The Little Show

Fertile Ground 2026 wrapped up last weekend, and on the whole, it was fantastic. I saw 17 shows, which included readings of plays by well-known local playwrights, new works by rising stars, and some fun genre-bending original performances. Here are my notes about the final set. If you missed my first two review roundups, find them here and here.

A joyful revival that reanimates the spirit of the show that once jolted Broadway.

The large majority of our 41 Broadway theaters were built to be Broadway theaters. Other than the Winter Garden, which was originally a horse exchange, the Nederlander, which was originally a carpenter’s shop, and the Broadway and Lunt-Fontanne which were originally movie theaters, every current Broadway house was intended from the beginning to present Broadway shows. As for off-Broadway? The opposite is true.

The December 28 and 29 concert will celebrate the wit and brilliance of legendary Satirist Tom Lehrer. Read a conversation with Bobby about the show and Tom Lehrer’s comedy legacy.

For years, Broadway musicals have spawned multiple film adaptations, from the early days of cinema to Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story. Take a look at our list of 15 musicals that have danced their way to the screen more than once!

The Hawai'i Performing Arts Festival has announced its highly anticipated 2025 season, A Summer of Love, taking place July 2-20 across Hawai'i Island. Now in its 21st year, the Festival continues to cultivate the next generation of artists while presenting transformative performances for audiences throughout the Big Island and beyond.

This time, the reader question was: There are only three states in America without known Broadway musicals set within their borders. Can you guess which three? WE're breaking it down state by state.

The Firehouse Theatre, in collaboration with the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and the Richmond Planet Foundation, has commissioned playwright Kristen Adele Calhoun to dramatize the life and times of John Mitchell Jr., the “fighting editor” of The Richmond Planet Newspaper.

‘We Are Ipswich’, an independent collective of nationally acclaimed arts and heritage organisations, is bringing the festive spirit to Suffolk like never before. This season, they’re joining forces to launch Ipswich Entertains for Christmas – a campaign showcasing a spectacular line-up of premier league art and culture that promises thrilling, high-quality entertainment for all ages.

The critically acclaimed RUTKA, a powerful new musical adapted from Rutka's Notebook, has released “The Match,” performed by the show's songwriters Joceyln Mackenzie and Jeremy Lloyd-Styles. “The Match” is available today from Rialto Records on all streaming platforms. Check out video of the show's composers performing the song in the recording studio below.

The DTES Heart of the City Festival announced its lineup for 2024, featuring over 100 events including music, theatre, and visual arts, celebrating the cultural diversity and artistic talent of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

This production of Cabaret combines creative and thoughtful direction and design with incredible talent on stage and off. It is a difficult show that hits hard in many ways, and the team at Theatre Harrisburg meets the challenge of Cabaret head on.

Broadway went downtown to experience Life And Trust: a world of money, sex, and power unfolding in the heart of New York’s Financial District. Life And Trust celebrated a starry Broadway night at Conwell Tower (69 Beaver Street). Check out photos from inside the the event.

The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of CABARET, directed by Michael Barnard ~ outstanding and exemplifying excellence in theatre.

The American Symphony Orchestra announced its 63rd season of four full-orchestra concerts at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, and St. Bartholomew’s Church, featuring a free opening performance titled Beyond the Hall at Bryant Park on September 6, repeated and also free at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts in Queens on September 7. 

From theatre biographies to theatre fiction; theatre books for kids to theatre history; check out our collection of 25 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's Summer 2024 reading list.

Paul Vasterling, the longtime CEO and artistic director of Nashville Ballet, makes his debut as a director of musical theater with his revival of Cabaret – which he also choreographs – in a much-heralded and eagerly anticipated production for Franklin-based Studio Tenn. The timely and sumptuous revival allows audiences an opportunity to consider the prescience of the classic Broadway musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb that debuted in 1966 and which has continued to fascinate and challenge artists of the theater the world over almost 60 years later.

As many students of history know, 1929 was the beginning of a chaotic, and often tragic, decade for the United States. Seven months after a small stock market crash and recovery on March 25, the bottom fell out.

Roundabout Theatre Company has just announced additional casting for the special Benefit Reading of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, directed by Scott Ellis. Check out who will join previously announced Kelli O'Hara and Rose Byrne.

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is a sweeping play that covers 164 years of history as it weaves together fact and fiction to chart the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers. The play’s title mirrors the ambition of the piece: It has a run-time of over three hours that unfolds in three acts — all performed by only three actors. The trilogy in the title is thus a literal reflection of the play’s structure and the roles, but it’s also suggestive of the piece’s mythical nature. Likewise, playwright Stefano Massani’s script (adapted by Ben Power) has a rhythmic storytelling style; the actors often narrate their own stories and actions in a chamber theater type of presentation. Although the run time is long, the fact that THE LEHMAN TRILOGY covers so much ground means it remains interesting throughout — although I found I was ultimately more intellectually than emotionally stimulated.

Roundabout Theatre Company will present a special Benefit Reading of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, directed by Scott Ellis starring Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Presenter of variety shows with Broadway stars and podcast 'Backstage Babble' interviewER becomes our interviewEE as we learn about his early start, the current agenda of activities, and look forward to a future celebrating theatre's past (his favorite pastime---and job).

BroadwayWord sat down with Educational Theatre Association's Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year Matthew Wolfe to discuss winning this award, his thoughts on creating a safe, inclusive theatre department, and his hopes for his future, as well as the future of his students and program.

Jason Danieley is a candidate for caring who takes care in how he sings and speaks his heart. 

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park announces the addition of new and rarely seen classical works to their Fall Festival 2023 lineup. Get ready to experience Kenneth MacMillan's Ballade, Gemma Bond's Brain on Fire, and Herman Cornejo's The Apartment. Find out more about these captivating performances and secure your tickets today.