The Life - 2017 - West End Articles Page 2

The Actors' Gang will present Two Gentlebots of Verona, a free, family-friendly adaptation of William Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, from August 1–30, 2026 in Culver City and Burbank as part of its annual Free Shakespeare in the Park for Families series.

Brave New Workshop returns to the Dudley Riggs Theatre in Minneapolis with THE ALGORITHM IS GONNA GET YOU, a new sketch comedy revue targeting social media, smartphones, and the endless scroll.

OPERA America announced $135,000 in commissioning grants to seven opera companies through its Opera Grants for Women Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation since 2014.

3x Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings has added three new shows to his extensive headline tour this fall, including Austin’s Moody Center and two special performances that will mark the grand reopening of Chattanooga’s newly renovated Tivoli Theatre.

Escape to Margaretaville, opening this Wednesday in Marshal, Michigan, July 9th-August 22nd, 2026, at Cornwell’s Dinner Theatre, Turkeyville USA, for a multi-week engagement. On a small island in the Caribbean, vacationers and the laid-back staff of the Margaritaville bar flirt, unwind, and sip drinks under the sun. When an ambitious tourist named Rachel arrives with her friend Tammy for a much-needed vacation, she finds an unexpected romance with Tully, the island bartender and musician. As paradise collides with real life, both are faced with deciding what they want beyond the sandy beaches of Margaritaville. This tropical romantic comedy has plenty to laugh at and a sweet love story – all underscored by Jimmy Buffett’s classic tunes, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” and many more. With a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl, Raising Hope) and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley (Survivor’s Remorse, Shameless), this hilarious, heartwarming musical is the party you’ve been waiting for! Broadway World Michigan was fortunate to interview Lauren Quigley, who plays Tammy, ahead of the show’s opening night!

Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO)’s Linda Koehn General and Artistic Director, Michael Egel, has announced the repertory for the company’s 2027 Festival Season. It will features a new production of Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, a new production and company premiere of Philip Glass’s Orphée, and the revival of the company’s acclaimed 2017 production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd.

Playful People Productions, a theater education nonprofit in San Jose, is set to present the musical You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, performed by two mixed casts of teens and adults.

York Theatre Royal announced a new revival of Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, co-produced with Glasgow's Citizens Theatre and directed by Dominic Hill, alongside a revival of TRISTAN & YSEULT with the Emma Rice Company.

For Aline Mayagoitia, taking on the role of Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked represents both the greatest challenge of her career and the culmination of years of growth as a performer. A veteran of the Twin Cities stage, Mayagoitia previously appeared in In the Heights at the Ordway in 2017 and returned with the national tour of SIX in 2022.

Whether you are Team Black or Team Green, there is probably a stage veteran on your side. Like other HBO shows such as The Gilded Age and Julia, the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, is full of Broadway, West End, and stage alums. 

Goodbye Dandelion, a humorous, moving new work by award-winning writer and performer Maddie Rice and composer Marcus Rice, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Underbelly Futures Fund Award.

Paper Mill Playhouse announced the election of six civic leaders and professionals to its Board of Trustees, expanding the board to 34 members as the theater wraps up its Next Act Campaign.

Esplanade will present Gabrielle Cavassa this month as part of Jazz in July 2026. Learn more about the upcoming performance and find out how to get tickets here.

Opera Parallèle and the San Francisco Transgender District will present the 5th annual EXPANSIVE concert at A.C.T.'s Strand Theatre, featuring opera singers Katherine Goforth, Nina Jones, and RuPaul's Drag Race runner-up Sapphira Cristál.

The show is directed by Olivier Award nominee Stafford Arima and features choreography from Rujuta Vaidya, music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, and a book by Rehana Lew Mirza and Mike Lew,

Trafalgar Entertainment announced the acquisition of The London Theatre Company, adding The Bridge Theatre and King's Cross Venue to its growing portfolio of entertainment venues.

James Norton will play the title role in a new production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, conceived and directed by Thomas Ostermeier in the West End in Autumn 2027. Learn more here.

Carolyn Marcell Elmore passed away peacefully in her New York City apartment on June 19, 2026

wild project will present the 10th Annual East Village Queer Film Festival, featuring LGBTQIA+ films, a retrospective honoring Lola Rock'N'Rolla hosted by Murray Hill, and shorts starring John Cameron Mitchell.

MIGRATION DIARY: NEW YORK CITY EDITION, a multimedia documentary theater work by Romanian director Carmen Lidia Vidu, will have its world premiere at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, presented in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute.

Broadway alum Rodney Ingram took over the title role in Aladdin earlier this year, and new production photography of him with Sonya Balsara (Jasmine) has been revealed!

Opera Colorado announced Martha Crawley Tracey as Chair of its Board of Directors, succeeding Richard Koseff, who becomes Chair Emeritus. Tracey, a board member since 1997, will focus on expanding community access to opera across Colorado.

Portland State University will host the Global Improvisation Symposium, featuring Tony Award winner Anthony Veneziale and 50+ sessions on theatrical improv, healthcare, and peacebuilding at Lincoln Hall.

The stories about Francis Albert Sinatra are endless. Two decades before Beatlemania hit the States, thousands of girls queued around the block so they could see the short, skinny kid from Hoboken sing while they cried, screamed and fainted. He had a thick New Jersey accent and a thin skin, punching one critic in the back of the head and physically threatening other members of the press. His friendship with mob members and their goons supposedly helped him out of a recording contract and for decades the FBI kept a file on him running to thousands of pages. He was close friends with Marilyn Monroe and gifted her a dog; she named it “Maf”, short for Mafia Honey, just to wind him up. At the age of 48, he dated a teenage Mia Farrow and the two eventually married in 1966.

Noah Mannion, Rafferty Smale, Spencer Collins, and William Gurney will share the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical's national tour and limited West End season, with original Olivier Award-winning Billy, Liam Mower, returning as 'Older Billy.'