Tag Archives: NYC

SLAVA’S SNOW SHOW ANNOUNCES MOBILE RUSH POLICY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Vivacity Media Group, 212-812-1483
Leslie Papa, leslie@vivacityny.com
Whitney Holden Gore, whitney@vivacityny.com 
Kelly Wells, kelly@vivacityny.com
Maggie Trabucco, maggie@vivacityny.com  

MOBILE RUSH POLICY ANNOUNCED
FOR TONY-NOMINATED & OLIVIER AWARD-WINNINGBACK ON BROADWAY
FOR A LIMITED HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT
AT THE STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATRE
NOVEMBER 11, 2019 – JANUARY 5, 2020 

 TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TELECHARGE.COM
MOBILE RUSH TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH TODAYTIX

(New York, NY – Wednesday, October 30, 2019) – Producers David Carpenter, John Arthur Pinckard, and Hunter Arnold are thrilled to announce that the Broadway return of the Tony-nominated, Olivier Award-winning international sensation SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW has partnered with TodayTix to offer $35 mobile rush tickets beginning at 9 AM EST each performance day. The rush will begin on Monday, November 11 for the first performance at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd St., NYC). Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis exclusively through the TodayTix app.

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW will return to Broadway this winter for a limited holiday engagement at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre from November 11, 2019 through January 5, 2020. Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com. The production will feature SNOWSHOW creator Slava Polunin alongside Artem Zhimo, Robert Saralp, Vanya Polunin, Georgiy Deliyev, Aelita West, Bradford West, Alexandre Frish, Nikolai Terentiev, Francesco Bifano, Spencer Chandler and Elena Ushakova. The Snowshow company is made up of a number of clowns; it is rarely known in advance which clowns will perform at which performances. The Opening Night Celebration is November 13, with the Press Opening on November 14. 

 Returning to the New York stage for the first time in over a decade to delight a whole new generation of theatergoers, the singular troupe of SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW brings its spellbinding and romantically wistful theatrical adventure back stateside for the holiday season. Unleashing a breathtaking artistic thrill ride for audiences of all ages and languages, the show offers a dreamlike vision that overflows with magical dynamism and humorous antics, set within an absurd and surrealistic world. Each scene paints a picture: an unlikely shark swimming in a misty sea; heart-breaking goodbyes on a railway platform; an entire audience enveloped in a gigantic web; a wave of vibrant balloons bouncing off the fingertips of theatergoers; and a world-renowned roaring snowstorm of a finale that’s sure to leave audiences spellbound.   

 SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW made its American debut in 2004 and became an instant theatrical sensation, breaking the record for highest grossing show in the history of the Union Square Theatre. Treating New Yorkers to an immersive experience unlike any other, the show incited The New York Times’ critic to confess, ““my heart leapt… [SNOWSHOW] induces waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure.” The off-Broadway production ran for over 1000 performances, won a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience (2005), and then transferred to Broadway in 2008 for a limited engagement which earned a Tony Award Nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event. 

 Now a theatrical classic, SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW pushes the boundaries of family show to its highest standards and has been rewarded with more than twenty international awards, including an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, a Drama Desk Award, and a Tony Award nomination. Having played the world’s major cities many times over, SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW is a bona fide international sensation amongst theatergoers and critics who have declared it “a thing of rare theatrical beauty not to be missed” (London Daily Telegraph) and “an unmistakably unique, unmissable comedy masterpiece…It is simply and childishly thrilling, it fills you with innocent amazement and it is lyrically beautiful.” (The Independent) 

 Born in a small town in central Russia, Slava Polunin discovered the art of pantomime in high school. As he grew to adulthood in Leningrad, he developed an eccentric version of the form, which he lovingly dubbed ‘Expressive Idiotism.’ From 1979 on, Slava quickly became a fixture on Russian stages and TV, sharing his gifts and continuing to redefine the art of clowning with his poetic and poignant approach to comic performance. This discovery would reach its zenith with SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW, which burst onto world stages at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival to universal praise and wonder. Since its debut, the work has toured constantly, introducing new audiences and generations to its world of dreams, fantasies, and childlike wonder. 

 Created by Slava Polunin, SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW is presented in collaboration with Slava and Gwenael Allan. Production Management is by Tinc Productions and General Management is by KGM Theatrical 

 Tickets are on sale at Telecharge.com. The show is recommended for audience members age 8 to 108.  The performance schedule is Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesdays at 2 PM and 7 PM, Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM. Additional performances will be held on Monday, November 11 at 8 PM and Monday, December 16 at 7 PM. The performance on Tuesday, November 12 will be at 8 PM. The performances on Sunday, December 29 and Sunday, January 5 will be at 1 PM and 6:30 PM. There will be no performances on Sunday, November 17; Thursday, November 28; Tuesday, December 17; Wednesday, December 25; Tuesday, December 31; and Wednesday, January 1.Though it is being performed at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, SLAVA’s SNOWSHOW is not a Roundabout Theatre Company production.

www.slavaonbroadway.com
@snowshowonbway 

 About TodayTix
TodayTix is the premier digital gateway to shows, arts and cultural experiences. Through its mobile-first, design-focused ticketing platform, TodayTix is the place for audiences to discover, explore and engage with the best entertainment their city has to offer.

