Whirl-I-Gig - 1899 - Broadway Articles Page 19

When I was a child, I was a paper boy. I schlepped a stack of 100 papers all around the little town 5 miles from my home; I earned a little bit of money and I still have that savings stash today. It wasn't as if I really needed the money, it was more a lesson about the need to be useful in society. But in New York City, 1899, things were a lot different. At that time, youths sold newspapers in order to survive. This was how orphans and children of unemployed fathers were able to buy food for the day. Many of these kids lived on the streets. Disney's musical NEWSIES tells the plight of these youths. The plot is both a love story and a lesson in capitalism gone sour, bolstered by magnificent dancing and Disney-quality songs. NEWSIES is inspired by the real-life 'Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers. The show won Best Choreography and Best Original Score at the 2012 Tony Awards. Ending this weekend at the Fisher Theatre, NEWSIES is as perfect as a musical can get.

The New York Festival of Song marks its eleventh annual co-presentation with Juilliard's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts with a new program titled HARRY, HOAGY, and HAROLD.

Juilliard and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present 'Harry, Hoagy, and Harold' on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 7:30pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater. The program, Juilliard's 11th presentation with NYFOS, is a tribute to three iconic American songwriters: Harry Warren, Hoagy Carmichael, and Harold Arlen. Pianist and arranger Steven Blier, a member of Juilliard's faculty and artistic director of NYFOS, performs with the singers from Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts. The evening features sopranos Mikaela Bennett and Christine Price; mezzo-sopranos Amanda Lynn Bottoms and Kelsey Lauritano; tenors Samuel Levine and Gerard Schneider; and baritone Dimitri Katotakis. Stage direction is by Mary Birnbaum, choreography is by Adam Cates, and Chris Reynolds is the assistant pianist. The singers have been coached by guest coach Mary Testa.

Of all the shows that I have seen throughout my lifetime, absolutely none… and I do mean none… nada, zip, zilch… have excited me more than Disney's NEWSIES.  It's honestly surprising upon meeting someone new if I don't mention this show within the first twenty minutes of our conversation.  I love it that much, and I can't wait for this tour to get to New Orleans next week!

Celebrate the ageless beauty of Viennese music at Symphony Center's 18th annual New Year's Concert on Sunday, December 27th at 2:30 p.m. in Orchestra Hall.

Disney Theatrical Productions welcomes six new principal cast members to the North American tour of Disney's NEWSIES: Joey Barreiro as 'Jack Kelly,' Morgan Keene as 'Katherine,' Aisha de Haas as 'Medda Larkin,' Stephen Michael Langton as 'Davey' and John Michael Pitera and Ethan Steiner alternating the role of 'Les.' These new cast members, aside from Pitera, will begin performances at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford tonight, October 13.

New Worlds Theatre Project (Ellen Perecman, Producing Artistic Director) has announced that it will present the world premiere of David Pinski's comic tragedy, Professor Brenner, directed by Paul Takacs, in a translation by Ellen Perecman, beginning Sunday, November 1 at 2pm at HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue. The opening night is set for Monday, November 2 at 7pm.

Disney Theatrical Productions will welcome six new principal cast members to the North American tour of Disney's NEWSIES: Joey Barreiro as 'Jack Kelly,' Morgan Keene as 'Katherine,' Aisha de Haas as 'Medda Larkin,' Stephen Michael Langton as 'Davey' and John Michael Pitera and Ethan Steiner alternating the role of 'Les.'  These new cast members, aside from Pitera, will begin performances at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford on Tuesday, October 13.  Pitera will debut at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, October 20.

Disney's Theatrical Productions high energy stage version of the 1992 film NEWSIES opened last night at Shea's after a tryout at New Jersey's PAPERMILL PLAYHOUSE and subsequent Broadway run. Based on the Disney film,  Harvey Fierstein's book delineates the struggle in 1899 of a group of newsboys who strike against the powerful newspaper magnates, led by Joseph Pulitzer.

A brand new season of West End musicals, gripping dramas, dynamic dance and one night concerts with LESLEY JOSEPH, DERREN BROWN, RUSSELL WATSON, JOE McELDERRY, BRENDAN COLE, PASHA KOVALEV, DES O'CONNOR, JODIE PRENGER, JIM DAVIDSON and BILLY OCEAN.

The Museum of Modern Art presents Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980, an exhibition on view from September 5, 2015, through January 3, 2016, that focuses on the parallels and connections among international artists working in-and in reference to-Latin America and Eastern Europe during the 1960s and 1970s.

New York City's Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC) returns to the Berkshires for the third consecutive summer with the regional premiere of the theatrical concert Van Gogh's Ear. In partnership with the American Institute for Economic Research and the Clark Art Institute, the 10-day, 12-performance series of Van Gogh's Ear complements Clark's art exhibition Van Gogh and Nature and features a special pre-performance discussion August 25th led by the Clark's curator at large, Richard Kendall.

