All stories by Peter D. Kramer on BroadwayStars

Monday, May 11, 2015

Penguin Rep gets into character by Peter D. Kramer

After 37 seasons running Penguin Rep, Stony Point’s charming barn theater, Joe Brancato knows better than to search for “the great play.” “I always tell my young dire…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 01:31PM
Tuesday, May 5, 2015

‘Frozen’ composers talk BMI Workshop by Peter D. Kramer

Take 15 minutes. Watch this video. Composer Bobby Lopez and lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez talk with BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop’s Pat Cook about the way they work, abou…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 12:45PM
Friday, May 1, 2015

Panas taps new skills in ’42nd Street’ by Peter D. Kramer

Over the years, senior Steven DeNardo and junior Emily Goodrich have played more than her share of plum roles at Walter Panas High School. This week, they’re Julian Marsh and Peggy Saw…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 02:06PM
Friday, April 24, 2015

Stepinac makes history with ‘Billy Elliot’ by Peter D. Kramer

“Billy Elliot” — Elton John’s 10-time Tony-winner about an English miner’s son who prefers ballet to boxing — left Broadway in 2012, after 1,312 performan…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 12:24PM

Island hopping in Pearl River by Peter D. Kramer

Brian Hayes, 16, a junior at Pearl River High School, has been in every Pearl River show since eighth grade, from “Don’t Drink the Water” to last fall’s “The Cr…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 11:54AM

Springtime for Cratchits at Iona Prep by Peter D. Kramer

The Cratchits and Scrooge take to the stage at Iona Prep on April 30. Yes, you read that right. Director Jason Summers and the boys at Iona Prep (ably assisted by girls from The Ursuline Sch…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 11:48AM
Sunday, April 19, 2015

Hastings toes the ‘Line’ by Peter D. Kramer

Hastings High School follows up one ground-breaking musical with another. Last year, it was Jonathan Larson’s “Rent.” This year, it’s “A Chorus Line,” the…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 02:12PM

Dobbs Ferry turns into Skid Row by Peter D. Kramer

The tech crew at Dobbs Ferry High School is called “The Rat Pack,” and its three seniors—Vincent Laino, Ryan Mitchell and Philip Monteiro—are its leaders, its Frank, …

SOURCE: The Journal News at 01:31PM

Peekskill ready to ease on down the road by Peter D. Kramer

Peekskill High School’s production of “The Wiz” has all things great and small. The small are 4th- and 5th-graders from Hillcrest Elementary School. At a recent rehearsal, …

SOURCE: The Journal News at 12:43PM

Seeing double at Croton-Harmon’s ‘Sound of Music’ by Peter D. Kramer

Attending a musical rehearsal at Croton-Harmon High School has always been about seeing double. In an effort to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to try their hand at a role, the…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 12:14PM

Mahopac is ready for ‘Blonde’ highlights by Peter D. Kramer

Here’s a sign that Mahopac has just the right girl to play Elle Woods in this week’s “Legally Blonde”: Mention her character’s name and Mahopac senior Olivia De…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 11:55AM

Woodlands is all in this together by Peter D. Kramer

At Woodlands High School this week, the kid playing the jock who loves musicals (despite the fact that his friends give him grief about it) is a jock who loves musicals despite the fact that…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 10:19AM

Sacred Heart and the GWB by Peter D. Kramer

Before this week, the biggest role Alex Guzman had ever held in a play at Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers was as the ship captain in “Anything Goes.” Or maybe a businessman i…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 07:00AM

On the air at Rockland Country Day by Peter D. Kramer

Will Youmans (inset) is from a show-business family. His mom is playwright Elizabeth Egloff. His dad builds sets for Broadway, including the Sinatra musical, “Come Fly Away” and …

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:59AM
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Mount Vernon gathers its schools for ‘The Wiz’ by Peter D. Kramer

The Yellow Brick Road on the stage at Mount Vernon High School this weekend won’t just be trod by MVHS students. This year’s production, the first on the stage since 2013, will f…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 12:09PM

Solving that Maria problem at Ursuline by Peter D. Kramer

Marianna Ceccatti, 16, sophomore from Croton, is a musical kid. She was in the Ursuline School’s Honors Chorus that traveled to Rome in January and sang for Pope Francis. “One of…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 11:39AM
Sunday, April 12, 2015

Stacking the mattresses at New Rochelle by Peter D. Kramer

The subjects know it. Members of King Sextimus’ court know it. Queen Aggravain knows it. “A genuine princess is exceedingly rare.” New Rochelle High School junior Kaitlyn G…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 10:26PM

Lakeland tech wiz taking that Yellow Brick Road by Peter D. Kramer

For more than five years, if there’s been a show at Lakeland High School, Declan Moore has had a hand in it, handling all things technical. The Lakeland senior is helping to cook up a …

SOURCE: The Journal News at 10:03PM

‘Hair’ (yes, THAT ‘Hair’) at Horace Greeley by Peter D. Kramer

In Chappaqua, Horace Greeley has the region’s only seniors-only musical and the Class of 2015 made a memorable choice: “Hair,” the “Age of Aquarius” musical, wi…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 09:21PM

Putnam Valley plans its next move in “Chess” by Peter D. Kramer

Putnam Valley’s Dr. Gerard Micera has chosen a milestone musical for 2015, the first in which the school is eligible for the Metropolitan High School Theater Awards, to be handed out i…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 08:25PM

Port of call: Sleepy Hollow by Peter D. Kramer

Zoe Kaplan’s character in Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” was once an evangelist. Now she’s a nightclub singer. She’s Reno Sweeney, and “she’s a…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 08:10PM

At Westlake, comedy tonight — for 2 weekends by Peter D. Kramer

Westlake High School opens a two-week run of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” the Stephen Sondheim-Larry Gelbart musical about a slave Pseudolus (senior Joey Tag…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 08:04PM

Clarkstown South fires up Greased Lightning by Peter D. Kramer

The kids at Clarkstown High School South are turning themselves into the hand-jiving students of Rydell High this week, with a production of “Grease.” They’ve got the moves…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 08:02PM

In ‘Shrek,’ Eastchester lets its freak flag fly by Peter D. Kramer

Eastchester is chock full of fairytale creatures this week, as director John Gwardyak brings “Shrek: The Musical” to the Eastchester High School stage. The irreverent and wickedl…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 08:00PM
Wednesday, March 25, 2015

What they want is what you see by Peter D. Kramer

In the middle of a season of high-school musicals across the Lower Hudson Valley comes “A Chorus Line,” presented by Hastings-based Broadway Training Center of Westchester this w…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 11:50AM
Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring Valley, it’s the year for ‘West Side Story’ by Peter D. Kramer

For years, people have asked Spring Valley director-choreographer Stacey Tirro when she was going to do “West Side Story.” The dance teacher had an answer. “I would tell th…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:01AM

At Albertus Magnus, a ‘Yankees’ rookie by Peter D. Kramer

Matthew Quinones loves baseball. And he loves singing. This weekend, the Albertus Magnus High School sophomore gets to combine the two, as he makes his theatrical debut in “Damn Yankee…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:00AM
Friday, March 20, 2015

You got tickets. We got snow. What next? by Peter D. Kramer

Doesn’t it look like Tappan Zee’s Quiana Iacobellis is saying “Nooooooooo!”? Who could blame her, after snow canceled Friday’s opening night of “Annie Get…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 09:56AM
Monday, March 16, 2015

Going ogre the top in Brewster by Peter D. Kramer

“Shrek the Musical,” which opens at Brewster High School this week, is essentially a buddy musical with the unlikeliest of buddies. There’s Shrek the green ogre, played by …

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:06AM

At Ramapo, choosing ‘Rent,’ taking ownership by Peter D. Kramer

The kids at Ramapo High School knew they wanted to break out this year, to follow last year’s ground-breaking production of “In the Heights” with another milestone producti…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:05AM

Fox Lane says ‘Yes, Yes’ to ‘Nanette’ by Peter D. Kramer

For a decade, Ed Steele has chosen out-of-the-ordinary musicals for Fox Lane. Think “Hot Mikado,” “Smile,” “The Boyfriend.” This year, his last as directo…

SOURCE: The Journal News at 06:02AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards