The Way of the World - 2017 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 7

With frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in the news due to actor Bruce Willis fighting the disease for several years, I decided to speak with playwright Jake Broder, an Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, about his motivation to create Unravelled and his research on the disease.

Actors Alexandrea (Alex) and Justin Reynolds play members of The Shirelles and The Drifters. Alex sings lead on “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and Justin takes the lead on “Up on a Roof.” The couple, married in real life, sat down with Broadway World to talk about getting the opportunity to work together at STAGES St. Louis and sing King’s iconic tunes.

After previous runs in 2022 and 2023, The Book Thief musical finally arrives in London. The Book Thief: A Concert Production was originally scheduled to be performed for one night only on 19 October, but two more performances have been added on 26 October due to popular demand. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Melanie La Barrie, who is playing the role of Death in this production of The Book Thief. We discussed what made her want to be a part of the show, what it is like to perform in a concert production versus a full staged one and even what is appealing to her about playing characters who take on the role of the narrator!

Performances are now underway for the Broadway premiere of The Queen of Versailles. Previews begin on October 8. Meet the cast of The Queen of Versailles here and read bios of the show's stars and cast!

Discover the Freeform schedule for '30 Days of Disney' this November, packed with beloved Disney films and holiday favorites. Don't miss out!

As the fight for women to have equal rights and opportunities has evolved, so has the presence of plays telling these stories. When I wrote my book, Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy that the History Books Left Out, the first-ever book about female musical theatre writers, I researched many musicals that are in this genre as well.

Winston Churchill was one of the 20th century’s towering political figures – a British statesman, military officer, and prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II in 1940–45, and again in 1951–55, who spent over six decades as a member of the British parliament.

Next week, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Jasmine Cephas Jones and more. See the full lineup here!

Initial casting and full tour dates have been revealed for the 2026/2027 UK and Ireland tour of the award-winning MEAN GIRLS THE MUSICAL. Learn more about the show here!

The Key West Film Festival has announced the recipients of its Golden Key Award for Artistic Excellence, honoring comedian and performer Billy Connolly. The festival also celebrates its tenth annual Golden Key Award for Excellence in Costume Design, honoring Academy Award-winning costume designer Deborah L. Scott.

Dennis Watkins is poised to launch his third year in the custom magic theater in the heart of the Loop by introducing the most robust slate of programming yet at The Magic Parlour. Learn more!

The North American Premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s anthropology, directed by John Perrin Flynn, will launch Rogue Machine’s new season on their mainstage. Learn more here!

In October of 2025, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Joy Woods, Adrienne Warren and more. Learn more!

Still quite a rousing crowd-pleaser—offering empathy and kindness as its main endearing ingredient— La Mirada Theatre's brand new, 'non-replica' production of the Tony-winning musical COME FROM AWAY is a superb, rather enjoyable new Broadway-caliber production that is as every bit as appealing as the characters that populate it. Energetically directed and choreographed by Richard J. Hinds, the show exudes a joy and pleasantness that few musicals are able to achieve with such ease. Funny, touching, celebratory, appropriately honorable, and musically endearing, COME FROM AWAY remains an awe-inspiring theatrical testament to compassion, and will forever remind us that even in the shadow of horrific, unbelievable devastation, humanity's capacity for kindness and generosity can—and should—take center stage.

West End and International theatre star Lucie Jones will be performing her biggest solo concert to date at the London Palladium next year. Learn more here!

I spoke with poet and activist Bleu Inkk, who after nearly three decades behind bars, shares her powerful story of trauma, resilience, and transformation in the world premiere of her live compelling documentary-vibe show titled 'Found Suitable' directed by Anne Kenny at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz.

Farmers Alley Theatre is presenting Come from Away. We had the chance to interview an Actor from the show who plays Claude, and see what Curt Denham had to say, as well as his thoughts on Come From Away. Come From Away at Farmers Alley Theatre runs September 25th- October 26th, with an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Saturday, October 4th at 2:00 pm.

While a lot has been written about two handers, a term for two-person shows, less has been penned about three-handers. Yet, three-person plays are just as common a genre on Broadway as pieces with only two players. Currently, Art, by Yasmina Reza, is receiving an all-star revival at the Music Box.

Technology plays an ever-present role in the life of every human on earth. As computer technology and social media have begun to heavily impact everyday life, this has gradually been reflected in modern musicals on Broadway.

When David Henry Hwang’s 1988 play M. Butterfly premiered at the National Theater in Washington D.C. and then produced on Broadway, it was truly visionary, compelling, thought-provoking, and outright shocking. Revised in 2017 to incorporate information that was released after the original play was produced, more people’s acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, and China’s growth as a superpower.

We're falling into fall with a great Broadway read! This season, Broadway's best have put pen to paper to turn out theatre page-turners of every kind. From theatre biographies to theatre fiction; theatre books for kids to theatre history; check out our collection of 25 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's Fall 2025 reading list.

Beating a Dead Horse, written by Temple University's Head of Playwriting, Professor Jenny Stafford, and directed by Temple Professor Peter Reynolds, performs at the Randall Theater next month.

Colin Hay, who will perform an acoustic show Nov. 2 at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main Street in downtown Columbus), disagrees with the assessment, but the former Men at Work frontman is a man of misperceptions. For example:

Bono and The Edge will accept the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize on behalf of U2 on October 21 in Tulsa at Cain’s Ballroom. This prestigious award annually recognizes a recipient who embodies the spirit of Woody Guthrie's social consciousness and musical legacy.

The Washington Chorus and National Philharmonic will partner to present the program One Song: Exultávit! at The Music Center at Strathmore. Learn more here!