The Wiz Revival 2018 - Articles Page 20

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the fourth show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with SOUTH PACIFIC, book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan (adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel 'Tales of the South Pacific' by James A. Michener), music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by Peggy Hickey and directed by Glenn Casale. SOUTH PACIFIC will preview on Friday, April 20, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 21 at 8pm) and run through Sunday, May 13, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

The 2018 McCammon Voice Competition judges have chosen the semi-finalists for the eighteenth biennial competition, to be held on March 16, 2018 at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The finals will be held March 17, 2018 at Bass Performance Hall. This year's competitors are David Araujo, Amanda Blue, Nicolette Book, Ryan Bradford, Rachael Braustein, Kathleen Buccleugh, Chelsea Coyne, Danielle Davis, Peter Scott Drackley, Helen Huang, Hao Hu, Emily Michiko Jensen, Abigail Kempson, Chonghwa Kim, Abigail Levis, Brandon Morales, Elizabeth Moran, Langelihle Mngxati, Chong Yoon Noh, Brittany Nickell, Yulan Piao, Anthony Reed, Michael St. Peter and Andrew Wannigman.

The Muny announced today that season tickets for The Muny's 2018 centennial summer season are now available. Tickets can be purchased online at www.muny.org, by phone (314) 361-1900, or in person at The Muny Box Office, open 9am - 5pm, Monday through Friday. The Muny proudly celebrates its 100th season in Forest Park this summer.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Conductor John Morris Russell are pleased to announce the details of the Pops' 2018-19 season at the beautifully renovated Music Hall, presented by PNC.

Last week, producers Marc Platt and Neil Meron met with members of the press to share some insight on NBC's upcoming JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT. NBC's highly anticipated special event is set to star John Legend as Jesus Christ, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Alice Cooper as King Herod, and Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas. The event will air live Easter Sunday, April 1, and will be presented as a concert staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's iconic rock opera. It will be performed in front of a live audience at the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) and Penumbra Theatre announced today they will extend their critically-acclaimed production of The Wiz by an additional week due to the tremendous response from the community. The show has received glowing reviews from arts critics around the Twin Cities and an estimated 52,000 people have seen the production to date. The additional week will add over 5,000 more available seats for audiences to enjoy this production.

The Pierre New York, A Taj Hotel's popular new cabaret series continues this month with a very special performance. On Monday February 26th, the hotel will partner once again with award-winning Broadway Sings For Pride creative director Neal Bennington for an exclusive one-night-only show.

16th Street Theater Announces the Opening of Ike Holter's THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK directed by Lili-Anne Brown March 29 - May 5, 2018 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn with a press opening of Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 PM.

16th Street Theater announces the opening of Ike Holter's THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK directed by Lili-Anne Brown March 29 - May 5, 2018 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn with a press opening of Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 PM.  

Back by popular demand, The Pierre New York is bringing the best of Broadway to guests and local residents alike with its popular new cabaret series, Broadway At The Pierre.  On Monday, February 26, the hotel is teaming up again with award-winning Broadway Sings For Pride creative director Neal Bennington for a special evening with some of Broadway's brightest stars. 

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced today the cast and creative team of the world premiere production of the new musical The Sting, based on the 1973 film, and with book by Bob Martin, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis with Harry Connick, Jr.

 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) announces the return of Transform, its signature two-week festival occurring each fall and spring. Running May 9-20, 2018, in the YBCA Forum and Theater, the festival convenes leading contemporary artists for a provocative showcase of dance, music, and theater that can only happen at YBCA. Following its highly acclaimed debut in fall 2017, which explored the timely question, "Why citizenship?" the spring 2018 edition is built around the question: "Where is our public imagination?"

Yale Repertory Theatre (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3 by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Liz Diamond, March 16-April 7, at the University Theatre (222 York Street). Opening Night is Thursday, March 22. Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3 is a co-production with San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, where it will play April 25-May 20.

Porchlight Music Theatre announced that Lorenzo Rush Jr has replaced James Earl Jones II in Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter and musical direction by Andra Velis Simon. Porchlight Revisits They're Playing our Song is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, March 6 through Thursday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along (previews begin January 26) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for They're Playing Our Song are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber that discusses the evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway that season. Single tickets to They're Playing Our Song and subscriptions for the entire series are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

Full casting has been announced for SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway and rehearsals begin today, February 12. As previously announced, the three actresses who will play the role of musical icon Donna Summer will be Tony Award winner LaChanze (The Color Purple, Once on This Island) as 'Diva Donna,' Ariana DeBose (A Bronx Tale, Hamilton) as 'Disco Donna' and Storm Lever (Freaky Friday) as 'Duckling Donna.'

