Something You Did 2008 - Articles Page 4

Jukebox musicals often get a bad rap among both theatre purists and those who think they are above a good ol' production number. However, not only has Mamma Mia! become a staple for professional and community theatres alike, but the songs of ABBA and the story of Donna and the Dynamos have left a cultural legacy that continues to flourish in 2021. 

The creator of Funk-liberation, Britton Smith and his band THE STING gear up for a splashy new show opening at 54 Below in one week's time, and he is ready to sing out the word, and make some people sweaty.

Informative, Inquisitive, Inclusive, Invigorating,  Illuminating, Interesting and Introspective.  That’s how I would describe the Insightful Conversation between Misty Copeland and Dada Masilo, which was Curated and Produced by The Music Center, with Dance Media and Dance Magazine..

An evocative and visually stunning film, 'Savior' plays out over some of the most well-known political speeches in American history from presidents such as Jimmy Carter and Lyndon B. Johnson, and uses dance, chiaroscuro lighting, and powerful symbolism to illustrate America's unending cycle of violence, oppression, and inequality.

Broadway might be dark, but that doesn't mean that theatre isn't happening everywhere! Below, check out where you can get your daily fix of Broadway this weekend, May 1-2, 2021.

E says: “Earth to Dora. Come in, Dora. Did you know tomorrow is Earth Day? Come down to Earth and celebrate with us.”

In this interview, I get to discover more about the uber talented Ann Hampton Callaway.

Glenn played Dawn Pinket in the original Broadway production of Waitress (2016). Other theatre credits include: Love's Labour's Lost (2013, Delacorte Theatre); Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (La Jolla Playhouse, 2012); and Spring Awakening (National Tour, 2008-2010).

Today, we're getting to know Broadway favorite Dana Steingold, with whom you can book a shoutout on Stage Door today! Did you know that Dana loves Bernadette Peters, can't wait to see Six, and so much more!

Four decades later and in the middle of a show business shut down, Brandy's Piano Bar is still offering live entertainment ... and some great hot toddies.

They say you should write about what you know, and Jessica Hendy did just that. Well look at her now.

Talking to Khori Dastoor, General Director of Opera San José brings to mind that old quote from Elizabeth Taylor when she was faced with unimaginable adversity, “Now is the time for guts and guile.” Just one year into her tenure as GD, Dastoor is faced with an almost impossible situation due to the Covid pandemic. Out of all the arts, opera, the artform which she has made her life’s work, arguably has the biggest challenges. After all, the act of singing operatically produces enormous amounts of aerosols, the core audience is older and thus especially at risk for Covid, and the population at large may not consider opera to be essential to their lives. Since creating new works is practically impossible, many GD’s are offering a sort of greatest hits of former glories, video snippets from past years that were already in the can. Or maybe something like a “reading” of an old holiday chestnut like Der Rosenkavalier, presented Brady-Bunch style on Zoom. So what does Dastoor do instead? She goes bravely programs a brand-new, beautifully-produced production of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, starring no less than world-renowned opera star Susan Graham, alongside two of Opera San José’s super-talented Resident Artists, soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solis. This immensely moving chamber work is based on an unpublished play by Terrance  McNally, adapted by librettist Gene Scheer, and tells the story of a family struggling to connect during the early years of the AIDS pandemic. The work premiered in 2008, yet somehow feels more relevant than ever, given the parallels with what we’re all going through today, as evidenced by McNally’s death from Covid earlier this year. The opera is currently available for streaming through the end of December. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit operasj.org. BroadwayWorld spoke with Dastoor shortly after the filming of Three Decembers had been completed. Dastoor was remarkably open and forthcoming about the challenges of the opera world right now, even as her passion for growing the artform burns stronger than ever. We talked about how she managed to produce Three Decembers during Covid, her successful earlier career as a lyric soprano, and the imperative to keep the arts alive during these difficult times. Her responses to my questions were invariably thoughtful, often surprising and not without humor. And, as a rare woman of color leading an opera company, her understanding of the need to open up her artform runs deep. Above all, though, she is just plain fun to talk to - effortlessly engaging, whip-smart, emotionally transparent, and without an ounce of pretension.

While performing arts organizations around the world are dusting off existing productions of the usual chestnuts during the month of December, Opera San José is taking a more audacious approach with its holiday programming. They are presenting a new, fully-staged production of Jake Heggie’s immensely moving chamber opera, Three Decembers, featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the central role, alongside celebrated Opera San José Resident Artists soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solís. Based on the unpublished play Some Christmas Letters by Tony-winning playwright Terrance McNally, Three Decembers follows the story of a famous actress, Madeline Mitchell, and her two adult children, Beatrice and Charlie over three decades (1986, 1996, and 2006). With a witty and touching libretto by Gene Scheer and a soaring musical score by Jake Heggie, Three Decembers is a 90-minute fullhearted American opera about family – the ones we are born into and those we create. The world-class digital production is offered via on-demand streaming through December 31, 2020. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450. BroadwayWorld speaks with charismatic baritone Efraín Solís, who plays son Charlie.

Six online concerts will replace 20 show in person... but you know with Urban Stages involved, the shows will be good.

Although the show only ran for 105 performances at the Bernard B. Jacobs theater in 2008, the legacy of the show still lives on today. Enough so, that Netflix is in the process of adapting the show for the screen.

An enchanted evening it sure was for those lucky enough to get to see the revival of South Pacific at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. Chocked full of A-List Broadway performers included the talents of Kelli O’Hara, Matthew Morrison, Danny Burstein, Liz McCartney and the golden voiced baritone making his Broadway debut, Paulo Szot.

Renée Fleming's long and distinguished career includes performing in some of the world's most famous opera houses, performing on Broadway, and being heard on many recordings singing everything from arias to showtunes. Tonight Ms. Fleming will add another honor to her canon as she and Vanessa Williams will become the first artists to perform a live indoor concert onstage at Kennedy Center's Opera House. The evening is entitled A Time to Sing: An Evening with Renée Fleming and Vanessa Williams. While the audience will be very minimal in person, you can watch the concert in your very own living room by purchasing a ticket for the livestream. Click here for details.

Stacy Sullivan is well known in the Cabaret Community for being the very epitome of warmth and friendship. She always greets her friends and fans with a big smile, a hug and a a?oeHow are you?a?? Unfailingly classy, well dressed and always stunning, Stacy creates very interesting cabaret shows that tend to focus on one artists - a?oeIt's A Good Day, A Tribute To Miss Peggy Leea??, a?oeOn The Air - Songs For Marian McPartlanda?? and one that I was luckily in attendance for on opening night, a?oeA Night at the Troubadour: Presenting Elton John and David Acklesa??.  

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

The Invigorated Ingenue brought Joan Darragh back to the cabaret stage and community, where she belongs. Isolation has brought her talents as motivator and baker to the social media. Here, the Ingenue talks with Stephen Mosher about life before and after her return to the stage.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best musical theatre characters from 1940-2020; see if your favorites are on our list of the best characters from Broadway musicals.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best TV episodes from the 1950's to 2020; see if your favorites made the list!

Theater companies all over the world are rising to the challenge of staying connected to their audiences and continuing to serve them while in-person performances are suspended for an indefinite period. San Franciso's storied Magic Theatre has come up with a creative solution by instituting 'Far Apart Art,' a podcast series composed of brief, daily audio journals from a host of Magic's family of playwrights. BroadwayWorld recently spoke with Loretta Greco, Magic's Artistic Director, about 'Far Apart Art' and how she and Magic are weathering the pandemic.

What started out as a fun project during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic quarantine on our private Facebook group evolved into something emotional, nostalgic, and uniquely unifying amidst a very dark and isolated period in humanity. Now, more than a decade after their closing night, 44 cast members of the Broadway revival of 'A Chorus Line' share what brought them all together 'again'. It was... 5, 6, 7, 8.