischer, written by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer). From one of Ireland's leading theatre directors Annabelle Comyn, this new play depicts one of the pivotal moments of the Cold War era, and one of the greatest sporting matches in history on stage for the first time a?' the 1972 'Match of the Century' between the two towering chess grandmasters from the USSR and USA, Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer.

Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET), the professional North Fulton theatre company, continues its 27th season this October-November with Night Must Fall, a chilling experience just in time for the spooky season of the year. The production will be directed by Shannon Eubanks and run October 24th through November 10th, 2019, at the company's home in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.

The lines between myth and reality become increasingly blurred in Defenders. When Iceland was threatened with invasion by Germany in WW2, the allies decide to step in. The world premiere from Pandelia's Canary Yellow Company by Cailin Maureen Harrison, and directed by Reena Dutt, follows three American G.I.s who are shipwrecked on the remote island of Hrisey off Iceland's northern coast. The stranded G.I.s find themselves with missing weapons, few supplies, and a broken radio. They realize they must rely on the locals for survival but, like current-day warfare, the locals fear the loss of their culture, their women and their safety with the presence of foreigners on their land. Defenders opens on November 9, with performances continuing through December 8 at The Broadwater Black Box in Hollywood. One lower-priced preview takes place on November 8.

Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET), the professional North Fulton theatre company, continues its 27th season this October-November with Night Must Fall, a chilling experience just in time for the spooky season of the year. The production will be directed by Shannon Eubanks and run October 24th through November 10th, 2019, at the company's home in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.

Brighton, UK-based and brother/sister led quartet Penelope Isles released their incredible debut album Until the Tide Creeps In this Summer via Bella Union, and are about to embark on their first-ever North American tour. Today the band are pleased to announce that TOLEDO will be joining them on their upcoming tour dates, and release a music video for 'Round' to celebrate.

'Taste of Iceland,' an annual festival that celebrates Iceland's vibrant culture, is taking over New York City with a series of events for the third time on September 11-15, 2019.

Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producerCautious Clay debuts “Swim Home,” a brand new track co-written and -produced with John Mayer and featured on the “13 Reasons Why” season three soundtrack, today, listen here and watch the visualizer below. Cautious will debut the track live on today's “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on KCRW, listen here.

Enigmatic country star Orville Peck continues to tour in support of his critically acclaimed debut album Pony, out now via SubPop Records. Upcoming tour dates include stops at Austin City Limits, Thing, Hopscotch, Way Out West, Oya and Linecheck festivals, as well as sold out shows at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, New York's Music Hall of Williamsburg, Chicago's Lincoln Hall and the Swedish American Music Hall in San Francisco. See below for a complete list of dates.

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported last week, legendary Broadway director and producer Hal Prince passed away at 91 years of age after a brief illness, in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Today, English singer-songwriter James Bay has released an Amazon Original cover version of The Shirelles's song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” only available to stream and purchase on Amazon Music.

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, the great Broadway director and producer Hal Prince passed away at 91 years of age after a brief illness, in Reykjavik, Iceland. Renowned caricature artist Ken Fallin, remembers the icon below.