Sunday night was the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards– one more theater award in this jam-packed Broadway season. Held in the Jazz at Lincoln Center space, overlooking Columbus Circle (very cool), it was hosted by “Glee” hearthrob Darren Criss, who proved to be very adroit at handling assignments like this. He played guitar and piano, sang, told some great self-deprecating jokes and generally made it look easy. Watch for Mr. Criss to turn up hosting one of the big award shows someday. Not sure why he’s not hosting the Tony Awards, come to think of it– though Hugh Jackman does trump Darren in celebrity status and–probably– raw talent.

Anyway, it was fun to people-watch in this relatively small (about 350 attendees) setting. TV was represented by “Smash” star Brian D’Arcy James (who starred in SHREK and lots more on Broadway), Judith Light and Laura Osnes (she won the “You’re The One That I Want” reality TV show that landed her on Broadway in GREASE). Daphne Rube-Vega and Adam Pascal, original stars of RENT, were presenters, as was Stephanie J Block, who starred in 9 TO 5 on Broadway and took over for Sutton Foster in ANYTHING GOES.

Not sure how Broadway.com judges these– anyone can vote on-line– but NEWSIES and PETER & THE STARCATCHER came away winners. Surprisingly not included in a number of categories was ONCE, which won the NY Drama Critics Circle, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel (off-Broadway’s version of the Tonys) Awards for Best Musical. ONCE director John Tiffany and book writer Enda Walsh have won a passel of awards as well. With the fourth Best Musical nominee, LEAP OF FAITH, closing last Sunday, that race looks like a toss-up between Disney’s NEWSIES and ONCE. Stay tuned for more awards announcements.

The 2012 Tony Award nominations have been announced, and I feel like a proud papa indeed.

Theater League is involved in two Broadway shows this year– Best Musical nominee ONCE and Best Revival nominee PORGY & BESS. In fact, ONCE and PORGY topped the list of nominations– ONCE earned eleven and the great Gershwin musical garnered 10 Tony noms.

For all of the awards and some interesting comments on the Tony nominations, I recommend Patrick Healy’s blog in The New York Times. Here’s the link: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/the-2012-tony-awards-nominations/

The Best Musical race means good news for our Broadway series– both ONCE and Disney’s new musical NEWSIES are sure to tour in the next few seasons. Both are terrific shows, albeit very different ones.

Of course, I’m partial to ONCE; it’s a sweet, touching, funny musical based on the cult film of a few years back that won the Academy Award for Best Song (“Falling Slowly”).The show follows the lives of a Dublin street performer and the Czech girl who believes in him and his music. The ensemble cast is terrific; and the whole thing takes place in an Irish pub, enchantingly recreated by Tony Award-winner Bob Crowley. You can actually go on stage before the show (and at intermission), have a drink and sing and dance with the company. Click Here to visit the ONCE YouTube Channel

NEWSIES is also based on a movie, a musical about an actual event: when New York City’s newsboys– the ragamuffins who distributed the paper on street corners to earn pennies a day– rose up against Joseph Pulitzer and the other big newspaper moguls of the day.  NEWSIES star Jeremy Jordan, who was a stand-out in BONNIE & CLYDE earlier this season, is Broadway’s hottest new leading man, a winning talent who dances and sings his heart out. It’s a big, old-fashioned style musical that’s already doing big business on Broadway. Now, we just have to wait and see what the Disney folks decide to do with it (I’m sure it will be held over its current August closing date, now that it’s been nominated for Best Musical). Click Here to visit the NEWSIES YouTube Channel

The Best Play competition has some great contenders– the enchanting new PETER & THE STARCATCHER, all about the origins of Peter Pan, will go out on tour, especially if it wins the Tony. I haven’t seen it yet, but I hear the show’s sense of fun and theatricality is amazing. Though a play, it was also nominated for Best Score— the show is full of great original songs by composer Wayne Barker and lyricist Rick (JERSEY BOYS) Elice. Watch for PETER and CLYBOURNE PARK to vie for the Best Play Award with OTHER DESERT CITIES and VENUS IN FUR.

