Sarna Lapine News

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

The 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals, presented by the National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT), kicked off with THE 46TH MINUTE, a concert hosted by Lindsay Mendez and featuring performances by Heidi Blickenstaff, Doreen Montalvo, Mamie Parris, Bryce Ryness, and more. Musical presentations started October 23 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street) and included Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton. The Festival concluded on October 24, 2014. Scroll down for photos!

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) is proud to announce final casting for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Michael Cassara Casting serves as the resident casting office for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals, taking place on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Online Festival registration ends Friday, October 17.

Bucks County Playhouse Producers Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser announce the launch of a musical theatre development program focusing on the importance of lyrics in the creation of new musicals: The Oscar Hammerstein Festival - named in honor of the master writer whose countless accomplishments during his illustrious career include having mentored a young Stephen Sondheim at Hammerstein's Bucks County farm -- is a year-long program that offers expert mentorship to early career composers and lyricists. The Oscar Hammerstein Festival will culminate in a weekend with musical theatre experts, artists, and enthusiasts and various events open to the general public. The Festival will launch this weekend, September 26 - 28, 2014.

Bucks County Playhouse Producers Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser announce the launch of a musical theatre development program focusing on the importance of lyrics in the creation of new musicals: The Oscar Hammerstein Festival - named in honor of the master writer whose countless accomplishments during his illustrious career include having mentored a young Stephen Sondheim at Hammerstein's Bucks County farm -- is a year-long program that offers expert mentorship to early career composers and lyricists. The Oscar Hammerstein Festival will culminate in a weekend with musical theatre experts, artists, and enthusiasts and various events open to the general public. The Festival will launch September 26 - 28, 2014.

Emily Bergl's new cabaret, Til I Get It Right, will debut at 54 Below tonight, June 10 and June 13 and 14th.

Emily Bergl's new cabaret, Til I Get It Right, will debut at 54 Below June 10, 13 and 14th.

The stars gathered at the Lyceum Theatre last night to celebrate opening night of The Realistic Joneses. The new play stars Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner; Academy Award and Tony Award-nominee Toni Collette ('Hostages,' 'United States of Tara,' The Sixth Sense, The Wild Party), Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winner Michael C. Hall ('Dexter,' Chicago, 'Six Feet Under'), Tony Award-winner Tracy Letts(Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; August: Osage County; 'Homeland'), and Academy Award-winner and Golden Globe-nomineeMarisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny; The Wrestler; Salome). Below, BroadwayWorld brings you full photo coverage from the star-studded theatre arrivals!

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were established hit makers when they teamed up to make a musical about cowboys and farmers. What follows was a miracle-Oklahoma!, then Carousel and South Pacific; the list of extraordinary hits goes on. Tonight, April 5 and April 6 and 7 get to know these legends even better at Getting to Know You: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lyrics & Lyricists first look at the two songwriters as a team. Guest artistic director, writer and host Ted Chapin, head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, shares an insider's perspective on the pair, gleaned from his years with the Rodgers and Hammerstein families; joined by vocalists Lewis Cleale, Mandy Gonzalez, Jonathan Groff, Rebecca Luker, and Phillipa Soo.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were established hit makers when they teamed up to make a musical about cowboys and farmers. What follows was a miracle-Oklahoma!, then Carousel and South Pacific; the list of extraordinary hits goes on. On April 5, 6 and 7 get to know these legends even better at Getting to Know You: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lyrics & Lyricists first look at the two songwriters as a team. Guest artistic director, writer and host Ted Chapin, head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, shares an insider's perspective on the pair, gleaned from his years with the Rodgers and Hammerstein families; joined by vocalists Lewis Cleale, Mandy Gonzalez, Jonathan Groff, Rebecca Luker, and Phillipa Soo.

Noor Theatre's Highlight Reading Series concludes Monday, November 18 at 7:30pm with House of Strength by Rahaleh Nassri and directed by Sarna Lapine.

It was something of a perfect storm of talent that occurred inside the Short North Stage last night. Sarna Lapine, the niece of Tony-Award winning author/director James Lapine, is directing the Columbus premier of the Sondheim musical for which her uncle penned the book. She has combined forces with the 2013 Tony Award winning sound designer, Leon Rothenberg, Broadway veteran Laura Griffith (Dot), and local musical tour de force, Matt Clemens (George) to create a show that has so many "points of light" its artistic merit is brilliant as its Chromolume counterpart.

Noor Theatre opens the 2013-2014 Season with the return of the fall play-reading series, Highlight, followed by a co-production with the Rutgers/New Jersey Institute of Technology Theatre program in December, and the next phase of The Myth Project in the Spring.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein have announced the upcoming lineup- including newly added performers Jack Jones, Missi Pyle and and Ariana Savalas - at the all-new Feinstein's at the Nikko for the months of July, August, and September.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein have announced the upcoming lineup- including newly added performers Jack Jones, Missi Pyle and and Ariana Savalas - at the all-new Feinstein's at the Nikko for the months of July, August, and September.

Songs referenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novels and stories, and directly associated with his life make up the soundtrack of an inventive new theatrical revue conceived and co-created by the jazz writer Will Friedwald, co-created and directed by Sarna Lapine, with music direction by Jon Weber. 'Tales from the Jazz Age: An F. Scott Fitzgerald Songbook' receives its world premiere in four nights from June 13 to 21 at the renowned Cafe Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, as part of its new Second Act Late-Night Series. Check out photos from the concert below!

Songs referenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novels and stories, and directly associated with his life make up the soundtrack of an inventive new theatrical revue conceived and co-created by the jazz writer Will Friedwald, co-created and directed by Sarna Lapine, with music direction by Jon Weber. 'Tales from the Jazz Age: An F. Scott Fitzgerald Songbook' receives its world premiere in four nights from tonight, June 13 to 21 at the renowned Cafe Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, as part of its new Second Act Late-Night Series.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are proud to announce the upcoming lineup at the all-new Feinstein's at the Nikko. Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko will present a wide range of entertainers - including Nicole Henry, Faith Prince, Emily

Songs referenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novels and stories, and directly associated with his life make up the soundtrack of an inventive new theatrical revue conceived and co-created by the jazz writer Will Friedwald, co-created and directed by Sarna Lapine, with music direction by Jon Weber. "Tales from the Jazz Age: An F. Scott Fitzgerald Songbook" receives its world premiere in four nights from June 13 to 21 at the renowned Cafe Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, as part of its new Second Act Late-Night Series.

There comes a moment late in the second act of South Pacific when Nellie Forbush (played by the luminous Katie Reid), after hearing the disembodied voice of Emile Debecque (the dashing Marcelo Guzzo) over a two-way radio relaying some heartbreaking news-and confirming to her that he has sacrificed all he holds dear in order to help Allied forces overcome Japanese forces-when she runs on the beach, beseeching Emile to "come back" so that she may admit her foolhardy response to him before he left on that heroic mission. She completes her heartrending plea for his safe return with a lovely reprise, however brief, of Rodgers and Hammerstein's stunning "Some Enchanted Evening."