Todd Schmidt News

The season features nine productions exploring stories of contemporary culture, heroic activists, everyday people in extraordinary times, and lots of music. In its 50th season, ASF continues its mission of building community with captivating stories for that speak to and represent all people in the South. 

This week marks Alabama Shakespeare Festival's 35th anniversary in Montgomery. From its founding as a summer theatre festival in Anniston in 1972 to its designation as the State Theater of Alabama in 1977 to the stunning performing arts complex in Montgomery (built in 1985), ASF has been a leader in the performing arts throughout the state, region, and country.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted and performed by Greta Lambert, streaming digitally November 26 through December 27, 2020.

Layoffs are coming to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, due to the health crisis.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival will present And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank by James Still on the Festival Stage for a limited run on February 9 and 15, 2020. Directed by Addie Gorlin, this multimedia play combines videotaped interviews of Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II, including their memories of Anne Frank.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Peter Rothstein, with vocal arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, on the Octagon Stage December 7 - 29, 2019. Directed by Melissa Rain Anderson, this dramatic retelling weaves together firsthand accounts of World War I soldiers with patriotic tunes, trench songs, and Christmas carols.

Artistic Director Rick Dildine and Executive Director Todd Schmidt have announced the 2019-2020 Festival Season at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which features 13 productions that explore stories of contemporary culture, heroic revolutionaries, societal transformation, and lyrical legends. Captivating, collaborative storytelling remains at the heart of ASF. In its 48th season, the theatre continues its mission of embracing community through transformative theatrical events.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival will present a new production of The Sound of Music beginning November 15, 2018, directed by ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine. The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp.)

Artistic Director Rick Dildine and Executive Director Todd Schmidt have announced their inaugural New Festival Season at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which features 14 extraordinary productions, with a full six weeks of spring repertory along with unexpected theatrical experiences in found spaces.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature A CHORUS LINE, BEAUTIFUL, and More!

Paper Mill Playhouse is the place to be for the exhillarating East Coast premiere of the new musical 'Half Time.' This entertaining, inspiring show is wonderfully directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, co-choreographed by Nick Kenkel with the finest music direction by Charlie Alterman. The show's all-star cast is brilliant as they bring their distinctive characters to life on the Millburn stage.

Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce John Doyle's production of The Color Purple will open the 2018-2019 season, replacing the previously announced Unmasked. The Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Purple that exhilarated Broadway will thrill audiences at Paper Mill Playhouse from September 26 to October 21.

As one of the nation's leading professional theaters and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows to Broadway

Paper Mill Playhouse will host an online contest to promote their production of Half Time, the new musical about not acting your age. "Generations," The Half Time Dance Contest is a social contest where participants will film a video of multiple generations of their family dancing to whatever music moves them.

Renowned for supporting community-based initiatives in the arts, education, youth programs, healthcare and more, Investors Bank and the Investors Foundation recently presented $75,000 to Paper Mill Playhouse through two grants.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce dates and locations for the 2018 Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir tour.

Paper Mill Playhouse is diving into the world of high stakes cons with the world premiere production of the new musical The Sting which opened last night. Check out the photos below!

Paper Mill Playhouse is now presenting 'The Sting,' an exhilarating world premiere musical. Directed by John Rando with choreography by Warren Carlyle and musical direction by Fred Lassen, the show is Broadway bound and it's easy to see why. This wonderfully staged production has a great plot, a fabulous variety of musical numbers, and features a stellar cast.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Todd Schmidt as ASF's Executive Director. Todd joins the recently appointed Artistic Director, Rick Dildine, as co-leader of the State Theatre of Alabama.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce it has won two, 2018 Discover Jersey Arts People's Choice Awards. Paper Mill Playhouse was awarded, "Favorite Theater at See a Musical," and "Favorite Choral Group" by the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. Presented by Discover Jersey Arts, a program of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the annual Awards highlight the work of New Jersey's vital and diverse arts community.