Best Actor and Actress in a Musical have strong contenders. Steve Kazee and Christin Milioti are wonderful in ONCE, as is Norm Lewis as Porgy in the Gershwin classic. I don’t know if you can beat Audrey McDonald as Bess– it’s the role of a lifetime, performed by perhaps our greatest serious musical theater star (recently on the hit TV series “Private Practice”, too). I haven’t seen her new show yet, but Kelli O’Hara is always great; and in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (also nominated for Best Musical), she gets to sing more great Gershwin songs (this is turning out to be George and Ira’s year!). Because it closed  earlier in the season, the contenders from the FOLLIES revival– Jan Maxwell, Ron Raines and Danny Burstyn– may have a tougher time of it. But I saw that revival, and they were all wonderful, as was the show.

More to come here on the Tonys and this Broadway season, as soon as I see a few more of the nominees.

‘Jersey Boys’: from ‘no thanks’ to riding a tidal wave

Des McAnuff directs the successful story of the Four Seasons, but he was initially more than reluctant.

By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star

Friday, April 27, 2012 | This is how Des McAnuff puts it: He knew he had a tiger by the tail. He just didn’t know how big the

Jukebox musicals have become a potent force in the world of commercial theater, but in retelling the warts-and-all story of the Four Seasons, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s, McAnuff and his collaborators struck a nerve with the public.tiger would be.

The director of “Jersey Boys,” which begins performances Wednesday at the Music Hall, has had a long and varied career as a director, producer and writer, and sometimes he’s revealed a Midas touch in his approach to unconventional material.

McAnuff figured out how to translate a vintage concept album into an award-winning international hit with “The Who’s Tommy.” And earlier he directed the perennially popular “Big River,” a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” working with songwriter Roger Miller, who had never before written for the stage.

But when it came to “Jersey Boys,” his first reaction was: No thanks.

“I’ve gotten myself into all sorts of trouble over this,” McAnuff said with a laugh by phone during a rehearsal break in Stratford, Ontario. McAnuff is in his final season as artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

“You know, initially I didn’t see it,” he said. “But Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the book (script) writers, were very persistent. There was no book at that point. There was a kind of treatment or an outline. And the way this got resolved was they basically invited me to the party and we came up with an outline together.

“I was so enamored of that treatment that I put ‘Jersey Boys’ into production before we had a script. They were writing the book at the same time I was designing and planning the show. So it was a somewhat eccentric way of launching a new musical.”

McAnuff knew he didn’t want a traditional approach.

“Because it was a musical about a band, I wanted to resist a more conventional approach to musical theater,” he said. “And they (Brickman and Elice) were not resistant to this at all. I think the reason we have such a success has everything to do with the brilliant book that they wrote. And that’s their book. They did the writing. I did not do the writing on this project. I helped in a sense design the superstructure dramaturgically with them, but the writing is very much Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

“Obviously we knew we had terrific songs going in. I mean, you couldn’t ask a composer to come up with a score like ‘Jersey Boys’ because it was 30 years in the making.”

The Four Seasons, who evolved from the Four Lovers, were a quartet of working-class guys from New Jersey who hit pay dirt with a cheery sound and songs that etched themselves permanently in listeners’ memories.

Frankie Valli was the group’s lead singer, with backup vocals provided by songwriter Bob Gaudio on keyboards, Tommy DeVito on guitar and Nick Massi on bass. Massi died of cancer in 2000.

Valli’s powerful falsetto immediately set the band apart and beginning in 1962 they released scores of albums and singles. Some of the biggest hits were “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man.”

Taking his cue from the band’s name, McAnuff hit on a way to tell the story: Organize the show in four parts and let each member of the band tell his version of events. Ultimately, the key was a reference to a classic Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa in the ’50s. In “Rashomon” three characters describe an incident in narratives that don’t necessarily agree on the details.

“It was Rick Elice who came up with the term ‘Rashomon,’ ” McAnuff said. “I think we all got clarity after that — four different guys telling the same story in four completely different ways.”

And he said Brickman, an occasional collaborator with Woody Allen, made contributions that went far beyond the writing.

