Somewhere Fun - 2013 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 18

Here is a list of my favorite productions produced in Austin, San Antonio, San Marcos, and the surrounding areas during the last half of 2012. As all of the productions listed were spectacular, it proved impossible for me to rank them, so here they are presented in alphabetical order. Congratulations to all of Central Texas's theatres, performers, and creative professionals on an astounding and successful year.

By the last August, I had fallen so far behind on writing reviews of cabaret shows from the spring and early summer (I guess it's a positive when there are more performers and shows in New York than days in the week) that I decided to play catch up by combining a bunch of critiques into one big column. I hadn't planned on doing that again, but this fall there were so many shows that once again I couldn't keep up. but at least I've beaten my self-imposed deadline New Year's Eve deadline of posting these reviews of 12 shows, all staged between September-December by lovely, attractive women (okay, so one is a gender-bender) of varying talents and levels on the cabaret depth chart, from established stars to MAC and Bistro Award-winners to comeback 'kids' to interesting beginners and occasional performers who are in the game to follow their bliss. Whether their performances were rave-worthy, earning of qualified praise, or not quite up to snuff, they all deserve kudos for taking the plunge.

Happy New Year, all! To kick off this brand new year, BroadwayWorld looks ahead at all the upcoming productions slated to take the Broadway stage in 2013!

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES announced today that an exclusive presale offer will be extended through MasterCard Priceless New York prior to availability to the general public. Tickets will be available exclusively to MasterCard card holders beginning Wednesday, December 26, 2012, through Tuesday, January 8, 2013. This presale will be followed by a Gilt City presale from January 9-13, 2013, for MasterCard cardholders only. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, January 14, 2013.

On your marks for the original amazing race! International City Theatre's 28th season gets off to a flying start with Around the World in 80 Days, adapted by Mark Brown from the visionary, classic adventure story by Jules Verne. For a taste of exotic locales, daring exploits, narrow escapes and great fun, head over to International City Theatre at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center between January 25 and February 17, or take in a low-priced preview on January 23 or 24.

Vineyard Theatre, one of the nation's leading non-profit theatre companies, is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. Several Vineyard artists, including Anthony LaPaglia and Kathryn Erbe (who appeared in the recent production of Doug McGrath's CHECKERS, which kicked off the current mainstage season), and writers Nicky Silver, John Kander and Rajiv Joseph appear in the Vineyard's just-released 30th Anniversary Campaign video. Click below!

The three-hour-plus extravaganza of food, frolic, and fun is so thoroughly entertaining, that it's hard to point out which of its many features is the best. It's no wonder, then, that this big hit that ran for years in Seattle and San Francisco has just been given a much deserved extended engagement through February 17, 2013 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' outdoor plaza in Costa Mesa.

In celebration of its 35th anniversary landmark year, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced a global celebration where theatres across the English-speaking world will produce 75 plays by past winners and finalists.

The Vineyard Theatre presents a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his performance - tonight, Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). FULLY COMMITTED is the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, and the reading will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013.

The Vineyard Theatre will present a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his performance - this coming Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). FULLY COMMITTED is the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, and the reading will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Award nominees, three shows that are closing, 'The Burnt Part Boys' debuts, a second 'Fifty Shades' parody musical, 'Miami Nice,' Lyric Opera's 'Oklahoma!' and more....

The Dallas Opera has announced that single tickets for Giacomo Puccini's final masterpiece, TURANDOT, as well as a new production of the company's first world premiere commemorating the 25th anniversary of Dominick Argento's THE ASPERN PAPERS will go on sale Wednesday, November 14, 2012 beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, November 6 begins International City Theatre's 80-day countdown to its next production-a zany and fun-filled stage adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days.

