John Waters News

The DOWNTOWN URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL will present 16 plays (nine shorts and seven one-acts.) The festival kicks off on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 when Savion Glover and Reg E. Gaines (Bring in da Noise Bring in da Funk) make a much-anticipated return to The Public Theater with the centerpiece production If Trane Wuz Here. 

You will be hard-pressed to find anything more fun than this super sassy, high-energy celebration of self-acceptance, inclusivity, and, of course, big hair.

Good morning, Sacramento! Hairspray has brought the beat to town, and you do not want to miss this spectacle of bright, brash, and beautiful 60s splendor! Based on the 1988 John Waters’ movie that became a cult classic, Hairspray opened on Broadway in 2002. It garnered 13 Tony Award nominations and took home 8 wins, including Best Musical. Its staying power rests with the timeless music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and enduring themes woven throughout the book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan.

HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award®-winning musical comedy phenomenon returns to Seattle! This new North American tour, helmed by original director Jack O’Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will play April 4 through 9 at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre.

HAIRSPRAY, Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon returns to Portland! This new North American tour, helmed by original director Jack O'Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will play March 28 through April 2 at Portland's Keller Auditorium.

Tickets for HAIRSPRAY, Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2023. This new North American tour, helmed by original director Jack O'Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will play at Bass Concert Hall June 13-18, 2023 as part of Texas Performing Arts' Broadway in Austin 2022-2023 Season.

Singer Allison Wolfe and drummer Molly Neuman will be joined by Rose Melberg on guitar (Tiger Trap, the Softies), Audrey Marrs on keys (Mocket, Bratmobile 2.0 live, Oscar-winning filmmaker) and Marty Key on bass (Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Steady Sounds, Young Pioneers) for the performance.

The GC 'Grand Central', one of Adelaide Fringe's most popular venues and producers has announced its much-awaited return with a curated music program showcasing top-tier Australian music shows at Angas Street's iconic Arts Theatre.

The John Lennon Songbook in Concert, starring John Lennon and Stewart D'Arrietta is coming to the Adelaide Fringe at the GC Grand Central @ the Arts Centre. Together with the fabulous Liverpool Band, Waters and D'Arrietta bring the newest instalment of their hugely successful interpretation of Lennon's music.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 will present the nightclub debut of Blair St. Clair, the drag star, recording artists and vocalist, best known for their appearances on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 10 and All Stars 5, on Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 PM and Friday, February 3 at 9:30 PM. 

This super-sixties musical continues to feel fresh, while also seeming like it's been around forever.

This is a highly entertaining evening of theatre

Daniel Nardicio will present Jimmy James live at Red Eye NY, on Wednesday, Dec 28th. Learn how to get tickets!

The Entertainment Community Fund and Playwrights Horizons announced that New York City playwright Shayok Misha Chowdhury is the 2022 recipient of The Mark O’Donnell Prize, an annual prize presented to an emerging theater artist in recognition of her or his talent and promise.

Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The Rules of the Game (La règle du jeu), by Jean Renoir, is a scathing critique of corrupt French society cloaked in a comedy of manners in which a weekend at a marquis’ country château lays bare some ugly truths about a group of haut bourgeois acquaintances.

Covering a spectrum of entertainment, the Glen Steet Theatre 2023 program offers everything from stellar musical performances featuring Marcia Hines, John Waters and Karen Knowles, to stand-up comedy and much-loved books brought to life on stage like The Twits, Are We There Yet? and Possum Magic.

Added to the list were Disney’s beloved “The Little Mermaid,” John Waters’ “Hairspray,” Brian De Palma’s adaptation of “Carrie,” and the 1950 film version of “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Also included were Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man” and the unforgettable romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally.”

As I settled into my seat at Proctors to watch the new touring production of HAIRSPRAY, I wasn’t expecting anything particularly revolutionary. Instead, I was met with a production that embodies the show’s themes of love and solidarity so effectively that I’m convinced this show is more timely now than it was when it was conceived two decades ago.

Hairspray will bring its tour to Proctors next month. This new North American tour, helmed by original director Jack O'Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will play Tuesday, December 6 - Sunday, December 11 in Schenectady at Proctors.

When it opened on Broadway in 2002, HAIRSPRAY won an extraordinary eight Tony awards. Its popularity has never waned and the tour will visit The Playhouse on December 1-4.