“This is a very collaborative experience,” he said. “Marshall Brickman, who has directed cinema, was also a great adviser to me as a director. He has a remarkable ear and he helped me with performances. He continues to help me with performances seven or eight years later. So it’s a two-way street.”

McAnuff said he already was friends with Gaudio and became close with Valli as they were developing the show at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. McAnuff was the artistic director there at the time. At one point, he said, Brickman got DeVito on the phone for a long interview and produced a transcript of the conversation that became a key element in development of the show.

To date, “Jersey Boys” has won multiple international awards, including the 2006 Tony for Best Musical. The show continues on Broadway, two North American companies are on the road and productions are running in London, Australia and New Zealand.

The success, McAnuff said, was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. But he had a feeling early on.

“I knew that we had a tiger by the tail,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know that the tiger would grow to such a size. I knew we had a good chance of success. I watched my friend Michael David, our producer.

“I watched the expression on his face when he came out to La Jolla and sat in on my final run-through in the rehearsal room. And just by watching Michael I knew we had a potential for success. And I suppose my own Geiger counter was going off as well.”

McAnuff had such a strong feeling, in fact, that he decided to have a chat with the box office staff.

“I’d had a couple of other big hits there, but this particular group of box office people had only been with us a couple of years and during that time we hadn’t had an enormous hit,” he said. “So I warned the assistant marketing manager that they were about to be hit by a dangerous tidal wave of activity and I was fearful that they didn’t have enough people in the box office to handle the business. I think she thought I was joking or being boastful.”

But the tidal wave hit after the first preview.

“I think we had 21 phone lines and they were all lit up,” he said. “I think we had five people on the phones … and there she was sitting at one of the phones. And we literally could not keep up with the business. In fact, we had to open the box office at intermission, there was such a demand from people who had just seen the first fact. They were literally lining up at a closed box office at intermission.”

Those people, desperate to grab tickets for friends and family or simply to see the show a second time, indicated what was to come.

“To this day we do a remarkable amount of repeat business and it’s great because it motivates us to make sure every show is of the highest possible standards,” he said. “We are really insistent on making sure that every cast is first-rate.”

McAnuff, who holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, was a founder of Dodger Theatricals, a major Broadway production company that has produced scores of plays and musicals. He understands that people who might know his work only by the big hit musicals aren’t getting a full picture of his resume. (His revival of “Jesus Christ Superstar” is running on Broadway.) But he’s philosophical about it.

“Musicals become the shows that run the longest,” he said. “And more people will see them than your other work. I’ve really gone from doing pretty progressive, even avant-garde at times, contemporary work. And I’ve done a lot of classical work, as well as opera now, and musicals. When people do musicals … they tend to dominate your reputation, for better or worse.”

“Jersey Boys” performances begin Wednesday and run through May 20 at the Music Hall in Municipal Auditorium, 13th and Central streets. Call 800-745-3000 or go to ticketmaster.com.

To reach Robert Trussell, call 816-234-4765 or send email to rtrussell@kcstar.com.

Party atmosphere to rule as individual tickets to
Disney’s THE LION KING go on sale May 5

So far, tickets to the much-awaited Broadway show “The Lion King,” coming to Wichita in September, have been available only to people buying season tickets to Theater League shows. But on May 5, individual tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m. in what will be a party atmosphere of radio-station DJs, giveaways and breakfast at
Century II.

For the first two hours that Saturday, tickets will be available only at the WichitaTIX box office at 225 W. Douglas. Then beginning at 10 a.m., remaining tickets also will be available for purchase online at wichitatix.com or by calling 316-219-4849.

Ticket prices range from $35 to $135 for the show, which will have a four-week run Sept. 4 to 30 at Century II Concert Hall.

Creating a buzz around the sale of individual tickets on May 5 at Century II will be radio remotes by DJs from Clear Channel radio stations B-98 FM, Kissin’ 102.1-FM and Channel 963 from 7 to 11 a.m. The stations will serve breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. Each station will have games, including a prize wheel, a cash machine and participatory PA systems and prizes including “Lion King” merchandise and tickets.

