William Martin News

New York, New York

On April 22, 2014, the Broadway stars of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon came together and joined an amazing line-up for Ryan Black's 88's THE SONGS OF BOUBLIL & SHONBERG, LES MIS SAIGON.

Wine and mystery seem made for each other in Le French Book's French wine country mystery series. The mystery and thriller publisher just released the Kindle version of a third book in the Winemaker Detective series. In Nightmare in Burgundy, expert wine critic Benjamin Cooker leaves his native Bordeaux for Burgundy, where he is accepted into a prestigious wine-tasting brotherhood. This dream wine-tasting trip soon turns into a nightmare when he stumbles upon a mystery revolving around messages from another era.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) has announced its 2014 Writer Access Project Honorees, a slate of 15 diverse television writers who've competed in Comedy and Drama script categories.

'I love the wine-plus-crime premise for a whodunit,' says Anne Trager, founder of the mystery and thriller publisher Le French Book, 'and we are thrilled to continue this series. It's a huge hit on French television.'

For one more weekend only, MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals is producing FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday themed spin off of Stuart Ross' 1990 Off-Broadway revue/jukebox musical FOREVER PLAID. In 1964, the four rising stars passed when they collided with a bus filled with Catholic schoolgirls on their way to see The Beatles American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. In FOREVER PLAID the group got to enjoy a second chance at sharing their voices with the world. Now, in FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS they have returned again, but this time they have to discover why they were allowed to sing for the world-weary living.

Now, the two girls take center stage in Ivy+Bean: The Musical, adapted by Scott Elmegreen and coming to South Coast Repertory Nov. 8-24. Tickets are available online at www.scr.org for this Theatre for Young Audiences production on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

The Art Institute of Chicago once again embraces the holidays by offering visitors from near and far wondrous new additions to the museum, art-filled events and programs, music, miniatures, mistletoe, and more. The festivities begin with the museum's 22nd annual Wreathing of the Lions ceremony on November 29, 2013 and continue through Wednesday, January 8. This season, the Art Institute offers passion, inspiration, creativity, and contemplation—experiences that will last the whole year.

3-D Theatricals present LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, currently running Oct 11th - 27th, 2013 at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton Ca. 92832. Choreographed by Linda Love Simmons, Directed by David F.M. Vaughn, Musically Directed by John Glaudini. Tickets are available at www.3DTshows.com.

Who doesn't start dreaming when they read about the countryside of Médoc covered with a blanket of morning fog? Add some crime, a renowned wine critic and vintner with a handsome sidekick and readers get a whodunit immersed in France and French gourmet attitude.

As the dog days of summer needlessly drag on in Houston, enveloping the city in oppressive heat, Michael J. Ross' MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals is presenting LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Roger Corman's notorious 1960 low-budget horror-themed comedy The Little Shop of Horrors serves as the basis for this cult favorite and classic musical. The cherished musical premiered on May 6, 1982 at the Workshop of the Players' Art (WPA) Theatre. It went on to garner critical acclaim Off-Broadway when it opened on July 27, 1982 at the Orpheum Theatre. The Off-Broadway production enjoyed 2,209 performances across its 5 year run. Its popularity and notoriety lead to the 1986 film adaption of the musical as well. 31 years later, the musical is still a favorite among producers and audiences alike, and MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals' production easily proves why.

After receiving critical acclaim and box office sellouts earlier this season for Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music Box Musicals will round out its inaugural season with an up-close-and-personal presentation of the cult classic Little Shop of Horrors at The Music Box Theater, 2623 Colquitt, Houston, TX, today, August 8 through August 31, 2013.

After receiving critical acclaim and box office sellouts earlier this season for Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music Box Musicals will round out its inaugural season with an up-close-and-personal presentation of the cult classic Little Shop of Horrors at The Music Box Theater, 2623 Colquitt, Houston, TX., August 8 through August 31, 2013. For show times and more information on the cast and production, visit Facebook.com/MusicBoxMusicals.

Bayou City Theatrics' STEPHEN SCHWARTZ SPECTACULAR is set for tonight, July 12, 2013 at 8:00 pm. Celebrate the musical genius of Stephen Schwartz in a sensational concert and fun-filled carnival atmosphere!

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer, has announced a one-night-only concert version of the acclaimed, rarely produced musical KISMET, presented by Musical Theatre West at the University Theatre on the CSULB campus tonight, June 30 at 7 p.m. KISMET is presented as part of the Reiner Reading Series, which presents concert-style versions of some of Broadway's forgotten gems.

Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer, is proud to announce a one-night-only concert version of the acclaimed, rarely produced musical KISMET, presented by Musical Theatre West at the University Theatre on the CSULB campus on Sunday, June 30 at 7 p.m. KISMET is presented as part of the Reiner Reading Series, which presents concert-style versions of some of Broadway's forgotten gems.

Bayou City Theatrics' STEPHEN SCHWARTZ SPECTACULAR is set for July 12, 2013 at 8:00 pm. Celebrate the musical genius of Stephen Schwartz in a sensational concert and fun-filled carnival atmosphere!

3-D Theatricals presents PARADE now through May 26, 2013 at Plummer Auditorium, 201 East Chapman Ave, Fullerton, Calif., directed by T.J. Dawson, choreographed by Dana Solimando and musically directed by David Lamoureux. BroadwayWorld was there for opening night and brings you photos from the celebrations below!

Bayou City Theatrics is continuing their inaugural season with Houston's first locally produced professional staging of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA. The musical, with a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, was originally produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions, and ran on there from March 23, 2000 to September 5, 2004 for a total of 1,852 performances. The successes of the Broadway production lead to two national tours. The 2002-2003 equity tour served as a duplicate of the Broadway staging; however, David Henry Hwang revised the book for the 2006-2007 non-equity second national tour, creating a show that was a bit darker by removing some of the campy comedy from the character of Amneris. Having seen both tours, it seems that the version licensed by Music Theatre International is the same book used by the Broadway version.