Ming Cho Lee News

One of Broadway's busiest and most respected set designers, Tony Award winner John Lee Beatty, swings by Shetler Studios to sit down with Rob and Kevin and review his portfolio which includes over 100 Broadway credits including the set designs for Ain't Misbehavin, Talley's Folly, Baby, The Most Happy Fella, Chicago, Once Upon a Mattress, Wonderful Town, and so many shows over at Encores!

This evening, the 34th Annual Helen Hayes Awards celebrated Washington's diverse and vital theatre community with a gala event at The Anthem, recognizing 258 Helen Hayes Award nominees and 48 award recipients drawn from 202 eligible productions presented at 64 theatres in 2017. GALA Hispanic Theatre's Spanish-language production of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes' In The Heights received nine awards, putting them at the top of a list of 20 theatres receiving Helen Hayes Awards this year.

Legendary ballet costume designer HOLLY HYNES and costume and scenic designer ZACK BROWN are among the 2018 TDF/Irene Sharaff Award recipients which were just announced by TDF, the not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts. Ms. Hynes was selected to receive the 2018 TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design and Mr. Brown will receive the Robert L. B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatrical Design. The awards are presented through TDF's Costume Collection. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, April 20, at 6:30pm, at the Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).

A highlight of the Limon Dance Company's May 8-13 Joyce Theater season will be a revival of Jose Limon's 'MISSA BREVIS,' recognized as one of his masterpieces.  The work will be set by Kristen Foote, with additional coaching by Clay Taliaferro.   The program will also feature by 'The Unsung,' a Limon work with an all-male cast; a new dance for all women by artistic director Colin Connor; and three new duets by young dancemakers commissioned by the Company.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bellini's classic I Puritani. Similar to Romeo and Juliet but with a happy ending, this bel-canto gem features the high-flying, thrilling vocals that give bel-canto singing its name.

The Unique Panel Discussion will celebrate a new book by Ronald Rand, "CREATE! How Extraordinary Artists Live to Create and Create to Live" at the historical theatrical club, The Lambs 3 West 51st Street, New York City, Monday, March 12th, 2018, 7:00-8:00pm. There is no charge for the Event. Seating is limited - reservations are necessary at: (212) 586-0306 or RSVP@The-Lambs.org     

Director Isaac Klein stops by the studio to talk about his new book, SCHOOL OF DOING, featuring the lessons of Master Teacher, Director, and personal mentor, Gerald Freedman.

'The future is female.' If the main stage at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is any judge of it, this statement is true, and gives one hope for the future. The story of one 11-year-old girl who changes hearts and minds with optimism and determination is an inspiring one, as is the boundless energy and talent of the young females on stage who bring this story to life. Watching ANNIE last weekend, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the Great Depression, when at least the president cared about the people and developed (with Annie's help of course) a New Deal that would help lift the country out of poverty. A stark contrast to today's reality, when the current resident of the White House seems to care only for the rich, and those in need get served newly crappy deals nearly every day. Maybe we need to send Annie to the Washington to get Democrats and Republicans singing together about the hopeful future of America! In the meantime, head to the Ordway to see this swell production of an American musical theater classic and get your dose of optimism about our female future.

Today's subject Jennifer Moeller is currently living her theatre life as the costume designer for Twelfth Night at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). The production runs through December 20th at STC's Sydney Harman Hall space.

NewArts, a nonprofit organization based in Newtown, CT and Walnut Hill Community Church of Bethel, CT, are proud to present their second annual version of A Christmas Carol a production created by a team that includes six Tony Award-winners. The production features more than 130 local performers and stage technicians of all ages and Broadway's Graeme Malcolm.

NewArts, a nonprofit organization based in Newtown, CT and Walnut Hill Community Church of Bethel, CT, are proud to present their second annual presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol a production created by a team that includes six Tony Award-winners. The production features more than 120 local performers and stage technicians of all ages.

Today's subject, Allen Lee Hughes, is currently living his theater life as lighting designer for Arthur Miller's The Price - his 70thproduction at Arena Stage. The production runs through November 12th in the Kogod Cradle. Mr. Hughes also lit the production also lit the show the last time Arena Stage produced it back in 1994.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced that its 2017 Gala Evening will honor the award-winning artistry and ground-breaking careers of mother and daughter Phylicia Rashad and Condola Rashad. This year's gala will be held on Monday, November 13, 2017 at New York's Espace (635 West 42nd Street).

Coming this fall, The School of Doing is a comprehensive guide to the craft and teachings of internationally renowned stage director and educator Gerald Freedman, including lessons on acting, directing, text analysis, comedy technique, camera technique, Shakespeare, musical theater, design, pedagogy, and show business.

Tonight, July 12th, 6-7pm, International Goodwill Cultural Ambassador/performing artist Ronald Rand will be joined by legendary film star Brian Cox, stage and screen actress Nicole Ansari, one of America's greatest sculptors Carolyn D. Palmer, singer extraordinaire Julie Budd, Encompass New Opera Theatre artistic director Nancy Rhodes, Broadway and film director Michael Pressman, historian Louise Hirschfeld, and legendary portrait painter Everett Raymond Kinstler for an exciting panel discussion about creativity in film, theater, music and art at Barnes & Noble-Union Square, 33 East 17th Street, NYC.

On July 12th, 6-7pm - International Goodwill Cultural Ambassador/performing artist Ronald Rand will be joined by legendary film star Brian Cox, stage and screen actress Nicole Ansari, one of America's greatest sculptors Carolyn D. Palmer, singer extraordinaire Julie Budd, Encompass New Opera Theatre artistic director Nancy Rhodes, Broadway and film director Michael Pressman, historian Louise Hirschfeld, and legendary portrait painter Everett Raymond Kinstler for an exciting panel discussion about creativity in film, theater, music and art at Barnes & Noble-Union Square, 33 East 17th Street, NYC.

On Friday, June 9th, 2017, 5-7pm — a Special Book Event for “CREATE! How Extraordinary People Live To Create and Create To Live” — a new book by best-selling author, Ronald Rand — will be held at The Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40 Street in New York City. 

The last time soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Javier Camarena appeared together at the Met, they reinvented the deadly Mary Zimmerman production of Bellini's LA SONNAMBULA and made it into something wonderful. This time around, while the duo tried their hardest, they still couldn't quite bring the company's elderly production of IL PURITANI (also by Bellini) back to life, although they came pretty close, using all the considerable star-power they could muster.

Six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer CATHERINE ZUBER and legendary scenic designer TONY STRAIGES are among the 2017 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards recipients which were just announced by Theatre Development Fund (TDF), a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts.

 A season of superb music and spectacle is now on sale to Lyric subscribers - including three new mainstage opera productions, three new-to-Chicago opera productions, one new musical production, and one new-to-Chicago chamber opera production.