The first person in line will receive an autographed copy of “How Does the Show Go On?” by “Lion King” producer Thomas Schumacher. The first 100 ticket-buyers will receive a “Lion King” CD. While supplies last, other ticket-buyers on the scene will receive a “Lion King” T-shirt (one per order).

Officials announced in February 2011 that Theater League — the organization that brought 2009’s run of “Wicked” to Wichita for a three-week run — would be bringing “Lion King” to town for a similar extended run. “Wicked” offered Wichita audiences 24 performances. “Lion King” has 32 scheduled, said Bethany Nesbitt, Theater League’s marketing/communications account manager.

The Disney production of “The Lion King” — known for its elaborate costuming and lively music — has played in more than 70 cities in North America and been seen by more than 13.9 million people. The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from the 1994 animated film — including the beloved songs “The Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” — along with three new songs by them and other music that fuses Western popular music with the sounds and rhythms of Africa.

While the Wichita performances begin Sept. 4, official opening night will be Sept. 7. Premium ticket packages for center orchestra seats will be available for $135 and include a commemorative program and a merchandise item. Groups of 15 or more can buy discounted tickets for some performances by calling 866-314-7687.

For more information and for a link to tickets, visit THE LION KING page.

Reach Annie Calovich at 316-268-6596 or acalovich@wichitaeagle.com.

Read more here

TOUR RELIVES HAIR-METAL GLORY DAYS WITH SONGS BY JOURNEY, BON JOVI, PAT BENATAR

by Kerry Lengel
The Republic | azcentral.com 

April 6, 2012 12:25 PM | If the title weren’t taken, they might have called it “Hair.” Instead, they went with “Rock of Ages,” which is appropriate enough. This smash-hit musical is anything but religious, but it does take us back to a time when rockers with glittering makeup and flowing locks were worshiped as gods.

“I love my wig. I call her Betty,” says Matt Nolan, who plays jukebox hero Stacee Jaxx in the national tour that visits the Valley this week.

“She’s a nice long, blond wig, lots of curly tendrils,” he says. “It was a struggle to get used to at first, with
figuring out how to move my head and not choke on my hair. But it’s definitely a lot of fun. As soon as the wig goes on, that’s when I feel myself completely transformed into Stacee. It starts with the tattoos, then goes on to the guyliner, and then as soon as the wig is on I feel like I’m ready to go.”

First performed in 2006 in Los Angeles, the show opened on Broadway three years ago and is still going strong. It’s a loud, crass and unapologetically cheesy salute to the glam anthems and power ballads of the ’80s. In the former category are Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”; in the latter, Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” and Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive.”

Just remember: In the ’80s, fans waved lighters in the air during the power ballads. So you have no excuse for not turning off your cellphone.

The story is set in 1987 at a club on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip called the Bourbon Room, where a busboy named Drew Boley dreams of stardom. He’s romancing waitress/wannabe actress Sherrie Christian, but they’ll both be out of a job if German developers Hertz and Franz have their way and demolish the club. The plan to save the place involves a big reunion concert for Stacee Jaxx and his band, Arsenal.

Yes, it’s about as hackneyed a plot as ever made it to the Great White Way. And that’s just about perfect for a jukebox musical that includes a song once named the worst in rock history, Airplane’s “We Built This City.”

“They’re not the most brilliantly thought-out lyrics, but it worked for people,” Dominique Scott, who plays Drew, says of some of the hits he sings eight nights a week.

“I think the show looks back in a very loving way. It’s still very self-aware and it still kind of has that winky

attitude, but it’s fun, like, ‘Look how silly we were back then.’ People really loved the music, the same way that I have a guilty pleasure with Justin Bieber. Although people would make fun of me for it, that’s me.”

Wait a minute, did he just say “Justin Bieber”?

Yes he did. He’s also a fan of Adam Lambert, but what did you expect? A bona-fide ’80s headbanger would be way too old to star in this show. And Scott says he likes to rock out, too. He even has his own band in New York City, Domin8trix, which he describes as “Maroon 5 meets Led Zeppelin.”

His first love as performer, though, is musical theater, which makes touring with “Rock of Ages” “the best of both worlds.”

“I get to sing a plethora of the best classic-rock songs ever, and the audience’s responses are always great,” he says. “We always have big houses, and by the end of the show they’re standing up and just cheering and dancing around. It’s one big party every night.”

Castmate Nolan agrees: When it comes to living out a rock-and-roll fantasy, “Rock of Ages” is way better than playing Guitar Hero.

“You feel like you’re at a rock concert, because our band is onstage the whole time, they’re not hidden away in the pit, and just as much as we are putting on a show, they put on a show,” he says. “Our lead guitarist is headbanging at the front of the stage with a big huge fan blowing his hair all over, and they interact with us during scenes in the show, they have lines in the show. So you feel like you’re watching a rock show, but we’re also telling this really funny story at the same time.”

Nolan is best known as a finalist on the reality show “Grease: You’re the One That I Want!” (He lost out to Arizona’s own Max Crumm, who won the right to play Danny Zuko on Broadway.) As a musical-theater buff who grew up in New York, Nolan thinks crossover entertainment, from “Rock of Ages” to NBC’s “Smash,” has been great for his chosen art form.

“It’s opening up people’s eyes,” he says. “I’ve always felt that people who do musicals, who are legit triple threats, are some of the most talented performers in the world. So for people to get to know these performers now and see them on TV is just increasing the fan base and the interest.”

Reach the reporter at kerry.lengel@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4896.

ROCK OF AGES starts Tuesday, April 10 at the Mesa Arts Center and will run through the 11th.  It will then move locations to the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, AZ and run April 12 – 15.
It is recommended for Mature Audiences.

SHOW TIMES FOR MESA
Tuesday (4/10) | 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (4/11) | 7:30 p.m.

SHOWTIMES FOR PHOENIX
 Thursday (4/12) | 7:30 p.m.
Friday (4/13) | 8:00 p.m.
Saturday (4/14) | 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sunday (4/15) | 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ae/articles/2012/04/05/20120405rock-ages-phoenix-mesa-journey-bon-jovi-nolan.html#ixzz1rZtv6RUs

DVR ALERT | BLUE MAN GROUP to make appearance on “The Celebrity Apprentice”

On Sun, April 1st at 8pm(ET)/7pm(CT) – BLUE MAN GROUP will make an exclusive appearance on NBC’s hit show “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Tune in at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT and 8 p.m. PT.

“The Celebrity Apprentice” features 18 business-savvy celebrity contestants competing to raise money and awareness for a nonprofit of their choice. The winner will be chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice and will be presented with a $250,000 bonus check to deliver to their designated cause. Tune-in or set your DVR to record!

Here is a clip from their appearance on the show!

The cast of ONCE lined up for curtain call at the opening night performance.

 Spring is the time for Broadway openings, and Karin and I attended one Sunday night. The new musical is called ONCE, and I’m really looking forward to presenting it on our Broadway seasons in the future. Theater League invested in the New York production, so I’m especially proud to report the opening night audience (and the New York Times) really enjoyed the show.

Many of you probably remember the low-budget movie from few years back that won the Academy Award for Best Song– that was ONCE. It’s about an Irish street singer who falls in love with an Eastern European girl who saves him from giving up his music. The Best Song— “Falling Slowly”– provides a poignant theme for these characters’ romantic journey together.

The score’s folk rock ballads are lush and hypnotic— beautifully performed by newcomers Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti as “Guy” and “Girl” respectively, and a group of talented actors who play their own musical instruments. The note perfect production– directed by John Tiffany with sets and costumes by Bob Crowley (he designed MARY POPPINS on Broadway)– really resonated with Sunday night’s audience. When the original Guy and Girl (who wrote all the ONCE songs) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova joined the cast onstage at the opening night curtain call, the crowd went wild.

ONCE takes place in a Dublin pub– and the audience is invited up on stage before the show and at intermission to have a drink (on you) and mix it up with the cast. The actors play and sing their hearts out before the show even begins. When you see ONCE, be sure to get there early and take part in the fun.

