Safe - 2003 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 18

Upon learning that part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' holiday programming this season was to finally bring a national tour production of ELF - THE MUSICAL---the 2010 Broadway stage musical adaptation of the popular Will Ferrell holiday movie---to its stage, I was pretty ecstatic. For the most part, ELF---which performs at SCFTA through January 1, 2017---delivers enjoyable laughs sprinkled here and there throughout its two acts, and even offers up a non-equity cast equipped with lovely singing voices. But while ELF - THE MUSICAL is certainly festive and has lots of smile-inducing moments, overall, I felt the presented production felt surprisingly subdued. While, sure, it had plenty of genuinely funny and heart-warming moments, many aspects of the NETworks Presentations production needed to be much more over-the-top, manic, and downright silly.

Just because the stockings are empty and the presents are all unwrapped doesn't mean the celebrating is over before the New Year begins.

The Rudes. They're like the cast of Star Wars or Star Trek, iconic and revered in that way that Trekkers love Leonard Nimoy or George Takei, but for Austin and its avid theatre going Rude fans, well, that, and their collaborative works with others from Helsinki to Cedar Rapids. And their current production, REQUIEM FOR TESLA, is, in its third incarnation, like a Star Trek reboot. While other theatres around town dust off the usual December holiday fare, The Rude Mechanicals, never to be usual, have resurrected REQUIEM FOR TESLA in celebration of their 20th anniversary season. It's obvious they've been around and drummed up an enthusiastic fan base. (Full disclosure: I'm one of them). On opening night for this particular production, one ebullient fan behind us waxed poetic to total strangers about each and every Rude production he'd seen (many of which I've seen myself) including the 2001 and 2003 iterations of REQUIEM FOR TESLA.

It began as an Academy Award-winning film, then an Emmy-winning TV series and then on to the stage as riveting musical theatre-all conceived and developed by David De Silva.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 2016-17 Jazz series on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 8pm with 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dr. Lonnie Smith.

Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, co-organizers of New Year's Eve in Times Square, today announced that music superstars Gavin DeGraw and Rachel Platten will perform in Times Square on New Year's Eve as the headliners of the live, commercial-free webcast and TV pool feed.

Harlem Stage presents the world premiere of Meshell Ndegeocello's Can I Get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, a new theatrical music and art work commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks program, tonight, December 7, through December 11.

Goodspeed Musicals wants to help singers and actors to succeed in dance auditions.  In keeping with our mission to educate and support artists, Goodspeed will offer its first Goodspeed Movers Boot Camp January 6 - 8, 2017 at Pearl Studios in NYC. 

Just because the stockings are empty and the presents are all unwrapped doesn't mean the celebrating is over before the New Year begins.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS, directed by Timothy Douglas, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street) now through December 17. Opening Night is tonight, December 1.

Performance Space 122's annual performance festival, Coil, returns for its twelfth edition with 13 individual events. The festival explores the constant vitality of live performance in New York City through contemporary artists from diverse genres, cultures and perspectives. Featuring work created locally, across the U.S., and around the world, Coil is known for its groundbreaking contemporary performance across interdisciplinary art, working with new technologies and forms. Through installations, live and virtual practices, PS122 is committed to redefining how, where, and when performance is experienced.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS, directed by Timothy Douglas, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street) tonight, November 25, through December 17. Opening Night is Thursday, December 1.

Harlem Stage will present the world premiere of Meshell Ndegeocello's Can I Get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, a new theatrical music and art work commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks program, December 7-11.

On Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 7:30pm, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents a preview Nederlands Dans Theater's (NDT) New York City Center season.

Performance Space 122's annual performance festival, Coil, returns for its twelfth edition with 13 individual events.

Halloween has a reputation as one of the most alcohol-fueled days of the year, and issues aren't limited to just October 31. New data from 500,000 DUI offenders monitored 24/7 for drinking estimates that this year alcohol violations on the Saturday before Halloween will be 4 times higher than a typical weekend. Drinking violations on the holiday itself are also expected to jump 19 percent compared to average.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS, directed by Timothy Douglas, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street) November 25 through December 17. Opening Night is Thursday, December 1.

Justice have released a video for their latest single, 'Alakazam!,' which is out now. Watch it here. Filmed at Mangle in London on September 16, 2016, the video is made from different fan recordings.

For the 32.4 million children growing up in low-income families[1], having the learning tools to eat or cook healthy meals can be a challenge. In honor of National Childhood Nutrition Day (October 16), Quaker is partnering with Common Threads to fund Family Cooking Classes for the 2016-2017 school year and to add breakfast lessons, making nutrition education available for all meals of the day. These classes bring students and parents together through hands-on learning in the kitchen where they learn how to cook nutritious and economic meals.

HERE launches its 2016-2017 producing season with Ship of Fools, conceived by Jessica Scott, and devised by Jessica Scott with Anonymous Ensemble. This HERE Resident Artist and Dream Music Puppetry Program production plays 15 performances, tonight, October 12, through October 22 at HERE (145 Sixth Avenue, just below Spring Street).

Abingdon Theatre Company will present two world-premiere plays and a new musical in the June Havoc Theatre as part of its 2016-2017 Season of new works by established and emerging writers, marking the first full season programmed by Artistic Director Tony Speciale.

HERE launches its 2016-2017 producing season with Ship of Fools, conceived by Jessica Scott, and devised by Jessica Scott with Anonymous Ensemble. This HERE Resident Artist and Dream Music Puppetry Program production plays 15 performances, October 12 - 22 at HERE (145 Sixth Avenue, just below Spring Street).

ice&fire today announces the world premiere of THE ISLAND NATION, written by its Artistic Director Christine Bacon and directed by Ria Parry, which opens at the Arcola Theatre on 28 October, with previews from the 26 October, and runs until 19 November 2016. 

Veteran American Ballet Theatre dancer and internationally recognized dance teacher Kenneth Easter will join the faculty of the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts for the 2016 - 2017 fall semester, which begins on Monday, September 12.

Aurora Theatre Company proudly opens its 25th anniversary season with a revival of the play that started it all, DEAR MASTER. Joy Carlin (The How and The Why, Talley's Folly, Jack Goes Boating) helms this elegant portraitfeaturing Bay Area favorite Michael Ray Wisely (The Letters, The Arsonists) and Aurora's first leading lady Kimberly King (Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance), wife of Aurora co-founder Ken Grantham, who played Flaubert in the original production. DEAR MASTER plays September 2 through October 2 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-56) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.