Jimmy Fallon and Jack Whitehall Backstage at FROZEN on Broadway After Surprise Cameo

Jimmy Fallon and Jack Whitehall backstage with Caissie Levy (Elsa) and Patti Murin (Anna) after Jack Whitehall’s surprise cameo in the Broadway smash Frozen at the St. James Theatre on Friday, March 1st. The appearance was captured for “The Tonight Show’s March 1st broadcast.

Photo A: (L to R) Jack Whitehall, Caissie Levy (Elsa), Patti Murin (Anna), and Jimmy Fallon. Photo by Andrew Lipovsky/ NBC

Photo B: (L to R) Caissie Levy (Elsa), Patti Murin (Anna), and Jimmy Fallon. Photo by Andrew Lipovsky/ NBC

Women's Day On Broadway 2019 Inspiring changemakers

IN CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY DISNEY ON BROADWAY ANNOUNCES THE LINEUP FOR THE 2nd ANNUAL WOMEN’S DAY ON BROADWAY INSPIRING CHANGEMAKERS

TUESDAY, MARCH 12th

AT THE ST. JAMES THEATRE

HOME OF DISNEY’S FROZEN

Featured Participants Include:

Anaïs Mitchell, Graciela Daniele, Heidi Schreck, Dominique Morisseau, Theresa Rebeck, Young Jean Lee, Lear deBessonet, Mandy Gonzalez, Ryann Redmond, Adrienne Campbell-Holt, Leigh Silverman, Paula Wagner, Maria Manuela Goyanes, Susan Haskins, Julia Jordan, Leslie Barrett, Christine Jones, Eva Price, Kristin Caskey, Tara Rubin, Dessie Moynihan, Anne Quart, Lauren Reid, Rosdely Ciprian, Thursday Williams, Michele Steckler, Jill Furman, and Syndee Winters

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Disney on Broadway announces the lineup for the 2nd annual “Women’s Day on Broadway.” Following its launch in 2018, the event aims to engage attendees of all genders and backgrounds in a day of open and honest dialogue about gender equality in the theatre industry and beyond. This year’s theme, Inspiring Changemakers, focuses the event on people and organizations driving progress within the theatre and entertainment industry, highlighting ways each attendee can become an agent of change.

The event will feature participants including (in alphabetical order): Leslie Barrett, Adrienne Campbell-Holt, Kristin Caskey, Rosdely Ciprian, Graciela Daniele, Lear deBessonet, Jill Furman, Mandy Gonzalez, Maria Manuela Goyanes, Susan Haskins, Christine Jones, Julia Jordan, Young Jean Lee, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Dessie Moynihan, Eva Price,

Anne Quart, Theresa Rebeck, Ryann Redmond, Lauren Reid, Tara Rubin, Heidi Schreck, Leigh Silverman, Michele Steckler, Paula Wagner, Thursday Williams, and Syndee Winters.

Additionally, this year’s event will highlight some of the organizations that are leading the way for gender equality in the arts. Participating organizations include The Actors Fund, BOLD, Girl Be Heard, The League of Professional Theatre Women, Maestra, Open Stages, PAAL, She NYC Arts, The Kilroys, and The WP Theatre.

Programming outline:

After a welcome from Heidi Schreck and her What the Constitution Means to Me costars Rosdely Ciprian and Thursday Williams, the Executive Director and cofounder of The Lillys, Julia Jordan, will set the stage and present findings from the most recent studies of women in theatre.

Moderated by Maria Manuela Goyanes (Woolly Mammoth), the first panel, “Spotlighting Marquee Women,” will gather the creative forces behind some of this season’s shows to discuss how Broadway can learn from theatre off-Broadway, regionally and beyond. Panelists include Christine Jones (Cher), Young Jean Lee (Straight White Men), Dominique Morisseau (Ain’t Too Proud), and Leigh Silverman (Lifespan of a Fact).

The next conversation, “Stage, Screens and Studios,” will feature perspectives from women in film, TV, music and theatre, and how we can apply new ideas to our industry. Susan Haskins (“Theatre Talk”) moderates and the panelists include Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown), Theresa Rebeck (Bernhardt/Hamlet), and Paula Wagner (Pretty Woman). Michele Steckler (Fly Loft Group) facilitates an conversation with Leslie Barrett (Serino Coyne), Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Hatef**k) and Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton), designed to reflect the collected community responses to questions about what it takes to be a changemaker.

Attendees are encouraged to join the discussion by completing a short questionnaire at WomenOfBroadway.com/question.

Lauren Reid (The John Gore Organization) will moderate the final panel, “Employing Change,” featuring Kristin Caskey (Ambassador Theatre Group), Lear deBessonet (Hercules), Dessie Moynihan (The Shubert Organization), and Tara Rubin (Tara Rubin Casting). The discussion will invite influential leaders to address how we create greater opportunity and visibility for women in theatre.

To end the day, Anne Quart (Disney Theatrical Productions), will welcome groundbreaking director, choreographer, and industry legend Graciela Daniele to share closing remarks. “Women’s Day on Broadway” will be held on Tuesday, March 12th, at the St. James Theatre, home of Broadway’s new musical Frozen. Disney on Broadway invites professionals of all genders and backgrounds working in entertainment and those interested in the topic to attend the event free of charge while tickets remain.

For more information and to learn about day-of tickets, visit the home for Women’s Day on Broadway, WomenOfBroadway.com, and follow us @WomenOfBroadway.

Specifics for the event are subject to change without notice.

In Theater This week: The Sandstorm by Leonard D. Goodiman at the Hudson Guild Theater

February 26 (9 pm), February 27 (6:15 pm) and March 2 (3:30 pm)

Award-winning playwright, journalist, and actor, Art Shrian steps on stage in Leonard D. Goodisman’s The Sandstorm now playing at the Hudson Guild Theater.

Art Shrian

myNewYorkeye caught up with Art Shrian between rehearsal. Here is an edited interview.

myNewYorkeye:  Tell us about the play? 

Art Shrian: This powerful, tragic love story takes place in the most cultured society of its time, Islamic Baghdad, 1100 CE. The brilliant, beautiful daughter of a loving, tolerant, family, has three suitors. Two are childhood friends, the third a passionate, rising religious leader. His anti-intellectual movement will help destroy society. Ideas and ideals collide, as today, with dire consequences.

mNYE: Tell me about your role in the play? 

AS:  I play DIYA AL-DIN, the passionate, rising religious leader and suitor of the girl, Fatima. She is in love with Diya, his passion, his persona and invites him to meet her family. Diya has ambitious new ideas to spread knowledge and happiness all over the world. But for him, knowledge and happiness strictly comes from the study of Koran and submitting to Allah. When he finds people that do not share his point of view, a storm ensues leading to unexpected results.

mNYE: What is the most challenging part of the role for you? 

AS:  As an actor, when you play a character, you cannot identify it as an antagonist. That's for the audience to decide. So I had to understand and justify Diya's position and feelings. I had to work hard to empathize with him, even though he shares quite extremist views. Thankfully, our director JB Bruno shared the same view and we worked together to present Diya as a highly motivated and opinionated rather than a crazy person. Although challenging, it was a very interesting process and I'm very excited about the results.

mNYE: Talk a little bit about your passion for theater, what is it about a live audience that motivates us to late see you as a thespian? 

AS:  I strongly believe that theater is the highest form of acting, it's the pinnacle of art for the actors. The process of developing a character and story for the theater is just wonderful. From table-read to multiple rehearsals to live audience feedback, you get an opportunity to deeply understand and tailor the character in its best form. It's the best acting teacher and more.

When you are on the stage, you have nothing to hide behind and no do-overs, just like real life . You lay yourself bare in front of the audience. Which may be scary, but it's also highly inspiring and rewarding. To be able to bring characters and stories to life in front of a live audience, to be able to live the life of these characters on stage, non-stop for 90 minutes, and be able to get immediate feedback, hopefully, praises and admiration is unlike anything else.

mNYE:  Last question what do you want people to take away from this place?

AS:  We live in highly divided times right now, with people sharing extreme views and biases on each side. This play is like a reflection of the world we live in and gives a glimpse into the psyche of people. It's based on the truth of a prosperous time in the past, which got destroyed due to extremism and lack of human understand and connect. I hope people see the play and are able to relate to it in some way, which may lead us to realize the importance of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

More details about the play and tickets at:

The Sandstorm Poster

Cornfield Dance at the Harkness Dance Festival 2019 92nd Street Y - 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY

  • Friday March 29th @8PM

  • Saturday March 30th @4PM and 8PM

  • Tickets: *$15, $35, $40

  • *$15 “XYZ” for 40 & under - must register (free)

More information here

Choreography: Ellen Cornfield

Composer: Andreas Brade

Musicians: Andreas Brade, Robert Boston, Duke Guillame

Costumes: Aaron Booher, Andrew Jordan, Karen Young

Video: Andrew Jordan, Grant Worth

Dancers: Alexandra Berger, Pierre Guilbault, Ruth Howard, Vanessa Knouse Cori Kresge, Logan Pedon, Joshua Tuason, Mac Twining

Cornfield Dance - an exhilarating explosion of emotion in motion!

“Ellen Cornfield is one of our most inventive pure abstract dance makers.”

Joan Finkelstein: Executive Director Harkness Foundation for Dance

Cornfield Dance is honored to be participating in the Harkness Dance Festival, focused this year to be part of the 2019 global celebration of Merce Cunningham’s birth.

The company will be presenting two repertory works, Pas de Detour (2016) and Close-Up (2017) along with the world premier of Portal (2019), performed by the eight formidable dancers gathered for these performances.

Pas de Detour is a richly physical work that combines robust and voracious movements traveling at breakneck speed with an elegant and sensuous dance language. This work physicalizes the idea of obstacles in our lives that detour and derail us, be they our emotions or life events. The dancing is accompanied by live and prerecorded music of ricocheting rhythms and sonorous soundscapes. The brightly colored geometries of the dancers’ costumes are coordinated with the video projected on the black backdrop curtain. These elements all combine to create a magical and theatrical universe. The original version of Pas de Detour, choreographed for four dancers, was shortened and expanded to include eight dancers during a Cornfield Dance residency at Rutgers University in 2016. This is the version being performed.

Luscious and playful, Close-Up moves from the grand to the intimate, from the excitement of an explosive leap to the call of a beckoning finger, bringing the viewers “close up” to the eight dancers and their activity. For the Harkness performances, Cornfield is rearranging the dance material from the original stage work in a number of significant ways. Cornfield’s structuring of this work was inspired by her company’s performance at the Yale Center for British Art in 2018, where the company performed the material in five small gallery rooms all at the same time. For the 92Y’s performances, there are several points where these condensed versions are presented side by side in the main space, at the same time. Additionally, the dancers will perform in the large main space as well as at several times during the piece on the small raised stage.

Cornfield envisions this presentation as an homage to Merce, whose tradition of presenting “Events,” made up of bits of material from different dances put together for a unique performance and adaptable to alternative venues, were an embrace of the unexpected.

In the new work Portal, Cornfield discovers and juxtaposes emotional doorways and openings, using movement as the language, and creating a microscopic mapping of the intangible, our inner life and our emotional patterns. She aims to physicalize iconic emotional rhythms in order to track and describe our behavior and feelings. Performed by seven dancers, the material is organized to wend its way through human character into movement abstraction, from the quotidian to the sacred, through struggles into calm. Portal connotes the passageway from a state of agitation to a state of peace. The music for this piece features the structured improvisation of Andreas Brade, Robert Boston, and jazz saxophonist Duke Guillame.

Each of these dances defines its own world, and the beautiful and expansive Buttenwieser Hall at the 92nd Street Y provides a delightful and unique container in which they will be seen.

About Ellen Cornfield and Cornfield Dance

Ellen Cornfield began working as a choreographer in New York City in the 1980’s, and established her company Cornfield Dance in 1989. She has brought her elegant, robust and at times quirky choreography to new audiences worldwide through performances in theaters, universities, and public spaces. As Artistic Director of Cornfield Dance, she has taught and performed with her company throughout the U.S., and in Japan, England, Holland, Germany, France, Poland, and Russia. In NYC her work has been presented by Danspace Project, The Harkness Dance Festival, and Lincoln Center Out of Doors among many others. Cornfield’s works have also been performed in non-traditional and outdoor venues including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, and in NYC at Elizabeth Street Garden, Battery Park, and Bryant Park.

Cornfield has taught at many of the world’s major dance institutions, including North Carolina School of the Arts and SUNY Purchase, and in Europe (where Cornfield lived for 15 months in the 80’s) at The Laban Centre and The Place in London, the Rotterdam Dansacademie in Holland, and for various European dance companies.

Cornfield has received numerous commissions and funding for her work from both private and government sources, and has set works on professional companies and universities, including two pieces created on the Jose Limón Dance Company during a two-week MANCC residency in 2008. She recently received a four-week Baryshnikov Arts Center Space Residency for late March through early April 2019, divided into a two-week rehearsal period followed by a two week video project of her work Portal that premieres during the Festival.

During her early years in New York, as a young dancer, Cornfield performed with the Merce Cunningham Company 1974 – 1982, earning a reputation as one of the foremost Cunningham dancers of her generation, was in the original casts of his works during that time, and in all of his early video works. She was on the teaching staff at Merce’s studio from 1972 - 2003.

_____________________________________________________________________________

92Y Harkness Dance Center is named in recognition of the ongoing generosity of the Harkness Foundation for Dance. Major funding is also provided by Jody and John Arnhold; Howard Gilman Foundation; and Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Additional support is provided by Sharon and Jon Corzine; Leo Oppenheimer and Flora Oppenheimer Haas Foundation; Paul and Melinda B. Pressler; and Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Support for Cornfield Dance from: The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, & Donors to Cornfield Dance.

Coming Soon to the New Victory Theater: A SIMPLE SPACE

Headstands, Backflips and Human Pyramids: Astounding Acrobatics from Australia

From Gravity & Other Myths

★★★★ "Gravity-defying… truly breathtaking and a joy to watch."

- The Stage

The seven audacious acrobats of Gravity & Other Myths like to keep things simple. Who needs circus rigging, sparkly costumes or even shoes when you've got each other? Balancing, climbing and swinging on one another's heads, hands and shoulders, this talented, tight-knit troupe and their dynamic drummer saturate their stripped-down spectacle with high-energy athleticism. A SIMPLE SPACE is a down-to-earth and downright delightful display of human strength, breathtaking skill and cheeky, good-natured one-upmanship. Added performances for Winter Break!

February 9 - 24

Tickets start at $22*

Get Tickets

For everyone 6 and up

60 minutes with no intermission

Sit Inches Away from the Action!

Elevate your experience with special onstage seating and witness the awesome acrobatics and breathtaking skill up close! 

KIDS AND TEENS CAN SEE BROADWAY SHOWS FOR FREE!

Kids’ Night on Broadway® To Take Place TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

KidsNightonBroadway.com

The Broadway League announced today that the 2019 Kids’ Night on Broadway® will take place on Tuesday, February 26, 2019. Tickets will be available for purchase in December. Fans can sign up for The Broadway Fan Club at KidsNightonBroadway.com to be the first to know when tickets go on sale!

Kids’ Night on Broadway is an annual event where kids 18 and under can attend participating Broadway shows for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult (all guests must have a ticket to attend shows; offer is applied as 50% off each ticket; no additional ‘free’ tickets are added to orders).

A Kids’ Night on Broadway ticket also includes restaurant discounts, parking discounts, and more. Select shows will offer in-theatre activities for kids including talkbacks, Kids’ Night on Broadway activity books, and other events still to be announced.

Kids’ Night on Broadway will also take place in multiple cities around the country, with different shows and venues putting their own spin on the event on several dates throughout the year. Check KidsNightonBroadway.com for specific dates and locations.


Kids’ Night on Broadway®, a program of The Broadway League, is generously presented by The New York Times with additional support from Westchester Family.

#  # #

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in over 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to over 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.

Key League programs and resources include: Kids’ Night on Broadway®, The Jimmy® Awards, Stars in the Alley®, Internet Broadway Database® (ibdb.com), Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with TDF), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. Broadway Bridges®, with the support of the New York City Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers, is aimed at giving every New York City public high school student the opportunity to see a Broadway show before graduation. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Families.Broadway is the League’s site for family friendly offers and pricing. Broadway.org is the League’s official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.

For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com or follow @BroadwayLeague on Twitter and visit us at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague.

Broadway theatres are filled with an exciting array of new and classic musicals and plays, providing the perfect experience for every audience. Great seats are available at every price point and are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices. It’s always the perfect time to see a show. Broadway performs every day of the week at multiple curtain times to accommodate every schedule.


DISNEY ON BROADWAY ANNOUNCES THE 2nd ANNUAL WOMEN’S DAY ON BROADWAY: INSPIRING CHANGEMAKERS

HOME OF DISNEY’S FROZEN 

Free Registration Now Available at WomenOfBrodway.com

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Disney on Broadway announces the 2nd annual “Women’s Day on Broadway: Inspiring Changemakers.” 

Following its launch in 2018, the event aims to engage attendees of all genders and backgrounds in a day of open and honest dialogue about gender equality in the theatre industry and beyond, immersing participants and audience members in a series of conversations, empowering each attendee to drive change and make an impact.

“We began ‘Women’s Day on Broadway’ last year to provide a platform for women in the theatre industry to share their experiences and celebrate their accomplishments,” said Anne Quart, Disney Theatrical Production’s SVP of Production and Co-Producer. “The response to last year’s event was overwhelmingly positive, and it was clear that we needed to create a sustainable, annual event that could dive deeper into those discussions, to inform, inspire and provide actionable paths towards equality.”

This year’s event will focus on changemakers driving progress within the theatre and entertainment industry, highlighting ways each person can become an agent of change. The event will feature panel conversations and a variety of speakers and presentations.

“Women’s Day on Broadway” will be held on Tuesday, March 12th, at the St. James Theatre, home of Broadway’s new musical Frozen.  Disney on Broadway invites professionals of all genders and backgrounds working in entertainment and those interested in the topic to attend the event free of charge.

For more information and to reserve your free general admission seat and to see content from last year’s event, visit the new home for Women’s Day on Broadway,www.womenofbroadway.com.

Specifics for the event will be provided at a later date.

AHEAD OF FIRST ANNIVERSARY, FROZEN WELCOMES NEW HANS, OLAF AND KRISTOFF

In Rare Broadway Gender Swap,

Ryann Redmond Will be the First Woman to Play Olaf,

The Lovable Snowman

ORIGINAL STARS CAISSIE LEVY AND PATTI MURIN

EXTEND THEIR CONTRACTS 

As it approaches its first anniversary, Frozen is pleased to announce that Joe Carroll (OnceRodgers + Hammerstein’s CinderellaBandstand) and Ryann Redmond (Bring It On The MusicalIf/Then) will join the company as Hans and Olaf, respectively, and current cast member, Noah J. Ricketts will assume the role of Kristoff. The three actors will begin performances Tuesday, February 19, 2019, taking over the roles from original cast members Jelani Alladin (Kristoff), Greg Hildreth (Olaf) and John Riddle (Hans), who will play their final performance Sunday, February 17, 2019.

Frozen’s acclaimed original stars Caissie Levy (Elsa) and Patti Murin (Anna) will continue with the production.

Ms. Redmond’s casting marks a milestone: She is the first woman cast as the beloved snowman Olaf in any production of Frozen.

In addition to Levy and Murin, the company of Frozen features Robert Creighton (Weselton), Kevin Del Aguila (Oaken), Timothy Hughes (Pabbie), Andrew Pirozzi (Sven), Zoe Glick (Young Anna), Leila Rose Gross (Young Anna), Mimi Ryder (Young Elsa), Jenna Weir(Young Elsa), Alyssa Fox (Elsa Standby), Aisha Jackson (Anna Standby) and Adam Jepsen (Sven Alternate). Beginning February 19, the role of Sven will be shared equally by Mr. Pirozzi and Mr. Jepsen, with each actor playing four performances a week.

Frozen has joined Disney Theatrical hits Aladdin and The Lion King on Broadway, playing at the historic St. James Theatre. The new Broadway musical opened on Thursday, March 22, 2018 and has been in the top 10 best-selling shows every week, establishing itself as the biggest musical hit of its season. A North American tour will open at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles this fall.

“Disney’s struck gold! Sumptuous sets, gorgeous costumes and plenty of special effects to wow the audience!” raves the New York PostThe New Yorker calls Frozen “thrilling” and “genuinely moving” and applauds its “inspired stagecraft.” “With the magic, the dancing and all those iconic tunes, Frozen was born to be a stage musical!” exclaims the Evening Standard, and The Telegraph declares, “Frozen will burn up Broadway for years to come!

Frozen has joined Disney Theatrical hits Aladdin and The Lion King on Broadway, playing at the historic St. James Theatre. The new Broadway musical opened on Thursday, March 22, 2018 and has been in the top 10 best-selling shows every week, establishing itself as the biggest musical hit of its season. A North American tour will open at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles this fall.

“Disney’s struck gold! Sumptuous sets, gorgeous costumes and plenty of special effects to wow the audience!” raves the New York PostThe New Yorker calls Frozen “thrilling” and “genuinely moving” and applauds its “inspired stagecraft.” “With the magic, the dancing and all those iconic tunes, Frozen was born to be a stage musical!” exclaims the Evening Standard, and The Telegraph declares, “Frozen will burn up Broadway for years to come!

Frozen has joined Disney Theatrical hits Aladdin and The Lion King on Broadway, playing at the historic St. James Theatre. The new Broadway musical opened on Thursday, March 22, 2018 and has been in the top 10 best-selling shows every week, establishing itself as the biggest musical hit of its season. A North American tour will open at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles this fall.

“Disney’s struck gold! Sumptuous sets, gorgeous costumes and plenty of special effects to wow the audience!” raves the New York PostThe New Yorker calls Frozen “thrilling” and “genuinely moving” and applauds its “inspired stagecraft.” “With the magic, the dancing and all those iconic tunes, Frozen was born to be a stage musical!” exclaims the Evening Standard, and The Telegraph declares, “Frozen will burn up Broadway for years to come!

JOE CARROLL (Hans). Broadway: Bandstand (Johnny Simpson), Cinderella (Prince Topher), Romeo and JulietOnce. Regional: world premiere of Moulin Rouge at the Colonial Theater in Boston and Bandstand at Paper Mill Playhouse. Film: Bandstand Live on Broadway, Romeo and Juliet. TV: “NCIS: New Orleans;” “Chicago Fire;” “Elementary;” “Deception;” “The Carrie Diaries;” "All My Children.” Training: RADA, BFA University of Michigan. @joe_carrollmich

RYANN REDMOND (Olaf). Broadway: Escape to MargaritavilleIf/ThenBring It On. Television: “Younger” (TV Land). Film: Double Exposure. Off-Broadway: Usual Girls (Roundabout), Gigantic (Vineyard), The Marvelous Wonderettes. National tour: Bring It On. Regional:How to Succeed (TUTS), Hairspray (MUNY). NYU (CAP21).  Twitter/Instagram: @ryannreds. 

NOAH J. RICKETTS (Kristoff). Broadway and first national tour: Beautiful The Carole King Musical. Favorite Regional: Terk, Tarzan® (WWT); C.C., Dreamgirls (North Shore Music Theatre); Jacob, La Cage (Summer Lyric); Hello, Dolly! (St. Louis MUNY); Macbeth (IAA Shakespeare Festival). Proud graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM). @noahjrkts

Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film’s creators; in fact, this new stage production features more than twice as much music as the film.  Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre running over two hours.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar® winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (ZootopiaWreck-It Ralph), the film’s screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck).  Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song (“Let It Go”) and Best Animated Feature. 

Frozen’s director is Michael Grandage, a Tony Award® winner (Red) and director of three Olivier Award-winning Outstanding Musicals (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls), and Rob Ashford, Tony Award winner (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is choreographer.

In a cast of over 40, Frozen also features Alicia AlbrightJoe BeauregardTracee BeazerWendi BergaminiAshley BlanchetClaire CampLauren Nicole ChapmanSpencer ClarkJeremy DavisKali GrinderAshley Elizabeth HaleZach HessDonald Jones, Jr.Nina LafargaRoss LekitesAustin LeschSynthia LinkRobin MasellaTravis PattonAdam PerryJeff PewOlivia PhillipNoah J. Ricketts,Julius Anthony RubioAnn SandersJacob Smith and Nicholas Ward.

The design team for Frozen includes scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts 1 & 2The Cripple of InishmaanEvita), lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Aladdin; Hello Dolly!; An American in Paris), sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski (The Scottsboro Boys, Motown, After Midnight), video design by Tony winner Finn Ross (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), puppet design by Michael Curry (The Lion KingSpamalot), hair design by David Brian Brown (War PaintShe Loves Me), makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates (On Your Feet!On the Twentieth Century) and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick (AladdinHarry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus (Avenue Q, Wicked, The Book of Mormon) is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by Tony nominee Dave Metzger (orchestrations), Chris Montan (executive music producer), David Chase (additional dance arrangements) and Brian Usifer (music director).

Frozen is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

JOE CARROLL (Hans). Broadway: Bandstand (Johnny Simpson), Cinderella (Prince Topher), Romeo and JulietOnce. Regional: world premiere of Moulin Rouge at the Colonial Theater in Boston and Bandstand at Paper Mill Playhouse. Film: Bandstand Live on Broadway, Romeo and Juliet. TV: “NCIS: New Orleans;” “Chicago Fire;” “Elementary;” “Deception;” “The Carrie Diaries;” "All My Children.” Training: RADA, BFA University of Michigan. @joe_carrollmich

RYANN REDMOND (Olaf). Broadway: Escape to MargaritavilleIf/ThenBring It On. Television: “Younger” (TV Land). Film: Double Exposure. Off-Broadway: Usual Girls (Roundabout), Gigantic (Vineyard), The Marvelous Wonderettes. National tour: Bring It On. Regional:How to Succeed (TUTS), Hairspray (MUNY). NYU (CAP21).  Twitter/Instagram: @ryannreds. 

NOAH J. RICKETTS (Kristoff). Broadway and first national tour: Beautiful The Carole King Musical. Favorite Regional: Terk, Tarzan® (WWT); C.C., Dreamgirls (North Shore Music Theatre); Jacob, La Cage (Summer Lyric); Hello, Dolly! (St. Louis MUNY); Macbeth (IAA Shakespeare Festival). Proud graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM). @noahjrkts

Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film’s creators; in fact, this new stage production features more than twice as much music as the film.  Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre running over two hours.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar® winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (ZootopiaWreck-It Ralph), the film’s screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck).  Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song (“Let It Go”) and Best Animated Feature. 

Frozen’s director is Michael Grandage, a Tony Award® winner (Red) and director of three Olivier Award-winning Outstanding Musicals (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls), and Rob Ashford, Tony Award winner (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is choreographer.

In a cast of over 40, Frozen also features Alicia AlbrightJoe BeauregardTracee BeazerWendi BergaminiAshley BlanchetClaire CampLauren Nicole ChapmanSpencer ClarkJeremy DavisKali GrinderAshley Elizabeth HaleZach HessDonald Jones, Jr.Nina LafargaRoss LekitesAustin LeschSynthia LinkRobin MasellaTravis PattonAdam PerryJeff PewOlivia PhillipNoah J. Ricketts,Julius Anthony RubioAnn SandersJacob Smith and Nicholas Ward.

The design team for Frozen includes scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts 1 & 2The Cripple of InishmaanEvita), lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Aladdin; Hello Dolly!; An American in Paris), sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski (The Scottsboro Boys, Motown, After Midnight), video design by Tony winner Finn Ross (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), puppet design by Michael Curry (The Lion KingSpamalot), hair design by David Brian Brown (War PaintShe Loves Me), makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates (On Your Feet!On the Twentieth Century) and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick (AladdinHarry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus (Avenue Q, Wicked, The Book of Mormon) is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by Tony nominee Dave Metzger (orchestrations), Chris Montan (executive music producer), David Chase (additional dance arrangements) and Brian Usifer (music director).

Frozen is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

JOE CARROLL (Hans). Broadway: Bandstand (Johnny Simpson), Cinderella (Prince Topher), Romeo and JulietOnce. Regional: world premiere of Moulin Rouge at the Colonial Theater in Boston and Bandstand at Paper Mill Playhouse. Film: Bandstand Live on Broadway, Romeo and Juliet. TV: “NCIS: New Orleans;” “Chicago Fire;” “Elementary;” “Deception;” “The Carrie Diaries;” "All My Children.” Training: RADA, BFA University of Michigan. @joe_carrollmich

RYANN REDMOND (Olaf). Broadway: Escape to MargaritavilleIf/ThenBring It On. Television: “Younger” (TV Land). Film: Double Exposure. Off-Broadway: Usual Girls (Roundabout), Gigantic (Vineyard), The Marvelous Wonderettes. National tour: Bring It On. Regional:How to Succeed (TUTS), Hairspray (MUNY). NYU (CAP21).  Twitter/Instagram: @ryannreds. 

NOAH J. RICKETTS (Kristoff). Broadway and first national tour: Beautiful The Carole King Musical. Favorite Regional: Terk, Tarzan® (WWT); C.C., Dreamgirls (North Shore Music Theatre); Jacob, La Cage (Summer Lyric); Hello, Dolly! (St. Louis MUNY); Macbeth (IAA Shakespeare Festival). Proud graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM). @noahjrkts

Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film’s creators; in fact, this new stage production features more than twice as much music as the film.  Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre running over two hours.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar® winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (ZootopiaWreck-It Ralph), the film’s screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck).  Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song (“Let It Go”) and Best Animated Feature. 

Frozen’s director is Michael Grandage, a Tony Award® winner (Red) and director of three Olivier Award-winning Outstanding Musicals (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls), and Rob Ashford, Tony Award winner (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is choreographer.

In a cast of over 40, Frozen also features Alicia AlbrightJoe BeauregardTracee BeazerWendi BergaminiAshley BlanchetClaire CampLauren Nicole ChapmanSpencer ClarkJeremy DavisKali GrinderAshley Elizabeth HaleZach HessDonald Jones, Jr.Nina LafargaRoss LekitesAustin LeschSynthia LinkRobin MasellaTravis PattonAdam PerryJeff PewOlivia PhillipNoah J. Ricketts,Julius Anthony RubioAnn SandersJacob Smith and Nicholas Ward.

The design team for Frozen includes scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts 1 & 2The Cripple of InishmaanEvita), lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Aladdin; Hello Dolly!; An American in Paris), sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski (The Scottsboro Boys, Motown, After Midnight), video design by Tony winner Finn Ross (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), puppet design by Michael Curry (The Lion KingSpamalot), hair design by David Brian Brown (War PaintShe Loves Me), makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates (On Your Feet!On the Twentieth Century) and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick (AladdinHarry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus (Avenue Q, Wicked, The Book of Mormon) is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by Tony nominee Dave Metzger (orchestrations), Chris Montan (executive music producer), David Chase (additional dance arrangements) and Brian Usifer (music director).

Frozen is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS AT BROADWAYCON 2019

Last night (Friday, January 11, 2019) Disney Theatrical Productions hosted “Disney Theatrical at 25: The Stars Align” at BroadwayCon in Manhattan. The lively panel was made up of some of the stars who created these indelible shows and characters in their original productions. Moderated by Disney Theatrical Productions head Thomas Schumacher, the panel was a fascinating and hilarious discussion filled with behind-the-scenes stories. Panelists included Christian Borle (Tony®-winning Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher), Ashley Brown (title role in Mary Poppins), Merle Dandridge (Kala in Tarzan), Susan Egan (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), James Monroe Iglehart (Tony-winning Genie in Aladdin), and Patti Murin (Anna in Frozen). 

About Disney Theatrical Productions

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.  Worldwide, its 10 Broadway titles have been seen by over 160 million theatergoers and have been nominated for 62 Tony®Awards, winning Broadway’s highest honor 20 times.  With more than 20 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day. 

The company’s inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, opened in 1994. It played a remarkable 13 year run on Broadway and has been produced in 37 countries worldwide.

In November 1997, Disney opened The Lion King, which received six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical. After 21 landmark years on Broadway, it has welcomed more than 95 million visitors worldwide to date, and can currently be seen in nine productions worldwide.  Having played 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida opened on Broadway next, winning four 2000 Tony Awards.  It was followed by Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, which opened in London in 2004 and went on to enjoy a six year Tony-winning Broadway run.  

Tarzan®which opened on Broadway in 2006, went on to become an international hit with an award-winning production enjoying a 10-year run in Germany.  In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway and was the #1-selling new musical of that year.

Disney Theatrical Productions opened two critically acclaimed productions on Broadway in 2012, receiving seven Tony Awards between them:Peter and the Starcatcher and Newsies, each of which enjoyed a two-year run with the latter launching a two-year North American tour and a record-breaking Fathom Events’ in-cinema release.

Aladdin, Disney Theatrical’s 2014 hit, continues selling out on Broadway and has launched five additional productions around the globe.  Its newest hit, the 2018 Tony-nominated Best Musical Frozen, continues setting records in its Broadway run.

Other successful stage ventures have included the Olivier-nominated London hit Shakespeare in Love, stage productions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin, and King David in concert.  DTP has collaborated with the country’s leading regional theatres to develop new stage musicals including The Jungle BookThe Hunchback of Notre Dame and Freaky Friday.

About BroadwayCon

BroadwayCon is theatre’s answer to comic-con, tailor made for fans. From January 11-13, 2019, join some of Broadway’s biggest fans, performers, and creators from classic and current shows as we gather at the Hilton Midtown to perform, discuss, debate, and celebrate theatre. BroadwayCon 2019 will feature panels, performances, interviews, workshops, singalongs, and more, all packed into an epic three-day weekend. Past panels have included previews from upcoming Broadway shows, conversations with the casts and creatives of this season’s hits, and discussions featuring the industry’s top producers and designers, not to mention the giant Opening Celebration and nighttime fun and games. BroadwayCon is produced by Mischief Management.

Pip’s Island, a One-of-a-Kind Theatrical Adventure for Kids & Families, Begins Previews on March 11, 2019 & Officially Reopens on March 21, 2019

Located on West 42nd Street, the Groundbreaking Interactive Show Combines Exploration, Empowerment and Education, Where Kids Are the Heroes

Pip's Island is back! New and exciting adventures from Pip and the gang are coming your way this winter. Make sure to stay connected with us on social for your exclusive look at all the magic!

New York, NY (January 10, 2018) – Pip’s Island returns to New York City with public previews starting on March 11, 2019 and officially reopens on March 21, 2019, establishing a permanent home for its groundbreaking immersive entertainment walking adventure for kids at 400 West 42nd Street. After making its world premiere in November 2016 in NYC for a limited engagement, the three founders including sibling-duo Rania and Rami Ajami and Creative Director Walter Krudop are thrilled to bring the next chapter of the Pip’s Island adventure to a custom-built flagship attraction in the heart of Manhattan. Combining immersive sets, original narrative, exploratory spaces and stimulating audiovisual content, the brand's mission is to provide a space where children are encouraged to find their inner spark and to positively impact the world around them. 

"Pip's Island is as real as 'make-believe' gets for children," says Walter Krudop, Pip’s Island Creative Director. "They literally feel like they are entering a live video game and are pulled right into the story."

Audiences will be guided through an hour-long inspirational “hero's journey” by live performers, puppets, interactive set-pieces and animated characters. As a walking adventure, they will navigate a series of challenges and one-of-a-kind games to save the Island from darkness and restore harmony to the land. Along the way, they will collect signature achievement badges, called "sparks" on Pip’s Island, which parallel many elements of the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) curriculum. 

As the audience moves forward, the story unfolds, the music escalates, the characters change, the challenges grow, and the young audience is soon engaged in an uplifting adventure that will leave them with a lasting sense of self-esteem and personal empowerment. 

"Pip’s Island is a special blend of the creative arts including interactive space design, performance art, music, animation, digital gadgetry and play; all brought together with seamless storytelling and audience engagement," explains Rania Ajami, Pip’s Island’s Chief Creative Officer. CEO Rami Ajami continued, "We exist to cater to kids of today who take a 360 multi-sensory, multi-platform approach to engaging with their world."

Pip’s Island Fun Facts:

  • Join the expedition to unlock a secret tree portal that transports you to the shores of a magical island!

  • Strap on your Legendarium and collect all five of your sparks. 

  • Hop on board Pebble's Cloud Rover and navigate stormy skies!

  • Travel underground and help Finn outwit the dastardly moles!

  • Grab a treat at Grumble Plum's bakery and help build one of her giant specialty cakes.

  • Sing along and even take a moment to meditate with Shelly, the princess of the underwater seas. 

 In addition, Pip’s Island will offer easy-to-book, all-inclusive birthday party packages of up to 50. For more information, email birthdays@pipsisland.com.

Pip's Island is a time-ticketed experience designed for ages 4-10, although grown-ups looking to reconnect with their childhood sense of wonder are also encouraged to sign up for an expedition! 

The show lasts 60 minutes and it’s recommended to arrive 15 minutes in advance of the ticketed time. Pip’s Island runs daily Wednesday through Monday and is closed on Tuesdays

Tickets are $59 for adults and kids at the box office or $49 online. Discounts are available for schools and groups, please contact at customerservice@pipsisland.com.

About Pip’s Island

Pip’s Island, a new kids entertainment company that is disrupting the industry, elevating standards and empowering children, is launching its first in a series of live events called Pip’s Island: The Lighthouse Rescue. The experience blends storytelling, interactive games, animation, music, and play to truly immerse young explorers in a unique island universe. In addition to a live entertainment experience in New York, the company has created a rich universe of digital content that it will be rolling out over multiple media channels including books, animation, gaming and additional live adventures at our flagship location, as well as destinations around the world.

For more information, visit www.pipsisland.com and follow on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram @pipsisland.

ALADDIN on Broadway to Welcome Three New Principal Cast Members Ahead of 5th Anniversary

AS IT APPROACHES 5TH ANNIVERSARY, ALADDIN ON BROADWAY WELCOMES NEW PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS - AINSLEY MELHAM, MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT AND MIKE LONGO

As it approaches its 5th anniversary, Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical, is pleased to welcome three new principal cast members to the company. Original Australian star Ainsley Melham will take over the title role, marking his Broadway and North American theatrical debut. Broadway veteran Michael James Scott (Something Rotten!; The Book of Mormon; Tarzan), an original Broadway company member who originated the role of Genie in Australia and comes directly from playing it on the North American tour, assumes the role of Genie. And as part of the show’s trio of Aladdin’s sidekicks, Mike Longo (Beautiful, Aladdin North American tour) steps into the role of Kassim.

Scott’s first performance will be Friday, February 15, and he will continue on Broadway through Sunday, September 15. During that period, Major Attaway, Broadway’s current Genie, will join the North American tour before returning to Broadway upon Scott’s departure. Melham and Longo’s first performance will be Tuesday, February 19; Telly Leung and Steel Burkhardt, the current Aladdin and Kassim, will play their final performance on Sunday, February 17.

Aladdin opened to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming nearly ten million people worldwide.

As it approaches its 5th anniversary, Aladdin has proven itself an enormous and enduring hit, joining a small, exclusive group of blockbusters. Of the shows opening this decade, only the juggernauts Hamilton and The Book of Mormon have grossed more on Broadway. And in the nearly five years since Aladdin’s first performance, only Wicked has been seen by more people on Broadway.

The scale and reach of the show’s popularity continues on a parallel track internationally, as the show’s global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Australia and a tour across North America.

Melham, Scott and Longo join the Broadway company that also stars Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights, Wicked) as Jasmine, reuniting with Melham and Scott, her original costars from the Australian production, and Tony Award® nominee Jonathan Freeman (Mary Poppins, The Producers, She Loves Me) as Jafar, bringing to the stage the role he indelibly created in the animated film. The show also features Brian Gonzales and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin’s sidekicks Babkak and Omar, JC Montgomery as Sultan and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Juwan Crawley, Dennis Stowe and Deonté L. Warren stand by for several principals.

AINSLEY MELHAM (Aladdin). Ainsley has starred in the title role in Disney’s Aladdin all across Australia. Aladdin has played at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane and the Crown Theatre in Perth. Prior to Aladdin, Ainsley appeared as Sonny Malone in Xanadu for Matthew Management and Hayes Theatre Co. Ainsley was a cast member of Hi-5, having appeared in its Australasian tours, the televised “Hi-5 House” series (Seasons 1-3) and the documentary filmSome Kind Of Wonderful. The iconic children’s pop group has been released on Netflix with Ainsley as one of the starring hosts. Born and raised in Bathurst, Ainsley trained in musical theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), graduating in 2012. He also studied at the Australasian Tap Dance Academy/La Belle School of Dance. Ainsley was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical at the 2017 Helpmann Awards for his role in Aladdin.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT (Genie). Michael James Scott has played the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin internationally including Broadway, London, the North American tour and originating the role in the Australian production, for which he won the prestigious Helpmann Award for best Featured Actor in a Musical. He originated the role of the Minstrel on Broadway in Something Rotten and he’s best known for originating Dr. Gotswana (aka The Maggots Guy) in the Tony-winning phenomenon The Book of Mormon. Other Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!; Tarzan; All Shook Up; The Pirate Queen; Elf and Hair. He was the standby for the legendary Ben Vereen in the international tour of Fosse, taking over the role in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet. On the West End he was the associate choreographer and performed in the Broadway revival transfer of Hair. Off-Broadway, he co-starred in Here’s to the Public opposite Donna McKechnie and was part of the concert cast of Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall. Outside NYC, original Las Vegas Co. of Jersey Boys and in Shrek the Musical as the Donkey at the famous St. Louis Muny. Regional credits include Aida, Ragtime, South Pacific, Cinderella and Little Shop of Horrors to name a few. Numerous television and film appearances including “The Carrie Diaries” (WB), Independent Woman (Feature Film), “The View” (ABC), “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (NBC), “The Late Show with Conan O’Brien” (NBC), “Good Morning America” (ABC), “The Today Show” (NBC), “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” (CBS), “The Tony Awards” (CBS) and the new Showtime series “Black Monday.” He was a member of the critically-acclaimed singing group The Broadway Boys and Grammy nominated Broadway Inspirational Voices. He can be heard on many original Broadway cast albums, multiple studio recordings and The Broadway Boys’ debut Album Lullaby of Broadway. MichaelJamesScott.com. Instagram/Twitter @iamMJScott.

MIKE LONGO (Kassim). Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. National tours: Aladdin, Kinky Boots (Harry), Hair. Off-Broadway: Onan in the world premiere of Tamar of the River (Prospect Theater). Regional: Grease (Paper Mill Playhouse), Marius in Les Miserables(White Plains PAC). Insta: @mikelongofoto. www.mikelongo.info.

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, the show features music by Tony Award® and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman(Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Prom, The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, The Prom).

In a cast of 36, Aladdin also features Kathryn Allison, Netanel Bellaishe, Mike Cannon, Damian Chambers, Lauryn Ciardullo, Jacob Dickey, Mark DiConzo, Josh Drake, Tiffany Evariste, Gabby Gamache, Jacob Gutierrez, April Holloway, Heather Makalani, Stanley Martin, Amber Owens, Jamie Kasey Patterson, Bobby Pestka, Ariel Reid, Tyler Roberts, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Angelo Soriano,Travis Ward-Osborne and Paige Williams.

Aladdin, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.

The film won the Oscar for Best Original Score and introduced the hit song “A Whole New World,” which won the second of the film’s two Academy Awards as Best Original Song. The Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle recording of the tune soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.

For more information, visit AladdinTheMusical.com.

U.S. Premiere of EMILY BROWN AND THE THING at New Victory

British Theater Company Brings Beloved Children’s Story EMILY BROWN AND THE THING to The New Victory for U.S. Premiere

Based on the book by Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train Your Dragon

U.S. Premiere January 26 - February 3, 2019

Tall Stories (Gruffalo, New Vic 2015 & 2004; The Snail and the Whale, New Vic 2014, Snow White, New Vic 2003) returns with an imaginative musical adventure based on the much-loved book by Cressida Cowell (How to Train your Dragon) and Neal Layton. Something MONSTROUS is keeping Emily Brown awake...how will she ever get to sleep with the Thing making such a racket?! A friendly but woeful creature, the Thing has lost his Cuddly in the Dark and Scary Wood and won’t stop crying. Plucky, brave and determined to save the day, Emily and her trusty sidekick, Stanley the rabbit, leap into action. Following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a UK tour and international performances at the Sydney Opera House, in Dubai, Hong Kong and Paris, Emily Brown and the Thing makes its U.S. Premiere at The New Victory Theater to begin its North American tour. Come see the irrepressible Emily Brown this winter at The New Victory Theater from January 26 - February 3, 2019.


Tall Stories, an internationally renowned London based theater company, brings great stories to life for audiences of all ages. The company was founded in 1997 by joint artistic directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell. Since then, the company has produced 27 original shows which have toured throughout the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Tall Stories has become internationally recognized for its exciting blend of storytelling theater, original music and lots of laughs.


The company has paid exquisite attention to detail in this charming show that “constantly amuses, delights and enthralls” (The Stage). Audiences familiar with the children’s classic will recognize Neil Layton’s equally delightful art incorporated into the design of the show.     


Emily Brown and the Thing is directed by Oliva Jacobs, featuring Sophie Alice as Emily Brown, Sam Buitekant as the Thing, and Jordan Turner as Stanley. On the creative team, Jacobs is joined by creative producer Toby Mitchell, associate director Sam Conway, Scenic and Costume Designer Isla Shaw, puppet designer Yvonne Stone, lighting designer James Whiteside, choreographer Luanna Priestman, associate choreographer Morag Cross, music and lyrics by Jon Fiber and Andy Shaw for JollyGoodTunes, company stage manager Matt Llewellyn Smith, costume supervisor Lisa Aitken, scenic construction worker Madison Opera, costumier Christine Atkinson, knitter Hannah Alton, and wig maker Diana Hudson.


Learn more about Emily Brown and the Thing at NewVictory.org.


Public Performance Schedule:

Saturday, January 26 at 11am

Saturday, January 26 at 3pm*

Sunday, January 27 at 11am

Saturday, February 2 at 11am / 3pm

Sunday, February 3 at 11am


*sign-interpreted performance and Autism-friendly performance


Emily Brown and the Thing has a running time of 55 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 4 to 7.


Ticket Information

Full-price tickets for Emily Brown and the Thing start at $25. Tickets are available online (http://www.newvictory.org/boxoffice) and by phone (646.223.3010).


To purchase tickets in person, the New Victory box office is located at 209 West 42nd Street (between 7th / 8th Avenues). Box office hours are Sunday & Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.



About The New Victory Theater

The New Victory Theater brings kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Created in 1995 on iconic 42nd Street, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all students, teachers, kids, families and communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international programming of theater, dance, circus, music, puppetry and opera on its stages. A leader in arts education, youth employment and audience engagement, The New Victory Theater has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people."


About The New 42nd Street

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, building on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone’s life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street’s historic theaters; supporting performing artists in the creation of their work at the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street; creating arts access and education at The New Victory Theater, New York’s premier theater for kids and families; and through the New 42nd Street Youth Corps, its model youth development initiative, which pairs life skills workshops and mentorship with paid employment in the arts for NYC youth. Inspired by the city it serves, The New 42nd Street is committed to the transformational power of the arts.

Final Performances: CIRCUS ABYSSINIA at the New Vic thru Dec 30 only!

"A heart-pumping, thrilling, and fun show that showcases some of the most talented jugglers, tumblers, and contortionists you're likely to ever see." – Theatermania

Don't miss the astonishing artists of CIRCUS ABYSSINIA: ETHIOPIAN DREAMS as they weave together heart-stopping stunts with the irresistible rhythms of Ethiopia in the final performances of this daring U.S. premiere! Matinees are almost sold out. Buy your tickets today to guarantee the dates and seats you want!

Thru December 30 only!
Tickets start at $22
Members save up to 40%!

Get Tickets

For everyone 5 and up
1 hour and 45 minutes
including one intermission

New Victory Theater presents Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams & Boing!

HOLIDAY season is upon us, and in this cold winter season in NYC, watching theater is a great opportunity. NEW VICTORY THEATER is great for kids and entire family. It’ll make a great HOLIDAY outing, or a holiday gift for your loved ones!

Here’s what’s going on this month at NEW VICTORY THEATER.

Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

Boing!

Checkout more at

www.newvictory.org

Engage with us using #NewVictory on social media:

Facebook @newvictorytheater

Instagram @newvictorytheater

Twitter @newvictory



SEJONG SOLOISTS and Paula Zahn perform at Annual Gala Concert at CARNEGIE HALL

SEJONG SOLOISTS PERFORMED ANNUAL GALA CONCERT TO SOLD-OUT AUDIENCE

ZANKEL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 9, 2018

Sejong Soloists presented their Annual Gala Concert to a sold-out audience, featuring music from Vivaldi to contemporary. The musical theme was peace and hope, and guest artists included wind and brass faculty members from the Juilliard School and Curtis Institute. Vivaldi’s Chamber Concerto in C Major opened the concert. The virtuoso soloists were Sooyun Kim, flute, Roni Gal-Ed, oboe, Adrian Morejon, bassoon, and Stephen Kim, violin. Composer Augusta Read Thomas talked about her Plea for Peace, a 2017 commission by the University of Chicago to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the world’s first nuclear reactor. Sejong Soloists and soprano Hyunah Yu gave a powerful, gut-wrenching performance.

TV journalist Paula Zahn, a long-time supporter of Sejong Soloists, was this year’s Honoree.  Nine-time Emmy Award winner and co-host of WNET’s weekly program “NYC Arts” Ms. Zahn’s joined the orchestra 18 years ago as Gala Master of Ceremonies.  Special guest Neal Shapiro, WNET President, highlighted Zahn’s dedication to Sejong and to the arts, her financial support, and her humanitarian causes. Yo-Yo Ma sent a video greeting with spoken tribute and brief Bach performance, which was shown to the audience.

The glorious Baltimore-based soprano Hyunah Yu, who performed the Plea for Peace vocalise, joined Paula Zahn and the Sejong cellists for the Aria from Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5.  This was followed by A Poem of Hope, concertino for cello and strings, written by New York composer Eric Ewazen in 2007 and dedicated to Paula Zahn, who performed the solo. An accomplished cellist, her performances have become a tradition at Sejong’s gala concerts. Finally, the Wagner Siegfried Idyll closed the program.

The audience of friends, music lovers, and supporters included distinguished members of the diplomatic community from the United Nations. Ambassadors from 15 nations: Albania, China, Cyprus, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Russia, South Korea, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.

About Sejong Soloists

Hailed as “one of the top ensembles of today” by CNN, Sejong Soloists is a first-class string orchestra renowned for its exceptional dynamic style, with ranges of quartet-like precision to full orchestra resonance. Founded by Hyo Kang, artistic director, it is highly praised for its diverse performances, documentaries, television broadcasts, and recordings. Sejong Soloists has performed in over 120 cities around the world, collaborating with renowned solo artists, such as violinists Gil Shaham, Vadim Repin, pianists Leon Fleisher and David Fray, Vladimir Feltsman, and singers David Daniels, Christophe Dumaux, Kathleen Kim, and Sasha Cooke.  In March 2018 Sejong Soloists was presented with Vadim Repin in Moscow and Siberia by the Trans-Siberian International Art Festival. This was followed by Hic et Nunc International Festival in South Korea, and a Hong Kong debut.

Founded over twenty years ago, Sejong has a deep commitment to advancing the artistry and leadership of its members, with successful results.  Currently, eight former Sejong leaders and soloists hold concertmaster positions throughout North America including the NY Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Sejong’s highly-praised documentaries, television broadcasts, recordings, youth development activities, as well as philanthropic endeavors worldwide are integral to the mission of this unique orchestra.

Tickets for FROZEN on Broadway Now On Sale Through June 30, 2019

Tickets for Disney Theatrical’s newest hit musical, Frozen, are now on sale through Sunday, June 30, 2019. Visit www.FrozenTheMusical.com.

Frozen opened on Thursday, March 22, 2018 and has already set box office records, prompting Variety to declare, “Frozen sizzles!” In the top 10 best-selling shows every week, Frozen has established itself as the biggest musical hit of its season. A North American tour will open at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles in Fall 2019.

“Disney’s struck gold! Sumptuous sets, gorgeous costumes and plenty of special effects to wow the audience!” raves the New York PostThe New Yorker calls Frozen “thrilling” and “genuinely moving” and applauds its “inspired stagecraft.” “With the magic, the dancing and all those iconic tunes, Frozen was born to be a stage musical!” exclaims the Evening Standard, and The Telegraph declares, “Frozen will burn up Broadway for years to come!”

Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film’s creators; in fact, this new stage production features more than twice as much music as the film.  Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre running over two hours.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar® winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez(Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (ZootopiaWreck-It Ralph), the film’s screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck).  Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song (“Let It Go”) and Best Animated Feature. 

Frozen’s director is Michael Grandage, a Tony Award® winner (Red) and director of three Olivier Award-winning Outstanding Musicals (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls), and Rob Ashford, Tony Award winner (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is choreographer.

Frozen stars Broadway veterans Caissie Levy as Elsa and Patti Murin as AnnaThe two women are joined by principal cast members Jelani Alladin (Kristoff), Greg Hildreth (Olaf), John Riddle (Hans),  Robert Creighton(Weselton), Kevin Del Aguila (Oaken), Timothy Hughes (Pabbie), Andrew Pirozzi (Sven), Mattea Conforti(Young Anna), Zoe Glick (Young Anna), Mimi Ryder (Young Elsa), Ayla Schwartz (Young Elsa), Alyssa Fox(Elsa Standby), Aisha Jackson (Anna Standby) and Adam Jepsen (Sven Alternate).

In a cast of over 40, Frozen also features Alicia AlbrightJoe BeauregardTracee BeazerWendi Bergamini,Ashley BlanchetBen BogenClaire CampLauren Nicole ChapmanSpencer ClarkJeremy DavisKali GrinderAshley Elizabeth HaleZach HessDonald Jones, Jr.Nina LafargaRoss LekitesAustin Lesch,Synthia LinkRobin MasellaTravis PattonAdam PerryJeff PewOlivia PhillipNoah J. RickettsJulius Anthony RubioAnn SandersJacob Smith and Nicholas Ward.

The design team for Frozen includes scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winnerChristopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts 1 & 2The Cripple of InishmaanEvita), lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Aladdin; Hello Dolly!; An American in Paris), sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski (The Scottsboro Boys, Motown, After Midnight), video design by Tony winner Finn Ross(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), puppet design by Michael Curry (The Lion KingSpamalot), hair design by David Brian Brown (War PaintShe Loves Me), makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates (On Your Feet!On the Twentieth Century) and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick (AladdinHarry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus (Avenue Q, Wicked, The Book of Mormon) is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by Tony nominee Dave Metzger (orchestrations), Chris Montan (executive music producer), David Chase (additional dance arrangements) and Brian Usifer (music director).

Frozen is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

DANIEL J. WATTS' THE JAM: ONLY CHILD Returns to Joe's Pub Monday, December 3rd

November 1, 2018 (New York) – Daniel J. Watts (Hamilton, TBS’ “The Last O.G.,” Signature Theatre’s The Death of The Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World) and WattsWords Productions present Daniel J. Watts' The Jam: Only Child, an evening of music, dance, spoken word, and storytelling on Monday, December 3rd at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street).  Doors open at 6pm, the show begins at 7pm. 

Only Child marks the reunion between Watts and director Lileana Blain-Cruz (The House That Will Not Stand, Pipeline) who received an Obie Award for her direction of The Death of The Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, in which Watts played the title character. Only Child also features Jam mainstay DJ Duggz, aka Preston Dugger III (Motown the MusicalMemphis), spinning through the evening.  

All advance general admission tickets are $30. Tickets are $40 day of and can be purchased by visiting JoesPub.com

“This Jam is the product of 2 years of therapy”, said artist and activist Watts.  “I have an analogy about therapy suggesting that it’s like inviting a stranger to the attic of your mind and having them help you clean it out. I realized that being an only child and a latch key kid in a single parent home contributed to excess storage in my attic and therapy helped me sift through a lot of it and, ultimately, let some things go.  By sharing my story I hope to inspire others to go through their attics in an effort to both examine the cost of holding on and experience the healing power of letting go.”

A play-on-words, The Jam pays homage to Watts’ great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself.  The Jam is Watts’ continuation of that legacy blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance.  This is Watts’ fourth instillation of The Jam: Only Child after sold out performances at Joe’s Pub in the famed Public Theater, NoHo’s new staple SubCulture, the and as one of the final acts to play the historic Webster Hall. 

In 2016, galvanizing cast members from HamiltonOn Your Feet, and Shuffle Along, Watts played to a packed house in Webster Hall’s Marlin Room with The Jam: Love Terrorists - A Benefit for Orlando. The event raised $7500 for the LGBT community in Orlando after the horrific attack at Pulse Night Club.

WattsWords Productions is dedicated to developing original programming including live performances, web content, and demonstrations written by Daniel J. Watts in an effort to urge communities to actively engage in focusing on their social similarities opposed to their differences.

Daniel J. Watts in The Jam: Only Child, Photo Credit - Simply Greg

BIOS

DANIEL J. WATTS has appeared in eight Broadway shows including HamiltonIn The Heights and Memphis. Off Broadway he has starred in Suzan-Lori Parks' The Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre) and the world premiere of Whorl Inside A Loop (2nd Stage). He currently appears as Felony in Tracy Morgan's new comedy series “The Last OG” on TBS.  Other TV credits include recurring roles on NBC's “Blindspot” and “Smash”; HBO's “Vinyl,” “The Deuce,” “The Night Of,” and “Boardwalk Empire”; “The Good Wife,” “Blue Bloods” and “Person of Interest” on CBS; “Odd Mom Out” on Bravo; and “Broad City” on Comedy Central. Film: Breakup at a WeddingAmong Brothers and Freedom.

An accomplished spoken word artist, in 2012 Watts launched WattsWords Productions.  Daniel J. Watts' The Jam, an homage to his great grandmother who made homemade jam from scratch and gave away what she couldn't eat herself, is a spoken word/storytelling experience fusing a live band, song, dance and multimedia where Watts encourages audiences to focus on social similarities opposed to differences. Most recently, his work is featured in the young adult anthology How I Resist edited by New York Times Best Seller Maureen Johnson for Wednesday Books/Macmillan. 

An educator, Watts has also served as an adjunct professor of NYU's Tisch New Studio. He teaches his own course on how to truly engage in one's self in order to contribute meaningful and personal artistic work. 

Watts is a BFA Graduate of Elon University’s Music Theatre Program and a 2011 Young Alumnus Award Recipient. For original work visit www.wattswords.com @dwattswords

 LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ is a director from New York City and Miami, and a recent recipient of an Obie Award for directing The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead at Signature Theater.  Recent projects include Lucas Hnath's Red Speedo at NYTW; Alice Birch's Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again at Soho Rep; Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' War at LCT3 and Yale Rep; Henry IV Part 1 and Much Ado About Nothing at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; The Bluest Eye at The Guthrie;  Christina Anderson’s Hollow Roots which premiered in the Under the Radar Festival at the Public Theater; Project Realms an electric pop opera performed at La Sala; a new translation of The Bakkhai at the Fisher Center of Performing Arts at Bard College; and A Guide to Kinship and Maybe Magic, a collaboration with choreographer Isabel Lewis and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at Dance New Amsterdam.  

She received her MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama, where she directed the opera Doctor Faustus Lights the LightsThe Taming of the ShrewTall Skinny Cruel Cruel BoysBuffalo Maine, Cavity and lastly Fox Play as part of the Carlotta Festival of New Plays. She was one of the co-artistic directors of the 2011-2012 Yale Cabaret, where she directed Funnyhouse of a Negro, Vaska Vaska Glöm, and SALOME. She received both the Julian Milton Kaufman Memorial Prize and the Pierre-Andre Salim Prize for her leadership and directing.  She was an Artistic Associate of The Exchange and The Orchard Project, a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and an Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow at Arena Stage.  She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she is currently working on a new play GURLS as part of the opening of the new Lewis Center for the Arts. Upcoming projects include Actually at MTC, Water by the Spoonful at CTG, and The House That Will Not Stand at NYTW. 

PRESTON DUGGER, aka DJ DUGGZ, is a Washington, DC native that began performing in theatre and television at an early age and has appeared in Broadway shows such as Memphis and Motown, as well as on television in “Smash” and “Flesh and Bone.” Preston has had a passionate desire to make sure crowds enjoy themselves when on a stage, on screen or behind turntables.  “It is my mission to go above and beyond and make sure my clients receive the best experience visually and sonically.”

 Preston has DJ’ed such high-profile events as The Democratic National Committee for Hillary Clinton, and at Radio City Music Hall, Webster Hall, The Watergate Hotel, and Cipriani Wall Street. @DJDUGGZ

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail Present Freestyle Love Supreme (Limited Engagement)

THOMAS KAIL, LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, JON STEINGART & JILL FURMAN PRESENT

JANUARY 30-MARCH 2 ONLY AT GREENWICH HOUSE THEATER 

SURPRISE (AND SPONTANEOUS) GUESTS PLANNED AT SELECT PERFORMANCES DURING STRICTLY LIMITED RUN


Back by popular demand, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon Steingart and Jill Furman announced a strictly limited return engagement of FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME, the high-energy show that is a blend of hip-hop, improvisational theater, music, and vocal stylings, all backed by live music from keyboards and beats.  Conceived of by Kail, Miranda and Anthony Veneziale, FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME begins previews on January 30 with an official opening on February 12 at the Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow Street. Tickets on sale now at www.freestylelovesupreme.com.

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME features six talented performers providing non-stop action throughout this fast-paced evening, spinning cues from the audience into humorous bits, instantaneous songs and riffs, and fully realized musical numbers.  The electrifying vocals of the performers – from singing to rapping to beat-boxing with harmonies and freestyle flow – are backed by tight tunes from keyboards and human percussion.

When Lin and I were developing In the Heights, our friend Anthony kept grabbing Lin during breaks from rehearsal and freestyling. When I heard them, I knew they were on to something special,” said Producer/Director Thomas Kail. “We spent years crafting the show after that, and many of our favorite, and most hilarious memories, are from Freestyle Love Supreme shows.  We've been waiting for just the right moment to bring the show back to New York.  It's time!”  

Freestyle Love Supreme is the most exciting thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life. There is nothing like a live hip-hop show that is improvised from the first moment til the final curtain, and the skill set required to pull it off has introduced me to this deep bench of multi-hyphenate genius musician emcees,” said Producer Lin-Manuel Miranda. “No two shows are the same, each show its own experience. I’m so thrilled to get the band back together; and even though I’m a co-producer this time around, I selfishly hope they let me jump onstage a couple of times over the course of the run. FLS for life.”

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME features Andrew Bancroft AKA “Jelly Donut,” Arthur Lewis AKA “Arthur The Geniuses,” Bill ShermanAKA “King Sherman,” Chris Sullivan AKA “Shockwave,” Anthony Veneziale AKA “Two-Touch,” and Utkarsh Ambudkar AKA “UTK.”  

Special surprise guests are planned for select performances during the run which could include, in addition to Miranda, FLS members Chris Jackson, James Monroe Iglehart and Daveed Diggs. All audience cell phones will be checked at the door for a truly memorable and personal experience.

 

In name and beyond, FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME pays homage to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", with a nod to musical roots in jazz, soul, blues and hip-hop.  FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME was originally developed and produced in 2004 by Ars Nova in association with Jill Furman.

The 80 minute show is directed by Thomas Kail and features set design by Beowulf Boritt; costume design by Lisa Zinni; lighting design by Jeff Croiter; and sound design by Nevin Steinberg. General Management provided by Baseline Theatrical

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME runs January 30 to March 2, 2019 for a strictly limited run at the Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow Street.  Schedule varies so please check the website. Tickets are on sale now.  For tickets, check out www.freestylelovesupreme.com.

PUBLIC THEATER NEWS! 15th Annual Under the Radar Set For Jan 3-13

THE PUBLIC THEATER ANNOUNCES FULL LINE-UP FOR 15TH ANNUAL  UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, JANUARY 3-13, 2019

11-Day Festival Includes Penny Arcade, Lola Arias,  The Chekhov Project, Tania El Khoury, Ifeoma Fafunwa,  The Illustrious Blacks, James & Jerome, The Kilbanes,  Manual Cinema, Meow Meow, Peter Mills Weiss & Julia Mounsey, Flaco Navaja, New Saloon, Plexus Polaire, Rude Mechs

Under the Radar + Joe’s Pub: In Concert, UTR Professional Symposium and INCOMING! Series  Return for UTR 2019

Single Tickets Start at $25 and UTR Packs Available Now

October 30, 2018 – The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced the full line-up today for the 15th annual UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, running January 3-13, 2019. This popular and highly-anticipated festival of The Public’s winter season will include artists from across the U.S. and around the world, including Argentina, Australia, France, Lebanon, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, and the UK. Curated by UTR Festival Director Mark Russell, this year’s UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL continues to expand to venues throughout New York City in addition to The Public Theater’s home at Astor Place. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now.

 

Exciting new work by innovative artists Penny Arcade; The Chekhov Project; Tania El Khoury; Ifeoma Fafunwa; The Illustrious Blacks; Manual Cinema; Meow Meow; Peter Mills Weiss & Julia Mounsey; Flaco Navaja; New Saloon; Plexus Polaire; and Rude Mechs will be featured at UTR 2019. The festival will also include works by Lola Arias; James & Jerome; and The Kilbanes at partner venues throughout New York City.

 

The line-up for the Devised Theater Working Group’s INCOMING! Series includes Sean Donovan, Aya Ogawa, Lorelei Ramirez, Sam Schanwald with Caitlin Ryan O’Connell, Eva von Schweinitz, and Whitney White. The 11-day festival will also include the return of Under the Radar + Joe’s Pub: In Concert performances and the Under the Radar Professional Symposium.

 

“The most exciting two weeks in New York theater will be coming again this January. Under the Radar dazzles, shocks, provokes, excites, and always, always surprises!” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis.

 

“Under the Radar is celebrating 15 years of bringing the most adventurous independent theater from around the world to New York City,” said UTR Festival Director Mark Russell. “The Festival features artists that question the rules of theater and break them, giving us a new perspective on the world. Intense and immersive, the Under the Radar Festival is a muscle-building exercise in finding common values and imagining a future.”

 

Under the Radar + Joe’s Pub: In Concert returns this year with performances by Penny Arcade, The Chekhov Project, Meow Meow, and The Illustrious Blacks. This exciting series highlights the multidisciplinary music/theater hybrids emerging from this renowned venue’s programming. The Library at The Public will also be open nightly for food and drink, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

 

Public Theater Member and Partner tickets for the 2019 UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL start at $20 and are available now. Single tickets to UTR shows start at $25 and tickets can be accessed online at www.publictheater.org; The Taub Box Office at The Public at 425 Lafayette Street; or by phone at 212-967-7555, beginning Thursday, November 8. Tickets for partner venue events at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and NYU Skirball can be purchased directly from the venues. All tickets are subject to facility and service fees. The “UTR Pack” is back by popular demand. Purchase five or more UTR shows and save $5 dollars off each ticket. Good for all UTR shows at The Public and BRIC House. 

 

Over the last 15 years, The Public’s UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL has presented over 255 companies from 45 countries. It has grown into a landmark of the New York City theater season and is a vital part of The Public's mission, providing a high-visibility platform to support artists from diverse backgrounds who are redefining the act of making theater. Widely recognized as a premier launching pad for new and cutting-edge performance from the U.S. and abroad, UTR has presented works by such respected artists as Elevator Repair Service, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Gob Squad, Belarus Free Theatre, Guillermo Calderón, and Young Jean Lee. These artists provide a snapshot of contemporary theater: richly distinct in terms of perspectives, aesthetics, social practice, and pointing to the future of the art form. 

 

UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL AT THE PUBLIC (JANUARY 3-13, 2019):

 

Hear Word! Naija Women Talk True
January 3, 5-7 (Running Time: 90 minutes)
Presented by The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and iOpenEye in association with the American Repertory Theater

Directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa (Nigeria)
Tickets: $30

 

HEAR WORD! NAIJA WOMAN TALK TRUE is inspired by multi-generational stories of inequality and transformation. Staged by director and writer Ifeoma Fafunwa, the show grapples with the issues affecting the lives of women across Nigeria, and the factors that limit their potential for independence, leadership, and meaningful contribution in society. Combining song and dance with intimate portraits of resilience and resistance, the show celebrates the women who have broken the culture of silence, challenged the status quo, and moved beyond barriers to achieve solutions.

 

Frankenstein
January 3, 5-7, 10-12 (Running Time: 60 minutes)
By Manual Cinema (USA)


 

Adapted from the novel by Mary Shelley

Concept by Drew Dir

Devised by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, and Julia Miller

Original music by Kyle Vegter and Ben Kauffman
Tickets: $30

 

Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways in this thrilling classic gothic tale conceived by Manual Cinema. Stories of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, and his Monster expose how the forces of family, community, and education shape personhood—or destroy it by their absence. Internationally-renowned multimedia company Manual Cinema stitches together the classic story ofFRANKENSTEIN with Mary Shelley’s own biography to create an unexpected story about the beauty and horror of creation. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen.

 

Chambre Noire
January 10-13 (Running Time: 65 minutes)
Created by Plexus Polaire (France/Norway)
Tickets: $30

 

CHAMBRE NOIRE is a wild hallucination around the death-bed of Valerie Jean Solanas (1936-1988): the most beautiful girl in America, the talented psychology student who spent her life going in and out of mental institutions, the first intellectual whore, writer, radical feminist, creator of the SCUM Manifesto, the woman who shot Andy Warhol… A character that is complex, multi-sided, outrageous, and absolutely human.

 

Evolution of a Sonero
January 9, 12-13 (Running Time: 75 minutes)
Written and Performed by Flaco Navaja (USA)
Directed by Jorge Merced
Tickets: $30

 

The first full-length show by acclaimed poet, singer, and actor Flaco Navaja, original member of the UNIVERSES and Def Poetry Jam cast: With unabashed love for The Bronx, a gift for crafting memorable characters, and genuine good humor, Navaja and five top-notch musicians—aka The Razor Blades— bring on the charm, the rhythm, and the soul essential to a Bronx Sonero. Paying homage to many great musical icons —from Janis Joplin to Menudo, from The Doors to Héctor Lavoe, from Jimi Hendrix to Rubén Blades— the play is as much about Navaja’s creative evolution as it is about the wild mix that gives life to a rhyme, a people, and a culture.

 

[50/50] old school animation
January 4-7, 11, 13 (Running Time: 60 minutes)
Created by Peter Mills Weiss & Julia Mounsey (USA)
Tickets: $30

 

A classical ghost story for our contemporary moment, this deceptively simple confessional transforms into an unnerving reflection on womanhood, memes, and our capacity for cruelty. Created by Peter Mills Weiss and Julia Mounsey, [50/50] OLD SCHOOL ANIMATION flirts with the horrific and dips into the surreal. 

 

Minor Character
January 4-6, 9, 11-13 (Running Time: 90 minutes)
Created by New Saloon (USA)
Directed by Morgan Green
Tickets: $30

 

New Saloon’s irreverent mashup of English-language translations of Uncle Vanya — from the dusty 1916 edition to Google Translate’s profoundly whack results—is a kaleidoscopic amplification of Chekhov's depressing comedy. Each character is interpreted by multiple actors and through multiple translations, in an athletic attempt to say one true thing. “I’ve been made a complete fool,” Vanya says, “foolishly betrayed,” Vanya agrees, “stupidly cheated,” Vanya clarifies.

 

The Cold Record
January 4-7, 9-13 (Running Time: 60 minutes)

By Rude Mechs (USA)
Written and Performed by Kirk Lynn

Directed by Alexandra Bassiakou Shaw

Tickets: $30

 

A secret performance. A one-man show. The story of a 12-year-old boy who tries to set the record for leaving school the most days with a fever and in the process falls in love with the school nurse and breaks his heart on the punk rock. You must promise never to speak about what you witnessed or else you'll get kicked out. Kirk Lynn is a novelist and playwright living in Austin, TX. Lynn is one of five artistic directors of the Rude Mechs theatre collective. With the Rudes, Kirk has written and adapted many plays, including Lipstick TracesMethod Gun, and Not Every Mountain, which premiered in 2018 at the Guthrie in Minneapolis. 

 

As Far As My Fingertips Take Me
January 4-7, 9-13 (Running Time: 15 minutes)
By Tania El Khoury (UK/Lebanon/Palestine)

Performed by Basel Zaraa

Tickets: $30

 

Our fingertips facilitate touch and sensations, but are also used by authorities to track many of us. In today’s Europe, a refugee’s journey can be set as far as their fingertips take them. The Dublin Regulation mandated a fingerprinting database across Europe for all refugees and migrants. This regulation often means that a refugee is sent back to where their fingertips were first recorded, without any regard to their needs, desires, or plans. Tania El Khoury commissioned musician and street artist Basel Zaraa who was born a Palestinian refugee in Syria to record a rap song inspired by the journey his sisters made from Damascus to Sweden. Through touch and sound, this intimate encounter explores empathy and whether we need to literally “feel” a refugee in order to understand the effect of border discrimination on peoples’ lives. 

 

UNDER THE RADAR + JOE’S PUB: IN CONCERT

Re-engineering the intersection of music and theater

This exciting series highlights the multidisciplinary music/theater hybrids emerging from this renowned venue’s programming. These artists are exploring the intersection of music and theater to bring their unique stories to the stage. These performances are not open for review.

 

Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! - The Penny Arcade Sex and Censorship Show

January 3, 6, 10, 12-13 (Running Time: 90 minutes)

By Penny Arcade (USA)
Tickets: $35

 

Penny Arcade is New York’s undisputed queen of the underground, and her world-famous sex and censorship show is among the most exuberant performances to ever emerge from New York’s East Village. Penny Arcade's BITCH! DYKE! FAGHAG! WHORE! blends her trademark warmth, comedy, humanism, and razor-sharp satire, with New York’s best erotic dancers in an uplifting audience dance break. Originally created as a brilliant retort to the Senator Helms NEA Censorship Crisis of 1990, BITCH! DYKE! FAG! WHORE! is now a timeless and passionate rock n’ roll anthem celebrating free speech. It is a political provocation for our times. Come early for the erotic go-go pre-show with drinks.

 

Meow Meow

January 2, 5 (Running Time: 90 minutes)

By Meow Meow (Australia)
Tickets: $30

 

A performer who gleefully tramples the barriers of genre, Meow Meow defies easy description. International siren and comedienne extraordinaire Meow Meow brings her glorious brand of subversive and sublime performance to Joe’s Pub. The spectacular crowd-surfing queen of song creates an unforgettable evening of exquisite music and much mayhem. Prepare for Piazzolla tangos, Weill, Brecht, Brel, even Radiohead alongside original chansons. If your idea of cabaret is a smoky-voiced chanteuse crooning into a microphone, prepare to have your preconceptions exploded.

 

Hyperbolic!

January 4, 12-13 (Running Time: 90 minutes)

By The Illustrious Blacks (USA)
Tickets: $25

 

The Illustrious Blacks have arrived to save the world one beat at a time! Once upon a time in a galaxy not far away, there lived two kings. Each was the ruler of his own deliciously glorious planet. The first king, Manchildblack, was well known throughout the cosmos for his ethereal vocals, celestial sonics and earthy musical messages. The other king, Monstah Black, was a star in the solar system for his gravity-defying performances, gender bending fashions, and spacey disposition. One magical night, an inexplicable ultra-magnetic pull forced the two planets to collide. A technicolored explosion occurred, turning night into day, with a feast of aural and visual delights. It was then that the universe was changed forever. Manchildblack and Monstah Black united and became The Illustrious Blacks! The acclaimed duo fuse music, dance, theater, and fashion as the main ingredients to expand minds, shake bootys, and encourage all to be bold, be brave, and be you!  #LiveTheHypeLife 

 

Astrov’s Lounge: Music From The Chekhov Project
January 5 (Running Time: 90 minutes)

Conceived by Melissa Kievman and Brian Mertes (USA)

Music by The Chekhov Project
Tickets: $25

 

ASTROV’S LOUNGE: MUSIC FROM THE CHEKOV PROJECT re-assembles the musicians of The Chekhov Project. Each summer, for one week, theater directors Brian Mertes and Melissa Kievman open their Rockland County New York home to a grand experiment: A group of sixty, all professional theater-makers and musicians, gather in the house, yard and neighborhood to explore and explode a Chekhov play. The cramped garage, known as “Astrov’s Lounge,” becomes home to the eclectic group of musicians who respond to the work generating original songs and soundscapes for each performance. ‘Astrov’s Lounge: Music from The Chekhov Project’ re-collects these musicians for a multifarious musical set inspired by the rhythms of Chekhov’s words and folks.

 

I Am a Seagull

January 5 (Running Time: 95 minutes)

Conceived by Brian Mertes and Melissa Kievman

Created by The Chekhov Project (USA)

Rita & Burton Goldberg Theatre

721 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY

Tickets: $10

 

I AM A SEAGULL follows a community of actors in their frenzied and loving attempt to stage a Chekhov play in their house, yard and neighborhood. This hybrid film documents The Chekhov Project: an annual, immersive, open-frame performance event created by Brian Mertes and Melissa Kievman. Like the project itself, the film dissolves boundaries between audience and performer, representation and reality. Life and rehearsal blend together in this portrait of The Project’s production of The Seagull. Chekhov’s text is embodied by a handful of actors from New York City as they converge in an upstate lakeside retreat. Through juxtaposing phases of rehearsal, live performance, and pure cinema this experience captures the idealism, contradictions and raw instinct that fuels theater-making itself.


UNDER THE RADAR AT PARTNER VENUES:

 

Minefield
January 11-13 (Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes)
By Lola Arias (Argentina)
Co-Presented by The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and NYU Skirball
NYU Skirball 
566 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY 
Tickets: $30 | www.nyuskirball.org

In MINEFIELD, Argentine and British veterans from the Falklands/Malvinas war are transported into the past to reconstruct their experience of the war, its aftermath, and their memories. The only thing they have in common is that they are all veterans. But what is a veteran; a survivor, a hero, a madman? Digging deep into the personal impact of war, MINEFIELD confronts different visions of history, bringing together old enemies to tell one single story. This collaboratively created new work merges theatre and film to explore the minefield of memory, where truth and fiction collide. Buenos Aires-based visual and performance artist Lola Arias returns to Under the Radar after her memorable performance in 2014 “El Año en Que Nací.”


Weightless
January 11-13 (Running Time: 75 minutes)
By The Kilbanes

Directed by Becca Wolff (USA)
Co-Presented by The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival, BRIC, Z Space, and piece by piece productions

BRIC House
647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
Tickets: $30 | www.bricartsmedia.org

Part Concert, Part Play, Part Dream, WEIGHTLESS by The Kilbanes weaves together myth with evocative indie rock to tell a story of sisterhood, love, betrayal and rebirth. WEIGHTLESS is inspired by the story of Procne and Philomela from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Through intimate storytelling and The Kilbanes’ celebrated indie rock sound, WEIGHTLESS explores the bonds of sisterhood and the power of the female voice. It’s equal parts blistering rock show and bleeding edge experimental theater. Rock 'n' roll meets myth as only The Kilbanes can deliver.

 

Ink
January 5-6 (Running Time: 75 minutes)
Created and performed by James & Jerome in collaboration with Shawn Duan

Directed by Rachel Chavkin and Annie Tippe (USA)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 
Tickets: $25 | www.metmuseum.org/tickets
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education

INK is an art lecture, live personal essay, and electronic music concert all in one. With stunning visuals by media designer Shawn Duan, musician-storyteller duo James Harrison Monaco and Jerome Ellis perform a lush live score as they lovingly analyze works from around the world, exploding the traditional art lecture into a unique theatrical experience—one that’s at once playful, intellectual, and spiritual. Together, they guide us through a meditation on calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts, on music and silence, and on Jerome’s intimate relationship to the spoken and written word, in this first ever collaboration between Under the Radar and MetLiveArts, the performance series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

INCOMING! SERIES:

A Festival within a Festival. Rapid Response. Controlled Chaos. New Work.

 

This year, The PubIic Theater’s Devised Theater Initiative (DTI) hosts the fifth cohort of the Devised Theater Working Group. These artists will be presented as part of the 2019 Under the Radar Festival’s INCOMING! Series, a platform that features in-process works of formal investigation and artistic ambition. Works-in-process are not open for review.


Twin Size Beds

January 6, 11 (Running Time: 70 minutes)

Sam Schanwald with Caitlin Ryan O’Connell (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

In an abandoned tree house, a limp-wristed boy hides during the neighborhood game of hide-and-seek. While he waits for a gang of metal-mouthed peers to find him, Sam’s newfound solitude spurs songs about nihilistic desire, and fuzzy hallucinations of his sexual future. TWIN SIZE BEDS is a concert-play that fuses deadpan stand-up with a hormone-fueled musical blitz. Grab a juice box. You might be stuck in that splintered hiding place forever.

 

Cabin

January 6, 12 (Running Time: 45 minutes)

Sean Donovan (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

CABIN is the reconstruction of a memory—the story of three queer men in a poly-amorous relationship who move from Brooklyn to a cabin in upstate New York, and of the violence that befalls them. Through monologue, film, dance, and live music by Heather Christian,CABIN surveys the lines between myth and memoir, the complexity of intimacy, and the magnitude of loss.

 

Macbeth in Stride

January 5, 7 (Running Time: 75 minutes)

Whitney White (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

MACBETH IN STRIDE is a live concert and theatrical event that excavates the underbelly of female ambition. With throbbing orchestrations of vintage rock, White traces the fatalistic arc of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth while exorcizing demons of her own. One in a five part series on Shakespeare's women, this concert-play is a battle cry for black female power and desire.

 

The Nosebleed

January 5, 9 (Running Time: 85 minutes)

Aya Ogawa (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

THE NOSEBLEED is an intimate autobiography that explores playwright/director Aya Ogawa’s fractured relationship with her long-deceased and enigmatic father. Through a series of turbulent, absurd, and poignantly comic vignettes, Ogawa reveals the seemingly insurmountable cultural and generational gap between herself and her father, and the questions she faces in her own motherhood today.  A theatrical memorial and healing ritual for the audience, this darkly humorous, tender, and inventive play considers how we inherit and bequeath failure, and what it takes to forgive.

 

The Space Between the Letters

January 5, 10 (Running Time: 70 minutes)

Eva von Schweinitz (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

A dot of light turns into a line, into a shape, into words. Writing becomes a physical, virtuosic feat. Easels swirl in an intersectional flipchart ballet that unpacks the legal, social, and political dimensions of adult literacy in the United States. In this ensemble lecture, performers weave personal stories, handmade infographics, and histories of discrimination and disenfranchisement.

 

Lorelei Ramirez: ALIVE! (For Now)

January 6, 13 (Running Time: 60 minutes)

Lorelei Ramirez (USA)

Tickets: $25

 

Take note: this may be the last time we will all be assembled in this room—some of us might die someday. Ramirez's playful morbidity seeps through in this multi-media comedy special, which invites us all to be unsettled together in this unsettling moment. Crafting at the intersection of art and comedy, Lorelei perverts the familiar and profanes the sacred—all in pursuit of one last laugh.

 

UNDER THE RADAR PROFESSIONAL SYMPOSIUM: JANUARY 3-5

 

The Under the Radar Professional Symposium is a three-day event on January 3-5, featuring a chance to see full productions of festival shows as well as keynote speakers and featured artist speakers. Attendance at the Symposium is strictly limited to presenting and producing professionals in the field. For more information on the UTR Symposium, please email utrsymposium@publictheater.org.

 

The Under the Radar Professional Symposium is a pre-conference event of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (formerly the Association of Performing Arts Presenters) and is held in conjunction with the APAP|NYC 2019 conference. APAP is the national service, advocacy and membership organization for presenters of the performing arts and the convener of APAP|NYC, the world’s leading gathering of performing arts professionals, held every January in New York City. For more information on this year’s APAP conference, visit www.apapnyc.org

 

JanArtsNYC

Every January in New York City, more than 45,000 performing arts leaders, artists, and enthusiasts from across the globe converge forJanArtsNYC. A partnership among eleven independent multidisciplinary festivals, indispensable industry convenings, and international marketplaces, JanArtsNYC is one of the largest and most influential gatherings of its kind.  For more info visit, www.janartsnyc.org.Promotional support provided by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

 

ABOUT JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLIC:


JOE'S PUB, 
named for The Public Theater’s founder Joe Papp, opened in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. Under the new leadership of Director Alex Knowlton, this fall begins Joe’s Pub’s 20th Anniversary Season of presenting the best in live music and performance nightly, committed to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. The venue also offers opportunities like New York Voices, an artist commissioning program that provides musicians resources and tools to develop original theater works; Joe’s Pub Working Group, an artist development initiative; The Vanguard Award & Residency, a yearlong series that celebrates the career of a prolific and influential artist, who leads their own artistic community; and nationwide programming partnerships. Commissioned artists include Mx Justin Vivian Bond, Bridget Everett, Daniel Alexander Jones, Ethan Lipton, Toshi Reagon, Allen Toussaint and more. The venue’s food and beverage partner is NoHo Hospitality Group, helmed by acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually.

 

ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER:

 

THE PUBLIC is theater of, by, and for all people. Artist-driven, radically inclusive, and fundamentally democratic, The Public continues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation’s first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public’s wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, The Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City’s five boroughs, Public Forum, Under the Radar, Public Studio, Public Works, Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Joe’s Pub.  Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 170 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. publictheater.org

 

 

2019 UNDER THE RADAR TICKET INFORMATION

 

Public Theater Member and Partner tickets for the 2019 UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL start at $20 and are available now. Single tickets to UTR shows start at $25. Tickets can be accessed online at www.publictheater.org; The Taub Box Office at The Public at 425 Lafayette Street; or by phone at 212-967-7555, beginning Thursday, November 8. Tickets for partner venue events at TheMetropolitan Museum of Art and NYU Skirball can be purchased directly from the venues. All tickets are subject to facility and service fees.

 

The “UTR Pack” is back by popular demand. Purchase five or more UTR shows and save 5 dollars off each ticket. Good for all UTR shows at The Public and BRIC House. Visit www.publictheater.orgl.com to purchase your “UTR Pack” online. Each “UTR Pack” purchased over the phone and online is subject to a $1 per ticket package fee per performance. All sales are final, no refunds or cancellations. Exchanges must be made at least 24 hours before a performance. Good for all Under the Radar shows at The Public Theater, Joe’s Pub, and BRIC House.

 

Food and beverage service will be available during Under the Radar + Joe’s Pub: In Concert performances, but there is no minimum purchase required. The Library at The Public will also be open nightly for food and drink, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

 

For more information, please visit www.publictheater.org or;www.publictheater.org

Mariah MacCarthy's "Honors Students" at the Wild Project Oct 26 - Nov 11

Honors Students

by Mariah MacCarthy

directed by Leta Tremblay

Performances Oct 26 – Nov 11 at Wild Project

New York, NY —

Kora and Minnie are best friends. And honors students. (Duh.) They are as smart as they are mischievous. And yes they are plotting a scheme involving a lot of money and a little blood. But when their volatile relationship is threatened by Minnie’s friendship with awkward YouTube sensation Megan, all bets are off. In the tradition of Heathers and The Virgin Suicides, Mariah MacCarthy’s new play Honors Students asks one question: Who will survive?

“We were drawn to Mariah’s play Honors Students because it puts the ambiguities of female friendships and the extremes of being a teenage woman front and center,” says Olivia Levine, who plays Minnie.

Mariah MacCarthy, whose plays Mrs. Mayfield’s Fifth-Grade Class of ’93 20-Year Reunion and The Foreplay Play played in New York City apartments and whose show Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People has been viewed over 42,000 times on YouTube, has a growing reputation as one of downtown’s most dauntless writers. MacCarthy’s stories feature women who are raw, flawed, honest, ambitious, complex, and searching for themselves in the midst of chaotic circumstances.

Running time is 90 minutes

Honors Students features Arielle Goldman, Chris Harcum, Olivia Levine and Thanh Ta. Honors Students is written by Mariah MacCarthy, directed by Leta Tremblay with lighting design by Cha See; sound design by Jeanne Travis; costume design by Iliana Paris; blood effects by Stephanie Cox-Williams; fight direction by Jesse Geguzis, stage management by Michelle Navis assistant direction by Dylan Hoffman and produced by Hope Chavez.

Praise for Mariah MacCarthy:

“Sweet and boisterous…The show can’t boast the square footage or the design budget or the top-shelf liquor of an extravaganza like Sleep No More, but Mrs. Mayfield’s still feels like an adventure and an event.”

—The New York Times

“MacCarthy doesn’t pull any punches…funny, moving and unapologetically candid.”

—Time Out New York

“f*cking brilliant!”

—Kate Bornstein

“I really can’t recommend this play enough—as it will likely be a highlight of your theatrical year.”

—Theatre Is Easy

“You'll laugh out loud at this fun and fascinating show... this is the one to see.”

—BroadwayWold

Performance Schedule:

Friday Oct 26 at 8PM

Sat Oct 27 at 8PM

Sun Oct 28 at 2PM *matinee

Sun Oct 28 at 8PM

Mon Oct 29 at 8PM

Thurs Nov 1 at 8PM

Fri Nov 2 at 8PM

Sat Nov 3 at 8PM

Sun Nov 4 at 2PM *matinee

Sun Nov 4 at 8PM

Mon Nov 5 at 8PM

Thurs Nov 8 at 8PM

Fri Nov 9 at 8PM

Sat Nov 10 at 2PM *matinee

Sat Nov 10 at 8PM

Sun Nov 11 at 2PM *matinee

Location:

Wild Project is located at 195 E 3rd Street (b/w Avenues A and B). F train to 2nd Ave stop.

More info at: www.thewildproject.com

Tickets: $20

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Mariah MacCarthy (playwright) is a creatrix-of-all-trades. Work developed/presented at: Ensemble Studio Theatre, Rattlestick, Primary Stages, Culture Project, New Dramatists, Theatre Row, La MaMa, HERE, Dixon Place, The Brick, Atlantic Stage 2, Fringe NYC. Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award, Lotos Foundation Prize in the Arts and Sciences, Indie Theater Hall of Fame, PoNY nominee. Plays: Mrs. Mayfield’s Fifth-Grade Class of ’93 20-Year Reunion ("a lot of fun " -The New York Times), Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People (Ensemble Studio Theatre, viewed over 41,000 times on YouTube), The Foreplay Play (two NYIT Award nominations), Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story (twenty Looking Glass Forum Awards, FringeNYC “Outstanding Performance”), The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret(“f*cking brilliant” -Kate Bornstein). Executive Artistic Director of Caps Lock Theatre, Associate Artistic Director-at-Large of The Brick, writer-in-residence of The Propulsion Lab, member of Youngblood and Lather/Rinse/Repeat. http://www.mariahmaccarthy.com/

Leta Tremblay (director) is a Theatrical Director based in New York City who strives to create space for Intersectional Feminism, Queer Voices, and Revolution in her artistic pursuits. The New York Times called her work; “Sweet and boisterous… an adventure and an event.” She assisted acclaimed SITI Company Artistic Director Anne Bogart on Kurt Weill’s musical opera LOST IN THE STARS at CAP UCLA. Leta is a graduate of Smith College and the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute, where she now returns as a teacher and mentor. She is the Producing Artistic Director of Caps Lock Theatre and an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.letatremblay.com

Hope Chavez (producer) is a creative producer, arts administrator, and activist in New York City. She is a co-founder of Lyra Theater, dedicated to serving early-career artists across New York City. Hope currently serves as the Programs Coordinator at A.R.T./New York creating programming for and serving more than 400 non-profit theaters in New York. As the Managing Producer of The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, Hope leads this developmental program occurring every summer in NYC for theatre artists 25 and younger from across the US. Select producing credits: KEEN TEENS 2016, 2017, 2018 (Keen Company), SALTY (Lyra Theater), THE 24 HOUR PLAYS OFF-BROADWAY (Roundabout), MY HEART IS IN THE EAST (La MaMa), THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI (Lyra Theater), THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY & JOSEPH’S BABY (FringeNYC), THE 24 HOUR PLAYS: BROADWAY 2015, 2016, 2017 (The 24 Hour Plays), LUCKY CHICK (Fringe Encore Series). Upcoming: PUSSY GRABBER PLAYS (Joe’s Pub).