TodayTix works with more than 1,300 partners to provide the best-priced tickets available in 15 markets around the world, including  New York City, London’s West End, Toronto, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington DC, Chicago, and Australia. Through innovative digital Lottery and mobile Rush ticketing programs, TodayTix has generated nearly 12M digital lottery entries and 2.5M social shares through 900 activations to date, engaging the spontaneous nature of a younger audience and introducing a new generation of audiences to the venues.

Since launching TodayTix in New York City in December 2013 by life-long friends and Broadway producers Merritt Baer and Brian Fenty, the company has engaged more than 5 million users to connect beyond ticketing into new cultural experiences that bring human interaction back to our digital world.

To learn more, visit www.todaytix.com or download TodayTix for iOS or Android.

PRESS RELEASE: SUDDENLY, a new play based on the classic 1954 noir film starring Frank Sinatra

LIVE SOURCE THEATRE GROUP
PRESENTS
SUDDENLY

THE WORLD PREMIERE PLAY ADAPTED BY GIANFRANCO SETTECASI
AFTER THE SCREENPLAY BY RICHARD SALE

DIRECTED BY TYLER MERCER

WITH DREW ALLEN, HENRY BERRY, CHRIS DIEMAN, PHOEBE DUNN,
ARIEL ESTRADA, SEAN A. KAUFMAN, JOSEPH J. MENINO AND BRENDAN WALSH

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT — OCTOBER 5-20, 2018
AT HERE (145 6TH AVE, NYC – ENTER ON DOMINICK, ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF SPRING)

OPENS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH AT 4 PM
Tickets: http://www.live-source.org/ 

Live Source Theatre Group (Tyler Mercer, Co-Founder & Artistic Director; Chris Dieman, Co-Founder & Artist in Residence), as part of their 7th season, presents the world premiere of SUDDENLY, a new play based on the classic 1954 noir film starring Frank Sinatra, adapted by Gianfranco Settecasi after the screenplay by Richard Sale. Directed by Tyler Mercer, SUDDENLY will play a limited engagement at HERE (145 6th Avenue, NYC – Enter on Dominick, one block south of Spring). Performances begin Friday, October 5th and the engagement runs through Saturday, October 20th, 2018. The Opening is Sunday, October 7th at 4pm.

SUDDENLY is a new play adapted from the 1954 film of the same name, about an attempted presidential assassination that rocks a quiet town in northern California. When the Bensons’ home is placed on lockdown after local law enforcement learns of a potential threat to the president’s passage through the nearby train station, it soon becomes very clear that nothing is as it appears. Set against a post-war backdrop but staged with contemporary urgency, this intense political thriller explores a particularly American culture of violence.

Utilizing Live Source Theatre Group’s signature design-heavy production values, SUDDENLY will blend its stylized 1950s influences in a contemporary production with integrated video/projection design, highlighting the timeliness of this period script as it explores how far we have (and haven’t) come in the national dialogues on guns, the treatment of veterans, PTSD, and the dark side of the American dream.

The cast of SUDDENLY includes Drew Allen, Henry Fin Berry, Chris Dieman, Phoebe Dunn, Ariel Estrada, Sean A. Kaufman, Joseph J. Menino and Brendan Walsh.

SUDDENLY has scenic and video design by Bryce Cutler, costume design by Angela Harner, lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins, sound design by Adam Smith, and properties by Brett Warnke. The Production Manager is Emma Ruopp. The Production Stage Manager is Mackenzie Trowbridge. Meghan Rose Murphy is the Associate Producer.

SUDDENLY will play the following performance schedule beginning Friday, October 5th through Saturday, October 20th: Tuesdays at 8:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30pm, Thursdays at 8:30pm, Fridays at 8:30pm, Saturdays at 8:30pm, and Sundays at 4:00pm, with an additional matinees Saturday October 6th at 4pm and Saturday, October 20th at 4pm.

Tickets for SUDDENLY are priced at $35 and may be purchased now by visiting www.live-source.org/ or by calling 212-352-3101.For special pricing for groups of 10+, contact info@live-source.org, or call 646-598-4803. In-person purchases can be made at HERE (145 6th Avenue) with the Box Office opening 2 hours before curtain.

Live Source Theatre Group was founded in 2011 with the mission to elevate the role of design in the creation, development, and production of new theatrical works. The group uses both classic and original plays to reveal and explore contemporary themes, drawing from a blend of styles, stories, and live sources. With innovative design and technology in constant play with highly stylized performances, Live Source engages audiences through a bold new theatre aesthetic. The company’s inaugural production in 2012, Macbeth, was a multimedia reimagining of Shakespeare’s violent tragedy, invoking midcentury influences from Watergate to On the Waterfront in an exploration of political corruption. This past Fall, Live Source Theatre Group presented the world premiere production of Solstice Party!, a new play by Susan Soon He Stanton (HBO’s Succession), at the A.R.T./NY Theaters, commissioned and developed by Live Source. Critics called it “superb” (The Huffington Post) and “a thrilling and compelling cauchemare” (Stage Buddy). Additional company works include We Are Live, a devised work which blended Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, with Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright; the English-language U.S. premiere of Bohemian Lights, adapted after Ramón Valle-Inclán’s masterwork Luces de Bohemia; and The Incredible Fox Sisters, a world premiere by Jaclyn Backhaus based on the true events following the infamous séances held in 19th Century by the Fox sisters in upstate New York. Live Source Theatre Group’s Board of Directors includes Chris Dieman, Sarah Dunn, Kathryn Giamo, Tyler Mercer and Bobbi Thompson.

