Side Show - 1996 - New York Articles Page 1

For Steven Maler, founding artistic director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” holds special significance as the first free outdoor Shakespeare production he directed with CSC, in 1996 in Copley Square. This summer Maler is again directing the comedy – through August 9 at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common, in partnership with the City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture – to mark CSC’s 30th anniversary.

The Musical Theatre Guild has revealed its 30th Anniversary Season, celebrating three decades of preserving and presenting rarely produced musical theatre works through its acclaimed concert-style productions.

BroadwayWorld spoke to McCamus about playing two characters who represent humanity’s fears of stasis and obsolescence, but who themselves live in the present tense.

Lowry will present a curated programme of theatre, dance, comedy and circus by England-based artists at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with the British Council sharing the lineup with international performing arts delegates.

Looking to escape from the hot sun? Why not check out one of the many intriguing offerings at greater Boston venues where this summer’s vibrant theater scene boasts pre-Broadway productions, national tours, and summer-stock productions of everything from Shakespeare to classic and contemporary plays, musicals, and concerts. Bay State audiences have much to look forward to, including:

O.A.R. announced the Three Decades Tour, with a stop at The BayCare Sound in Clearwater featuring special guests Gavin DeGraw and KT Tunstall. The show was previously scheduled at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa.

The new season on Broadway (2026-2027) at the Vivian Beaumont Theater brings  the first-ever Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin’s seminal work, A Few Good  Men, starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth, with direction by Tony Award  winner Michael Arden. In the spring, Artistic Director Lear deBessonet returns to the  Beaumont with the first Broadway revival of The Sound of Music in nearly 30 years,  starring Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers and choreographed by  Christopher Gattelli. 

David Ian for Crossroads Live in association with Barry and Fran Weissler has announced the 2027 UK and Ireland tour of the multi award-winning musical CHICAGO. The tour will open at Wimbledon Theatre in the Winter and arrives at Milton Keynes Theatre in the Fall.

When honest artistic integrity meets conservative religious outrage, what follows is escalating frenzy, controlled chaos, and poignant reflections on what it means to produce art and tell the stories where they need to be heard — and the conflicting struggles that come with such intentions. Tin Drum Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of Southern Rapture, written by Eric Coble and directed by Jason Palmer, holds a brilliantly comical and satirical mirror up to the weaponization of civic institutions and artistic freedom. 

CHICAGO the musical is set to embark on a 2027 UK and Ireland tour. The tour will open at New Wimbledon Theatre in February. Learn more about the tour here.

It's the end of an era on Broadway. As BroadwayWorld reported last month, the curtain has officially come down on Boneau/Bryan-Brown, the iconic Broadway press office founded by ATPAM-members Chris Boneau and Adrian Bryan-Brown, after more than three decades representing theatre on Broadway, Off-Broadway and around the world.

The 79th Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday, June 7, 2026. It's the biggest awards show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. Which Best Musical and Best Play nominees will take home the ultimate prize?

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Grammy and Emmy winner Will Roland, Tony winner Norm Lewis and more. 

Even These Things, written by Rory Mullarkey, recently had its world premiere at the Royal Exchange Theatre. The play takes a look at three different years - 1846, 1996 and 2026 - and explores both Manchester and Ireland, with the final performance taking place on the 30th anniversary of the devastating IRA bomb in the heart of Manchester.

Triple Espresso: A Highly Caffeinated Comedy will return to Minneapolis' Luminary Arts Center for a three-week limited engagement following its 30th Anniversary national tour, with tickets starting at $32.

Signature Theatre has revealed its 2026-2027 Season. The 37th season features six musicals and two plays, including a world premiere musical, a regional premiere musical, and a DC premiere play.

Friendship is nearly always a side element in musicals. From the comic sidekick of the leading character to the backup pals who provide background vocals, friends are part of the fabric of many shows—but rarely are they the main event. 

Theater for the New City has currently scheduled over 200 performing arts organizations, independent artists, poets, puppeteers and film makers for its 30th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.

Dig Deep Theatre and Theatre Extempore announced a co-production of Kenneth Lonergan's THIS IS OUR YOUTH at The Olive Branch in Valencia, CA — marking the Santa Clarita Valley's first live staging of the acclaimed coming-of-age dramedy.

Prime Stage Theatre will present its world premiere adaptation of Laurie Halse Anderson's novel SPEAK, running May 1-10, 2026 at New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh, with Anderson attending a post-show discussion on May 2.

Chicago is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. It premiered on Broadway in 1975, inspired by real-life 1920s murder cases reported by journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins. Initially overshadowed by A Chorus Line, the show achieved iconic status following its 1996 Broadway revival, which went on to become one of the longest‑running productions in Broadway history.

The new Broadway season is in full swing, full of exciting new shows and revivals of beloved classics. While many of them are original concepts or based on plays, 12 have related films or series that you can watch from home. If you are seeing any of the below productions in 2026, check out how you can study up beforehand or unpack afterwards!

Next month, 54 Below will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond for Women's History Month, including Linda Eder, Kate Baldwin, Jenn Colella and more. 

Next week, 54 Below will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Allison Bailey, Jordan Tyson and more. 

Current star of Masquerade Telly Leung discusses with Jennifer Ashley Tepper playing the Phantom in the immersive production, the full circle from Rent fan to Rent actor, Gavin Creel’s leadership during a production that never was, and much more.