The Will and the Way - 1957 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

The West Coast premiere of The Laugh Track written by Wendy MacLeod is a new comedy inspired by the real-life experiences of Madelyn Pugh, one of Hollywood’s first female television writers who worked on I Love Lucy when it aired on CBS from 1951 to 1957. It shines a light on the inner workings of America’s beloved sitcom and the woman who punched up the jokes, helping to open doors for women in the writers’ room. I spoke with the show’s director Brian Shnipper about what drew him to direct the play, his vision for sharing Pugh’s real-life adventures, and why he thinks the story will appeal to those who grew up watching I Love Lucy or younger audiences not familiar with it.

President Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center Board of Trustees revealed five lifetime achievement honorees for the 49th Kennedy Center Honors, including David Foster, David Mamet and more.

A musical about disenfranchised teenage boys in warring gangs in the middle of the twentieth century has an impossibly high standard to measure up against in the department of subject matter.

The upcoming production of the 1955 musical written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (music and lyrics) and Douglass Wallop and George Abbott (book) will star Neil Patrick Harris as Applegate, Julianne Hough as Lola, and Austin Scott as Young Joe Hardy. It will play Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, which incidentally, hosted the first revival of the show from 1994-1995. The 2027 production will be the second Broadway revival for the perennially popular property which has been a favorite in schools and communities since it made a splash during musical theatre’s Golden Age. 

Director Richard Linklater has provided an update on the film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along, which will be filmed over 20 years, sharing that the fourth section, out of nine total, will begin filming soon. Learn more here!

International Literary Properties announced a partnership with the estate of A. E. Hotchner, the novelist, playwright, and biographer of Ernest Hemingway. The deal will focus on reissuing his literary work and developing adaptations across film, television, and stage.

Margaret Glaspy released a live video for "Martin Luther King Jr." off I AM BOTH, produced by Joe Henry. Her North American and European tour begins Friday, with stops in Brooklyn on Sept. 26 and Los Angeles on Nov. 17.

Merrily We Roll Along tackles these behemoth existentialisms at a granular level in the lives of three old friends. It’s one of those shows that leaves you with something to ponder for days after the lights come up. In Signature Theatre’s hands, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s masterpiece is more intricate than ever before.

Director Alison Reid's documentary THE ART OF ADVENTURE, following the 1957 Land Rover expedition of Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster, will open in theaters across the US this fall.

Verve Records and UMe will launch VERVE ESSENTIALS, a vinyl reissue series featuring landmark albums by John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Charles Mingus.

The Dallas Opera will present a new-to-Dallas production of Donizetti's THE ELIXIR OF LOVE at the Winspear Opera House, directed by Stephen Lawless and led by Soraya Mafi and Anthony León.

Center Theatre Group will present Big League Productions' national tour of THE MUSIC MAN at the Ahmanson Theatre from October 27 to November 8, 2026, marking the show's first major Los Angeles engagement since 1980.

Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis announced single tickets are now on sale for its 2026-2027 season, featuring SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL, two world premieres, and the return of DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!

The story is a modern reimaging of the tale, Romeo and Juliet.  Set in 1957 on the West Side of New York City in the last days of summer, there’s trouble on the streets between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA has held sway over audiences since its television premiere in 1957. Beef & Boards has brought its many charms and magic to life with a dazzling production that is the family show for the season.

Bill Kenwright Ltd's acclaimed West End production of TWELVE ANGRY MEN will tour the UK this autumn, led by Gray O'Brien, Bill Ward, Ricky Norwood, Tristan Gemmill, and Ben Nealon in Reginald Rose's classic courtroom drama.

Astounding triple-threat talent is on display in big production numbers with attention-grabbing scenic elements by brilliant designers add to the artistic wonder of the entire production helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal, choreographed by Janelle Dote Portman, with music direction by Marc Macalintal.

The Greek National Opera is presenting a new, captivating production of Anna Bolena, conducted by Jacques Lacombe and directed by Themelis Glynatsis. Learn more here!

“Elvis and Elton Together” rates a big five stars.  Victor Trevino Jr. as Elvis is back and is as good as ever. Sean McGibbben becomes the incredible Elton John.   Victor and Sean wisely introduce themselves as tribute artists rather than impersonators.

An embarrassment of theatrical riches, bordering on sensory, stimulating overload, is on display in an exceptionally bold and satisfying reimagining of the very influential musical Pal Joey—now reconceived as Chez Joey. The show still takes place in the 1940’s Chicago music/nightclub scene, but it has been opened up to explore potent possibilities that are realized in this production.

 Lyric Opera of Chicago will Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego. What unfolds is a dreamlike journey through memory, passion, and everything they created together — both on canvas and in life.

The festival runs from 25 February to 8 March in Glasgow.

While much of the dramatic weight of Angels in America undeniably stems from the specter of AIDS, it would do the play a huge disservice to reduce it to a story about disease alone. What Theater West End makes clear is that Kushner’s work is as much about identity, loss, and the human struggle to reconcile who we are deep down with who we present to the world.

“The Everly Brothers Experience” featuring the Zmed Brothers will return to Bucks County Playhouse for two performances. The concerts mark the fourth appearance of the tribute at the Playhouse and are part of the theater's Visiting Artists Series.

Dance Camera West’s 26th season of the world-renowned Los Angeles–based Dance Camera West Festival has been revealed.