This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Drew Allen (John Baron) was recently seen as Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder (Ocean State Theatre), nominated for best actor in a leading role as Henry VIII in Copse (MITF/Roy Arias Theatre), Dr. David Blau in Red Angel by Eric Bogosian, (Theatre Row), Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Connelly Theatre), Ben Casey in Shark Play (Samuel French OOBF Finalist/Classic Stage Co.), Martin in On The Rocks (Theatre at St Clement’s), Robert F. Kennedy in The File on J. Edgar (Wild Project Theatre), Giovanni in We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! (Drilling Co. Theatre), Bernard in Don’t Dress For Dinner (Rosewater Theatre, GA). Recent film roles include JFK in Dick & Jack, which premiered at Cinema Village, and Michael/Jared, twins in The Dumping Fields, official selection for The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.

Henry Fin Berry (Pidge Benson) was most recently seen in A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant. Favorite roles include Les in Newsies, Small Boy in Billy Elliott, Michael in Peter Pan, Grover Dill in A Christmas Story, and both Zeke and Troy in High School Musical Jr. Henry originated the role of Timmy in the Off Broadway premier of Dance Divas Nutcracker. Henry was a featured vocalist in “The Tony Show” at Carnegie Hall. He is a competitive dancer at Kick Dance Studios (national title winner 2017 and 2018) as well as a member of NYC Tap Crew with Thommie Retter.

Chris Dieman (Bart Wheeler) is an actor, composer, and musician. As a performer, his theater credits include Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (Newport Music Festival, solo performance), The Smart Set (Cornerstone Playhouse), Dick on Dick (Bowery Poetry Club), The Cherry Orchard (LABA Theater), and workshops with Abrons Arts Center, Guild Hall, and New York Theater Workshop. TV: “Blue Bloods” (CBS) and “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (HBO). He began playing piano at age six and later attended the music school of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and received a B.F.A. from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He serves as the music associate for legendary composer John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago, The Visit). In roles ranging from music transcriber to assistant musical director, Chris has helped Kander and his new writing partner, Greg Pierce, usher two of their world premieres to the stage – The Landing (Vineyard Theatre) and Kid Victory (Signature Theatre in Washington DC and Vineyard Theatre). Chris’ work as a composer includes his one-man show Peter and the Piano, the full-length musical Prohibited Love, a score for ballet called Done Dancing: Suite For Piano, and several other scores for film and dance. As a musician, he played a seven-country tour across Europe with a 35-piece orchestra in 2005. He has worked alongside Bridget Everett, Marin Mazzie, Malcolm Gets, David Hyde Pierce, Julia Murney, Judy Kaye, orchestrators Larry Hochman and Michael Starobin, and directors Liesl Tommy and Walter Bobbie, among many others. He also served as co-producer on the critically acclaimed LYPSINKA! The Trilogy.

Phoebe Dunn (Ellen Benson). Theatre credits include Pipi in Solstice Party! (LiveSource), Karen in J N K 1965 (Live in Theater), Leah Fox in The Incredible Fox Sisters (The New Ohio Theatre), Eve in The Bad Years (Kerrigan-Lowdermilk). TV: Hulu’s “The Looming Tower” (Margie), Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum: Swimming the Channel” (Gertrude Ederle). Film: Water On The Moon (Bec), False Negative (Emma). Graduate of The Juilliard School of Drama (Group 42). www.phoebedunn.net

Ariel Estrada (Benny Conklin). Off-Broadway: A Persistent Memory (MBL Productions, Jessi D. Hill, dir.); Double Falsehood (Letter of Marque, Andrew Borthwick-Leslie, dir.); Far East, Lincoln Center Theater (Daniel Sullivan, dir.); Shogun Macbeth, Cambodia Agonistes (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre). Selected Off-Off/Regional: Tartuffe (NYITA Nominee), Phoenix Theatre Ensemble; Made in China, Wakka Wakka (NYT Critics Pick); All We Have Left, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Jim Henson Foundation Puppetry Residency; The Imbible (FringeNYC Encore Award); Disoriented, Theater C; Honor, Prospect Theater Company; Miss Saigon, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse; 90 North, Kennedy Center, ASCAP/In the Works Program; Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). TV/Film: Title VII, Future Folk, Don’t Let Me Drown; “Occupy White House Sprites,” “Tell Me A Story,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Americans,” “One Life to Live,” “Another World.” Awards: 2018 Rising Leader of Color, Theatre Communications Group. www.arielestrada.com

Sean A. Kaufman (Jud Kelly/Dan Carney) was recently seen in Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, and soon will be seen in the independent short film, Maturing Youth, a dramedy produced by R&F Entertainment that will be hitting the indie film festival scene over the course of the next year. He also just finished Assistant Directing a different independent film, Joaquin & Luke. Favorite stage credits of his include Twelve Angry Men at Northern Stage, Les Misérables and others at The New London Barn Playhouse, and The Liar at Dartmouth College. He received his acting training from the two-year program at The Maggie Flanigan Studio and is a proud Dartmouth ’13. www.SeanAKaufman.com

Joseph J. Menino (Peter “Pop” Benson). New York: Phoenix Theatre Ensemble: Murrow (one-person show as Edward R. Murrow); The Gambler, Don Juan in Hell, Electra, Agamemnon Home, Art, Iphigenia at Aulis, Hapgood, No Exit, Enemy of the People, The Lifeblood, Antigone, Wolfpit; Jean Cocteau Repertory (nine seasons) including Othello, What the Butler Saw, Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest; Willow Theatricals: Boys of a Certain Age; Shakespeare Forum: Merchant of Venice; Axis Theater Co.: Woyzeck; New York Classical Theater: Comedy of Errors, Triumph of Love, Twelfth Night; Case Goodmen Productions: Frankie and Johnnie in the Clair de Lune. Regional: Greenbrier Valley Theatre: Enemy of the People; Gretna Theatre: Broadway Bound; ACANSA Arts Festival: Murrow; Arkansas Repertory: Macbeth, Death of A Salesman, Henry V, All My Sons, All the King’s Men, Rough Crossing, Grapes of Wrath. Television: “American Genius: Hearst v. Pulitzer” (NatGeo), “Secret Lives of Stepford Wives” (Investigation Discovery). Film: Forbidden Cuba (2015) directed by Art Jones, Forgetting Sandy Glass (2016), The Sublet (2010).

Brendan Walsh (Sheriff Tod Shaw) A U.S.M.C. veteran, Brendan returned home to pursue his love for theatre. He is a graduate of Columbia University and is an Esper Studio alumni. Brendan continues his studying at HB Studio with Trudy Steibl and Austin Pendleton. He has performed regionally and nationally. Recent works include: Macduff, Macbeth; Vincent Van Gogh, Eulogy for Vincent; Eugene, The Au Pair Man; Claudius, Hamlet. He can be as Moke in the upcoming season of “The Punisher.”

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Comedy Can’t Be Taught ~ A review of Renée Taylor’s “My Life on a Diet”

Comedy Can’t Be Taught!
A review of Renée Taylor’s

“My Life on a Diet”
July 19, 2018
Theatre at S. Clement’s

If ever there was proof that comedy can’t be taught, Renée Taylor is that living proof.

After a lifetime consisting (so far) of 22 plays, 4 films, 9 TV movies and TV series, 3 Broadway shows, an Off-Broadway show, Oscar noms, Emmy and countless other awards, and a 52 year marriage to the man of her dreams, actor/director Joseph Bologna, Renée Taylor is still at it – and still trying out new diets!

In “My Life in a Diet”, co-written and originally directed by her late husband, Ms. Taylor, at a spry 85 years young, delivers a hysterical 90+ minute monologue about her life which sparkles and shines almost as much as the dress she wears. 

Best known for her role as Sylvia Fine, Fran Drescher’s food obsessed mother in “The Nanny”, Ms. Taylor started her acting career at age 15 in a Purim Pageant at Madison Square Garden and earned her Actor’s Equity card at age 19 for her appearance in “The Rehearsal” on Broadway. A Wikipedia or IMdB search will tell you all the details of her amazing credits, what I will tell you is this show is a goldmine of stories, Hollywood secrets and a personal journey that is a master class in comedy and story-telling that should not be missed.

Her on stage biography is liberally sprinkled with anecdotes about Hollywood legends such as Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and her mother, Frieda, the ultimate stage mom.

Ms. Taylor also shares the myriad of fad and celebrity diets she has tried over the years. As she says, “I used to think that if I ate like star, I just might live like one!”

Ms. Taylor is living proof that you’re either born with it or not. Go see a living comedy legend  for a delightful evening of laughs and tears. There is nothing like it on or off Broadway right now.

Elli with Renée Taylor @ “My Life on a Diet” 07.19.18

*********************

MY LIFE ON A DIET is presented by Mr. Schlossberg in association with Morris S. Levy, Rodger Hess, Harold Newman, Jim Fantaci, Andrew Tobias, andRonald Glazer/Sabrina Hutt.

MY LIFE ON A DIET has set design by Harry Feiner, lighting design by Stefanie Risk and sound design by Jay Risk.

MY LIFE ON A DIET will be performed Off-Broadway at Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 West 46 Street, btw. Ninth & Tenth Aves). The limited engagement runs Thursday, July 12ththrough Sunday, August 19th. UPDATE: Now extended thru Sunday, September 2nd. The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 2pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets to MY LIFE ON A DIET — priced at $65 ($75 premium seating) — are now available online at MyLifeOnADietPlay.com or by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

Follow Renée Taylor online:
Facebook:         https://www.facebook.com/Ren%C3%A9e-Taylor-394298697354583/
Twitter:            https://twitter.com/ReneeTaylor1613
Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/official_renee_taylor/?hl=en

PRESS RELEASE: ‘THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL’ WILL PLAY IN CONCERT FEBRUARY 2019

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES

‘THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL’

IN CONCERT

Related imageNew York, NY, June 27, 2018 – Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) is pleased to announce the seventh annual presentation of its beloved Broadway Series with the critically acclaimed musical The Scarlet Pimpernel, for one night only at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center on February 18, 2019 at 8:00 pm. Jeff Calhoun (Stage Director) and Jason Howland (Music Director) will lead this concert performance of The Scarlet Pimpernel featuring a chorus of over 200 singers from across the United States, a stunning professional cast and creative team, and the outstanding New York City Chamber Orchestra.

With music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, The Scarlet Pimpernel is based on Baroness Orczy’s famous 20th-century novel of the same name, which takes place at the peak of the French Revolution and the fight for liberty, equality and fraternity. Set in England and France, The Scarlet Pimpernel tells the story of an English nobleman, Sir Percy Blakeney, who adopts a secret identity to battle the forces of evil during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. The Scarlet Pimpernel serves as a brilliant window to life in 18th-century England, and was a precursor to the spy fiction and superhero genres, featuring a hero hiding under an alias. The musical made its Broadway debut at the Minskoff Theatre on November 9, 1997 and ran through January 2000 in several theatres, has had numerous regional U.S. productions, and has been produced internationally in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Malta, and Norway.

The Scarlet Pimpernel joins MCP’s previous Broadway Series concert performances, which include Broadway Classics in Concert (2018), Crazy for You  (2017), The Secret Garden (2016), Parade (2015), Titanic (2014), The Hunchback of Notre Dame workshop (2014), Broadway Classics in Concert (2013), and Ragtime (2013).

Tickets for The Scarlet Pimpernel will go on sale in July with cast and creative team to be announced soon.

ABOUT MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS

Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) is an esteemed production company in its 20th Anniversary season. MCP has provided performance and travel opportunities to thousands of musicians in choirs, bands, and orchestras at famous venues throughout the United States and many countries abroad. The guest musicians of The Scarlet Pimpernel chorus will spend five days in New York City rehearsing and performing with the professional cast and crew as part of Manhattan Concert Productions’ continuing mission of student and professional collaboration. Visit www.mcp.us to learn more.

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Press Release: Broadway in Bryant Park Summer 2018 Schedule Released from BWW

THE BAND’S VISIT, SPONGEBOB, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, and More to Perform at Broadway in Bryant Park

Copied from: BWW News Desk Jun. 20, 2018  

THE BAND'S VISIT, SPONGEBOB, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, and More to Perform at Broadway in Bryant Park

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

Broadway in Bryant Park will return this summer! The 2018 program will bring the best of Broadway together for free performances for six consecutive weeks from Thursday, July 12 to Thursday, August 16. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple are invited to come at 11 a.m. every Thursday with performances running from 12:30 p.m. EST – 1:30 p.m. EST on the Bryant Park Stage. Hosted by 106.7 LITE FM’s on-air personalities, this year’s annual presentation of open-air lunch hour performances featuring the best Broadway and Off-Broadway shows will be presented by your local Toyota Dealers, VISIT PHILADELPHIA and FUJIFILM Instax.

106.7 LITE FM’s Broadway in Bryant Park invites participants to soak up the summer sun while enjoying musical numbers from hit shows including “The Band’s Visit,” winner of the 2018 Tony Awards’ best musical and best performances by an actor and actress in a lead role in a musical, “Once on this Island,” winner of the 2018 Tony Awards’ best revival of a musical and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” winner of the 2018 Tony Awards’ best scenic design of a musical, as well as “Waitress” starring Katharine McPhee, “Beautiful” starring Melissa Benoist, “Come From Away,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” “Chicago,” “Kinky Boots,” “School of Rock,” “FRIENDS! The Musical Parody,” and many more. New this year, Disney on Broadway will take over Broadway in Bryant Park on August 2nd with performances from the hit shows “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” and “The Lion King.”

“We are so excited to be hosting the annual 106.7 LITE FM’s Broadway in Bryant Park for the 18th year,” said Chris Conley, Program Director of 106.7 LITE FM. “We have an incredible list of shows, including the winner of the 2018 Tony Awards’ best musical, ‘The Band’s Visit,’ among so many other new shows coupled with popular classics. We look forward to welcoming theater fans once again to this special summer series.”

The Bryant Park stage is located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Lawn seating is first-come, first-serve.

The current 106.7 LITE FM’s Broadway in Bryant Park schedule** is as follows:

July 12
106.7 LITE FM Host: Helen Little
Co-Host(s): Catherine Russell and the cast of “Perfect Crime”
“Chicago”
“SpongeBob SquarePants”
“Stomp”
“Waitress”

July 19
106.7 LITE FM Host: Rich Kaminski
Co-Host: Renée Taylor from “My Life on a Diet”
Pre-Show: Brooke Shapiro
“Anastasia”
“Beautiful”
“Desperate Measures”
“On A Clear Day You Can See Forever”

July 26
106.7 LITE FM Host: Bob Bronson and Christine Nagy
Co-Host(s): Cast of “The Play That Goes Wrong”
Pre-Show: “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Come From Away”
“Kinky Boots”
“The Band’s Visit”
“FRIENDS! The Musical Parody”

August 2
106.7 LITE FM Host: Delilah
“Aladdin”
“Frozen”
“The Lion King”

August 9
106.7 LITE FM Host: Victor Sosa
Co-Host(s): Cast of “The Play That Goes Wrong”
Pre-Show: “VITALY: An Evening of Wonders”
“Avenue Q”
“Jersey Boys”
“Smokey Joe’s Café”
“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”

August 16
106.7 LITE FM Host: Delilah
Pre-Show: Jordin Smith + Brooke Shapiro
“Once On This Island”
“School Of Rock”
“Wicked”

For details, schedule updates and a chance to win free Broadway tickets, fans can listen to 106.7 LITE FM via the station’s website, www.litefm.com, as well as on iHeartRadio. 106.7 LITE FM is a leading media outlet in the New York market. The station’s programming and content are available across multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; online via its branded digital sites; mobile; and social, with nationwide listening through iHeartRadio, the all-in-one streaming music and live radio service.

**Schedule subject to change at discretion of 106.7 LITE FM or pending weather conditions.

In the event of mandatory performance cancellation, all efforts will be made to reassign previously scheduled shows into a remaining performance date. Visit www.litefm.com or tune into 106.7 LITE FM for ‘Up-to-the-Minute’ schedule changes and/or performance cancellations.

Guest Review: THE BAND’S VISIT at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre 

“The Accidental Tourists”

A review of
THE BAND’S VISIT: a New Musical
At the Ethel Barrymore Theatre 
June 6, 2018

 
One pronunciation mistake at a bus ticket window results in the visiting Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arriving in the remote town of Bet Hatikvah instead of metropolitan Petah Tikvah… with no bus out until the next morning.  THE BAND’S VISIT traces the course of this one night where different people, Egyptian Musicians and Israeli Townsfolk are thrown together by this mishap and get to know each other.  As the mutual caution lifts, people come out of their shells, stories are shared and some personal lessons are learned before the Orchestra heads off to their scheduled concert the next day.
Based on the 2007 film of the same name, THE BAND’S VISIT does not set out to bedazzle.  There is no glitz, nor power ballads, nor earth-shaking crises, nor any of the other standard hooks that are usually needed to engross an audience.  What THE BAND’S VISIT has to offer is absolutely outstanding theater as it tells its tale in its own good time.  As the scenes of Mr. Ithamar Moses’s book unfold, the audience member feel like eavesdroppers and at other times like neighbors sharing the evening with these people who are making the best of an awkward situation.
From the opening number “Welcome to Nowhere,” Composer David Yazbek adventurously creates evocative music and lyrics that truly blend into the play:  Each character is given a special voice representing their own life and ethnicity and the songs heighten the different moments of this one evening where people share their time.  Common pleasures and desires form bridges in numbers like the wonderful “Omar Sharif” where Dina remembers enjoying Egyptian Movies on TV or when the hapless youth Papi explains how he is uncomfortable talking to women in the hilariously and sweetly self-pitying “Papi hears the Ocean.”
From the very first, we can see that the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra is not the orderly group that Colonel Tewfiq Zakaria would like it to be.  Mr. Dariush Kashani is superb as the quiet Orchestra leader who begins by trying to keep his feelings, the Orchestra and the situation in tight control and slowly and cautiously opens up in the company of Dina, the local Café owner.
Ms. Katrina Lenk is unforgettably Dina, the café owner who comes to the aid of the stranded Orchestra.  The extraordinary Ms. Lenk lets us see a soul that is fading in the lackluster world of Bet Hatikvah come to full passionate life for at least one night.  Whether she is casually describing the loss of dreams in “It Is What It Is”, sweeping us along in “Omar Sharif” or delivering the piquant “Something Different’ with its memorable lyrics “The Honey in Your Ears/The Spice in your Mouth”, Ms. Lenk gives a unforgettable performance that keeps the audience wanting more.
If Dina has been marking time after losing her romantic hopes, young Papi is currently in the throes of an infatuation that incapacitates him and Mr. Etai Benson is appealingly and comically recognizable as the really nice guy who can never do the right thing around his crush.
Jazz-inspired Haled makes for a good contrast to Papi in that he always has something to say to an attractive lady.  Haled’s cool-cat attitude can backfire, but if Mr. Ari’el Stachel’s character wants to be a charmer, the audience is more than willing to buy in.
Haled’s band mate Simon is a composer who has never finished his one concerto.  Mr. Alok Tewari shows us this shy but skilled clarinetist who finds himself a guest in Itzik’s home.  Itzik is also a person who never quite completes things, but if he is without any ambition, Mr. John Cariani makes him a downright loveable guy – even if we fully understand his wife’s frustration with his drifting.  Itzik’s Father-in-Law Avrum keeps out of the young couple’s friction and hits it off with Simon as a fellow musician.  Like many of the roles, in THE BAND’S VISIT, Avrum’s time onstage is limited and Mr. Andrew Polk truly makes the most of it, singing Avrum’s rousing story of meeting his wife, “The Beat of Your Heart.”
Even though so many of the parts are brief they are carefully filled by the marvelous cast of THE BAND’S VISIT whether as locals or as the actual orchestra that accompanies the show, but one last mention has to be made about Telephone Guy, the young man whose girlfriend left town some months before and had promised to call him – on the only pay phone in town.  Mr. Adam Kantor gives a noteworthy performance in a role that ranges from schlemiel – HOW many months has he been waiting for that call? – to surreal hero.
Some directors might have given THE BAND’S VISIT a more compact pacing and a different focus.  However, Director David Cromer wisely keeps things more diverse, taking full dramatic and comic advantage of the slowly dissipating air of painful embarrassment and reluctance that arises when the Orchestra realizes it in the wrong town and the citizens of Bet Hatikvah find themselves stuck hosting a group of unwilling guests.  Mr. Cromer easily moves from story to story and back revealing various private scenes as if by chance, adjusting the pace as needed.  Dialogue flows to match the language skills and comfort levels of the characters and it is very clear that Egyptians and Israelis are speaking English so they can understand one another, but will naturally revert to Arabic and Hebrew as the stress of the situation dictates.  Furthermore, Mr. Cromer recognizes that in Israel, one may hear a variety of accents even in a place as nowhere as Bet Hatikvah.
The musicians of THE BAND’S VISIT seem to be in a wonderful, show-long jam session where tunes are picked up and then tweaked as players join in, forming groups of different sizes that can build to the striking sound of the unified orchestra.  There is a whole musical palette on display ranging from suave to joyously raucous and clearly Musical Director Andrea Grody is making the most of Mr. David Yazbek’s compositions – orchestrated by Mr. Jamsheid Sharifi, with additional arrangements by Ms. Grody.  No matter what direction a song might take, the style always places us firmly in the Middle East.
The locale is also established through the amazing skills and united work of Mr. Scott Pask’s scenic design, Ms. Maya Ciarrocchi’s projections and Mr. Tyler Micoleau’s lighting.  I cannot imagine how much care must have gone into the planning but turntables, sets and lights work together effortlessly and unobtrusively to shift the show from scene to scene without ever breaking the sense of milieu.  Choreographer Patrick McCollum also shows his skills in this aspect because the characters are able to move so smoothly through the changing settings as well as set off the musical numbers.  Even when performers are sitting still in a song, Mr. McCollum arranges onstage images that are downright beautiful.
Ms. Sarah Laux’s costumes do much to set up the characters, whether in the uniformed Orchestra which aspires to some sort of regimental air, or the casual look of the inhabitants of Bet Hatikvah.
The sound of the Orchestra and of the other performers is quite natural thanks to Mr. Kai Harada’s subtle sound designs which even allow for a sense of direction onstage.
While it may not overwhelm with flash and glamour, THE BAND’S VISIT should please anybody looking for incredible storytelling with excellent music and truly brilliant performances.

The Ethel Barrymore Theatre
243 W 47th Street (between Broadway & 8th Avenue)

To Buy by Phone:
Call Telecharge 212-239-6200

Running time:
90 minutes (no intermission)

Audience:

Ages 12+;
Children under 4 are not
permitted in the theatre.

Box Office Hours:

Monday – Saturday
10:00am – 8:30pm
Sunday
12:00pm – 6:00pm
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRaHXBNn8FM

About the reviewer:

MOSHE BLOXENHEIM
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.
 Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

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An interview with comedian Ashely Blaker

Broadway Kingdom was fortunate to be able to sit down with Ashely and talk about things – and talk we did for almost an hour!

At first glance, one might think Ashley Blaker is just an Orthodox Jewish Nerd but then, he begins to speak and the comic gems that flow out are pure genius – and you, my amazing viewers and readers, all know how much I admire genius.

Ashley Blaker Strictly Unorthodox is 90+ minutes of “things about Observant Jewish life and practices you might have thought of but never dared to speak out loud” – so Ashley will say them for you and with a ‘plotz in your seat’ take to boot!

Appropriate for all ages, genders, religious affiliation, or no affiliation at all. Jew, Gentile et al, Ashley will have you in stitches.

So sit down, relax, and enjoy our longest video interview to date… then go see the show!

Ashley Blaker Strictly Unorthodox
May 27th – June 28
Off-Broadway at the
Jerry Orbach Theater
1627 Broadway @ 50th Street.
For tickets phone the box office 212 921 7862
or click here

(tix are cheaper by phone than thru Ticketmaster)
Running Time: 90+ minutes
(Minchah or Maariv may follow the show)
Appropriate for all ages.
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Ashley Blaker is “the UK’s only Orthodox stand-up comedian”. Blaker is a writer for TV and radio and was producer of Little Britain. Mr. Blaker is an alumnus of The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School where he was a contemporary of Sacha Baron Cohen and friend of Matt Lucas, with whom he went on to create Little Britain and The Matt Lucas Awards. In 2017, he was commissioned by the BBC to create a show called “Ashley Blaker’s Goyish Guide To Judaism”, described as “an insider’s view of his religion” Ashley will next be see at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in “Ashley Blaker Observant Jew” at 3pm Sunday-Friday.

For more info on Ashley: CLICK HERE

Ashley Blaker’s Goyish Guide To Judaism on the BBC Radio 4 – stand-up from Ashley Blaker 1 episode in 2018. Due to be broadcast on Sunday 3rd June on Radio 4 at 7:15pm. The program will be repeated on Radio 4 Extra on Friday 8th June at 7:30am.

PRESS: https://nypost.com/2018/05/25/this-jewish-comedian-has-a-lot-to-kvetch-about

Gemma Blaker (Ashley’s Wife)
https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/family/pesach-with-six-kids-1.461510
http://3principles6kids.com/

REVIEW: “How to Handle a Woman” A review of Rogers & Hammerstein‘s Carousel at the Imperial Theatre

“How to Handle a Woman”

A review of the revival of
Rogers & Hammerstein‘s “Carousel”
at the
Imperial Theatre

Disclaimer:

I am not particularly fond of Rogers & Hammerstein‘s “Carousel”. 

Even though much of the music is among my favorite in the Rogers & Hammerstein catalogue, save for the Soliloquy which to me is a cringe worthy 6 minutes – I even joked pre-show that Soliloquy was my early intermission bathroom break, to hear a brilliant Rogers & Hammerstein score played by a Broadway orchestra is one of the reasons that I decided to attend this Revival, 

Much to my dismay I did not even get that.

The orchestrations were flat, two dimensional representations, and the sound design by Mr. Scott Lehrer woefully underwhelming. Sitting in the Orchestra I expected the music to be spectacular but I was sadly disappointed – especially after the recent multi-million dollar remodel of the Imperial Theatre.

I also could just not get past “Carousel’s” main character, Billy Bigelow, the dishonest, wife-beating, carnival barker not being portrayed by a white actor.

Go ahead, get it out of your system, start calling me all kinds of names (you’d be totally wrong) but here’s the thing – perhaps it’s conditioning, perhaps it’s purism, I’m not sure, but in my mind the connotations of such a vile character being played by a Black man is just wrong. The thought kept going through my mind, ‘Why would any person of color agree to play this role?” As far as performance goes, Josh Henry nails it, and nails it strong. His smooth, silk like, baritone voice in any other role would, and have, taken me to great heights emotionally.

 Throughout the entire show I felt like I was at a performance of MCC’s Miscast. Great voices cast in the wrong roles.

 Further, while I have always felt that the part of Julie Jordan, played by a delightful, if not completely doe-eyed and confused Ms. Jessie Mueller, is terribly underwritten, there were times Mr. Jack Doyle, the Director seemed to forget Julie/Jesse was even in the show. More disappointment came from Ms. Renée Fleming, whose gorgeous operatic soprano voice is just too prim and proper to be Aunt Nettie.

 Then there’s the casting of a Middle Eastern actor, the talented and graceful ballet dancer, Amar Ramasar, making his Broadway (and possibly acting) debut, to play “Jigger”, another monster of a character. This is yet another dangerous step towards stereotyping. Every time I heard Billy Bigelow call his name I thought he was using the N-word .

 There is some good news. The shining stars of the show were most definitely the lark-voiced Ms. Lindsay Mendez who portrayed Carrie Pipperidge with a delightful and quirky style to her that played extremely well off of Mr. Alexander Gemignani’s playfully-teasing Mr. Enoch Snow. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gemignani’s performance is award worthy in my opinion.

 I must also admit to you that while I tend to tune out the seemingly obligatory ballet sequences of most early 20th century musical theater, Ms. Brittany Pollock and Mr. Andrei Chagas were graceful and visually stunning in the Fairground Ballet sequence – a great tribute to the fabulous Choreography of Mr. Justin Peck.

Santo Loquasto’s scenic design was executed well, although there were too many ‘played in front of the curtain’ scenes while scenery was being noisily shuffled around Backstage. Note to Production: PLEASE Oil the stage right light motors and the sheer curtain pulleys.

Sadly, Ms. Ann Roth’s costumes look like they have been recycled from my high school production of ‘Oklahoma!’ And what’s with those baggy pants that come up to the men’s bellies?

 The lighting design by Brian McDevitt left me squinting many times to see what was happening on stage and again, that was from Orchestra Row M – I can only imagine what it was like up in the oxygen-tank seats.

Speaking of seats, it appears to me that when they remodeled the theater after “The Great Comet“ they added many more seats then there were before. In my cushy (read expensive) Orchestra seat I was sucking on my knees or more annoyingly to her, scraping the back of the chair of the lady in front of me.

All that being said, I haven’t told you the worst part:
I DIDN’T CRY!!!
Me – the person who “cries at everything” – DIDN’T CRY!!!

If you’ll remember, I said up front that I’m not the biggest fan of this show – BUT when I DO see it I always CRY – ALWAYS! This tells me everything I need to know.

All said, the audience seemed to love the show, hooting and hollering along with their thunderous applause, it was a Press Preview, so perhaps you too will enjoy Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Carousel as much as they did.

Me, I’m still optimistically looking forward to Lincoln Center’s revival of “My Fair Lady”

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Rogers & Hammerstein‘s Carousel

Opens Thursday, April 12th 2018

To order tickets online
https://www.broadwayinbound.com/shows/carousel/ 

To order tickets by phone,
call 212-239-6200

IN PERSON
VISIT THE IMPERIAL THEATRE
249 W 45th St,
between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue

BOX OFFICE HOURS
Monday–Saturday: 10am–8pm,
Sunday: Closed
(Beginning March 25: Noon–6pm)

The 6th Annual Chanukah with Elli theKingOfBroadway & Friends 2018

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I am humbled ב״ה to be presenting

The 6th Annual
Chanukah with Elli theKingOfBroadway & Friends
2018 – 5779 Edition

We are privileged to present it ONE NIGHT ONLY:

Sunday, December 2nd (1st Light Chanukah) @ 7:00pm

The theme is, of course,
Chanukah the Festival of Light & Freedom!

There will be Music, Song, Comedy, Menorah Lighting, Sufganiot, Dreidels, Chanukah Gelt & MORE!

Featuring:
Elli theKingOfBroadway
and an all-star Broadway cast!

Stuart Marshall
Tommy Vance
Ron Orlovsky

with Music by “The Drey-dels”

Elliot Finkel – Piano (MD)

George Rush, Bass
Michael Bellusci, Drums
Daniel Bennett, Clarinet/Sax

TICKET INFO:
$18/Chai Cover Charge – 2 Drink Min
RESERVATIONS A MUST!!!
(212) 279-4200
www.triadnyc.com

-elli-
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Here’s a clip from last year’s 2nd Show
Dec. 19th 7pm @The Triad NYC

Thanks for watching and make your reservations NOW
www.triadnyc.com