W. Douglas News

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.

CHICAGO-Douglas Druick, President and Eloise W. Martin Director announced today his plans to retire from the Art Institute of Chicago. An internationally recognized scholar and curator who joined the Art Institute in 1985, during his distinguished 30 years of service Druick chaired two of the museum's eleven curatorial departments and led the institution as its president and director since 2011, overseeing many milestones in the museum's illustrious history.

Music Theatre Wichita finishes its 44th summer season with an all-new production of HELLO, DOLLY!, running this weekend, August 5-9 at Century II Concert Hall in Wichita. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Music Theatre Wichita finishes its 44th summer season with an all-new production of HELLO, DOLLY!, running August 5-9 at Century II Concert Hall in Wichita. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Music Theatre Wichita continues its 44th summer season with Andrew Lippa and John August's Big Fish the musical,  a stage adaptation based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and subsequent Tim Burton film.

Creators Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and David I. Stern (libretto) attended the opening night performance of Music Theatre Wichita's brand new production of Disney's My Son Pinocchio, the stage adaptation of Schwartz and Stern's 2000 TV film 'Geppetto.' Also congratulating the cast and crew were David R. Scott of Disney Theatrical, and J. B. Kaufman, author of the new book 'Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic.' Scroll down for photos from the opening festivities, plus click here for shots from the preview!

Creators David I. Stern (libretto) and Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) will be on hand tonight, June 24, when Music Theatre Wichita continues its 44th summer season with the professional theatre debut of Disney's My Son Pinocchio, a new stage adaptation of the famous story, based on the TV film 'Geppetto' and inspired by Disney's animated classic film. Scroll down for a look at the cast in action!

Creators David I. Stern (libretto) and Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) will be on hand June 24 when Music Theatre Wichita continues its 44th summer season with the professional theatre debut of Disney's My Son Pinocchio, a new stage adaptation of the famous story, based on the TV film 'Geppetto' and inspired by Disney's animated classic film. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Music Theatre Wichita opens its 44th summer season June 10-14 with the first of its five large-scale productions, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida at Century II Concert Hall in downtown Wichita, KS. This marks the 28th season for producing artistic director Wayne Bryan.

Music Theatre Wichita's 44th Season includes Elton John and Tim Rice's 'Aida,' the professional premiere of Disney's 'My Son Pinocchio,' the area debuts of 'Billy Elliot - The Musical' and 'Big Fish,' and the return of 'Hello, Dolly!' after a 21-year absence.

Broadway and regional scene designer Douglas W. Schmidt will be in New York City tonight, April 30, to celebrate the release of a new book on his work, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, at The Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St.

Casting is announced today for Music Theatre Wichita's 44th Season, which includes Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida," the professional premiere of Disney's "My Son Pinocchio," the area debuts of "Billy Elliot - The Musical" and "Big Fish," and the return of "Hello, Dolly!" after a 21 year absence.

Casting is announced today for Music Theatre Wichita's 44th Season, which includes Elton John and Tim Rice's 'Aida,' the professional premiere of Disney's 'My Son Pinocchio,' the area debuts of 'Billy Elliot - The Musical' and 'Big Fish,' and the return of 'Hello, Dolly!' after a 21-year absence.

Broadway and regional scene designer Douglas W. Schmidt will be in New York City on Thursday, April 30, to celebrate the release of a new book on his work, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, at The Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St.

Tony Award-winning costume designer, JESS GOLDSTEIN (currently represented on Broadway with Jersey Boys and On the Town), and scenic designer DOUGLAS W. SCHMIDT are among the 2015 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards recipients. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, May 1, at 6:30pm, at the Hudson Theatre (145 West 44th Street). Mr. Goldstein was selected to receive the 2015 TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design and Mr. Schmidt will receive the Robert L.B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatrical Design.

Set Designer Douglas W. Schmidt is USITT's 2015 Distinguished Achiever in Scene Design and the subject of its new book, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, to be released at USITT 2015 in Cincinnati.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) released its fiscal year 2014 results at its Annual Meeting today at Symphony Center. The 2013/14 season marked the CSOA's fourth consecutive year of record-breaking ticket sales and contributions, according to Jay Henderson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CSOA, who presented the artistic and financial highlights of the season.

Music Theatre Wichita's 43 summer season finishes this weekend with the closing of "42nd Street," but plans are already underway for next summer, as the 2015 titles have just been announced.

Music Theatre Wichita's 43 summer season comes to a conclusion with "42nd Street," directed and choreographed by original cast member Jon Engstrom, and featuring Damon Kirsche as Julian Marsh, Tracy Lore as Dorothy Brock, Tessa Grady as Peggy Sawyer, and Shonn Wiley as Billy Lawlor. Patty Reeder appears as Maggie Jones, partnered by Robert Ariza as Bert Barry, with Timothy W. Robu as Abner Dillon and Ryan Vasquez as Pat Denning. Tapping their way into several major numbers are Amy Baker Schwiethale as "Anytime" Annie, Jacob Chancellor as dance director Andy Lee, Katie Wesler as Phyllis, Becca Petersen as Lorraine, and Emily Pirtleas Diane.

Broadway actress Ali Ewoldt, who starred as the orphaned Cosette in the 2006 Broadway revival of 'Les Miserables' and as The Girl (Luisa) in the Off-Broadway production of 'The Fantasticks' last year, shared her journal entries, which recount her day at Music Theatre Wichita in Kansas, with CNN Money's Blake Ellis. The article was published July 24.