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) proudly announces a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his "sparkling tour de force" (NY Post) performance - which will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013. FULLY COMMITTED, the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Tickets, priced at $75 (which includes a pre-show toast in the Vineyard lobby), are available beginning today by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303, or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

Vineyard Theatre will open its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere production of Douglas McGrath's play CHECKERS. Opening night is set for tonight, October 28th. The production will be directed by Terry Kinney, it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Abby Lee, David B. Brode and Executive Producer Tom Viertel just announced that the hit 1982 Tony nominated Best Musical PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will return to Broadway this spring at a theatre to be announced. Conceived and written by the original company, John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Tony Award winner Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will be presented in a new production with direction and musical staging by Tony Award winner John Doyle.

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) will open its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere production of CHECKERS, a new play by Academy Award nominee Douglas McGrath (Emma, Infamous, Bullets Over Broadway), directed by Terry Kinney (Reasons To Be Pretty, After Ashley). CHECKERS begins performances on Friday, October 12, 2012 at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Opening Night is Wednesday, October 31st. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303 or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

Vineyard Theatre will open its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere production of Douglas McGrath's play CHECKERS. Preview performances begin tonight, and opening night is set for October 28th. The production will be directed by Terry Kinney, it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) proudly announces a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his "sparkling tour de force" (NY Post) performance - which will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013. FULLY COMMITTED, the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Tickets, priced at $75 (which includes a pre-show toast in the Vineyard lobby), are available beginning today by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303, or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) just announced a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his "sparkling tour de force" (NY Post) performance - which will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013. FULLY COMMITTED, the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Tickets, priced at $75 (which includes a pre-show toast in the Vineyard lobby), are available beginning today by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303, or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

An accomplished, world renowned jazz vocalist with a clear affinity for musical theater, Jane Monheit is set to appear in Costa Mesa on October 5 for a one-night-only concert alongside fellow jazz star John Pizzarelli as part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' 2012-2013 Cabaret series. Recently, the two-time Grammy nominated songstress chatted with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos about her upcoming OC return engagement and why she's so in love with showtunes.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 33rd Rolling World Premiere: Sean Christopher Lewis' Manning Up will receive three productions through the Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund in the 2012/13 season, the Network's 15th. Manning Up will begin its Rolling World Premiere at Riverside Theatre (Iowa City, IA, October 12 - 28, 2012), followed by performances at Salt Lake Acting Company (Salt Lake City, UT, November 7 - December 9, 2012) and Actors' Summit (Akron, OH, May 16 - June 2, 2013). Lewis - a former NNPN Playwright-in-Residence - kicks off the festivities by directing the Riverside production.

As Houstonians gear up for Theater LaB's special event and Regional Premiere of MISSIONARY POSITION, the second part of Steven Fales' Mormon Boy Trilogy, Steven Fales is busy in Salt Lake City. He tells me he is thrilled to be returning to Houston, especially since CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY sold out before he arrived in town when he premiered the show in the region. He noted that Houston audiences loved it, and really hopes that Houston audiences will eat up MISSIONARY POSTION as well. He feels that the time in right with Romney running for president because audiences will get to see "Mormon Temple ceremonies from an insider and not someone making fun of the church from the outside."

Sunday, September 23rd marked the 60th anniversary of Richard Nixon's political game-changing 'Checkers speech,' and today, September 24th at 10 a.m. tickets go on sale for the Vineyard Theatre's world-premiere production of CHECKERS, a play by Douglas McGrath about Nixon, his wife Pat and that historic speech. CHECKERS is directed by Terry Kinney. Preview performances begin at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.) on October 12; October 31 is opening night. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard box office at 212 353 0303 or online at

Sunday, September 23rd marks the 60th anniversary of Richard Nixon's political game-changing 'Checkers speech,' and on Monday, September 24th at 10 a.m. tickets go on sale for the Vineyard Theatre's world-premiere production of CHECKERS, a play by Douglas McGrath about Nixon, his wife Pat and that historic speech. CHECKERS is directed by Terry Kinney. Preview performances begin at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.) on October 12; October 31 is opening night. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard box office at 212 353 0303 or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.