Michael Rodriguez News

A fierce young general . . . a mysterious lady . . . a furiously funny battle of wits . . . all over a love letter. Who was Napoleon before he became an Emperor? Find out in The Man of Destiny, a hilarious, intimate comedy by George Bernard Shaw.

Broadway Theatre Project (BTP) has announced its 2020 summer intensive BTP ON LAND AND SEA!

New Repertory Theatre dusts off an old chestnut for a family-friendly, non-holiday, crowd-pleasing offering as their gift for the season. Lionel Bart's OLIVER!, based on Charles Dickens' novel OLIVER TWIST, is known to be a little dark, with its themes of orphans, child exploitation, and vast income inequality (sound familiar?), but in the hands of New Rep's new Artistic Director, Michael J. Bobbitt, the darkness is lightened up with jaunty performances, a smattering of silly antics, and a set design (Luciana Stecconi) that skews to the cartoonish. With almost a dozen capable adults anchoring the cast, the seven children of all ages are given free rein to behave like children, albeit amazingly talented and spirited ones.

The Brelby Theatre Company, located in Historic Downtown Glendale, will present the world premiere of Marie's Reverie by Shelby Maticic.

The New York Philharmonic announces its fall 2019 education activities, including the beginning of the 97th season of Young People's Concerts, interactive performances introducing children ages 6a?"12 to the orchestra; ninth season of Insights at the Atrium, free events at Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium tied to the season's themes, programming, and artists; and New York Philharmonic Teaching Artists performing a free concert for individuals with dementia and their caregivers as part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts's Lincoln Center Moments.

The Country Music Association visited Phoenix Wednesday, Aug. 21, with songwriters Ingrid Andress, Marti Lynn Dodson, Mickey Guyton, Jillian Jacqueline and Liz Rose. While in Phoenix, the group met with students and teachers from the Phoenix Conservator of Music as part of U.S. Bank's Community Possible giving and engagement platform and its Places to Play partnership with the CMA Foundation, followed by a CMA Songwriters Series Presented by U.S. Bank performance at the Mesa Arts Center. 

The Country Music Association visited Phoenix Wednesday, Aug. 21, with songwriters Ingrid Andress, Marti Lynn Dodson, Mickey Guyton, Jillian Jacqueline and Liz Rose. While in Phoenix, the group met with students and teachers from the Phoenix Conservator of Music as part of U.S. Bank's Community Possible giving and engagement platform and its Places to Play partnership with the CMA Foundation, followed by a CMA Songwriters Series Presented by U.S. Bank performance at the Mesa Arts Center. 

Continuing the 2018 sizzlin' summer season, The City Theatre Company presents the celebrated stage play Playhouse Creatures by April De Angelis. The inspiring story of the first actresses of England and their determination to transform all of the theatre world. The production makes its Austin premiere, directed by guest artist Lindsay McKenna, and running July 13 - August 5.

Continuing the 2018 sizzlin' summer season, The City Theatre Company presents the celebrated stage play Playhouse Creatures by April De Angelis. The inspiring story of the first actresses of England and their determination to transform all of the theatre world. The production makes its Austin premiere, directed by guest artist Lindsay McKenna, and running July 13 - August 5.

The Samuel Torres Super Band will bring the dynamic and infectious sound of Latin jazz to Aaron Davis Hall today, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. with the 'Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait' concert. Presented by City College Center for the Arts, the performance is the world premiere of new, original compositions by Samuel Torres from his forthcoming album, Alegria.  

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) today announces the appointment of trumpeter Michael Rodriguez to its faculty. Rodriguez, a Grammy-nominated musician renowned for his artistry as a composer and instrumentalist, joins the cadre of high-profile faculty members in the Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM) program, which welcomed its first class, composed of some of the world's finest young jazz musicians, in the fall of 2017.

