Review: Defying Gravity - An Evening with Stephen Schwartz Flies to the Irvine Barclay
by Michael Quintos - Jun 4, 2026
It's a very rare treat—particularly all the way here in Orange County, California—to hear Broadway songs and the stories behind them performed directly by the legendary composer himself, even for just a one-night-only event. But that is exactly the gift bestowed upon a rapt audience recently when the Irvine Barclay Theatre presented DEFYING GRAVITY: AN EVENING WITH STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS to a sold-out crowd on the evening of May 23, 2026.
Review: SELECTED SHORTS at The Adams Theater
by Marc Savitt - Jun 3, 2026
Listening to SELECTED STORIES is a delight. The actors bring energy, nuance, intonation, inflection, and character to every aspect of the story they are telling. Having them do so live, in-person to a room full of enthusiastic audience member reactions made it even more so.
Did You Know That These Broadway Shows Originally Had Different Names?
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 17, 2026
Perhaps the most well-known instance of a show changing titles during the development process belongs to the groundbreaking 1943 phenomenon, Oklahoma! The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that changed the art form in terms of subject matter, integration of elements, and more was originally titled Away We Go! when it went out of town for a New Haven tryout. Oklahoma! is far from the only instance where a musical changed its title along the development road.
A History of Musicals About Friendship
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 10, 2026
Friendship is nearly always a side element in musicals. From the comic sidekick of the leading character to the backup pals who provide background vocals, friends are part of the fabric of many shows—but rarely are they the main event.
Review: STEREOPHONIC at Kauffman Center
by Alan Portner - Apr 9, 2026
Think of the greatest songs you’ve never heard - the soaring melodies, the unexpected anthems, the driving beats, the lyrics that speak to a feeling you didn’t know could be expressed in words. Unlike most straight plays, this opus has its own musical score, and good one by Will Butler.
And that is the projected end-product taking shape at the hoped for conclusion/finale of “Stereophonic,” now playing in the gorgeous Muriel Kauffman Opera House through Sunday April 11.
16 Theater Books for Your Spring 2026 Reading List
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 26, 2026
Need a great book to spring into the new season? This spring, 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 16 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's Spring 2026 reading list.
Review: STEREOPHONIC at DPAC
by April Sigler - Mar 18, 2026
Stereophonic, the most Tony-nominated play of all time and winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Play, offers a compelling fly-on-the-wall look at a 1970s rock band recording their next album. With strong performances and music that feels like a character of its own, the show immerses you in the creative process, even if its scale and runtime occasionally soften the intimacy.
Interview: Julie Reiber & Bryce Ryness of North Carolina Symphony's HOLLYWOOD HITS
by Jeffrey Kare - Mar 6, 2026
On March 13th & 14th, the North Carolina Symphony will be presenting HOLLYWOOD HITS. Two guest vocalists are coming down to the Triangle area to perform iconic songs from memorable movies and binge-worthy TV such as A STAR IS BORN, TOMMY, ROCKETMAN, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, ROCK OF AGES, LOVE ACTUALLY, TOP GUN, ELVIS, and more.
Review: Aimee Doherty Hits Homer with PENELOPE
by R. Scott Reedy - Feb 24, 2026
At this time last year, the American Repertory Theater was premiering a stirring new dramatic adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” by actor and playwright Kate Hamill, which moved back and forth between King Odysseus and Queen Penelope during a three-hour production with two intermissions.
Review: ELVIS AND ELTON TOGETHER at New Theatre Restaurant
by Alan Portner - Feb 22, 2026
“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.
Review: STEREOPHONIC at National Theatre
by David Friscic - Feb 13, 2026
The heightened reality replete with elongated pauses –(do people really wait this long in real life to answer one another?) that emanates from the stage of the Pulitzer- Prize and Tony -winning production of Stereophonic –now being produced in a touring /edited two hour and 50-minute version at the National Theatre-- certainly grabbed my attention.
BWW Q&A: Luz Nicolás of LA CASA DE BERNARDA ALBA at GALA Hispanic Theatre
by Joshua Wright - Jan 30, 2026
GALA Theatre continues its Golden Season with a contemporary staging of the modern classic La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba) by Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca. Directed by José Zayas and with original music by Koki Lortkipanidze, the play runs at GALA February 5 through March 1, 2026, and explores themes of female oppression, sexual repression, and the conflict between tradition and modernity, all universal topics that resonate with audiences today.