Matt Caplan News

Having established itself as the premiere night of new musical theatre in Los Angeles with last years' sold out debut season, A LITTLE NEW MUSIC returns to Rockwell: Table & Stage in Los Feliz with an innovative program featuring fresh music with Broadway and local talent.

Once again the FESTIVAL OF NEW AMERICAN MUSICALS will be enthusiastically recommending an evening of LA's most talented young performers singing songs from the new America musical theater at ROCKWELL TABLE & STAGE in Hollywood on March 4 at 8pm.

Funny, intelligent, and profoundly moving, Amy Herzog's play 4000 MILES---now on stage at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through November 17---is a bittersweet, emotionally rich play filled with heart-tugging situations and amusing true-to-life moments between a grandmother and her grandson. Directed by David Emmes and featuring an outstanding performance by TV/Stage vet Jenny O'Hara, Herzog's stirring play feels mostly like a well-paced collection of interesting conversations that we just happen to eavesdrop on like proverbial flies on a wall.

Playwright Amy Herzog looked close to home when writing 4000 Miles; her own grandmother inspired the creation of the play's character, Vera.

Tonight, September 30, 2013, Spare Some Change, presents the event, 'Artists Using Their Voice for Homeless Youth'. Located at the King King on 6555 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028, tickets are on sale now, and will also be made available at the door $15.00

Monday September 30, 2013, Spare Some Change, will be presenting the event, 'Artists Using Their Voice for Homeless Youth'. Located at the King King on 6555 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028, tickets are on sale now, and will also be made available at the door $15.00 This will be an evening of full-blown entertainment, proceeds to benefit the 'American Street Kid', a groundbreaking documentary that shines a light on the forgotten kids, who are currently living on the streets of America. 'American Street Kid' is just one of the many written and directed by Michael Leoni.

The District Stage Company will present Broadway Unplugged, described as an evening packed with songs from electrifying shows to hit the Great White Way in recent decades, with Broadway stars Rebecca Naomi Jones, Adam Chanler-Berat, Matt Caplan and Andy Señor Jr., under the musical direction of Jared Stein, with special guest Matt Nakoa, for three performances only on Friday, March 29 at 8:30 PM, and Saturday, March 30 at 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM at South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 Street in Cutler Bay, FL.

Fugitive Songs is the Drama Desk-nominated musical from Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen. The folk-infused contemporary musical theatre score includes many of Miller and Tysen's most well-known songs. The studio cast includes Karen Olivo (Tony winner for West Side Story and In the Heights), Gavin Creel (Tony nominee for Hair & Thoroughly Modern Millie), Joshua Henry (Tony nominee for The Scottsboro Boys), Matt Caplan (Spider-man, Rent), Alysha Umpress (On A Clear day, American Idiot), and Barrett Wilbert Weed (Lysistrata Jones).

Yellow Sound Label presents the joint album release concert of Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen's Fugitive Songs and Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham's Next Thing You Know at Le Poisson Rouge, tonight, September 9th. The concert will feature some of Broadway's best young talent including Lauren Blackman, Andrew Durand, Christopher Jackson, Adam Kantor, Andrew Kober, Kyle Dean Massey, Andy Mientus, Karen Olivo, Kate Rockwell, Alysha Umphress and Barrett Wilbert Weed.

Yellow Sound Label presents the joint album release concert of Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen's Fugitive Songs and Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham's Next Thing You Know at Le Poisson Rouge, September 9th. The concert will feature some of Broadway's best young talent including Lauren Blackman, Andrew Durand, Christopher Jackson, Adam Kantor, Andrew Kober, Kyle Dean Massey, Andy Mientus, Karen Olivo, Kate Rockwell, Alysha Umphress and Barrett Wilbert Weed.

Yellow Sound Label to host a release party for Miller and Tysen's Fugitive Songs and Salzman and Cunningham's Next Thing You Know on Sunday, September 9

If you're looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world, look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark star Reeve Carney has extended his contract with the production to May 2012, and will continue to play the role of 'Peter Parker/Spider-Man' through that time. For several weeks this winter, while Carney takes a brief leave to film the starring role in Jake Scott's upcoming untitled Jeff Buckley biopic, it is intended that 'Peter Parker/Spider-Man' alternate Matthew James Thomas and cast member Matt Caplan will assume the role.

SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark, has played to over five-hundred-thousand audience members, as of yesterday's matinee performance. The 500,000th ticketholder, Australian youngster Jordan Muir, was surprised during the curtain call when Patrick Page (Green Goblin) invited the boy and his parents, Michelle and Rob Muir, onstage for a special recognition. Jordan was handed a gigantic bouquet of balloons, in Spidey's signature colors, as the crowd cheered. As they exited the theater, through the stage doors, photographers were waiting to snap pictures of the family. JorDan Held up a stage prop he had been given backstage: a copy of The Daily Bugle. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the celebration and brings you complete photo coverage below!

After years of delay, 70M+ in spending, casting and creative team do-overs, injuries and a Media Blitz unlike Broadway has ever seen before, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark opened at the Foxwoods Theatre on June 14, 2011. Click below to go behind the scenes of the making of the 'Rise Above' music video!

SPIDER-MAN's own Reeve Carney recently chatted with Time Out New York about how how he keeps himself in top Spidey shape. Carney revealed, 'For me, the show is my workout. [Spider-Man] is a really great cardiovascular workout. The biggest change I've noticed is that my reflexes have improved dramatically. But I never wanted to get any bigger. I'm onstage with a band, and I like to wear sleeveless shirts. The only rock star I can think of who really makes that work, with muscles, is Bruce Springsteen, and I'm not really like him. I love his music, but I wouldn't put myself in that category. It helps to be a little more slight-of-build.'

Welcome to the kick-off of BroadwayWorld's newest feature, and first-ever talk show, BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE. Follow Richard as he visits Broadway's best and brightest in their Broadway dressing rooms to talk about their lives, careers and all of the things you don't know, but want to know. The season begins with a unique joint chat with the lovebirds of SPIDER-MAN, Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) and Jennifer Diamiano who plays his object of his affection, Mary Jane Watson. Crammed into Carney's cozy dressing room (selected small, intentionally), Richard gets the scoop from the pair on the SPIDER-MAN journey from inside the room, how the company dealt personally with the media circus, working with artistic icons Bono, Edge and Julie Taymor, and that kiss.

In exactly one month and one day, Lortel nominated composer/lyricist team Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen (The Burnt Part Boys) raised the necessary funds to record the studio cast album of their 2008 Drama Desk Award nominated show Fugitive Songs.