One of the things I love about Broadway is recognizing actors we know and admire sitting there, watching the show. We got to our ONCE seats just in time to see Kristin Chenoweth (Tony Award® winner, star of NBC’s new series GCB and the original Glinda in WICKED) plop down two rows in front of us. We also passed Alan Rickman (Snape from the Harry Potter movies and lots of other great films) in the lobby. We’d just seen him that afternoon starring in the new play SEMINAR at the theater next door.

The night before, we sat across the aisle from Kristin (Sex in the City) Davis and in front of Tony Award® winner Boyd Gaines at the final performance of Cynthia Nixon’s (also Sex in the City) brilliant performance as a cancer patient in the Pulitzer Prize winning play WIT at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Two memorable works, two great nights in a great city (weather was pretty nice, too). We’re sending our regards from Broadway.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ONCE THE MUSICAL VISIT THE MUSICAL’S WEBSITE

CIRQUE DREAMS
POP GOES THE ROCK

By Local Blogger| SE Kansas City Macaroni Kid

“All our dreams can come true…” said one of the greatest dreamers in modern history, Walt Disney.

The truth is we all are dreamers. Whether we wish upon on a star or make a wish when we are blowing out our birthday candles, we continue to dream no matter what age.

As a little kid growing up in Toledo often we would drive past the Stranahan Theater. I would often tell my parents someday I would bring Mary Poppins to the stage. I was fascinated by that idea that some kids could compile a list of traits for their dream nanny and then she flies in to fulfill their dream.

Well, Disney beat me to the punch of flying Mary onto the stage, but when I went to New York City for the first time, my dream came true and I saw the essence of my dream become reality right in front of my eyes as Mary Poppins flew right over my head. Only in live theater can your dreams take you away from your daily life and transport you into the wonderland that is unfolding in front of you.

The 2012-2013 season coming to Toledo is truly the season of dreams.

Have you ever wanted a dream so badly that you go above and beyond to achieve it? I think we all dream of doing something that, no matter how hard you get rejected or meet a road block, you still push forward. I can easily think about a time in recent history when I knew I really wanted to meet this girl because we had so much in common. The stars just wouldn’t align, but I kept trying my hardest to meet her. Eventually my persistence paid off and my dream came true. The lead character in BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL knows what it means to go after your dream while facing opposition the whole way.

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is based on the 2000 movie of the same name. This heart-warming story about a boy who dreams to dance will have everyone in the audience cheering. With the music written by Elton John and stunning choreography by Peter Darling, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL has won over the hearts of millions of theater patrons. “It’s impossible to not be transported by Billy’s amazing grace. Infused with irresistible heart, it makes the raw, restless exuberance of youth accessible to all,” claims Elysa Gardner with USA Today. Acquiring 33 awards, including 10 Tonys® (Including Best Musical), critics and audience members alike have embraced Billy.

For a sneak peek and more info on BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL click here.

Growing up, my family loved watching classic television and movies. One of the comedic acts that I was exposed to was The Three Stooges. Those guys never seemed to get old. I still find myself watching them on TV to this day. When I was little I always thought it was so cool to do those gags. I even started memorizing some sketches and performing them for my family (recently I found out that I forced my family to watch me…although I do not remember “forcing” anyone to watch. I guess we remember it how we want to right?). A dream of mine was to see them live. I wanted to see them perform those gags in front of my eyes. Little did I know the members of The Three Stooges passed away long before I was born.  Now, BLUE MAN GROUP is my dream come true. I mean, doesn’t everyone want to party with guys painted blue?

BLUE MAN GROUP is an amazing piece of theatrical staging. Many shows rely on words telling a story, but for BLUE MAN there are no words. If you are looking for there to be a story, well here it is: you have been invited to be a kid again. To come to a party and thoroughly enjoy yourself! I still dream of being a kid again and this theatrical event will make that dream come true.  Classic miming sketches mixed with high tech fun, there something here for everyone. This show is a great performance for families to attend, and a perfect way to celebrate the 2012 holiday season together!