Hailed recently by The New York Times as "ingenious," New York City's Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC) returns to the Berkshires for the third consecutive summer with the regional premiere of the theatrical concert Van Gogh's Ear. In partnership with the American Institute for Economic Research and the Clark Art Institute, the 10-day, 12-performance series of Van Gogh's Ear complements Clark's art exhibition Van Gogh and Nature and features a special pre-performance discussion August 25th led by the Clark's curator at large, Richard Kendall.

Birmingham Hippodrome was built in 1899 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne and has become one of the city's most famous landmarks helping to make and shape memorable theatre moments for generations of visitors.

New York City's Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC) returns to the Berkshires for the third consecutive summer with the regional premiere of the theatrical concert Van Gogh's Ear. In partnership with the American Institute for Economic Research and the Clark Art Institute, the 10-day, 12-performance series of Van Gogh's Ear complements Clark's art exhibition Van Gogh and Nature and features a special pre-performance discussion August 25th led by the Clark's curator at large, Richard Kendall.

New York City, NY (FOR RELEASE 7.20.15) --- Hailed recently by The New York Times as “ingenious,” New York City's Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC) returns to the Berkshires for the third consecutive summer with the regional premiere of the theatrical concert Van Gogh's Ear. In partnership with the American Institute for Economic Research and the Clark Art Institute, the 10-day, 12-performance series of Van Gogh's Ear complements Clark's art exhibition Van Gogh and Nature and features a special pre-performance discussion August 25th led by the Clark's curator at large, Richard Kendall.

The Museum of Modern Art presents Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980, an exhibition on view from September 5, 2015, through January 3, 2016, that focuses on the parallels and connections among international artists working in-and in reference to-Latin America and Eastern Europe during the 1960s and 1970s.

Disney musical is full of energy and entertainment.The first time I saw a snippet of this Disney produced musical based on the 1992 film (which I had always enjoyed) was on the Macy's 'Thanksgiving Day Parade'. I knew then that I had to see this show and it was exactly what I expected. It features a remarkable ensemble, amazing athletic dancing thanks to the Tony-winning choreography of Christopher Gattelli who has commented that the show has no chorus, they are all characters with individuals names. (See Nelson Pressley's great article in the June 5 Washington Post) . There are incredible defying gravity leaps, high-flying splits, standing back flips, cartwheels, somersaults, pirouettes, tumbling, and even tap dancing. I just loved watching them dance on newspapers. How clever!

Based on the 1992 Disney film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the real-life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City, Newsies tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York.

The weekend is upon us and that means that tonight is opening night for a couple of new shows (with performances continuing through the weekend) and closing performances of several others, including Newsies (at TPAC), Circle Players' The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the farewell production of GroundWorks Theatre's Starlite Waltz. Meanwhile, John Chaffin's Cliffhanger continues at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre and Cumberland County Playhouse continues its 50th anniversary season with a whole slate of terrific shows.

One of America's most versatile and prolific living composers, Andre Previn, joins Pacific Symphony as the honored guest and focus of the 15th American Composers Festival (ACF). Previn, who has been called one of America's least easily categorized musicians, began his remarkable career as a Hollywood "wunderkind" and a best-selling jazz pianist. Now 86, Previn has received four Academy Awards for his work in film, 10 Grammy Awards for his recordings (plus one more for his Lifetime Achievement), and he is also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He's held a series of major conducting posts, including the L.A. Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, but now exclusively composes. The concert is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, whose great admiration for the legend shaped this year's ACF to reveal the scope of Previn's prowess as a composer. 

Christopher Gattelli's superb choreography - spirited and athletic, amazingly theatrical and awe-inspiring - may be reason enough to see Disney's Newsies, the show now ensconced at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, where it's entertaining audiences and eliciting some of the loudest responses we've ever heard in that cavernous space.

Disney's Newsies will claim Nashville as their own hometown with a weeklong run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center beginning Tuesday, Osborne and Eppler's Southern Fried Nuptials takes the stage in Woodbury, and local favorite Geoff Davin unveils his latest theatrical creation - Adamenses Huckster…and there's plenty of theater continuing this week to keep you occupied all week long!

It's the official kick-off to summer, what with the Memorial Day Weekend upon us already - seriously, where did the time go? - and while we're certain your calendar is filled with cookouts, fireworks (we don't save all the sparklers for July 4th do we?) and swimming (if it warms up enough here in frosty Tennessee, where it's in the 50s as I type). But being the theatrical fanatic that we (using either the editorial "we" or the royal "we"…just take your pick) are, we would like to humbly suggest you make your way to the theater in the next few days to get some artistic inspiration.

Though no one in Aaron Lazar's family had professionally pursued show business before he came along, he sees his entire career as being heavily influenced by his musically talented grandparents and great-grandparents. So in order to give back to the special seniors in his personal and professional life, Lazar has become involved with JASA (Jewish Association Serving the Aging), a non-profit organization. Lazar opened up to me about the impact the seniors in his life have had on him, his favorite memories from working with legends like Angela Lansbury and Elaine Stritch, why he wanted to join JASA, and more. Check out the interview below!