Christopher West News

Major casting has have been announced for the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's Playwrights For A Cause, set to take place at 7:30pm on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street. The evening, which will benefit the non-profit National Coalition Against Censorship, will showcase world premiere one-act plays by four acclaimed playwrights: Israel Horovitz's Breaking Phillip Glass and Erik Ehn's Her Speech, both directed by Planet Connections Theatre Festivity founder and PFAC Producing Artistic Curator Glory Kadigan; Halley Feiffer's A Play About New Mexico, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch; and Neil LaBute's Mohammed Gets a Boner, directed by Marco Calvani.

Cheryl Allison may not be a household name (yet), but her resume is extremely impressive, to say the least. With credits on Broadway, in Japan, several national tours, and endless regional theatres, Cheryl has made an impressive career out of theatre, which she first discovered as a child in Dallas. Not only is Cheryl starring in numerous roles this season at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, but she just finished shooting her first feature film in July 2014, NO LETTING GO (co-starring Kathy Najimy and Alysia Reiner), set to be released in 2016.

Last week, I spoke with Jacob Kemp, the young actor currently starring in the national tour of Disney's NEWSIES. In addition to the tour, Jacob has been featured in a recurring role on an ABC sitcom, and he admits that he's had a very exciting and successful year. From his hotel in Los Angeles, where NEWSIES was on tour at the time, Jacob dished about his life on the road, the exciting oppertunities he's found, and the joy of working with the famous creators of his current show.

Creative teams have been announced for the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's Playwrights For A Cause, set to take place at 7:30pm on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak with Broadway legend, Rachel York, just minutes before her final rehearsal for THE KING AND I at Music Hall at Fair Park. Having personally seen Ms. York perform onstage in several Broadway shows, as well as the filmed productions of KISS ME KATE and VICTOR/VICTORIA, it was a joy to hear her behind-the-scenes stories and personal experiences.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Broadway's Dylis Croman, who returns to the national tour of CHICAGO next week, as the fame-obsessed merry murderess, Roxie Hart. With five Broadway shows under her belt, and several national tours, Ms. Croman returns to Texas, having graduated from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Ms. Croman is also no stranger to the musical CHICAGO; she's performed in the show alongside the likes of Billy Ray Cyrus, Bebe Neuwirth, Kara DioGuardi and John O'Hurley, to name a few.

At night, Emma lives in a world of light and dark. Her father's stories unveil a world of possibility and adventure, allowing her to find comfort in the darkness. 'Make-believe and knowing how to use it,' he says, 'That is your light in the dark.' But what happens when imagination is lost? Can it be rediscovered? The Spark is an exploration of light and storytelling through puppetry, music and the mind of a child.

Trusted sons of wealthy families who ascend to high office to do their party's bidding? Crooked backroom deals that ignore the will or needs of the people? Well-placed one-percenters who avoid punishment no matter the crime? These are not merely well-trodden news angles ripped from the latest headlines. They're among the central themes of The Man of the Hour, a 1906 play inspired by Tammany Hall, which begins performances tonight, February 20, 2015 at Metropolitan Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

Trusted sons of wealthy families who ascend to high office to do their party's bidding? Crooked backroom deals that ignore the will or needs of the people? Well-placed one-percenters who avoid punishment no matter the crime? These are not merely well-trodden news angles ripped from the latest headlines. They're among the central themes of The Man of the Hour, a 1906 play inspired by Tammany Hall, which begins performances tonight, February 20, 2015 at Metropolitan Playhouse.

Off Broadway's interactive, improvised musical The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told! will return to dock at the Snapple Theatre Center for a three-show special engagement on President's Day weekend, February 14, 15, and 16, at 11 AM.

In theatre, the phrase 'triple threat' describes a performer who can sing, dance, and act (often all at once!). But how do you describe a performer who does all of this while juggling a half-dozen instruments, stage combat, and various accents? As a cast member and music captain on the national tour of ONCE, John Steven Gardner can do it all.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Musical Theatre West (MTW) brings to the stage Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, tonight, February 13 - March 1, 2015.

Trusted sons of wealthy families who ascend to high office to do their party's bidding? Crooked backroom deals that ignore the will or needs of the people? Well-placed one-percenters who avoid punishment no matter the crime? These are not merely well-trodden news angles ripped from the latest headlines. They're among the central themes of The Man of the Hour, a 1906 play inspired by Tammany Hall, which begins performances on February 20, 2015 at Metropolitan Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Musical Theatre West (MTW) brings to the stage Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, February 13 - March 1, 2015.

In just over two weeks, a parade of long-legged men and women will march into Music Hall at Fair Park, delivering Dallas the national tour of Kinky Boots. As part of Dallas Summer Musical's 75th anniversary season, the show features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper (yes, that Cyndi Lauper!) and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. Kinky Boots is the dazzling, smash-hit Broadway musical based on the 2005 film of the same name. Yesterday, I spoke with Lindsay Nicole Chambers, who stars as Lauren in the Kinky Boots tour. With three Broadway shows under her belt (Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Lysistrata Jones), and now three Broadway national tours (Elf, Hairspray, Kinky Boots), Lindsay is known for her incredible versatility and her incomparable comedic talent. She's also appeared onscreen in Across The Universe, and in Submissions Only, a comedy web series about the casting and audition process for Broadway theatre (written by and featuring some of Broadway's greatest artists). Lindsay is also no stranger to Dallas, having performed at Dallas Theatre Center in the pre-Broadway run of Lysistrata Jones (which was known as Give It Up in Dallas).

Alexandra Ncube, of The Book of Mormon, talks about tripping onstage, auditions and life on the road!

Trusted sons of wealthy families who ascend to high office to do their party's bidding? Crooked backroom deals that ignore the will or needs of the people? Well-placed one-percenters who avoid punishment no matter the crime? These are not merely well-trodden news angles ripped from the latest headlines. They're among the central themes of The Man of the Hour, a 1906 play inspired by Tammany Hall, which begins performances on February 20, 2015 at Metropolitan Playhouse.

Off Broadway's interactive, improvised musical The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told! will return to dock at the Snapple Theatre Center for a three-show special engagement on President's Day weekend, February 14, 15, and 16, at 11 AM.

Ross Nemeth says 'everything is just perfect' on tour with Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Obie Award winning Metropolitan Playhouse revives Icebound, the 1923 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in drama by Owen Davis. Directed by Artistic Director Alex Roe at Metropolitan Playhouse: 220 E 4th Street. Previews begin tonight, with an official opening on 9/26/14. The run will end on 10/19/2014.