Show Boat - 2006 - West End Articles Page 16

For DIRECTOR'S CHOICE, the fourth program of Pacific Northwest Ballet's 2013-2014 season, Artistic Director Peter Boal selects from his roster of acquisitions and increases them by one: The captivating mixed-bill program will feature a much-anticipated world premiere by Alejandro Cerrudo, resident choreographer of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. The program also reprises audience favorites TAKE FIVE…More or Less, Broadway-darling Susan Stroman's sunny slice of jazz-infused Dave Brubeck fun; and Susan Marshall's distinctive aerial duet, Kiss. Rounding out the lineup is Molissa Fenley's State of Darkness, a tour-de-force solo performance set to Stravinsky's riot-inducing The Rite of Spring. DIRECTOR'S CHOICE runs for seven performances only, March 14 through 23 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $28 and may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office, 301 Mercer Street.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 2013-2014 season with the east coast premiere of the new American opera Moby-Dick, today, February 22 to March 8 in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

GINGER THATCHER, former principal dancer of the Cleveland Ballet and former soloist of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and PHILLIP BROOMHEAD, former principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and the Houston Ballet, will members of the faculty for the Goh Ballet Academy's Summer Program in Vancouver, Canada from July 7-August 9, 2014.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE presents the world premiere of THESE PAPER BULLETS!, a modish ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, adapted by Rolin Jones, with songs by Billie Joe Armstrong, and directed by Jackson Gay, March 14-April 5 at the University Theatre (222 York Street). Opening Night is Thursday, March 20.

When it comes to theatre in Houston, I find that Kim Tobin and Philip Lehl, Co-Executive Directors at Stark Naked Theatre Company, only program plays that everyone should see. Thus, when they announced Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER, a play I was unfamiliar with, I began to immerse myself in any scrap of material I could find about the play, knowing it was a show I ought to know. After catching the final preview performance earlier this week, I felt like the boat must have passed me by. Generally regarded as a masterpiece, Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER didn't impress me in the ways that it seemingly bowls everyone else over.

Among the Directors Guild of America's nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television and Commercials for the year 2013 are NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! and last year's TONY Awards. The winners will be announced at the 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner tonight, January 25, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Following a 10 year absence from live performing, and an additional 10 years since appearing in Las Vegas, Helen Reddy is set to perform at The Orleans Showroom February 15 and 16.

Muny Executive Producer Mike Isaacson announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for the Muny's 2014 Season, which opens on June 16 with Billy Elliot The Musical. "We're so happy these exciting artists are creating our 2014 season," said Isaacson. "This is a challenging season, one with incredible variety and power. We're fortunate that such extraordinary talents will be creating our 'Muny Magic.'"

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the DGA's nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television and Commercials for the year 2013.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 2013-2014 season with the east coast premiere of the new American opera Moby-Dick, February 22 to March 8 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Written by composer Jake Heggie and featuring an English- language libretto by Gene Scheer based on Herman Melville's 19th-century literary classic, Moby-Dick sweeps audiences straight out to the high seas with its massive nautical sets and dazzling multimedia visual effects, in what is perhaps the most technically challenging opera WNO has ever mounted. Renowned American director Leonard Foglia leads a talented all- American cast in performances conducted by Evan Rogister, a dynamic young American maestro making his WNO debut.

English conductor Jane Glover will make her Met debut on December 16 leading the company's holiday presentation, an abridged, English-language production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Julie Taymor. The 100-minute version of Taymor's popular staging of the opera will star Alek Shrader as the brave prince Tamino; Heidi Stober as Pamina, the princess he must rescue; Eric Owens as the mysterious Sarastro; Shenyang as the Speaker; and Nathan Gunn as the hapless bird-catcher Papageno. Albina Shagimuratova and Kathryn Lewek will alternate in the role of Pamina's vindictive mother, the Queen of the Night. The Magic Flute launched the recent Met tradition of presenting a family-oriented production each holiday season, with sharply discounted tickets and two special weekday matinee performances. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the production!

Tony Award-winning actors Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher, Spamalot) and Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, Elf), Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), and Broadway stars Heidi Blickenstaff ([title of show], The Little Mermaid) and Derek Klena (Wicked, Dogfight) are all scheduled to take part in the developmental reading. Dog and Pony will receive its World Premiere at The Old Globe next spring, running May 28 - June 29, 2014; casting for that production will be announced at a later time.

Signature Theatre has announced the pairing of one of the theatre's most celebrated friends with the upcoming 2013/14 season's newest play. Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael Kahn returns to Signature this fall for the first time in nearly twenty years to direct the world premiere of Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill, the new play by Paul Downs Colaizzo.

Mary J. Davis presents DISASTER!, written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, at St. Luke's Theatre beginning today, October 14, and opening Monday, November 4. DISASTER! is a musical based on 1970's disaster movies with a score consisting of 1970's pop, rock and disco hit songs. Directed by Jack Plotnick, choreographed by Denis Jones and music direction by Larry Pressgrove. Disaster! previously ran in 2012. For more information, visit www.disastermusical.com.

