A Sign of the Times 2018 - Articles Page 19

PITTSBURGH CLO is pleased to welcome a collection of writing teams from across the country to Pittsburgh for the inaugural SPARK festival in March. These teams were chosen from a highly-selective submissions process and will have the opportunity to rehearse and revise their work in residencies ranging from two days to three weeks. SPARK will provide dramaturgy and production resources to 10 new musicals at all stages of development, in addition to the world premiere of UP AND AWAY. As a part of the development period, eight of the musicals will receive public presentations through which the writing teams can gather audience insights and focus their intentions for the next phase of development. A major initiative of Pittsburgh CLO's recently completed Next Generation Capital Campaign, SPARK is designed to cultivate new and innovative work from emerging and established musical theater artists. 

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents the second workshop in the series How to Wrote a Musical That Works, Conflict & Obstacles, onSunday, February 25, 2018 from 10am - 6pm at NOLA Rehearsal Studio, 244 W 54th St., 5th floor, Studio 5. Submission fee is $10 for members, $20 for non-members. If accepted, it will be applied to a participation fee of $100 ($80 for TRU members). Those not selected will be invited and encouraged to attend the workshop as observers. The price is $55 ($35 for TRU members). Go to https://truonline.org/events/feedback-workshop-2-2018, click the link to download the application, fill it out, and email toTRUPlaySubmissions@gmail.com to sign up. If accepted, the workshop includes 2 seats for the entire day workshop as well as your presentation slot. Space is limited. Any additional attendees from the musical team (including music director, additional collaborators and cast members) who wish to observe the entire workshop must reserve in advance and will be charged $25 per person.

The magical world of artist Marc Chagall and his wife Bella will be tenderly brought to life onstage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) next month in director Emma Rice's production of Daniel Jamieson's The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.  Partners in life and on canvas, Marc and Bella are immortalized as the picture of romance. On the painter's canvas they flew, but in real life they walked through some of the most challenging times in 20th Century history-navigating the devastation of war, the Russian Revolution and each other. Following the artistic heights of Brief Encounter and 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, Kneehigh and Rice return to The Wallis with a production that combines the visuals of Chagall's paintings with the music and dance of the Russian-Jewish tradition. Performances begin February 23 and run through Sunday, March 11, 2018 with opening night set for Saturday, February 24 at 7:30pm. The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is made possible in part by the generous support of Camille and Arnon Adar. Theater @ The Wallis Series is sponsored by Montage Beverly Hills and Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills.

In politics, the less you know, the higher you'll go! At once a razor-sharp satire and an inspirational tribute to democracy, The Outsider is a timely and hilarious send-up of modern American politics, written by Paul Smith and directed by David Esbjornson.

Still one of the most the most unique and thrilling live theatrical offerings you will ever experience, THE CAR PLAYS has once again parked themselves at the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts for another highly-anticipated round of claustrophobic, stopped-in-traffic high drama or amusing hilarity. Produced by Moving Arts under Creator/Artistic Producer Paul Stein, THE CAR PLAYS is again presented as part of Segerstrom Center's annual popular 'Off Center Festival,' its celebration of unique and avant-garde musical and theatrical acts. Because 'seating' is literally limited, there are only so many spots available to take in this incredible site-specific theater experience, which explains why it has been extended an additional weekend---through February 3, 2018---to meet the high demand.

In politics, the less you know, the higher you'll go! At once a razor-sharp satire and an inspirational tribute to democracy, The Outsider is a timely and hilarious send-up of modern American politics. In the midst of a political scandal, Ned Newley, the ultimate policy wonk, is unexpectedly thrust into the position of Governor. A complete unknown, with no political instincts and a paralyzing fear of public speaking, Ned seems destined to fail. But his political consultants see things a little differently: Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office. Unless the public is looking for... the worst candidate to ever run for office!

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) have just announced the first two Broadway productions slated for Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming 2018-2019 season at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents the East Coast premiere of the new play The Outsider by Paul Slade Smith, directed by David Esbjornson (Driving Miss Daisy). Performances begin TOMORROW, Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 7:30 p.m., for a limited run through Sunday, February 18, 2018, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive) in Millburn, NJ. Opening Night is Sunday evening, January 28, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

A Red Orchid Theatre announces the extension of Traitor, an adaptation of Heinrich Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, written by Ensemble Member Brett Neveu and directed by Ensemble Member Michael Shannon, due to overwhelming demand. The production features Ensemble Members Dado, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Larry Grimm, Guy Van Swearingen and Natalie West, with Jacob Alexander, Mary Jo Bolduc, Missi Davis, Kristin Ellis, Nation Henrickson, Frank Nall and Steve Walker, featuring lighting design by Ensemble Member Mike Durst. Traitor will add Wednesday evening performances in February and now runs through March 4, 2018. 2018 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Tickets for the extension are on sale now.

Help Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation Fill The Little Red Wagon on the LIVIN' LIKE HIPPIES TOUR

NOVA WONDERS, a six-episode, hour-long, primetime series, hosted by three engaging young scientists, is slated to launch on PBS in spring 2018.

As previously announced, Feinstein's/54 Below will present the rarely heard musical A Pound in Your Pocket as part of its popular Second Act Series on Wednesday, January 24th at 7:00pm. The very first collaboration from acclaimed songwriters Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, best known for Bye Bye Birdie, A Pound In Your Pocket is a delightful, Dickensian story about friendship and redemption. Strouse will be on hand at the one-night-only concert to greet fans and sign copies of his memoir, Put On A Happy Face.

Game on! The Chicago premiere of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves, a 'smart, hilarious, delightful meditation on society, sex and soccer' (The Village Voice), directed by Vanessa Stalling, launches Goodman Theatre's 2018 Owen Theatre season. A 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Wolves follows a suburban girls soccer team as they navigate life's big questions and wage their own tiny battles-with all the 'bark and bite' (Vulture.com) of a pack of adolescent warriors. Hailed as 'one of the year's best plays' (The New York Times), The Wolves is DeLappe's break-out play that recently concluded an off-Broadway run at Lincoln Center Theater. Stalling directs the Chicago premiere with an all-Chicago company.

Dave Bautista, who wowed fans as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 and in last summer's blockbuster sequel, will make triumphant returns to Wizard World Comic Con events in Portland (April 14), Philadelphia (May 19) and Chicago (August 25). Bautista, whose budding film career has also included a role in the Sony feature Spectre, the 24th installment of the James Bond series, will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops and conduct interactive Q&A sessions at his Saturday appearances at each show.

Encores! Off-Center Co-Artistic Directors Anne Kauffman and Jeanine Tesori today announced programming for the 2018 season of New York City Center's acclaimed summer musical theater series. The season will open, June 27through 30, with Jason Robert Brown's breakout musical Songs for a New World and close with Micki Grant and Vinnette Carroll's vibrant, radical 1971 work Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, July 25 through 28. The centerpiece of the season will be a special two-night-only engagement (July 11 & 12) of Gone Missing, honoring composer and Off-Center Artistic Director Michael Friedman, whose life was tragically cut short last summer.

Continuing its commitment to transformation, possibilities, and the community, The Marsh Berkeley announces monthly Open Mic Nights with Ellen Hoffman for 2018. Furthering The Marsh's mission of supporting new voices, Bay Area pianist, composer, and music arranger Ellen Hoffman will host a two-hour set offering five-minute slots to a variety of performers. Experienced singers, instrumentalists, poets, comics, actors, as well as novices will join Hoffman in an evening that presents eclectic entertainment for the adventurous. Those interested in performing will sign up at the door, and are welcome to provide sheet music or their own accompaniment for this celebration of the artistic community in the East Bay. Open Mic Nights with Ellen Hoffman will begin at 7:30pm on the third Tuesday of each month January 16-March 20 at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets ($8-$15 pre-sale, $10-$15 at the door), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1-4pm, Monday through Friday.

United Airlines, Champagne Taittinger, Subaru, L'Or al Paris, FIJI Water, DOVE Chocolate, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants and TNT & TBS are among the dedicated corporate partners joining with the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in support of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

Performance Space New York (formerly Performance Space 122) presents the East Village Series, its first semi-annual themed series, and the first program curated by the institution's new Executive Artistic Director, Jenny Schlenzka. This presentation of works from some of today's most radical performers and multidisciplinary artists resituates the institution in newly revamped spaces, designed by Deborah Berke Partners, in 122 Community Center (150 First Avenue, at East 9th Street), where Performance Space 122 was founded, and where it operated until it moved out in 2011 for the building renovation. The series contemplates the past, present, and future of the organization and its neighborhood.

Folger Theatre continues its 2017/18 season with The Way of the World, a new comedy freely adapted from the classic play by William Congreve. Written and directed by renowned author Theresa Rebeck (Mauritus and Seminar and Broadway; creator and head writer of TV's Smash), the production will star Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen (Present Laughter, You Can't Take It With You, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike on Broadway).

BWW BLOG: Upcoming 2018 Summer Stock Regional Theatre Opportunities

As previously announced, Feinstein's/54 Below will present the rarely heard musical A Pound in Your Pocket as part of its popular Second Act Series on Wednesday, January 24th at 7:00pm. The show's composer, three-time Tony Award-winner Charles Strouse, will be on hand to meet fans and sign copies of his memoir.

Go Comedy is excited to host the 11th annual Snow Day improv marathon. Snow Day brings together improvisors from across the area to raise money for Gilda's Club of Metro Detroit, The Tim Hayden Scholarship Fund and The Diana George Jacokes Endowment Fund. The 26 hour event will feature performances by nearly 50 improv groups including a special 2-hour family friendly block from Noon-2pm on Sunday, January 14. Performances will kick off at 8:00pm on Saturday, January 13 and continue through 10:00pm Sunday, January 14. Tickets range from $10 to $20 for several performance blocks with a full 26 hour performance pass available for $100. Tickets are on sale now online at www.gocomedy.net or in person at the Go Comedy! box office. A complete performance schedule follows this release.

The 2018/2019 KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount season brings another year of extraordinary entertainment to The Paramount Theatre, with a schedule full of classic, familiar titles and brand new, award-winning productions.

The Next Stage Theatre Festival returns this January with a lineup of ten companies showcasing a cross-section of our exciting indie performance community. With many familiar faces from past Fringe Festivals, the 2018 programming is a true representation of the 'best of the fest'. The festival will take over Factory Theatre from January 3 to 14, 2018.

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) and Broadway Across America are thrilled to bring the Tony Award -winning Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE for its Dallas premiere at the Music Hall at Fair Park January 23-February 4, 2018.