HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020! by Sandi Durell

  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN SO QUICKLY?  WE’RE ALL ASKING THE SAME QUESTION BUT HERE IT IS . . . THE BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR. FROM ALL OF US AT THEATERPIZZAZZ.COM TO ALL OF YOU . . . WISHING E…

BWW Blog: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama's Sylvan Baker on Applied Theatre and The Verbatim Formula

Applied theatre at Central is highly regarded internationally as a world leader with the largest number of specialist teaching staff in the field. Students undertake undergraduate study on t…

“Shakespeare’s Will” at Quantum Theatre, Pittsburgh PA, USA by Wendy Arons

When William Shakespeare died in 1616, he left behind dozens of plays and hundreds of poems, but little other than a last will and testament to shed light on his personal life. That document…

A yoga sequence to calm pre-performance jitters

It’s here — your big performance. You’ve rehearsed for weeks, months, maybe even years. You have laughs and special memories, and maybe even bruises and tears, to show for it. You’re…

Programs to nurture emerging choreographers: It takes a village to grow an artist

Becoming a respected, well-known and financially stable choreographer is no kind of easy path. The immense challenges along the way are numerous — financial capital, finding community, ref…

Following majorette dance team Orchesis Dance Company in ‘Taking the Stands’

Taking the Stands is a new mini-docuseries following Orchesis Dance Company of Louisiana’s Grambling State University (GSU). Orchesis was founded in 1948, by Catherine Jones Williams with …

Onstage in 2020: 'Hamilton,' 'Annapurna,' 'Three Tall Women' and 3 Muny premieres by Calvin Wilson St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Productions include "Three Tall Women" and "Two Trains Running."

Michelle Williams and Tony-Winning Director Thomas Kail Are Engaged and Expecting by Broadway.com

There’s a new Broadway baby on the way! Oscar and Tony nominee Michelle Williams is engaged to Thomas Kail, who is perhaps best known as the Tony-winning director of Hamilton, according t…

NSO Prelude - Millennium Stage (January 17, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

The Maryland Classical Youth Orchestra Chamber Music Program - Millennium Stage (January 21, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

C4 Trio - Millennium Stage (January 18, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

A Night with Jackie Moms Mabley - Millennium Stage (January 24, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Iza Flo - Millennium Stage (January 22, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Pilsner Jazz Band - Millennium Stage (January 27, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Frog Hammer - Millennium Stage (January 26, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

NSO Youth Fellows - Millennium Stage (January 29, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Roopa In Flux - Millennium Stage (January 28, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Go-Go Friday - Millennium Stage (January 31, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

NSO Youth Fellows - Millennium Stage (January 20, 2020) by The Kennedy Center

Dan Hoyle’s on the edge in ‘Border People’ in SF by Randy McMullen

Bay Area performer Dan Hoyle's solo show timely "Border People" plays through Jan. 18 in S.F.

2020 Visions. Theatre leaders tell us what lies ahead. by Lorraine Treanor

We asked area theatre companies to tell us what they were most looking forward to in 2020. Their answers surprised us! Contributors: 4615 Theatre Company . American Ensemble Theater . Ameri…

‘Big Fat Kiss Off’ comedy show is still on, though Will Durst is ailing by Randy McMullen

The annual “The Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show” has been rolling on for 27 years now, so it’s going to take a little more than its headliner being out to derail this train. Bay …

Denise Marsa’s The Pass by Barry Gordin

A personal musical journey, through the decades, of a talented singer/songwriter.  December 31, 2019: A few weeks ago, on November 26, I saw Denise Marsa perform her solo new musical, Th…

Eleven Publishing Trends That Shaped The 2010s by Artsjournal

For years, the promise of instant book publishing hovered just over the horizon, like the promise of flying cars. This decade, it finally came true. – Washington Post

Legendary Leaders: Foundry’s Melanie Joseph and Playwrights Horizons’ Tim Sanford Talk About What They Did Right by Artsjournal

Passion for artistic freedom is ballasted by a concern for the economic welfare of artists. Whatever excitement the future holds for the American theater, it’s thanks to artistic leaders l…

Longtime Legendary Knopf Editor Sonny Mehta, 77 by Artsjournal

In an age of blockbuster best sellers and cutthroat competition in a shrinking industry, Mr. Mehta was an almost ideal editor and publishing executive: a voracious reader and instinctive dec…

Picasso Painting Attacked At Tate Modern by Artsjournal

The gallery gave no details about its condition. A spokesperson said: “The work of art is with our conservation team for expert assessment. Tate Modern remains open.” – BBC

A Decade That Cultivated Darkness by Artsjournal

Michiko Kakutani: “Apocalypse is not yet upon our world as the 2010s draw to an end, but there are portents of disorder. The hopes nourished during the opening years of the decade — hope…

Opera Director Harry Kupfer, 84 by Artsjournal

Kupfer’s career began in Stralsund, then part of communist East Germany, in 1958. After stations in Chemnitz — formerly Karl-Marx-Stadt — Weimar and Dresden, he became director at the …

The Best Theater Of 2019: Broadway And Beyond by Lee Seymour

An uneven slate of shows reflected the unsteady state of America's culture writ large, making for a wild, unpredictable year on stage.

Blockbuster or bust: China’s film industry is in a bind

Tighter censorship and dwindling cash hinder quest for global hits

10 Favorite Theater Interviews of 2019 by Matthew Wexler

The Broadway Blog spoke to some of the best theater professionals in the business in 2019. Some of our favorites included Kristin Chenoweth, Becca Blackwell, Stephen Brackett, Kelli O'Hara, …

'Fresh Air' Favorites: Joan Rivers by Terry Gross

This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. Rivers, who died in 2014, spoke to Terry Gross in 2010 about the sacrifices she made as a female c…

Moni Yakim Knows How To Move You by Alexandra Starr

The movement coach has taught at Juilliard for 50 years. Stars of stage and screen credit him with helping them create physically demanding roles by manipulating their bodies.

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: Doing What They Do Best! by Philip

Want to be like the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players? Just pick a niche-market art form and become a world-class expert at it. Founded in 1974, NYGASP’s performance-ready repertory …

Top 5 Benefits of Taking Kids To The Theatre by Theatrenerds

There’s no denying the fact that technology has completely encapsulated our lives. Traditionally, people would flock to theaters and cinemas to watch shows and movies. However, in today’…

Notre Dame’s Risky New Phase by Artsjournal

The removal of melted scaffolding requires “three levels of steel beams to be positioned around its exterior to form a stabilising “belt”. Once this operation is complete, the same fir…

On The Edges Of A Huge South American Landfill, An Orchestra With Instruments Made Out Of Garbage by Artsjournal1

Most people who live near the Cateura dump outside Asunción, the Paraguayan capital, scratch out a living by digging out anything that can be resold, and buying a musical instrument would b…

Epic Bomb: “Cats” Could Lose $100 Million by Artsjournal

Tom Hooper’s big-screen adaptation has clawed its way to $38 million globally after two weeks in theaters, a dismal figure that could result in $100 million in theatrical losses, according…

‘Her Invention Is Ceaseless, Her Influence Is Profound’ — Playwright Lucy Kirkwood Pays Tribute To Caryl Churchill by Artsjournal1

“In the course of a writing life that spans 60 years, she’s changed the dramatic landscape of two centuries, and evolved more than any other British playwright our conceptions of what a …

Disruption? You Can Measure The Cognitive Dissonance by Artsjournal

Connected technologies put pressure on our normative concepts like privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by changing the world so that our old concepts no longer apply and by pushing us to com…

How The Cha-Cha Led A Refugee Couple From Boat People To Oscar Contenders by Artsjournal1

Chipaul and Mille Cao, who grew up as members of wartime Vietnam’s ethnic Chinese minority, met at a dance party just six months before the Communist takeover of the entire country; they f…

What John Dos Passos’s ‘1919’ (And The Rest Of The ‘U.S.A.’ Trilogy) Got Right About 2019 by Artsjournal1

“We’re often told, in hand-wringing tones, about the growing differences between red and blue states, and about our increasingly divisive political and social rhetoric. But, in Dos Passo…

Vault festival 2020: comedy and theatre shows to see by Chris Wiegand

London’s eight-week underground arts fest returns to Waterloo and the South Bank in January. Here’s a dozen picks to get started … James McNicholas: The Boxer30-31 January The former B…

Review: Fascinating Aïda, Southbank Centre by Shirley Both

Review: Fascinating Aïda, Southbank Centre4.0starsFascinating Aïda are performing their brand-new show at Southbank Centre all throughout December until early January. The cabaret trio del…

Bernadette Peters Hosts Celebrating Sondheim New Year’s Eve Concert, Starring Katrina Lenk by Andrew Gans

Lonny Price directs the concert, which airs on PBS December 31.

Theatre Review: ‘My Fair Lady’ at Kennedy Center by Lynne Menefee

Lincoln Center’s highly acclaimed 2018 revival of the classic musical, “My Fair Lady,” is kicking off its national tour at The Kennedy Center’s Opera House, providing a sparkling tre…

Interview with Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright TONY KUSHNER by Michael J. Roberts

Showbiz Chicago Interview with Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright TONY KUSHNER Known for his groundbreaking works including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America and the Olivier-award…

Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director ASHLEY WHEATER Receives Royal Honour by Showbiz Chicago Newsdesk

Showbiz Chicago Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director ASHLEY WHEATER Receives Royal Honour The Joffrey Ballet President and CEO Greg Cameron and Board Chair Anne Kaplan are exceptionally pr…

Sandra Bernhard at Joe’s Pub by Sandi Durell

                    Sandra Bernhard: Sandy’s Holiday Extravaganza-A Decade of Madness and Mayhem   by Carole Di Tosti   Sandra Bernhard is a performer, actress, singer and auth…

Is Theater Ridiculous? Movies, TV and Books Seem to Think So by Jesse Green

Four recent works put plays and the people who make them in a weird spotlight.

Jack Garfein, Acclaimed Director and Producer, Dies at 89 by Andrew Gans

The Czechoslovakian-born artist directed the Broadway productions of Girls of Summer, The Shadow of a Gunman, and more.

Dave Malloy's Moby-Dick Musical Is a Whale of a Time

Director Rachel Chavkin premieres an immersive adaptation of Herman Melville's novel.

Review: Gypsy, Royal Exchange Theatre by Shamima Noor

Review: Gypsy, Royal Exchange Theatre5.0starsThis adaptation of Gypsy, Sondheim’s infamous musical, follows the story Mama Rose, the ambitious, overbearing matriarch who yearns for her two…

19 Milestone Broadway Shows of the Decade by Ruthie Fierberg

In the 2010s, these musicals and plays made history, sparked vital conversation, influenced the business of Broadway, made strides in representation, and more.

Ring IN The Old: Broadway Veterans Age 88 to 105 by Jonathan Mandell

We celebrate the new decade by saluting  Broadway veterans who are aged 88 to 105, many of them still working. Click on any photograph to see it enlarged and read the caption.    

Alasdair Gray, Godfather Of Scotland’s Late-20th-Century Literary Renaissance, Dead At 85 by Artsjournal1

“Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner, AL Kennedy and Janice Galloway, among others, were all Gray’s bairns. Authors invited Gray to illustrate their books. Little magazines sported his self-portra…

Newseum Faces Its Closing Day As A Painful Symbol by Artsjournal1

As the year and decade end, “it will shut its doors for the last time, becoming a glass-and-steel white elephant – and an almost-too-obvious metaphor for the crisis facing America’s ne…

Remains Of Ancient Mayan Palace Discovered In Yucatán by Artsjournal1

“At the archaeological site of Kulubá, nestled amid the lowland forests of Mexico’s Yucatán state, experts have unearthed the remains of a large palace” — six rooms, 180 feet long,…

How The 2010s Became The Queerest Decade Ever On Screen by Artsjournal1

“It feels like we’re leaving this decade light years ahead of where we entered it. In 2010, salacious stories about queer people were still routinely seen in tabloids and on TV. Today, L…

Barbara Testa, Who Discovered One Of American Literature’s Great Missing Links, Dead At 91 by Artsjournal1

“Barbara Testa had enjoyed a perfectly anonymous life in Hollywood until she crawled up in the attic one day and opened a steamer trunk left behind by her grandfather, a 19th-century attor…

Which Nights Sell Best For Dance And Classical Music? by Artsjournal1

In Pittsburgh, at least, it seems not to be nights at all: it’s weekend matinees, across the genres. Sara Bauknecht and Jeremy Reynolds get into the details. – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Asia Gets Its First-Ever LGBTQ-Focused Streaming Service by Artsjournal1

“GagaOOLala brings more than 1,000 feature films, shorts, web series, and documentaries to people across Asia, where censorship and traditional attitudes mean there has been little in the …

Sarasota To Sarasota Symphony: Don’t Leave by Artsjournal

City officials are especially sensitive to the possibility of losing the Sarasota Orchestra after the recent relocation of two other cultural institutions outside of the city. – Sarasota H…

How Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play shook Broadway's status quo by Jessica Derschowitz

No Broadway debut this year was as thrilling as that of Jeremy O. Harris, the young playwright behind the season’s most talked-about, thought-provoking new work. Harris began writing Slave…

NYE Hack: If You Start Playing “Next to Normal” at 9:54:19, Everyone Will Leave & You Can Go to Bed by Broadway Beat

by Justin Ayer. @JustAyer (Instagram), @JustinAyer (Twitter). NEW YORK, NY - Anyone who’s ever hosted a New Year’s Eve party knows that it’s nearly impossible to get the guests to leav…

Is 2020 the year I stop being so sensitive? by Alaina Johns

Is the BSR team going to take their chance in 2020 to stop being so easily offended? Finally, an answer.

The Mikado or, The Town of Titipu (NYGASP) by Mark Dundas Wood

The framing device is not a completely elegant solution to the problem, but it gets the job done. Gilbert gets knocked out cold while examining the contents of the trunk. While incapacitated…

Get a 1st Look at White Plains Performing Arts Center's Newsies by Logan Culwell-Block

The Alan Menken, Jack Feldman, and Harvey Fierstein musical runs at the Westchester venue through January 12.

The Year in Images: 36 Not-To-Miss Photos of 2019 by Marc J. Franklin

Take a look back at the stunning portraits, backstage glimpses, memorable reunions, and historic moments that defined the theatrical year.

TheaterMania Report Card: Grading Our Predictions From 2019

Theater predictions are a tradition at TheaterMania. Now it's time to look back and see how we did in 2019.

Theatre review of the 2019 & what to see in 2020 by Maryam Philpott

With a new year fast approaching, it is an interesting time to reflect on small changes across the theatre landscape in 2019 that will continue to shape how UK theatre will look as it moves …

The Body Eclectic: Aura CuriAtlas Physical Theatre Performs Dreams and The Tarot at Steppenwolf 1700 by Sharon Hoyer

Aura CuriAtlas blends dance and acrobatics to tell stories without words, from everyday situations to abstract flights of fancy.

2019: The Travisian Year In Review by Trav S.D.

As we do every year at this time, a little look back the year’s activities, just to remind ourself that we did somethin’. See yesterday’s post for an encouraging wrap-up of the past de…

50 Wonderful Things From 2019 by Linda Holmes

From J. Lo to Keanu, baseball GIFs to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterpiece, here are 50 great cultural moments — from TV, movies, theater, books, podcasts and more — from the year that was.

2nd Season of After Forever, Featuring Cady Huffman, Mary Beth Peil, More, Launches December 31 by Andrew Gans

The LGBTQ+ drama series earned five 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Review: Anansi and The Grand Prize, Bristol Old Vic by Emma Robinson

Review: Anansi and The Grand Prize, Bristol Old Vic4.0starsEnlivened with the spirit of carnival, the cast of Anansi and The Grand Prize embolden some and engage all with their energetic sto…

What Did Critics Think of Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera? by Ryan McPhee

William Kentridge's production of the Alban Berg opera opened in New York City December 27.

Marty Thomas Will Celebrate New Solo Recording, Slow Dancing With a Boy, at Green Room 42 by Andrew Gans

The evening will feature guest vocalists Rachel Potter, Jamey Ray, and Mykal Kilgore.

Thomas Kail and Michelle Williams Are Engaged and Expecting by Ruthie Fierberg

The Hamilton Tony winner and Emmy-winning actor worked together on FX’s Fosse/Verdon.

The 31 best things to do around Boston this January by Megan O'Brien

Make exploring the city your New Year's resolution.

Jojo Rabbit — oh, what a wacky war

Taika Waititi’s larks-and-swastikas comedy aims to shatter taboos, but does so too politely

The Gentlemen — Guy Ritchie goes back to gangland

Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey are among the stars of a strikingly sour film

Amanda — a study of loss and new connection

Mikhaël Hers’ film about an atrocity and its aftermath sidesteps mawkishness

The Show People Podcast: Actor & author Pauline McLynn by Andrew Keates

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The Show People Podcast is back and for the final episode of 2019 host Andrew Keates is joined by actor and author Pauline McLynn.

Dance Top 5: January 2020 by Sharon Hoyer

Spirituality and survival are at the heart of dance and performance art this January.

Happy New Year from HowlRound by Jamie Gahlon, Howlround Theatre Commons

By Jamie Gahlon, HowlRound Theatre Commons. Jamie Gahlon, director of HowlRound, reflects on the past year of conversations, convenings, livestreams, and more—all in the name of creating a…

Review: Little Women, East Riding Theatre by Hannah Hobson

Review: Little Women, East Riding Theatre3.0starsLaura Turner’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is quite standard in many ways. The period has been kept, as have the centr…

Searching for Sam: Adrian Dunbar on Samuel Beckett review – go on, call him ‘fella’! by Emine Saner

The Line of Duty actor follows in the footsteps of his great hero, though his intriguing film is ultimately elusive. Beckett would surely approve If the work Adrian Dunbar is best known for …

Today on Broadway: Tuesday, December 31, 2019 by Matt Tamanini

Christmas Week Grosses, Cast for Michael Friedman’s Last Show, and Matt & Ashley’s Year End Favorites! “Today on Broadway” is a daily, Monday through Friday, podcast hitting the …

2019 in Review: Mr. and Ms. Broadway 2019 by JK

As you know (we hope), each month we honor two people each month by naming them Mr. Broadway and Ms. Broadway. Now that we are at the end of another year, it is time to name two individuals …

Catching Up… by Stephen Farrow

Again, here’s many reviews in a single post. Normal service will be resumed as soon as I get a better definition of normal. A VERY EXPENSIVE POISON A very big miss. There’s a terrific pl…

Review: Cinderella, Trafalgar Studios by Jessica Handscomb

Review: Cinderella, Trafalgar Studios3.0starsCinderella: the classic tale of a poor girl visited by a fairy godmother, her rags turned to riches and her pumpkin turned into a carriage. She m…

Getting there by Terry Teachout

Mrs. T and I were in truly dire straits a year ago today, enough so that I tremble now to remember what we were going through. Alas, things have been just as bad for us in recent weeks, but …

Lookback: hearing that lonesome whistle blow by Terry Teachout

From 2004: The last sound I heard before I got in my rental car this morning and headed for the Smalltown city limits was a train whistle. My brother tells me that more freight trains have b…

‘Peppered with magical moments’: Circus 1903 – Royal Festival Hall by Katharine Kavanagh

Circus 1903 may lack the charm and authenticity of a tented touring circus but it is also a well polished, artistically sound and slick production boosted by a hardworking cast and crew.

Matt Henry & Killian Donnelly reprise their roles in Kinky Boots onscreen in February

Talk about a date to mark in your new year diary! KINKY BOOTS is strutting back into our hearts in just over a month, with its original West End stars, Olivier Awards winner Matt Henry and O…

Almanac: Clive James on humor by Terry Teachout

“Those who lack humour are without judgement and should be trusted with nothing.” Clive James, “Exploring the Medium”

‘Sexual Misconduct,’ virtual reality and mounds of music, all in Toronto’s new, can’t-miss theatre shows by Carly Maga - Theatre Critic,karen Fricker - Theatre Critic

Sometimes the audience needs direction, too, so here’s a guide to the most exciting stage projects coming this winter.

Neil Innes obituary by Chris Welch

Musician and songwriter who enjoyed success with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band, the Rutles and Monty PythonAmid the anarchy of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Neil Innes, who has died unexpectedly …

NEWS: Arcola Theatre announces 20th anniversary season by Press Releases

London’s Arcola Theatre has announced its 2020 season, a special, year-long programme to celebrate the theatre’s 20th anniversary featuring familiar faces from the venue’s first two de…

Are The Arts To Blame For Donald Trump? by Artsjournal1

It’s a provocative claim, and I’ll admit my first reaction was to dismiss it out of hand. And yet … – Douglas McLennan

A Finger Picker Salutes Herbie Nichols by Artsjournal1

Spinning Song: Duck Baker Plays The Music Of Herbie NicholsIn the New York jazz scene of the 1950s and early sixties, the breadth and depth of his talent won enormous respect for pianist and…

My Ability to Dance and Sing Has Played a Big Role in My Career – Dalma by Takudzwa Chihambakwe

She is daring, adroit and has amazing stage presence. Whenever she is part of the cast, she gets theatre enthusiasts lining up to the ticket booth in anticipation. Her name is Dalma Chiwerev…

Bringing the Actor to the Brink of This Immense Abyss: An Interview with Christiane Jatahy by Christiane Jatahy

Created and directed by Christiane Jatahy, E se elas fossem para Moscou? is comprised of two versions, always displayed simultaneously: the theatre one, in which the audience watches the sta…

An Empowering Adventure on the High Seas: The Dread Pirate Sadie by Lindsay Price

Yes, girls can be pirates too! Casts will love the comedic, swashbuckling adventure of The Dread Pirate Sadie by Steven Stack. Sadie wishes to leave her life on the high seas to pursue her t…

The 10 Best Broadway Musicals of the Decade

Here are our picks for the shows that will stand the test of time.

Broadway Shockers 2019: Will Eno Wrote an Existential Skittles Super Bowl Musical

What more is there to say?

Fotografiska in New York: photography’s opulent new temple

The Swedish centre has opened a grand outpost in the Flatiron district to show photography

12 Dance Performances to See This January - The return of Matthew Bourne's 'Swan Lake,' New York City Ballet's new season and more

The return of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, New York City Ballet's new season, international companies and more---Welcome to a new year of eclectic dance performances. January brings three dis…