The King and I - 1968 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

“Politics have no place in theatre,” says a person who has no idea that some of the first-ever plays from Ancient Greece were political. From Antigone by Sophocles to Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, there has been no shortage of bold theatre spreading a message.

Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced ten recipients for their 2026 Science and Technology New Play Commissions, continuing a 25-year program that has developed over 300 plays exploring science.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres announced casting for its upcoming fall and holiday main stage production, set to run at the Minnesota venue located at 501 West 78th Street in Chanhassen.

Much has been written about the proliferation of pop singer-songwriters writing new musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway. Less covered is the trend of pop singers performing on Broadway, which has made for a number of memorable appearances in current and recent seasons. 

Beautifully acted, engagingly riveting, and populated with impactful characters, Reggie D. White's thoughtfully sprawling and emotionally layered new play—directed by Lili-Anne Brown—delivers an ambitious, deeply affecting examination of generational legacy, Black identity, masculinity, and the elusive pursuit of emotional healing. Set almost entirely within the walls of a suburban home in Southern California, the touching, and, often times, quite humorous play unfolds across multiple decades, chronicling the intersecting lives of three generations of African-American men connected not only by blood, but by inherited silence, buried resentment, generational trauma, and a complicated yearning for deep connection.

While harmonizing to perfection, Katis rules the piano with the sensitivity necessary to realistically perform King’s songs of self-awareness and the longing to find your place in the world, while Clews’ finger-picking expertise on guitar adds a real sense of introspective musical magic to Taylor’s.

The Mountaintop will be presented at The Warehouse Theatre this spring. The production brings Katori Hall’s acclaimed drama to the stage, reimagining the final night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life.

Helicline Fine Art is now presenting Showstoppers: The Art of Stage and Screen, a dynamic new exhibition celebrating nearly a century of performance as seen through the eyes of some of the most influential artists and designers of the 20th century. On view through May 10, 2026, the exhibition brings together more than three dozen works that capture the spectacle, emotion, and cultural impact of live theatre, film, dance, opera, and popular entertainment.

Music Worcester will present 'I RISE: WOMEN IN SONG' at Trinity Lutheran Church on May 8, featuring the Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble & Cantilena.

On the heels of being announced as a co-producer for the new musical  Imitation of Life by Lynn Nottage, Liesl Tommy and EGOT winner John Legend, National Black Theatre has revealed cast and ticket availability.

The Stanford Jazz Workshop has announced the 54th annual Stanford Jazz Festival at Stanford University. This year's festival will feature a diverse lineup including jazz legends and contemporary artists across various genres.

Voting is now open for the second round of BroadwayWorld's Annual Bracket! Which film is really the Best Movie Musical of all time? Our editors have selected the options, and now BroadwayWorld invites YOU to join us and our readers in deciding which movie musical deserves the title of The Ultimate Best Movie Musical!

In the play “The Mountaintop” by playwright Katori Hall, audiences are led into Room 306, during the late hours of April 3rd. This play is a fictional reimagining of Dr. King’s final night, after delivering his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. Through a conversation with multi-faceted character of Camae, Dr. King confronts mortality and the idea of what type of legacy he wants to leave behind. Through acting, directing, set design, lighting and sound, this play, directed by Dee Selmore, is delivered with a deep sense of respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This production of “The Mountaintop runs at The Studio at Theatre Tallahassee until March 15th.

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is February 24, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

In an exclusive clip from Soapy, Jonelle Allen is looking back at the fateful night when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Watch the clip, where she recalls learning the news during the intermission of George M! on Broadway.

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

Georgetown Palace’s The Mountaintop skips the monument and gives us the man. A powerful reminder that history isn’t made by saints, but by people who keep walking anyway.

The city of Memphis is 63% African American. The nation’s first Black newspaper began here under the leadership of Ida B. Wells. The 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike brought Martin Luther King Jr. to this city, leading to his assassination and dramatically accelerating the national civil rights movement.

Next month, 54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Vanessa Williams, Tony Danza and more. 

Tanglewood has revealed the details of its 2026 season, opening in late June and continuing to Labor Day weekend. The schedule brings many of the world’s most exciting musicians to the beautiful Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts.

54 Below will honor the Black performers, producers, and artists who are vital members of our artistic community this Black History Month, featuring performances by Vanessa Williams and more.

Rhode Island theatres continue to produce excellent and thought-provoking work, and it is a privilege for your local reviewers to be trusted with the responsibility of sharing the good, bad and strange!  In the spirit of ending the year on an optimistic note, we’re taking a look back at some of the best shows we saw this year–in RI and further afield.

Arden Theatre Company will present THE MOUNTAINTOP by Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall beginning October 30, directed by Barrymore Award winner Brett Ashley Robinson.

While different tryout theaters have different relationships to the development of new shows, it’s worth looking at both which commercial rental theaters and which non-profit theaters have had the most Best Musical Tony Award winners come from their stages.

Diane Keaton made her Broadway debut in the original Broadway production of Hair at the age of 22. The landmark musical started out at the Public Theater off-Broadway in 1967 before transferring to the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway in 1968. Keaton joined the cast for the Broadway run, originating her track in the show.