Jack Kelley

For the candy lover in all of us, the Arkansas Repertory Theater, will present Willy Wonka Jr., their first all-kids cast on the main stage June 21-30.

Set on the stoops of the Bronx in the socially turbulent 1960s a young man, Calogero, is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he would love to be. As he grows into a teenager on the streets of the Bronx, Calogero "C" gets taken under the wing of neighborhood mobster Sonny. Despite the warning from his straight-arrow bus driver father, Lorenzo, Sonny initiates the boy into the ways of gang life after "C" covers up a murder for Sonny. The story gets kicked up a notch when "C" falls for his African-American classmate, Jane, and the repercussions threaten the entire neighborhood. Featuring an original doo-wop score, this is a tale about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family.

From the streets of New York to the Atlantic Ocean, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma will send patrons on a transatlantic voyage this summer that promises to make news headlines and leave them dazzled by Hollywood movie magic.

A teen-helmed production of the Tony Award-winning rock musical, Spring Awakening, is set to open at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood on May 11, 2019. Directed by 14-year-old wunderkind George Baron, (whose directorial debut for the stage was his jukebox-styled Broadway musical revue I Confess at the Whitefire Theatre), the cast also features up-and-coming young talents performing in the adolescent roles with musical direction by Estani Frizzell. The musical is based on Frank Wedekind's 1891 controversial play about teenagers trying to find their way in the world amid the angst of sexual discovery. Featuring music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, the original Broadway production received eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and was hailed by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle as the Best Musical of the Year.

Actors Bridge Ensemble's acclaimed production of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves and Cumberland County Playhouse's rendition of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street were named as the top shows of the year during Midwinter's First Night, the annual tribute to theater in Tennessee, held at Nashville's The Larry Keeton Theatre last Sunday night, January 13. Photographer Rae Lynn Whetzel-Stickney captured many of the night's biggest moments with her camera, which are shared on BroadwayWorld Nashville today.

Actors Bridge Ensemble's critically acclaimed production of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves and Cumberland County Playhouse's stunning mounting of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street were named as the top shows of the year during Midwinter's First Night, the annual tribute to theater in Tennessee, held at Nashville's The Larry Keeton Theatre Sunday night, January 13.

On a bitter cold blizzard day in January, the Maine theatre community was deriving some warmth and cheer by celebrating its achievements with the 2017 Broadway World Audience Choice award winners. The sixteen theatre artists voted by Maine theatre-goers as the best in each category of performing and technical achievements were selected from a group of 69 finalists, culled from over 9000 nominees rwho epresented less than % of all those in contention for the accolades, and voting for the winners was close and competitive to the very end of the process.

Orlando Repertory Theatre (Orlando REP) will open its 2017 - 2018 season with the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning Disney's Newsies The Musical (September 5 - October 22, 2017). This production is presented by Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, Disney, and supporting sponsor Lean Green DAD. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in character below!

Orlando Repertory Theatre (Orlando REP) will open its 2017 - 2018 season with the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning Disney's Newsies The Musical (September 5 - October 22, 2017). This production is presented by Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, Disney, and supporting sponsor Lean Green DAD. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in character below!

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces that each show of its 2017 Nutmeg Summer Series, 1776, Noises Off, and Disney's Newsies, will have performances interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) through a partnership with the University of Connecticut Interpreting Services (UCIS), a division of the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). ASL interpreted performances will take place during the Saturday matinee performances on June 10 (1776), June 24 (Noises Off), and July 15th (Disney's Newsies).

There was a moment tonight in the Orpheum's presentation of NEWSIES that I envisioned the entire production as an animated feature -- and why not? There was the infectious music of Alan Menken, who long ago set the 'gold standard' for the resurgence of Disney animation beginning with THE LITTLE MERMAID; there was, too, the 'underdog' hero ('Jack Kelley,' played with panache and charisma by Joey Barreiro), who serves as a point of inspiration for a horde of ragtag 'newsies'; and instead of an 'Ariel' or 'Belle,' there was 'Katherine,' the spirited young 'girl reporter,' who, with her independence and ingenuity, could fall right in line with the other young heroines of Disney films.

The first Broadway Show my parents ever took me to see was Peter Pan. I remember this fluttery feeling in my stomach as the orchestra started to play the overture, and a few years later I was surprised to experience that same feeling as I waited off stage to make my entrance during a summer camp production of 'Charlotte's Web' (I played the Narrator). Of course I soon grew up, got training and also got critical and even though I still love performing in and attending shows, it's rare that I feel the butterflies. But last week, at Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Newsie's the Musical, I could feel them....and they were fluttering around inside my seven-year-old daughter's tummy as she sat beside me!

The on stage premiere of NEWSIES is now running at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and we've got the first production photos from the highly anticipated musical!