On January 18, 2014, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) presents the American premiere of The Passenger (1968), a powerful Holocaust opera by exiled Polish-Jewish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg.

On January 18, 2014, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) presents the American premiere of The Passenger (1968), a powerful Holocaust opera by exiled Polish-Jewish composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg. Based on a novel by Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz, The Passenger was recognized as "a perfect masterpiece" by Shostakovich but was censored by the Soviet establishment and never performed in Weinberg's lifetime. It premiered at the 2010 Bregenz Festival, and its subsequent UK premiere at the English National Opera took place only thanks to award-winning British director David Pountney, whose staging inspired the Telegraph to write: "Risky though it may be to label a first production 'definitive,' it is hard to imagine it ever being done better." Now HGO brings the same production across the Atlantic, complete with mezzo-soprano Michelle Breedt, who "excelled" (New York Times) in the leading role at two European premieres. All five of The Passenger's first American performances (Jan 18-Feb 2) will be led byPatrick Summers, HGO's artistic and music director.

Symphony Space opens its 2013-14 Music season with 'Kurt Weill on Broadway,' tonight, October 7 (8 pm) at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Weill's One Touch of Venus. Ted Chapin hosts a stellar cast featuring Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines, plus winners of the international Lotte Lenya Competition.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Sting's 'The Last Ship' and the Broadway In Chicago spring season, 'Oz' in 3D, updates on TV's 'The Sound Of Music' and 'Glee,' plus Groff at Ravinia, 'Lanyard Skynerd' at Martyrs, a road trip 'Ragtime' and more!

Canadian Stage opens the 2013.2014 theatre season at the Berkeley Street Theatre with two plays by Quebecois playwright Sarah Berthiaume, directed by the inaugural graduates of York University's MFA Program in Theatre - Stage Direction in Collaboration with Canadian Stage, Ker Wells and Ted Witzel. The Flood Thereafter, a twisted fairytale helmed by Wells (who recently directed the company's popular production of Macbeth as part of Shakespeare in High Park), is on stage tonight, September 22 to October 6. Set in a small fishing community and featuring Oliver Becker, Maggie Huculak, Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster, Kevin MacDonald, W. Joseph Matheson and Patricia Marceau, the play is a timeless fable, stretching from the historic roots of ancient Greece to a small village in Quebec today. Yukonstyle (directed by Witzel) begins previews October 13.

Mary J. Davis will present DISASTER! written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, at St. Luke's Theatre starting on October 14, opening Monday, November 4. DISASTER! is a musical based on 1970's disaster movies with a score consisting of 1970's pop, rock and disco hit songs. Directed by Jack Plotnick, choreographed by Denis Jones and music direction by Larry Pressgrove. Disaster! previously ran in 2012.

The Wicked touring company and Hennepin Theatre Trust are pleased to announce that a day-of-performance lottery for alimited number of orchestra seats will be held prior to each performance of Wicked during the Minneapolis run, September 18-October 27. Two and one-half hours before each show, people who present themselves at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office (910 Hennepin Avenue) will have their names placed in a lottery container. Thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This offer is available only in-person at the Orpheum Box Office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID to enter and, if chosen, when purchasing tickets

Canadian Stage opens the 2013.2014 theatre season at the Berkeley Street Theatre with two plays by Quebecois playwright Sarah Berthiaume, directed by the inaugural graduates of York University's MFA Program in Theatre - Stage Direction in Collaboration with Canadian Stage, Ker Wells and Ted Witzel. The Flood Thereafter, a twisted fairytale helmed by Wells (who recently directed the company's popular production of Macbeth as part of Shakespeare in High Park), is on stage September 22 to October 6. Set in a small fishing community and featuring Oliver Becker, Maggie Huculak, Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster, Kevin MacDonald, W. Joseph Matheson andPatricia Marceau, the play is a timeless fable, stretching from the historic roots of ancient Greece to a small village in Quebec today. Yukonstyle (directed by Witzel) begins previews October 13.

The world premiere of The Tallest Tree in the Forest, a new work about the life of African-American performer and activist Paul Robeson, written and performed by Daniel Beaty and directed by Moises Kaufman, opens tonight, September 6 at Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

The world premiere of The Tallest Tree in the Forest, a new work about the life of African-American performer and activist Paul Robeson, written and performed by Daniel Beaty and directed by Moises Kaufman, opens Friday, September 6 at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The show runs through September 28 at the Rep's downtown theatre Copaken Stage, 13th and Walnut Streets.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre will kick off its 2013-14 season with the world premiere of The Tallest Tree in the Forest, a new work about the life of African-American performer and activist Paul Robeson, written and performed by Daniel Beaty and directed by Moises Kaufman. The show runs tonight, August 30-September 28 at the Rep's downtown theatre Copaken Stage, 13th and Walnut Streets. The Tallest Tree in the Forest is a co-production with La Jolla Playhouse.