Ford's Theatre Society announced full casting and design team for The Wiz directed by Kent Gash, choreographed by Dell Howlett and withMusic Direction and Orchestration by Darius Smith. The production features Ines Nassara as Dorothy, Hasani Allen as Scarecrow, Kevin McAllister as Tinman,Christopher Michael Richardson as Lion and Jobari Parker-Namdar as The Wiz. The musical plays March 9 to May 12, 2018, at historic Ford's Theatre. The production is recommended for ages eight and older.

NBC Olympics and Comcast announced today that they will work with Descriptive Video Works to provide video description services (VDS) for viewers with visual disabilities watching coverage of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The announcement was made by NBC Olympics President, Gary Zenkel, and Comcast Vice President of Accessibility, Tom Wlodkowski.

Pittsburgh CLO presents the world premiere of UP AND AWAY, January 25 - April 15, 2018 at the CLO Cabaret. As part of its Next Generation Capital Campaign efforts, Pittsburgh CLO debuted a staged reading of this new musical comedy this past spring during New Musicals Weekend at the Benedum Center. Tickets are now available online at CLOCabaret.com, by phone at 412-456-6666 or in person at the Theater Square Box Office. UP AND AWAY is also available as part of a CLO Cabaret Series subscription package.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Lisa Rothe, Co-Presidents) will present the 2018 Theatre Women Awards at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st Streetbetween 7th and 8th Avenues) on Friday, March 16 beginning at 6:30PM. Tickets ($65-$250) are available for advance purchase at www.theatrewomen.org.

Following its critically acclaimed, successful 2017 spring season, New York's beloved Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the artistic direction of Virginia Johnson, will return to NY City Center for its annual homecoming season from April 4-7, 2018.

One man's voice… became everyone's music… The incomparable Luther Vandross, the man, THE VOICE, the legend! Luther's voice shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all believe in "The Power of Love." Now, experience it LIVE with your loved one as Broadway in the H.O.O.D brings Remembering Luther: The Night I Fell In Love; starring Abraham McDonald, winner of Oprah Winfrey's Oprah Show Karaoke Challenge, to Las Vegas! Debuting Valentine's Day weekend, February 16 - 18, 2018, in Myron's Cabaret Jazz Theatre at The Smith Center for The Performing Arts!

Children's Theatre Company, in collaboration with Penumbra Theatre, presents THE WIZ. At the time of its opening on Broadway in 1974, THE WIZ was a modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz, featuring Soul-inspired songs and an entirely African-American cast. It was later adapted into a popular 1978 film starring Diana Ross and a young Michael Jackson. The Children's Theatre Company's production of THE WIZ opened on January 23rd and will run through March 18th.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the reading of Carolina Rising, part of the TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series, on February 5, 2018 at 7pm at The Actors Temple Theater, 339 W. 47th Street, NYC. A 'Dollars and Sense' talkback on the future development of the presented work will be held after the performance. Admission is free.  Please RSVP at least a day in advance (or much sooner) by calling 212-714-7628, or e-mailingTRUVoicesSeries@gmail.com.

Bishop Edwards of Snowden International School at Copley took first place on Monday, January 29, 2018 with his performance as Troy from Fences at the Boston Regional Finals of the August Wilson Monologue Competition, held for the eighth year by the Education Department of the Huntington Theatre Company, the playwright's longtime artistic home. Beyonce Martinez of Margarita Muniz Academy was named first runner-up and portrayed Vera from Seven Guitars; Antoinette Webster (Tonya, King Hedley II) of Codman Academy Charter Public School was named second runner-up. The three will receive a total of $850 in prize money, and the top two winners will be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to New York City where they will perform their monologues at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre in the National Competition on May 7, 2018. Airfare, hotel accommodations, workshops, and tickets to attend a Broadway production will be provided in collaboration with Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theatres. The national competition is free and open to the public.

'Combining CTC's critical literacy work and Penumbra's racial justice work allows us to forge something together that neither could do alone.' These words in the playbill of THE WIZ, the first collaboration between these two acclaimed #TCTheater companies, brought tears to my eyes before the show even started. Especially after wading through a sea of children of all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds. In an increasingly divided world, Penumbra (one of the longest-running and most acclaimed African American theater companies in the nation) and Children's Theatre (ditto for children's theater) give me hope, as individual companies and especially in this collaboration in which an all-black cast tells a story of a young black woman who discovers her own power through the help of friends. They give me hope that maybe we can overcome our seemingly insurmountable differences and join together in song and awesome dance to solve our problems. It's possible, right? Can't you feel a brand new day? Indeed I can.