The Samuel Torres Super Band will bring the dynamic and infectious sound of Latin jazz to Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. with the 'Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait' concert. Presented by City College Center for the Arts, the performance is the world premiere of new, original compositions by Samuel Torres from his forthcoming album, Alegria.  

The Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM today announced that the Roxy Coss Quintet is the winner of the union's groundbreaking Emerging Artists Project (EAP). The four-year grant program, launched in partnership with Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL), has been designed to provide support to help more firmly establish the band in New York City—and further efforts to ensure that all professional musicians can afford to live, work and raise a family in New York.

MusicTalks celebrates Ella Fitzgerald's centennial in a special concert at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club on November 12th, at 6:00pm (Tickets $30-$40 plus a $10 drink minimum), featuring award-winning vocalist, Thana Alexa and some of New York City's most in-demand musicians, including world renowned trumpeter, Michael Rodriguez.

Vassar & New York Stage and Film have announced initial casting for the first mainstage and first musical workshop productions of the 33rd Powerhouse Season in Poughkeepsie, NY, running from June 23 through July 30, 2017:

Join some of Broadway and TV's finest on Monday, May 15th at 8pm at (le) Poisson Rouge for the return of Broadway's Babies, a new concert series created to help raise awareness and money for the children of the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, Nkosi's Haven, and WIN (Women in Need).

WRAITH RADIO is the latest offering from Bottle Alley Theatre Company. An original script by writer and Bottle Alley artistic director, Chris Fontanes, WRAITH RADIO was immediately intriguing due to its premise. Two wounded soldiers barricaded in a small, windowless room face certain demise or perhaps are already dead.  They broadcast their final moments hoping in vain to reach their fellow comrades. Time isn't linear in this reality and the women cannot be sure if what they're seeing is in fact happening. Is it their minds playing tricks on them or have the ghosts of their pasts come to haunt them in their final hours? Intricacies of the plot make further explanation impossible without giving away this play's secrets.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. Virtually unknown and only published in pulp magazines, he died in poverty at the age of 46, and is only now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre. THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE is a short story written in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the 'blasted heath' in the wild hills west of Arkham, Massachusetts. The narrator discovers that many years ago a meteorite crashed there, poisoning every living being nearby. The vegetation grows large, but is inedible due to a metallic taste, animals go mad and are grotesquely deformed, and the people go insane and die one by one. Seeking to create a truly alien life form, he drew inspiration from numerous fiction and nonfiction sources. First appearing in the September 1927 edition of Amazing Stories, THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE became one of Lovecraft's most popular works, and remained his personal favorite short story. It was adapted into feature film versions in 1965, 1987, and 2010. Forbidden knowledge is a central theme in many of Lovecraft's works. His characters are often driven by curiosity or scientific endeavor, and in many of his stories the knowledge they uncover proves so Promethean in nature that it leaves the character regretting or destroyed from what they have learned or being destroyed psychically. In the case of THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE, all of these are true.

SGL Entertainment is pleased to announce that they just acquired THE LAST AMERICAN HORROR SHOW featuring three killer stories from film director Michael S. Rodriguez, Night of the Sea Monkey, Lamb Feed and Homewrecked. This three film anthology will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD in early 2017.

Traveling back to 1942, with the world at war and every man and woman yearning to get into the fray, INGA BINGA highlights the J Edgar Hoover era of espionage. Frank Benge reliably directs this devious comedy in its regional debut, showcasing the original play by Julian Wiles. Taking place in an art-deco hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, we find Ensign Jack Kennedy (played by Justin West), planning a romantic and secretive weekend with the rumored Nazi supporter, Inga Arvad (played by Courtney Abud). In true Hoover fashion, the file on this affair is opened with Special Agent-in-Charge (played by Gene Storie) and Skip (played by Michael Rodriguez) an overzealous 'virgin agent' trying to make a name for himself at the Bureau. After bugging the entire room, and then hiding behind a swinging wall, complete with one-way mirror, the G Men set the historical stage for romance, intrigue, and full-frontal farce.