There You Are - 1932 - Broadway Articles Page 11

No matter what the calendar says, we're in early summer already - insofar as theater in Tennessee is concerned, at least - and there are four new shows opening this week that should command your attention. Along with a number of shows that are continuing their runs (like John Chaffin's Cliffhanger at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre), you have plenty of diverse and intriguing onstage offerings to keep you in the relative, air-conditioned comfort of a darkened theater. We've done the necessary research, made the calls to the people-in-the-know and have included the dates, the phone numbers and the websites to make it as easy as possible for you to buy tickets and go show some support for the arts while indulging in the magic of live theater…

Wilson plays a straight-laced goofball with a supposedly flush checkbook in Scott Ellis's revival of the screwball comedy.

“Lover, when I'm near you . . .” sings the debonair Todd Murray this past Monday night at Birdland, mere feet away from rapt eyes into which he pours himself. He's performing the waltzy song acoustically, voice full out in opposition to lyric mood. The back of the house undoubtedly finds sound muted. “This is how you would've heard a band singer in 1925, before a new technique called 'crooning',” he tells us. “From the time I started working, they always called me a crooner.”

Lauren Stanford (who won the MetroStar Singing Competition at the Metropolitan Room in 2013) has convincingly done herself up to look like the legendary Helen Morgan in her new show, More Than You Know, which she introduced at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in late October and brought to 54 Below this past Friday night. Stanford's presentation is 2/3 singing and 1/3 biography. Research is evident; specific adds color. The use of framed photographs and several conjectured telephone calls is effective (the actress listens). Vocals don't emulate Morgan's controlled vibrato, but Stanford has sufficient musical feel for the period to make mimicry unnecessary. Her uneven contralto can add feeling to a song rather than diminishing it. There are, however, other issues.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Lauren Stanford in 'More Than You Know' tonight, March 20th, 2015 at 9:30pm

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Lauren Stanford in "More Than You Know" on Friday, March 20th, 2015 at 9:30pm

COLORADO CITY, Colo.

Multitalented British actress and director, best known for portraying the Agatha Christie detective Miss Marple, Geraldine McEwan, has died at age 82. The BAFTA Award-winner's family says she died on January 30, due to complications from a stroke suffered in October.

England's most storied rivalry takes center stage at Folger Theatre in Friedrich Schiller's classic drama Mary Stuart from tonight, January 27- March 8, 2015.

England's most storied rivalry takes center stage at Folger Theatre in Friedrich Schiller's classic drama Mary Stuart from January 27- March 8, 2015.

Hot off the heels of STAGES St. Louis' record-breaking production of Always... Patsy Cline, STAGES has announced the show and its creative team will head to Montgomery, Alabama as part of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's 2014 - 2015 Season, Jan. 13 through Feb. 8, 2015.

From attending the New Theatre 2015 season launch, it is clear from Artistic Director Louise Fischer's introduction that New Theatre is a "family" with a passion for what they create. The 2015 line up continues the company's legacy of staging productions that will challenge ideas and discuss issues, and even the plays that were written in other eras remain relevant to the current society.

Readers of Broadway World Minneapolis are familiar with the big splashy Broadway tours that come through Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre and St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Arts, as well as what's happening at our own big theaters like the Guthrie. But my goal as a Broadway World contributor is to make you aware of the great work that some of the smaller companies around town are doing. Two great examples right now are nimbus theatre, which does consistently good work as well as hosts other small companies at their Northeast Minneapolis home, and Candid Theatre Company, which recently won an Ivey for their new play DOGWOOD. nimbus' production of August Strindberg's GHOST SONATA combines original music, ingenious set design, and video projections to enhance the deeply layered 100 year old play. Candid's production of the historical true-crime drama HAUPTMANN presents a compelling story with the barest of sets and costumes. Both are worth your time and deserve a bigger audience than the ones I was a part of. Keep reading for more details on both shows. Moral of the story: don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path and give a new theater a try. You might discover something pretty great.

Texas stage legend, Jaston Williams, is heading back to Galveston's The Grand 1894 Opera House. This time around he is bringing his newest play, MAID MARIAN IN A STOLEN CAR, to tickle our ribs. Gearing up for the production, Jaston Williams talks to me about why you should see MAID MARIAN IN A STOLEN CAR.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline grossed over $1 Million during its six month run at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza., making up 58% of STAGES 2014 ticket revenue. Always... Patsy Cline was originally produced by STAGES during its record-breaking 2013 Season, which resulted in two added performances and historic attendance. Nightly, the audiences stopped the show with thunderous applause for numbers like 'Crazy,' 'Lovesick Blues,' and 'Your Cheating Heart.'

2013 MetroStar Winner Lauren Stanford will bring Helen Morgan, to life in 'More Than You Know.' Directed by Eric Michael Gillett with Music Direction by Mike Pettry, the play contains songs the chanteuse made famous, including Jerome Kern's 'Bill' and 'Why Was I Born.' Stanford wrote the piece, described as a dramatic recreation of Helen Morgan's 1932 cabaret act.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza will continue tonight, September 18th to October 12th.

NY Philharmonic is kicking off their 2014-15 season with LA DOLCE VITA: THE MUSIC OF ITALIAN CINEMA. Celebrating the music of Italian cinema, the concert will feature famous music pulled from Filippo Sugar's library of soundtracks. With so many exciting elements coming together to make LA DOLCE VITA one of NYC's hottest tickets in September, I spoke with Filippo Sugar and Rene Fleming about the concerts and what audiences can expect.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that the box office sensation, Always... Patsy Cline at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza will continue September 18th to October 12th. The theatre company's momentous production of Always... Patsy Cline will play five performances per week Thursday through Sunday, following a brief two week hiatus. Always... Patsy Cline was originally produced by STAGES during its record-breaking 27th Season, which resulted in two added performances and historic attendance. Nightly, the audiences stopped the show with thunderous applause for numbers like 'Crazy,' 'Lovesick Blues,' and 'Your Cheating Heart.'

Showboat, Kern and Hammerstein's 1932 classic, provides an enjoyable musical experience. Containing several well known numbers, it affords numerous moments for indulgent musical theatre nostalgia.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's the Chicago Summer Musical Theater Guide! With half the summer gone, our stages still burn bright with great showtune entertainment. Here's a rundown, from downtown to Indiana, to west and north. We've got 24 productions to keep your spirits up from now till Labor Day!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. All the latest on the Goodman's 'Brigadoon,' cast announcements of major titles from Light Opera Works, the Paramount and Porchlight, see Team Starkid and 'Ball At The Savoy' at Stage 773, local premieres of 'Suds' and 'Big Fish,' plus the #1 high school actor in America and more!

From today, June 3 - 29, Waterloo East Theatre presents the world premiere of a new play, An Interview With Gaddafi, by Reggie Adams, political journalist and author of the book Now Utopia.

STAGES St. Louis has announced that Always... Patsy Cline at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza has recouped all transfer and renovation costs in the first month of performances and will extend performances through Labor Day. The theatre company's momentous production of Always... Patsy Cline will add six additional performances per week through August 31, 2014 to its original production schedule. Always... Patsy Cline was originally produced by STAGES during its record-breaking 27th Season, which resulted in two added performances and historic attendance. Nightly, the audiences stopped the show with thunderous applause for numbers like 'Crazy,' 'Lovesick Blues,' and 'Your Cheating Heart.'

From June 3 - 29, Waterloo East Theatre presents the world premiere of a new play, An Interview With Gaddafi, by Reggie Adams, political journalist and author of the book Now Utopia.