For a sneak peek and more info on BLUE MAN GROUP click here.

My favorite Walt Disney film is the magical MARY POPPINS. A flying nanny with the ability to take you into chalk pictures, race on merry go round horses, dance on rooftops and host tea parties on the ceiling sound like the idyllic world of children’s dreams, right? One of my absolute favorite parts of this story is the theme of paying it forward. MARY POPPINS encourages you to help others dreams come true through charity, as described by the masterpiece “Feed The Birds.” The movie has been described as Walt Disney’s crowning achievement as he poured everything into this project. MARY POPPINS was the dream of Walt Disney, and it is no doubt that his dream keeps winning over the hearts of Broadway theater-goers all over the world every day.

MARY POPPINS is as beautiful on stage as she is on the silver screen. Just her essence of sharp wit, beautiful voice and smile makes your heart warm. With show-stopping numbers like “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Jolly Holiday,” and “Step in Time,” this musical is sure to bring your dreams to life. As one of the new songs states, “Anything can happen if you let it…if you reach for the stars all you get are the stars, but we have found a whole new spin, if you reach for the heavens you get the stars thrown in.” You will be thoroughly impressed with the stunning choreography and classic songs mixed with new pieces and of course the Disney magic sprinkled throughout the whole production. This family musical is just like MARY POPPINS herself, practically perfect in every way!

For a sneak peek and more info on MARY POPPINS click here.

With the recent visit of JERSEY BOYS in Toledo I have been listening to a lot of 60’s and 70’s music (well, I love my Carpenters…but that is a different story) and one of the groups I have come to love more and more every time I hear their sound is The Supremes. Their soulful vocals never fail to give me chills and I always find myself humming the melody of some of their classics like, “Stop! In The Name of Love,” “Baby Love,” and “I Hear A Symphony.” But, like JERSEY BOYS, DREAMGIRLS takes us all on a backstage tour as we find out how popular acts like The Supremes came to be.

DREAMGIRLS is the story of The Dreams, an all-girl trio fromChicago, and their rise to great stardom. DREAMGIRLS is said to be a combination of the stories of The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown and Jackie Wilson. It offers the audience a glimpse into what it takes for these acts to become household names. The names have been changed in the musical and it does not include any famously recorded songs by their artists, but that does not mean that there are not any hits in this show. “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” was recorded by Jennifer Holliday and reached #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts. The Cast Recording of DREAMGIRLS also won two Grammys® and the show itself received 13 Tony® nominations, winning six!

For a sneak peek and more info on DREAMGIRLS click here.

Coming as a separate addition to the 2012-2013 season is a return engagement of WICKED in August 2013. What a thrilling, captivating musical! A heartwarming tale of friendship, WICKED tells the story of Elphaba, the green witch, and her dream to fit in and do what is right for the people of Oz. This show will be sure to bring tears to your eyes. Watching WICKED almost every night during its Toledo run never got old. I can say that this powerful story of friendship and perseverance always left me walking away with something new that I never saw before. Be sure to sign up for email blasts with Theater League to get the latest information on this special return engagement of WICKED.

To sign up for Theater League email blasts and get the latest information about WICKED, as well as your 2012-13 line up of Toledo shows click here.

The 2012-2013 Broadway season in Toledo is my season of Dreams. I know I will be keeping my dreams alive by attending this amazing season at the Stranahan Theater.  I hope that you will join me in celebrating dreams.

 For information on how to become a season member click here.

Friday, February 24, 2012 4:34pm

From www.KCLU.org

This is a big homecoming weekend for a Conejo Valley stage performer, who stars as the lead performer in the national touring company of the Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein”.

KCLU’s Lance Orozco caught up with A.J. Holmes as he did a workshop for students this afternoon (2/24) at his alma mater, Agoura Hills High School:

Click on link to listen to/download story:

 A.J. HOLMES INTERVIEW ON KCLU

OTHER YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN NEWS STORIES

• SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT
• VC STAR | YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN comes alive in Thousand Oaks
• THOUSAND OAKS ACORN | Conejo Native stars in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN