Sabrina Sloan News

Musical Theatre West's annual fundraiser, BROADWAY IN THE PARK, is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 7th.

Musical Theatre West's annual fundraiser, BROADWAY IN THE PARK, is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 7th.

Last Monday night the touring cast of IN THE HEIGHTS performed two benefit concerts to raise funds for a Puerto Rican hospital. The concert, entitled 'Guilty Pleasures', featured over 20 members of the cast performing their guilty pleasure songs.

Once in a while, one of the most fortunate things about west coast debuts of touring shows is when a Broadway hit finally transfers here, bringing with it some of the original stars that helped launch it. For those able to catch the Los Angeles premiere of the 2008 Tony® Award-winner for Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS (now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through July 25), the pleasant surprise is the presence of the show's original lead actor, who also happens to be the man who conceived the hit musical, as well as write the show's music and lyrics. Not to disparage those that have (and will) take on the same role, but at the very second Lin-Manuel Miranda appears on stage as Usnavi-the show's central hero and de facto narrator-the electric energy is palpable. In Miranda, we see the show's very heart and soul, filled with the hopes and dreams of the characters he helped personally craft. With his lead, the show literally comes to effervescent life.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony and Grammy Award-winning show In the Heights has a lot to shout about. First of all, it's a musical with and about Latinos - way overdue -plus it has a terrific book with a heartwarming storyline and a bevy of exceedingly likeable characters, an unusually varied score, joyful choreography and direction, and an ensemble that rocks.

2008 Tony-winning best musical In The Heights has set up shop at University of Texas' Bass Concert Hall through April 25.

In the Heights, now playing at the Hobby Center, is an energetic portrayal of the residents of a New York City barrio whose dreams are seemingly bigger than their means. Once they learn to put their trust in each other, they find the ability to achieve their goals and that much of what they desire is closer than they think. This energetic production is perfect for anyone looking for something a little different and an ideal way to introduce a younger generation to musical theatre.

The DC area stages' theatre choices in March are dizzying! There's a new play by Terrence McNally at the Kennedy Center, and an off-Broadway gem at Signature Theatre. Adam Guettel's gorgeous Tony Award-winning harmonies will fill Arena Stage in Crystal City. Fagin and his orphans and zaftig Edna Turnblad and her daughter Tracy - will be singing and dancing at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore and Columbia, MD, and a blood-thirsty musical will be establishing roots at Ford's Theatre. With over 30 shows opening this month, come visit the DC area's 205 theatre venues, and have a monumental time!

Tony Award winning musical tour deserves an A++

Lindsay Thomas, Stratford veteran and 'Francine' in the Original Canadian Cast of Jersey Boys, passed away Wednesday February 3rd after a courageous battle with lung cancer. She left behind a great legacy of wonderful theatre performances and friendships, as has become evident in the outpouring of support shown over the last few days.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is featured in the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent are available now.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is featured in the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent are available now.

LONG BEACH, CA-Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' joins the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash RENT. RENT will run December 11-20, 2009 at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center. MTW is the first professional regional theatre company to produce their own production of this groundbreaking musical.

LONG BEACH, CA-Just a little over two months after RENT's current Broadway National Tour made a tour stop in nearby Costa Mesa, Musical Theater West debuts the first L.A.-area professional regional production of RENT at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. Their production of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical, which continues for two weeks until December 20, stars former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy 'culture vulture' Jai Rodriguez in the role of Angel, a role he also stepped into during the latter part of the groundbreaking, Pulitzer prize winning show's 12 year run on Broadway. The material (based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme) is extremely familiar to many of the show's rabid fans. And, as evidenced by the opening night's capacity audience, 'RENT-heads' (as fanatics of the show are lovingly called) come in droves to see and hear this popular musical (even in the pouring rain-a rarity here in Southern California).

LONG BEACH, CA-Just a little over two months after RENT's current Broadway National Tour made a tour stop in nearby Costa Mesa, Musical Theater West debuts the first L.A.-area professional regional production of RENT at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. Their production of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical, which continues for two weeks until December 20, stars former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy 'culture vulture' Jai Rodriguez in the role of Angel, a role he also stepped into during the latter part of the groundbreaking, Pulitzer prize winning show's 12 year run on Broadway. The material (based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme) is extremely familiar to many of the show's rabid fans. And, as evidenced by the opening night's capacity audience, 'RENT-heads' (as fanatics of the show are lovingly called) come in droves to see and hear this popular musical (even in the pouring rain-a rarity here in Southern California).

Musical Theatre West's regional premiere of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent, featuring Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' opens December 11 and runs for only 10 performances through December 20, 2009 at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is featured in the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent are available now.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is featured in the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent are available now.

LONG BEACH, CA-Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' joins the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash RENT. RENT will run December 11-20, 2009 at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center. MTW is the first professional regional theatre company to produce their own production of this groundbreaking musical.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce that Jai Rodriguez, star of Bravo TV's 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' joins the cast line up for their production of the Jonathan Larson Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning smash Rent are available now. Rent will run December 11-20, 2009 at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.