Rockabye Hamlet

Have you ever wondered what was the most dramatic night in Broadway history? Well, boy, do I have a story for you! The year: 1980. The show: 42nd Street. I sat down with the show’s lead, the iconic and peerless Lee Roy Reams to get the true story straight from someone who was actually there that momentous evening.

Permafrost Theatre Collective, in partnership with The Chameleon Fools Theatre Troupe and in association with C venues, present a new Wonderland tale at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe.

"To be or not to be" is the most famous question in all of drama. And it is around this central question that the history of Kronborg--The Hamlet Rock Musical hangs upon.

"Alice wondered if she'd been changed in the night. Was she the same when she got up this morning? She almost thought she could remember feeling a little different. But if she wasn't the same, the next question was, 'who in the world am I?''

'She spoke in a terse tone of voice, and crossly gave orders to a room full of silent people with glass faces. As she stared at each one she seemed to see the ghost of herself looming back at her, as if her face were theirs and theirs hers. She looked at each one in turn and asked 'Are You Alice?' They each shook their head.'

The Newest play from British playwright Billie Aken-Tyers is to be presented at Theatre Lab on March 2nd at 7pm by the Ophelia Theatre Group. The play, set in a small town in the North East of England, follows the story of a young millennial trying to find her place in the world without her Father. Steph's Dad has just died, and it's up to her best friends Ant and Harry to pull her through the worst year of her life. In a year of transition, three friends discover who they are, how to grieve and that growing up is realizing that no one knows how to be a grown up, all through the medium of a good old fashioned Pub Quiz.

As the story goes in Gilbert & Sullivan's 1879 operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic the pirate has just been released from his indenture to a comical band of soft-hearted pirates when he meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, and falls in love. As the story also goes, in 2013, New Line Theatre's Artistic Director Scott Miller made an extraordinary discovery:  the never-seen-before draft manuscripts for The Pirates of Penzance, which actually-believe it or not-originated as The Zombies of Penzance.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," opens its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre with the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its world premiere, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," opens its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre with the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its world premiere, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," opens its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre with the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its world premiere, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," opens its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre with the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its world premiere, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

Charles Dickens' beloved orphan makes his Goodspeed debut in the hope-filled musical set in the dark shadows of Victorian London. Bounced from workhouse to forced labor, Oliver Twist escapes to the streets where he meets Fagin, the Artful Dodger and a band of child pickpockets. Will he find love, home and happiness before it's too late?

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," announces its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its first ever production, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018; followed by the 'family values' classic musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, running Feb. 28-March 23, 2019; and to close the season, the St. Louis premiere of the new sci-fi rock musical BE MORE CHILL, based on the bestselling novel, running May 30-June 22, 2019. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

Golden Globe nominee Philip Casnoff (Chess, Chicago, CBS' Sinatra), will take on the title role in 54 SINGS ROCKABYE HAMLET, a one night only concert at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, April 1st, 2018, at 7:00pm.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," announces its 28th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the world premiere of THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's newly discovered, original 'operatic abomination,' in its first ever production, running Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2018; followed by the 'family values' classic musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, running Feb. 28-March 23, 2019; and to close the season, the St. Louis premiere of the new sci-fi rock musical BE MORE CHILL, based on the bestselling novel, running May 30-June 22, 2019. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

Ophelia Theatre Group, a leading player in Astoria's theatre scene, is presenting its spring musical Lysistrata Jones. Spearheaded by a female-driven production team, Lysistrata tells the tale of a determined cheerleader who leads the students around her in a battle of the sexes. With a rocking score written by Lewis Flinn and book by five-time Tony nominee Douglas Carter Beane, the show will be an immersive experience performed on a faux basketball court at the back of the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Queens. In the first production in New York since its Broadway run, Ophelia Theatre is thrilled to be giving a new feminist life to this baller cult classic! We guarantee laughs, romance and basketballs, lots of basketballs!

New Line Theatre, the bad boy of musical theatre, continues its 27th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, with a public reading of the new/old musical THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, 'Gilbert & Sullivan's original operatic abomination,' free and open to the public, on January 8 for one night only; followed by Cole Porter's satiric masterpiece ANYTHING GOES, running March 1-24, 2018; and the St. Louis premiere of the world's first bio-historical musical comedy, YEAST NATION, written by the Urinetown team, running May 31-June 23, 2018. All shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in the Grand Center Arts District.

New Line Theatre, the bad boy of musical theatre, will present a public reading of the new/old musical THE ZOMBIES OF PENZANCE, Gilbert & Sullivan's original 'operatic abomination,' free and open to the public, on Monday, January 8, 2018, at 8:00 pm at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, in the Grand Center Arts District. Admission is free.

Ophelia Theatre Group presents a fantastic array of new plays based on classic tales, but 'with a twist'! These performances, divided over four weekends, will turn modern and classic myth on its ear.

Ophelia Theatre Group presents a fantastic array of new plays based on classic tales, but 'with a twist'! These performances, divided over four weekends, will turn modern and classic myth on its ear.

Mike Carlsen and Aaron Roman Weiner star in the headliner of the staged reading series: WITHOUT, a new play by Michael Puzzo at Planet Connections.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," announces its 27th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the St. Louis premiere of the four-woman rock opera LIZZIE, a very different take on the Lizzie Borden legend, running Sept. 28-Oct. 21, 2017; followed by Cole Porter's satiric masterpiece ANYTHING GOES, running March 1-24, 2018; and the St. Louis premiere of the world's first bio-historical musical comedy, YEAST NATION, written by the Urinetown team, running May 31-June 23, 2018. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

Members of the original Broadway company of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' A BROADWAY MUSICAL , which only played one night on Broadway in 1978, will reunite for a concert presentation of the musical at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, July 16th, 2017 at 7pm & 9:30pm.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," announces its 27th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the St. Louis premiere of the four-woman rock opera LIZZIE, a very different take on the Lizzie Borden legend, running Sept. 28-Oct. 21, 2017; followed by Cole Porter's satiric masterpiece ANYTHING GOES, running March 1-24, 2018; and the St. Louis premiere of the world's first bio-historical musical comedy, YEAST NATION, written by the Urinetown team, running May 31-June 23, 2018. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

Mike Carlsen and Aaron Roman Weiner star in the headliner of the staged reading series: WITHOUT, a new play by Michael Puzzo at Planet Connections.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW will be hosting a Reunion Concert of the 1971 Broadway musical, INNER CITY. The original Broadway production, directed by Tom O'Horgan, featured music by Helen Miller and lyrics by Eve Merriam.  The show was based on Merriam's book "The Inner City Mother Goose," a collection of updated nursery rhymes reflecting life of the disenfranchised inhabitants of America's urban inner cities circa 1970. The production ran at Broadway's Barrymore Theater from December 1971 to March 1972. Featured cast member, Linda Hopkins, was awarded a 1972 Tony Award for her performance.

Based on the iconic film, GROUNDHOG DAY The Musical is reimagined by the award-winning creators of the international hit Matilda The Musical-including director Matthew Warchus and songwriter Tim Minchin-with a book by original screenwriter Danny Rubin. Starring two-time Tony Award® nominee Andy Karl, GROUNDHOG DAY is the new musical comedy about living life to the fullest, one day at a time. Meet the cast before they take their opening bows!

For people of the starry-eyed variety, some nights are more life changing than others. In times gone by, Athenians have flown to the forest in the name of love, acting troupes have gone to great lengths to be acknowledged and rewarded for their art, and fairies have wreaked all manner of mischief upon the mortal world for the sake of self-aggrandizement.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," has shocked the music world by discovering a long-lost first draft by the legendary British team of librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, who together wrote fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896.

How many of these great songs do you know from underappreciated musicals?

In THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL, Jack Viertel takes about musicals, puts them back together, sings their praises, marvels at their unflagging inventiveness, and occasionally despairs over their more embarrassing shortcomings. In the process, he invites us to fall in love with the art form all over again by showing us how musicals happen, what makes them work, how they captivate audiences, and how one landmark show leads to the next-by design or by accident, by emulation or by rebellion from OKLAHOMA! to HAMILTON and onward.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre will continue its 2015-16 season with The Fantasticks, directed by Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Producing Director Jerry Genochio.

The Emerging Artists Theatre has invited GHOSTLIGHT to perform a workshop/staged reading of their show as part of their prestigious New Work Series. The exclusive performance will take place on Thursday, October 22nd at the TADA! Theatre, 15 West 28th Street in NYC, at 9:00 PM.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of Alan Weeks, who took over for Andre De Shields in Broadway's AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' as part of a lengthy career on the New York stage.

Yesterday, the creative team of GHOSTLIGHT the musical announced that Leigh Martha Klinger will play the leading role of 'Olive Thomas' in next month's high profile staged reading of the show. Today, they have announced that Kimberly Faye Greenberg (DANNY AND SYLVIA) and Abigail Ludrof (The HVAC PLAYS) has joined the cast as 'Fanny Brice' and 'Molly Cook', respectively.

Creative teams have been announced for the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's Playwrights For A Cause, set to take place at 7:30pm on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.

Performances begin tonight, Friday, March 20 and run through Sunday, April 12. Press night is scheduled for Opening Night Friday, March 27. Appropriate for ages 17 +. As a concert production, there will be no live nudity, though documentary photographs of the original production will be projected.

'If music be the food of love, play on.' Even before the invention of the musical comedy (more on that later), William Shakespeare knew the importance of music in telling stories on stage. For our March feature, my colleague Jeff Walker and I thought that instead of marking the Ides of March with songs about murder, betrayal, and fate, we would focus on the synergy between showtunes and Shakespeare.

Tonight, March 14th, Sam Underwood, currently starring in FOX's 'The Following' will make his solo show debut at 54 Below with A Second Impression. He will be joined by guest stars Julia Murney (Wicked, Lennon) Valorie Curry ('House of Lies,' 'The Following'), Tessa Fairey (Rockabye Hamlet, Supersoldier), and Breighanna Minnema (The Bully, Gotta Getta Girl).

The Fox and Boulder, written and directed by Sarah Victoria Bennett, will be presented by Ophelia Theatre Group todays and Saturdays: March 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8pm and Sundays: March 15, 22, 29 at 6pm.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

On March 14th, Sam Underwood, currently starring in FOX's 'The Following' will make his solo show debut at 54 Below with A Second Impression. He will be joined by guest stars Julia Murney (Wicked, Lennon) Valorie Curry ('House of Lies,' 'The Following'), Tessa Fairey (Rockabye Hamlet, Supersoldier), and Breighanna Minnema (The Bully, Gotta Getta Girl).

Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Eric Rosen announced today the casting for HAIR: Retrospection, under his direction.

The Fox and Boulder, written and directed by Sarah Victoria Bennett, will be presented by Ophelia Theatre Group on Fridays and Saturdays: March 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8pm and Sundays: March 15, 22, 29 at 6pm.

On Saturday, December 6th at 9:30 PM, TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS announced their new Executive Director, Samantha Elizabeth Turlington.

Tony Award nominee Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q; "Scrubs"), Melissa Dye (Into the Woods; Grease), and Abigail Ludrof (The HVAC Plays; Ghostlight) will join Tim Realbuto on the first stop of his Wunderkind tour this Monday, September 1st.

Bizarre Noir Theatre Company presents Rockabye Hamlet, A Rock Opera, with Music and Lyrics by Cliff Jones. The show will be directed by P. William Pinto with choreography by Sarah Hill.

Bizarre Noir Theatre Company presents Rockabye Hamlet, A Rock Opera, with Music and Lyrics by Cliff Jones. The show will be directed by P. William Pinto with choreography by Sarah Hill.

Today we are talking to one of the most notably theatrical and animated performers in music history known for his operatic onstage antics as well as his acting in a number of notable stage and screen properties over his forty-year career besides his legendary recording work - the one and only Meat Loaf. Analyzing the magical musical ingredients that have made BAT OUT OF HELL one of the bestselling albums of all time, as well as the worldwide success of its sequel and its lead single 'I'd Do Anything For Love' and his ongoing relationship with the peerless rock visionary of a creator behind them both, Jim Steinman, Loaf nee Aday sheds some new light on his rich recording legacy, then and now. Additionally, Loaf shares first news of his upcoming re-teaming with Steinman on tracks for his new BRAVE & CRAZY album as well as shares some candid and vivid touring stories old and new involving the idiosyncratic and iconic rock pair. Most importantly, Loaf gives us the 411 on his new Las Vegas residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, ROCKTELLZ & COCKTAILS PRESENTS MEAT LOAF for six weeks beginning September 26 and also outlines what fans can expect catching him on tour, too. Plus, Loaf recounts his various experiences on the Broadway and Hollywood adaptations of the ever-enduring ultimate cult classic as it marks its fortieth anniversary, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, and also imparts memories from his early days in New York, recounting stage roles in musicals like HAIR and Steinman's own MORE THAN YOU DESERVE, as well as roles in Shakespearean drama and comedy byway of OTHELLO and AS YOU LIKE - not to mention the infamous ROCKABYE HAMLET '70s rock musical - among others. All of that, thoughts on the upcoming FIGHT CLUB sequel, choosing newcomer Michael Bay and casting Angelina Jolie for BAT 2 music videos, memories of appearing on GLEE as well as information on multiple upcoming film appearances and insights into show business in general - and much, much more!