Music in the Air Photos - Broadway

I have visited Laguna Beach for several consecutive summers, enjoying the vibrant arts scene by spending a full day wandering through THE SAWDUST FESTIVAL, THE LAGUNA ART A-FAIR, FESTIVAL OF ARTS and PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS, with all sites, including the Laguna Playhouse, within walking distance of each on the main street into the city. The beautiful coastal city has so much to offer in the way of fine dining, art galleries, shopping, theatre, beach activities, all accessible via a free shuttle service, it would easily make for a wonderful week-long family vacation site or a jam-packed day of celebrating the arts.

With 'velvet stairs, easy chairs, and perfumed air gently blowing,' the Grand Hotel Berlin may not be a character in the traditional meaning of the word, however, it is the catalyst which sets in motion the fate of every guest who walks through its opulent revolving doors. For choreographer Kelly Crandall d'Amboise, it is her job to provide that motion as the production begins performances this week at Signature Theatre.

For the past several summers, I have attended the Festival of Arts and The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. But this year, I also decided to also visit two other art festivals along Laguna Canyon Road rather than spend any time cruising the town as I had done before. The full-day of exploring all the artistic delights on display this year at all three locations left me dazzled by all the talent on display, while wishing I had lot of extra income to purchase and bring home many of the awe-inspiring items that caught my fancy. But the real highlight of the day was viewing the abundance of 'local color' on display in this summer's 'Under the Sun' themed Pageant of the Masters.

The glamorous passenger train Twentieth Century Limited, which ran between New York and Chicago between 1902 and 1967, is the main setting for the musical screwball comedy ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY now playing through August 27 at the Pan-Andreas Theatre, 5119 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Based partly on the 1930s film and play of the same name, the musical, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman, is part operetta, part farce, and part screwball comedy telling the story of the behind-the-scenes relationship between Lily, a temperamental actress and Oscar, a bankrupt theatre producer. The duo, played with great skill and comedic timing by Alena Bernardi and Wade Kelley, recount the tale of their adventure traveling from Chicago to New York in the 1930s as Oscar tries to cajole the glamorous Hollywood star into playing the lead in his new, but not-yet-written drama, and perhaps to rekindle their romance.

It's the time of year to reflect on the past and enjoy familiar stories that warm our hearts. In otherwords, 'tis the season for ANNIE. That spunky waif has been part of our American culture for more than 130 years. She was first penned into existence by poet James Whitcomb Riley in 1885. His poem, 'Little Orphant Annie',was inspired by Mary Alice 'Allie' Smith, an orphaned child who came to live in the Riley home.

Johnny Cash, 'The Man in Black,' was noted as a somber singer of such songs as 'I Walk the Line,' 'If I Were a Carpenter,' and 'Ring of Fire.' The latter was chosen as the title for Richard Maltby, Jr.'s jukebox musical, now on stage at Porthouse Theatre, which loosely centers on the trials and tribulations of Cash's life. While not autobiographical, per se, there is enough of the tale of the man to gain an understanding of Cash, his music, his strong belief in social causes, and his personal problems.

New Theatre's 2016 Season line up continues the company's legacy of staging productions that will challenge ideas and discuss issues.

She's Back!

This is the time of year that theatres are looking for productions to attract large audiences in order to bring some extra money into the coffers. BECK, for a number of years did BEAUTY AND THE BEAST for their holiday show. This year they opened the classic ANNIE.

The Town Hall's critically acclaimed Broadway by the Year's®11th Season continues with The Broadway Musicals of 1932, a year that brought us famous shows by musical theater icons such as Kern and Hammerstein (Music in the Air), Irving Berlin, (Face the Music), Cole Porter (Gay Divorce) and Dietz and Schwarz (Flying Colors), among others. Produced by The Town Hall, The Broadway Musicals of 1932 was created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel. Siegel took the audience on a musical travelogue, exploring the history of the Great White Way and providing social anecdotes while showcasing the beloved hits and lesser-known gems from the golden age of Broadway. The show was directed by Scott Coulter and choreographed by Jeffry Denman, who both performed in the show as well. Ross Patterson was the musical director. BroadwayWorld was on hand as usual and brings you photo coverage below!

Last night, February 14, Town Hall continued its 'Broadway by the Year' series with the Musicals of 1921, licking off the series 90th anniversary season. Written, created and hosted by Scott Siegel, the cast featured Erin Davie (A Little Night Music), Stephen Mo Hanan (Cats) Kevin Earley (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Liz Lark-Brown (2011 Nightlife Award Winner), Tony Award nominees Bobby Steggert (Ragtime), Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Jeffry Denman (Drama Desk Nominee, Yank!), Erin Denman (42nd Street), and KendRick Jones (The Scottsboro Boys). Also featured were the 10 'Siegfeld' Follies Girls that will help recreate the look and style of a Broadway that existed 90 years ago, the year when Town Hall, itself, was built. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the concert and brings you photo coverage below.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's camera caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat. The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Douglas Sills, Dick Latessa, Marni Nixon, Tom Alan Robbins, Sierra Boggess, Walter Charles, Anne L. Nathan, David Schramm, Ryan Silverman and Robert Sella. Music in the Air, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, has been restored by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and has not been seen in New York in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Opening on November 8th of that year, it played for 342 performances in a production directed by the authors. A revised version had a brief revival at the Ziegfeld Theatre in 1951. Music in the Air is a musical romance, with the wit and elegance of an Ernst Lubitsch film. It's the story of a Bavarian music teacher (Robbins), his beautiful young daughter (Boggess), and the daughter's suitor (Silverman), who travel to the big, bad city of Munich where they encounter a cast of self-involved, egotistical theater folk who promise them fame, fortune and romance. Kristin Chenoweth and Douglas Sills play a Diva (Chenoweth) and an egotistical operetta librettist (Sills) who take the young couple under their wings (and claws). Songs include 'I've Told Ev'ry Little Star' and 'The Song Is You.' Photos by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's cameras caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat.