Evan Fornachon News

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," has announced that for the first time in its history, New Line is selling season tickets, for its 27th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the St. Louis premiere of the four-woman rock opera LIZZIE, a very different take on the Lizzie Borden legend, running Sept. 28-Oct. 21, 2017; followed by Cole Porter's satiric masterpiece ANYTHING GOES, running March 1-24, 2018; and the St. Louis premiere of the world's first bio-historical musical comedy, YEAST NATION, written by the Urinetown team, running May 31-June 23, 2018. Tickets go on sale Aug. 1. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," announces its 27th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the St. Louis premiere of the four-woman rock opera LIZZIE, a very different take on the Lizzie Borden legend, running Sept. 28-Oct. 21, 2017; followed by Cole Porter's satiric masterpiece ANYTHING GOES, running March 1-24, 2018; and the St. Louis premiere of the world's first bio-historical musical comedy, YEAST NATION, written by the Urinetown team, running May 31-June 23, 2018. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's home, the Marcelle Theater, in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

There's something oddly life-affirming about the character of Zobra. He's a cheerleader for living life to its fullest. ZORBA the musical (lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, and book by Joseph Stein) impresses an audience with the realization that time never stands still, and therefore, life goes on despite the nasty curves it may lob our way. New Line Theatre's production is a real revelation, because even though this show received its fair share of award nominations, it's really not revived that often. Perhaps it's the darker elements that pervade the show that turn some people off, but then life isn't always sunshine and roses, so I like that they are present. This kind of presentation is something that New Line does better than anyone else, and that's to revive a neglected or forgotten show for a new audience to appreciate, and their track record is impeccable in this regard. This show is a genuine must see, and taking it in I've come to realize that we all need our own personal 'Zorba' to prod us into taking risks and fully investing ourselves in whatever we do, even if things might go awry on occasion.

It's 1924, on the Greek island of Crete, and you're about to go on a wild, whirlwind tour of the lusty passions of the human heart.

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre,' announces its 26th season of adult, alternative musical theatre, including the world premiere of a new revised version of the wild, 1969 adult jazz-rock musical CELEBRATION, by the creators of The Fantasticks, running Sept. 29-Oct. 22, 2016; followed by Kander & Ebb's rarely produced gem ZORBA, running March 2-25, 2017; then the regional premiere of the pitch-black 2002 jazz-rock musical THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, based on the famous novel and film, running June 1-24, 2017; and the world premiere of the third installment of New Line's own creation, the new revue OUT ON BROADWAY: THE THIRD COMING, running August 3-19, 2017. All New Line's mainstage shows will be in the company's new home, the Marcelle Theater, the new blackbox theatre in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

I saw the touring production of AMERICAN IDIOT when it played at The Peabody Opera House a while back. I was eager to see it, being a fan of Green Day's music, and this rock opera, in particular. It was a great show, but the one thing that stuck in my mind afterward wasn't the performers, or even the great songs, but instead it was the scenic design. Which brings me to New Line Theatre's intimate production of this extremely tuneful and highly politicized show; a natural for this company to tackle, since they consistently provide fuel-injected presentations of a wide range of material that covers the gamut from neglected newer shows to classics that need some new life pumped into them. It's what they do so extraordinarily well. The disconnect I felt with the touring production vanished in the cozy confines of The Marcelle, and the scenic design wasn't a distraction, instead it became a complement to the anger, frustration, and call to arms that informs this period of terrorism and paranoia in our nation's history. This is a real hit, that genuinely rocks the house! So, get your tickets now.

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre,' continues its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre, with the first local production of the searing rock fable AMERICAN IDIOT, running now through March 26, 2016, at the company's new home, the Marcelle Theater, the new blackbox theatre space in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre,' continues its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre, with the first local production of the searing rock fable AMERICAN IDIOT, running now through March 26, 2016, at the company's new home, the Marcelle Theater, the new blackbox theatre space in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Voting is fully underway for the 2015 BroadwayWorld St. Louis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 11. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

The 1980's were an interesting time for movies with teen comedy/dramas seemingly appearing everywhere, and one of the most intriguing aspects of these pictures was the absence of many adult characters. The late John Hughes was responsible for several "brat pack" films that established a distinct tone for this genre, but it was near the end of this cycle that director Michael Lehmann and screenwriter Daniel Waters put together something that took those established tropes in an entirely different, and decidedly dark, direction with the movie HEATHERS. The musical version had a run Off-Broadway in 2014, and now you can see it in all its pitch black glory with New Line Theatre's amazing production, which opens their 25th season. Not only is it a fantastic and edgy show, but it also marks their first presentation in their new venue, the Marcelle Theater (lovingly designed by Rob Lippert). This is a dazzling and intense show that features a smartly crafted book and score, courtesy of Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy, as well as an excellent cast and expert direction. This is beyond must-see entertainment. This is an accomplishment you absolutely have to check out. You'll be dazzled by its brilliance, and completely floored by the wonderful performances you'll be witness to.

New Line opens its 25th season with the regional premiere of the pitch-black musical comedy HEATHERS, written by the award-winning team of Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness) and Laurence O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Legally Blonde). This hilarious, big-hearted, and homicidal new musical is based on the 1989 cult film, truly one of the darkest teen comedies of all time. The original screenwriter Daniel Waters called it, "a Carson McCullers-style novel of a girl who meets the Antichrist as a teenager.'

New Line opens its 25th season with the company's 75th production, the pitch-black musical comedy HEATHERS, running tonight, October 1, through October 24, 2015, written by the award-winning team of Kevin Murphy ( Reefer Madness) and Laurence O'Keefe ( Bat Boy, Legally Blonde).

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," opens its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre in the brand new Marcelle Theater in Grand Center, with the regional premiere of the rock musical HEATHERS, running October 1-24, 2015. 

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," celebrates its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre, with a new, expanded line-up, a brand new theatre, and a very special thank-you to the St. Louis community -- '25 for 25.' At the Thursday preview performance for each show this season, New Line will set aside 25 tickets, and the first 25 people in line at the box office at 7:00 pm will each get a ticket for 25 cents (one ticket per person).

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre,' celebrates its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre, with a new, expanded line-up and a brand new theatre.

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre, ' continues its 23rd season of adult, alternative musical theatre with an all-new, re-imagined production of the Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary classic, the iconic rock opera RENT, running through March 29, 2014. And tonight, March 25, at 7:00 p.m., New Line Theatre Off Line presents the first in the new Special Features series, bringing the RENT production and design team to the stage to talk about their work and take questions from you!

New Line Theatre, 'the bad boy of musical theatre, ' continues its 23rd season of adult, alternative musical theatre with an all-new, re-imagined production of the Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary classic, the iconic rock opera RENT, running through March 29, 2014. And on Tuesday, March 25, at 7:00 p.m., New Line Theatre Off Line presents the first in the new Special Features series, bringing the RENT production and design team to the stage to talk about their work and take questions from you!

If you think you've seen RENT before, you really haven't. The touring companies with adults in the lead roles never really worked for me. They all seemed too old and mature to be portraying what is basically a 'coming of age' story. That's where New Line Theatre's current production really gets it right, and why you have to check it out immediately. A very talented, enthusiastic, and youthful cast brings Jonathan Larson's (book, music and lyrics) work to life in vibrant, intimate fashion that makes you actually care about these characters and their situation. This is a must-see show, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

New Line continues its 23rd season with Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize winning, long-running rock opera RENT. This cheerfully transgressive, 1990s rock/pop riff on the classic story, set in New York City's East Village, is best described in its creator's own words: "In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and we should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millennium." BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!