Brandon Wardell News

Windy City Playhouse (3014 W. Irving Park Road) announces the complete casting for Gina Gionfriddo's "Becky Shaw," the dark, "ferociously funny" (The New York Times) comedy. Jeff Award winner Scott Weinstein directs the final production in Windy City Playhouse's third season, starring Theo Allyn ("The Matchmaker" at Goodman Theatre) in the title role as Becky Shaw.

Steep Theatre will introduce another emerging British playwright to Chicago with the U.S. Premiere of Cordelia Lynn's Lela & Co., directed by Robin Witt, featuring Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel and Chris Chmelik. This production will mark Lynn's U.S. debut, but Chicago audiences are no stranger to the work of director Robin Witt. Witt, a Steep Company Member, has been at the helm of some of the ensemble's most memorable shows, including Simon Stephens' Wastwater, Motortown, Pornography, and Harper Regan; Dennis Kelly's Love and Money; and Alistair McDowall's Brilliant Adventures. She won the 2015 and 2016 Jeff Award for Best Director for Griffin Theatre's Flare Path and London Wall.

RUDE, the weekly night of comedy held every Tuesday at Williamsburg's South 4th Bar, has announced their line-up of shows and performances for June 2017, kicking off on June 6th. The June roster includes Rude's new monthly queer showcase, a comedy showcase hosted by Crissy Milazzo and Brandon Wardell, and a 'video party' by comedy collective Ground Floor Comedy.

Steep Theatre's U.S. Premiere of Cordelia Lynn's Lela & Co., directed by Robin Witt, will feature Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel and Chris Chmelik. Gonzalez-Cadel will make her Steep Theatre debut, and this will be Chmelik's third Steep production, after Simon Stephens' Motortown and Howard Korder's The Hollow Lands.

From July 20-22, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents its second annual District of Comedy Festival, bringing together acclaimed stars and rising acts for an all-laughs takeover of the nation's center for the performing arts. Headlined by a one-night-only NSO Pops concert with Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess, the festival, with Presenting Sponsor Capital One, features stand-up shows, music, theater, and performances for children and families in spaces across the Center. The District of Comedy Festival also coincides with a brand new edition of the Kennedy Center's popular collaboration with Chicago's The Second City, which will run for eight weeks in the Theater Lab.

The Jeff Awards announced, via a special video presentation, a total of 127 nominations in 26 categories for the 44th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017.  Hosting the video presentation were Alexis Roston and Lillian Castillo, who will be this year's Mistresses of Ceremonies at the Awards event on June 5 at The Athenaeum.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announced plans today for the 2017.18 Pops Season. The season includes six subscription concerts: Under the Streetlamp with the cast of Chicago's Jersey Boys; Holiday Pops with Andreas Delfs; a semi-staged production of the beloved musical My Fair Lady; Great Balls of Fire! with pianist Tony DeSare; Patriotic Pops with Stuart Chafetz and Broadway star Capathia Jenkins; and Great American Songbook with Jeff Tyzik and vocalist Ashley Brown.

Under the Streetlamp featuring former leading cast members of hit Broadway musicals including Jersey Boys,comes to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Tuesday, April 18 at 8PM. Under the Streetlamp is a celebration of classic hits from the American Radio Songbook covering the 1950s through the 1970s. The show features tight harmonies and slick dance moves that take audiences back to an era of sharkskin suits, flashy cars and martini shakers. A flashback to a time when, on hot summer nights, people would gather under a streetlamp to sing their favorite rock and roll songs.

Drums and DJs. Monsters and mysteries. Victory. A legion of young heroes battles villains, saves the underdog, and once again makes dreams come true as Adventure Stage Chicago revives its electrifying 2012 production before embarking on its first-ever national tour. Influenced by comic books, video games, hip hop, urban mythology, and Latino folklore, this collection of vignettes celebrates youth as everyday heroes taking us on a thrilling, heartfelt journey. Scroll down for photos!

Under The Streetlamp is coming to the Warner Theatre for a live, one-night only performance on Friday, March 24 at 8:00 pm.  Featuring former leading cast members of hit Broadway musicals including "Jersey Boys," Under The Streetlamp is a concert celebration of classic hits of the American Radio Songbook from the 1950s-1970s.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of Northwestern Settlement (the Settlement), presents the touring version of 2012's Six Stories Tall, written by Marco Ramirez and directed by ASC Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis. The production includes performances in Chicago (March 21 - April 29), the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN (March 29 - 31), and The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College in New York (May 5).

 Under the Streetlamp is coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse for a live, one-night-only performance on Wednesday, May 17 at 8 p.m. as part of the Ridgefield Magazine Broadway and Cabaret Series partially underwritten by Adam Broderick Salon and Spa.  Featuring former leading cast members of hit Broadway musicals including "JERSEY BOYS," Under the Streetlamp is a concert celebration of classic hits of the American Radio Songbook from the 1950s-1970s. Their shows feature tight harmonies and slick dance moves that take audiences back to an era of sharkskin suits, flashy cars and martini shakers. Also part of the Pepsi Rock Series powered by Xfinity, the show is a flashback to a time when, on hot summer nights, people would gather under a streetlamp to sing their favorite rock and roll songs.  Media sponsor for the event is CPBN Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network.

The “highest court in the land” just took on a new meaning in THE HIGH COURT, a new Comedy Central series from comedian Doug Benson.

Earthquakes in London has been extended through March 18. With the original run close to sold out, there are now eight more opportunities to catch this "dazzling," "epic" production! 

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of Northwestern Settlement (the Settlement), presents the touring version of 2012's Six Stories Tall, written by Marco Ramirez and directed by ASC Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis. The production includes performances in Chicago (March 21 - April 29), the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN (March 29 - 31), and The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College in New York (May 5).  As a participatory arts company, ASC productions feature multiple options for audience engagement.

The Kentucky Center presents UNDER THE STREETLAMP: ROCKIN' ROUND THE CLOCK on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 8 p.m. at the Brown Theatre (315 W. Broadway, Louisville).

The “highest court in the land” just took on a new meaning in THE HIGH COURT, a new Comedy Central series from comedian Doug Benson.

Steep Theatre will present the first professional U.S. production of Tony nominee and Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett's Earthquakes in London, opening January 26, 2017. Steep's production opens on the heels of another Chicago production of this enormously exciting playwright's work, the critically-acclaimed King Charles III at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Earthquakes will be helmed by one of Chicago's most exciting talents, Steep Ensemble Member and Jeff Award-winning director Jonathan Berry.  Berry recently directed Steppenwolf Theatre's Constellations, and, over the years, has consistently produced some of Steep's most notable shows, including Season 15's Posh by Laura Wade, which won the Non-Equity Jeff Award for Best Ensemble, and was nominated for Best Director and Best Production. 

As we start our new year, we are offering a more comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which will now include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature COPENHAGEN in Washington, DC, FENCES in Salt Lake City, an exclusive behind-the-scenes video of FUN HOME in Denver and more. Check out our top features below!

It seems rather poetic that newly appointed Artistic Director Will Davis's first production at American Theater Company, MEN ON BOATS, focuses rather literally on charting new frontiers. Jaclyn Backhaus's witty, entertaining play (which Davis previously helmed with a different ensemble off-Broadway) offers a fictionalized account of Major John Wesley Powell's expedition along the Colorado and Green Rivers towards the then-unknown Grand Canyon. The titular men on boats comprise a crew of ten split among four vessels-and all are played by women or gender non-conforming performers.