Paul Thompson News

Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum has announced principal casting for the 2018/19 season including Seana McKenna as Penelope in MARGARET ATWOOD'S THE PENELOPIAD, Jan Alexandra Smith as Scrooge in this season's gender-flipping A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Nigel Shawn Williams as Troy Maxson and E.B. Smith as Jim Bono in AUGUST WILSON'S FENCES, and Alex Furber as Robert Ross in TIMOTHY FINDLEY'S THE WARS.    

The 39th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2017-2018 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Monday, June 25 at the Winter Garden Theatre of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, hosted by acclaimed actor Astrid Van Wieren, currently starring on Broadway in the award-winning Canadian musical Come From Away.

The Central New York Playhouse has one again stepped up, taken a risk, and created something magical with its current musical, Chess. Under Robert G. Searle's clever direction, the entire talented cast Chess cast works together beautifully to deliver a very intriguing and powerful performance of the musical that has a little bit of rock 'n roll, romance, sex appeal, betrayal, and history.

Baldwinsville Theatre Guild, an ambitious community theatre in Central New York, repeatedly tackles some challenging large-scale musicals to show off local talents. Their latest musical production is none other than The Hunchback of Notre Dame, featuring a principal cast of ten, an ensemble of seven, a 22-member choir, and a live orchestra under the meticulous direction of Abel Searor.

Every so often an album comes along that changes not just the rules but the game, opening new possibilities for music. In America in the late 1960s, The Velvet Underground & Nico was one such record. And in Britain, released on June 16, 1972, the self-titled debut album by Roxy Music would be another.

In announcing the 2018 summer season at the Blyth Festival, Gil Garratt, Artistic Director, says 'the season ahead will be our boldest in years... weeks longer, with five mainstage shows, another series in our Phillips Studio, and the return of last year's feathered smash hit. Come whet your appetite (or maybe wet your whistle?) for Original Canadian Theatre.'

Premiering via Yahoo! Music, U.K.-based alternative pop quartet Alvarez Kings have shared a new lyric video for their song 'Postcards from Berlin,' off their debut album Somewhere Between.

U.K.-based alternative pop quartet Alvarez Kings are heading across the pond this summer for their first-ever U.S. headlining tour, including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee for a performance at Summerfest 2017.

U.K.-based alternative pop quartet Alvarez Kings have released their full-length debut album, Somewhere Between, today via Sire Records.

Today, Alternative Press premiered 'Sleepwalking, Pt. II.' - the new video from critically acclaimed South Yorkshire, UK alternative pop quartet Alvarez Kings - via Facebook Live.

The final show of Blyth Festival's 42nd season - The Last Donnelly Standing - begins August 4 and plays until September 2 in Blyth's Memorial Hall. Conceived and created by Paul Thompson, Gil Garratt, and Beth Kates, directed by Thompson and starring Garratt, The Last Donnelly Standing is the ultimate fiery epilogue to the bloody Biddulph Feud. Reserve your seats by calling the Box Office at 519.523.9300, Toll Free1.877.862.5984 or online at blythfestival.com.

Trombonist Reggie Watkins had the opportunity to meet trombone master Jimmy Knepper just once, shortly before Knepper's death in June 2003. Watkins was performing in his native Wheeling, WV with Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Band, and Knepper, himself a Ferguson alumnus, was in the audience. The older musician complimented Watkins after the concert and shook his hand.

Our Summer Season features three world premieres of new writing including the return of our THEGREATWAR100 series, a rediscovery from John Osborne and, continuing our commitment to Canadian writing, two plays about politics - a classic and a new play, both in their European premieres.

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include OLIVER! at Cape Cod, DANGEROUS DREAMS TOUR in DC, and highlights of LA's NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR 2016, just to name a few.

We're starting 2016 off with a bang!  This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Chicago, Los Angeles, Rhode Island, and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include the Broadway-bound GOTTA DANCE! in Chicago, top 2015 picks in L.A., and the new National Tour of ANNIE in Rhode Island, just to name a few.

The Broadway World Chicago team of critics looks back on the 2015 theater season for what we were most thankful for. Here's our list:

City Theatre gets festive with A BROADWAY HOLIDAY, a one-night-only concert featuring performances by award-winning Broadway stars Billy Porter and Anthony Rapp. With local talents Maria Becoates-Bey, Daina Michelle Griffith, and Billy Hartung, the special performance will include hit Broadway songs as well as a variety of holiday favorites.

The Blyth Festival proudly presents the world premiere of The Wilberforce Hotel by Sean Dixon. Directed by Philip Akin, The Wilberforce Hotel is on stage at Blyth Memorial Hall from tonight, July 1 to August 8.

The Blyth Festival proudly presents the world premiere of The Wilberforce Hotel by Sean Dixon. Directed by Philip Akin, The Wilberforce Hotel is on stage at Blyth Memorial Hall from July 1 to August 8. The Wilberforce Hotel is loosely based on the autobiography of Austin Steward; 22 Years a Slave, 40 Years a Freeman.

In this week's Regional Roundup, BroadwayWorld.com features productions from Washington, DC, Baltimore, San Francisco, Sweden and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below!