Bye Bye Birdie is a Hit!BYE BYE BIRDIE hit the musical stage in the early 1960's. The story line was inspired by the popularity of Elvis Presley and his draft notice. BIRDIE is full of great tunes that most will recognize. 'How lovely to be a woman', 'Kids', 'The Telephone Hour' and 'Put on a Happy Face', made famous by Dick Van Dyke in the 1963 film adaptation.

Jess here.  I've been counting down the days to March 22nd.  You might be wondering what the significance of this date is, or if you are a musical theatre buff, you may already know.  March 22nd marks the 87th birthday of one of the greatest composer/lyricists of all time: Stephen Sondheim.

Cinderella continues to surprise me with the lessons I learn each and every day. In a musical, the story is the language. Lyrics are a stunning collection of words that advance the plot in a brilliant way. This week, I have dug deep into my lyrics and have fallen in love with its passionate message. I am so intrigued by the depth of this language and its power to share a universal ideal. Everyone goes through a time when they doubt themselves. Everyone has felt like the world is against them. Finding the confidence within you is one of many beautiful themes that this show embodies.

Thomas Wagner stars in the iconic role of Nathan Detroit in the show that runs this weekend and he managed to squeeze some time into his hectic schedule to answer our queries and become the newest subject of this week's High School Drama.

On Sunday, March 5th, I saw DEAR CHUCK, by Jonathan Dorf at the Winslow Homer Center for the Arts. It was quite an evening!

Aladdin, performed by Durango High School under direction from the theatre arts department head Tobias Torres, was shown this last weekend. I have been wondering about this particular production since it is the dual language version, how that would be accomplished in a similar time frame as a single language show. I rearranged my schedule so that I could make it on closing night since it was only a one week production.

I had the chance to interview the incredible Steve MacKinnon and Taylor Wright from CURIOUS GEORGE: THE GOLDEN MEATBALL at the Orlando Repertory Theatre! The show runs through April 9. For more information, visit orlandorep.com. 

I was given the opportunity to sit down and talk with Marissa Brown, director of DEAR CHUCK at Scarborough High School right before the final performance of the show before they move on to the Maine Drama Festival.

Special Edition: Kennard-Dale High School of the South Eastern School District presented Cole Porter's musical ANYTHING GOES! March 2-5, 2017, making quite the splash of excitement!

Tell me more, tell me more! After many years without a spring show, the Oak Hill Players of Scarborough High School are beginning rehearsals for the smash hit musical, Grease! The cast includes myself, junior Samuel Laro (Crazy for You, Anything Goes, Little Shop of Horrors) as greaser Danny Zuko, and senior Hallie Scammell (Crazy for You, West Side Story, White Christmas) as the hopelessly devoted Sandy Dumbrowski.

As I reflect on these past two weeks, nothing makes me happier than getting to share more magic with all of you. Last Wednesday, my twin brother, and none other than our Prince Topher was admitted into the hospital. The entire company eagerly sent him love and laughter over the phone but I was unable to access my laptop to recap my eventful week. 

Hume-Fogg senior Bryce Poole, who plays Benny, is among the ensemble of student actors taking on the challenge of the iconic musical by Jonathan Larson under the direction of First Night Honoree Daron Bruce and his longtime artistic collaborator Lisa Forbis. As curtain time looms in just a few hours, Bryce shared some of his memories of his life in the theater to date and talked about the people and shows that figure prominently in his own life, lived theatrically, in today's edition of High School Drama.

CONSTELLATIONS, currently playing at the Mad Cow Theatre, is a beautiful love story that takes place across many parallel universes. The show follows the relationship between Marianne, an astrophysicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, from their first meeting to their engagement and onward, branching out into many possible outcomes. I had the chance to interview real-life couple Gemma and Brett Waldon about the challenges of the show, performing with your spouse, and more!

The Calvary Murrieta Christian School Drama Department will present their performance of 12 ANGRY JURORS directed by Chelsea and Daniel Lybeck.

Theatre is one of the most magical and inspirational things from the creation of the classic 'Show Boat' to the modern and groundbreaking 'Hamilton' or 'Dear Evan Hansen', but there are so many other groundbreaking places and people changing the world of theatre. One thing that has defiantly changed in the professional theatre business is not just the incorporation of rap lyrics and computerized graphics, but the opportunities and people promoting more accessible and accepting theatre for all.

As has been the school's theatrical legacy, Rent will feature a cast of talented and ambitious up-and-coming young actors, including Zach Taylor, the senior who will be closing out his high school theatrical career as Roger in the Jonathan Larson musical that is now celebrating its 25th anniversary with an international tour. The Yale University-bound Taylor found time in his harried schedule - what with classes and rehearsals, that's a miracle in and of itself - to take on our High School Drama questions and to offer some background about his love of the stage and what motivates him as he preps a new character for the audience.

'With every ending comes a new beginning,' is a thematic message woven throughout the hit musical, Tarzan, performed by 36 Hilton Head Christian Academy students at the island's Seahawk Cultural Center.

Valentine's Day came a tad late for this historical-theatre devotee, but there is no home for disdain in my heart after a day like February 18th.

Van Kaplan is a man of many talents. His producing credits include award-winning Broadway shows such as AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, ON YOUR FEET, EVITA, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and MATILDA. Van is also on the board of the Broadway League and is the executive producer of Pittsburgh CLO. We had the honor of speaking with Van on day three of the THEatre ACCELERATOR. Here are some of Van's key points: 

This week, I had the chance to talk with Fiona Campbell, Nick D'Alessandro, and Anneliese Moon from the cast of A PIECE OF MY HEART at Rollins College.

Denver North and Strive Prep High Schools present IN THE HEIGHTS, February 23, 24 and 25 at 2960 Speer Boulevard. This is the first production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical by a Colorado High School. 

Don't miss the Briarcrest High School spring production, INTO THE WOODS, continuing February 23-25, featuring six performers from the nationally renowned a cappella group OneVoice. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Not every high schooler can say that his high school production was directed by a former cast member of the show. But for Saugatuck High School, the students are getting the opportunity of a lifetime. 

Jess here. Every once in awhile you hear about a show that you would do just about anything to see. Although the stages of Las Vegas offer a variety of amazing entertainment options on a nightly basis, it's a rare occasion to have the opportunity to see a multi-talented performer whose career spans across several different medias; from TV to film to Broadway. When I saw that The Smith Center for the Performing Arts was hosting a show featuring Santino Fontana I was ecstatic! Initially scheduled for a two night run, Fontana's Friday night show was cancelled due to a foot of snow closing down all of the NYC area airports. Thankfully, 'the show must go on' adage rang true, and Fontana was welcomed to the sunny desert on Saturday night by an eagerly awaiting, over-packed house.

This is the third post in my series about Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR. THEatre ACCELERATOR utilizes new technology to develop musicals in a unique way. For a full explanation of THEatre ACCELERATOR, see my first post here.