Arms and the Man Revival

Charles Kirsch is the 17-year-old host of the theater podcast Backstage Babble, where he has conducted over 250 in-depth interviews with some of Broadway’s best. In “Stage Direction,” he will be using material from the podcast and additional interviews to chronicle the career and impact of some of the most influential theater directors. 

This time, the reader question was: There are only three states in America without known Broadway musicals set within their borders. Can you guess which three? WE're breaking it down state by state.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has announced another selection of iconic shows and curated special events during its 2024/2025 season!  From Broadway legends BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL and DAVIS GAINES, to country superstars PAM TILLIS & LORRIE MORGAN, this is going to be a Fall, Winter, and Spring to remember!  

At the height of its fame, the musical Les Misérables was the Dorsia of Broadway, a hot-ticket event that reached Hamilton levels of excessive prices, elite A-list attendees, and legions of fans who’d revisit the show through repeat viewings, memorization of the cast recording, and fierce debates of West End vs. Broadway performers.

The 77th Annual Tony Awards have officially begun! As winners take the stage this evening, stay tuned to BroadwayWorld as we bring you full text of all of the acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the humorous, and everything in between.

Less than 48 hours after opening night of Cumberland County Playhouse’s 2023 holiday season offering of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, we are happy/sad to report that tickets are mighty scarce as the sparkling production is almost certainly headed to a complete sellout.

Are you bound for the Philadelphia area this fall.  There’s so much to see and do that our readers will like to know about. 

Irvine Barclay Theatre has announced more shows for its 2023-24 season. One of the most popular performing arts venues in Orange County, Irvine Barclay Theatre presents renowned artists in a wide range of genres, from jazz, classical, country, Motown, and global music, to comedy, dance, theater, captivating speakers, and more.

Directed by San Francisco Playhouse Co-Founder and Producing Director Susi Damilano, Clue will perform March 9 – April 22, 2023 at San Francisco Playhouse.

While the series' recurring cast includes Tom Selleck, Bridget Moynahan, Donnie Wahlberg, and more, guest stars have included Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Joanna Gleason, Adrienne Warren, Jinkx Monsoon, Norm Lewis, Norbert Leo Butz, and more. Check out a list of Broadway guest stars on Blue Bloods now!

Page 73 and Working Theater have announced the cast of Bleu Beckford-Burrell’s La Race (November 21–December 23 at the McGinn/Cazale Theater at WP Theater.

The National Tour of Tina - the Tina Turner Musical launched in Washington, D.C. Read all of the reviews here!

It's hard to believe that the death of over 1,500 people could provide an amazing night in the theatre, but that's just what Palm Canyon Theatre's production of Titanic the Musical has done.

Page 73, along with Working Theater, will presents Bleu Beckford-Burrell’s La Race, directed by Taylor Reynolds (Man Cave, Tambo & Bones), November 21–December 23 at the McGinn/Cazale Theater at WP Theater.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced the musical event of the summer: Ragtime The Musical.

Julien's Auctions' blockbuster three-day music auction event MUSIC ICONS held on Friday, May 20th, Saturday, May 21st, and Sunday, May 22nd 2022 culminated today in the highly anticipated sale of the mythic electric guitar that changed music and the world: Kurt Cobain's 1969 Fender Mustang electric guitar played in Nirvana's breakthrough hit and landmark 1991 music video, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.'

Certainly the most powerful show I've seen at the Carrollwood Players.

Happy Gay Pride! BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest LGBTQ songs and anthems from 1920-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the grade!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest protest songs from 1939-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the list!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest Motown songs from 1960-1994. See if your favorite songs or artists made the list!

How do we make a list of the 101 greatest show tunes from the past 100 years? Well, we did the near-impossible task.  Check out our full list here! 

'I don't need you to love me, I don't need you to love. I've got...my sister, I can feel her now. She may not be here, but she's still mine.' So begins the profound anthem 'I'm Here', sung by Celie in the second act of The Color Purple, now playing at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, SD. That one lyric sums up a lifetime of despair and pain while at the hands of the hard-hearted and merciless men she was forced to endure over the course of her life. In the end, Celie triumphs, but not without a long, emotional journey as she struggles to find her 'beautiful' self.

Beyond belief lies the heart of science fiction and this fall, fans of the genre will assemble at the inaugural Dystopia Sci-Fi Con, a new interactive event featuring a cinematic lineup of sci-fi, cyberpunk, virtual reality, and future noir alongside special guests, panels, exhibitors, and more. The gathering will also host the first half of The 8th Annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, a thriving platform for independent film in honor of acclaimed novelist Philip K. Dick. A number of celebrated actors, filmmakers, and speakers will appear including David Brin, Barney Burman, Elizabeth Karr, Julianna Robinson, Tim Russ, Saku Sakamoto, M.D. Selig, and John Alan Simon. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event will run from November 8-10, 2019.

Palm Canyon Theatre is taking an exuberant romp on the Mississippi in their current musical, Big River. The 1985 Broadway hit, with songs by Roger ("King of the Road") Miller, is a stage adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the capable hands of director Se Layne, it shows energy, style, and a fair bit of heart.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that longtime general manager of Broadway, Alan Wasser passed away yesterday, April 14. Wasser was the recipient of a Special Tony Awards Honor in 2017 and general manager of the Tony Awards from 2009 to 2012.