They Wrote That? - 2004 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 2

The Tanglewood Popular Artist Series, which each year brings a star-studded lineup of musicians and performers to Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed, continues to expand its 2026 summer season with the addition of Jon Stewart among a roster of major artists across genres including rock, country, pop, Broadway, and soul.

The Langham Directors’ Workshop will return to the Stratford Festival for the 2026 season with five new participants. Led by Esther Jun, the program offers selected artists the opportunity to work as assistant directors on Festival productions.

Theater West End was wise to split Angels in America in the season as two separate performances, each with their own block in the schedule. Originally, I was concerned that the Part Two of it all might turn away prospective theatergoers. But upon watching both parts now, and bearing in mind my own familiarity for the characters, I can also see now how the original production’s 18-month gap would have also been enticing for an audience.

The LA Phil has revealed the 2026 Hollywood Bowl summer season with performances at the world-renowned amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills from June to September 2026.

What did our critic think of THE NOTEBOOK at Orpheum Theatre?

It’s… Hairspray! BroadwayWorld is taking a look back at what the cast of this beloved musical has been up to since the show first graced the Broadway stage!

A new musical is in development based on the best-selling novel by Alice Hoffman and the cult-classic WarnerBros. Motion Picture, Practical Magic, with an original score by Grammy Award-winners Norah Jones and Gregg Wattenberg.

This January, the Jersey Shore Arts Center will become the staging ground for a masterclass in psychological warfare. Under the sharp, unflinching direction of Theo Devaney, Edward Albee’s seminal masterpiece, At Home at the Zoo, finds new life in a production that promises to be as visceral as it is intellectual. At the heart of this revival are two powerhouses of the craft: three-time Emmy winner and daytime icon Christian Jules LeBlanc and acclaimed Off-Broadway actor and Ruth Stage Chairman Matt de Rogatis.

The idea of the concept album took flight at the same time as the idea of the rock musical. A concept album introduces audiences to the score of a musical by deliberately releasing an album of the songs before any live production exists at all. The concept album ostensibly stands on its own terms.

What did our critic think of AJR ACOUSTIC SET at Newport Music Hall?

In honor of the Aida’s 25th anniversary, BroadwayWorld spoke to stars Heather Headley (Aida), Adam Pascal (Radames), Sherie Rene Scott (Amneris), Schele Williams (Nehebka), as Thomas Schumacher (original producer and Disney Theatrical Group chief for its first three decades), lyricist Tim Rice, and book writer David Henry Hwang to compile an oral history of the show’s early days, transition to Broadway, and legacy beyond the boards.

During his prolific and storied career, Sondheim collaborated with many other artists, from book writers to directors, from actors to musicians. Seeing Sondheim’s regular collaborators, close friends, one-time associates, mentors, and rare connections make appearances in his collection was both moving and illuminating.

It is a show that is so close to my heart! When I was living in New York, from 2004 to 2008 was when it came to Broadway, and I saw it there. I was brought in quite a bit for Olive at the time. I'm too old for that [role] now!

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.

BroadwayWorld chats with pioneering lesbian playwright and performer Terry Baum about her latest show 'Lesbo Solo: My Gay History Play' running at The Marsh Berkeley through October 12th. Her hilarious and deeply moving piece won 'Best of Fringe' at the San Francisco Fringe Festival.

The National Tour of THE NOTEBOOK is now underway! The tour launched on September 6, 2025, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH. Read the reviews here!

BroadwayWorld is here with your fall 2025 guide to all the shows lighting up New York’s stages. From world premieres to long-awaited revivals, this season’s Off-Broadway lineup delivers something for every kind of theater fan!

With Disney's Hercules now playing on the West End, take a look at the rich evolution of this musical, which has seen several iterations throughout the years both on stage and screen.

Be quick to book if you need a good laugh.

The Used frontman Bert McCracken has announced the upcoming release of his book, In Love and Death: The Lost Notebook. Inside is home to his intimate, long-lost artifact — composed of handwritten lyrics, poems, sketches, and personal reflections from nearly twenty years ago.

Loosely based on Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson’s 2004 novel, Peter and the Starcatcher upends the classic story of how a miserable young orphan became The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, otherwise known as Peter Pan. It begins when he and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff.

 It’s Only Life, a revue featuring the sophisticated, deeply felt music and lyrics of John Bucchino, will be performed by six talented teenagers at Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Wilbury Theatre Group concludes its season with a powerful, spirited, heart-stopping production of “American Idiot,” a musical based on rock band Green Day’s concept album of the same name.

Up next at New Jewish Theatre is Wendy Wasserstein’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning play The Heidi Chronicles, a semi-autobiographical story of Wasserstein’s life experiences over three decades. The play is considered groundbreaking for its examination of feminism, the changing roles of women, relationships, social consciousness, and shifting cultural norms. The comedic drama premiered Off-Broadway in 1988 before transferring to Broadway where it played 622 performances.  

Charles Strouse, 96, the celebrated and multi-award-winning American film, television, and Broadway musical composer, died at his home in New York City on May 15.