Kathy Strain - Page 13

Samantha Ware who is currently playing Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon is no stranger to the stage. She started her musical career at the young age of 4 where she became a member of her church choir. Samantha was born and raised in Lincoln Nebraska and got a chance to perform in community theater as well as her high school shows. Her first real show was at the age of 8 when she performed in 'A Christmas Carol.'

Derek Keeling is best known for his run on NBC's 'Grease: You're the One That I Want,' in which he placed third in Broadway's largest national casting call. Keeling made his Broadway debut in the summer of 2008 as Danny Zuko in Grease. He also played Johnny Cash in the first National Tour of 'Million Dollar Quartet.' He is continuing to pay tribute to Johnny Cash with a special performance in his home state of West Virginia. I recently caught up with Derek and he shared his reasons for wanting to do the tribute.

Samantha Ware who is currently playing Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon is no stranger to the stage. She started her musical career at the young age of 4 where she became a member of her church choir. Samantha was born and raised in Lincoln Nebraska and got a chance to perform in community theater as well as her high school shows. Her first real show was at the age of 8 when she performed in 'A Christmas Carol.'

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. My sisters took dance classes several nights a week, so it was easier for my Mom to just bring me along. I think I was about six when I started taking class. One weekend a bunch of the moms were taking their daughters to audition for The St. Louis MUNY and I tagged along. I marched in place and belted out 'You're a Grand Old Flag' at the top of my lungs and, to my delight and surprise, ended up being cast in the children's ensemble of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. I became addicted to performing almost instantaneously. I went on to do shows at The MUNY and other local theaters for many years to come.

If the phrase 'male a cappella group' conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses... think again. STRAIGHT NO CHASER are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch (sncmusic.com). Started by a group of college students at Indiana University in the 90s, STRAIGHT NO CHASER has enjoyed many years of success. Their unique sound and individual shows keep the audience coming back for more.

Interview with Artistic Director, Greg Hinojosa, Kevin Murray and Megan DeYoung.

Jason Forbach, currently touring the nation in the 25th Anniversary of LES MISERABLES as Enjolras, will releases his new, original single titled 'Revolutionary' available today. This song written by Forbach and writing partner Wesley King, 'Revolutionary' taps into Forbach's experience on the barricades, creating an inspired song about self empowerment through music. The single is also accompanied by a folk rendition of 'Bring Him Home' from 'LES MISERABLES.' This recording marks Forbach's third solo recording following 'A New Leading' and 'Remembering To Dream' all available on iTunes and other online retailers.

Jason Forbach will release his new single, 'Revolutionary' today, August 1, 2013. Below is a little taste of what you can expect. Be sure to check out iTunes and Amazon or Jason's website, www.jasonforbach.com today, August 1, to get your copy.

Volunteers at the Majestic Theatre get more than just a chance to see shows, they make friends for a lifetime.

Jason Forbach who plays Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary North American Tour of Les Miserables will release a new single on August 1, 2013. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ear Candy, a non-profit organization that helps supply instruments to schools.

Ian Patrick Gibb wanted to give back to a school that gave him so much. He hosted a fun-filled night of music and memories for everyone present

During Ian Gibb's recent benefit concert in Wichita, Kansas, he performed an original version of the 12 Days of Christmas with a Les Mis twist.

f you remember when MTV was all videos and you wore legwarmers, then chances are that you remember when the movie FLASHDANCE was released. The year was 1983 and the setting was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Even though Jillian Mueller is still in her teens, she is already a veteran to Broadway and touring around the country. She has played in such shows as 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' 'Bye, Bye Birdie,' American Idiot,' 'Memphis' and her latest show FLASHDANCE playing the lead role of Alex. She shared with Broadway World some of her great moments on stage as well as the hard work she had to make it to where she is today.

Singer-songwriter and Grammy nominee Seth Glier knows the challenges of emerging into adulthood all too well. Over the course of just a few short years, Glier has gone from opening act to headlining his own shows as well as major folk festivals, all culminating in a nod from the Grammys this year for the work he did on his sophomore record, THE NEXT RIGHT THING. Having spent the majority of his teens and early twenties on the road, the now 24-year-old Massachusetts native describes his new album THINGS I SHOULD LET YOU KNOW as 'a reckoning with adulthood."

I left high school a year early to go to a small acting conservatory in California called PCPA, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. It was a perfect training program for me, focused on acting, Shakespeare, voice and movement. It was a rigorous schedule, 10-6 every day except Monday and then rehearsal and performances at night. It was a challenge to find time to do homework. You could find me performing in 'The Miracle Worker' or 'Tommy' and meanwhile, offstage, I'd be trying to read 'Othello' and memorize 'A Lie of the Mind' for class the next day. It was a great place to train because there is a huge regional theatre intertwined with the conservatory, so we would take classes during the day and then act alongside our professors that night. It was an incredible way to see and honor everyone's unique process of crafting character, and begin to forge one's own process.

On Monday, April 29, Ramin Karimloo visited the University of Texas Austin Campus and spent time with some students doing a Master Class. Ramin and I got a chance to catch up and find out what his plans for this tour are and what the future holds for him.

Keleen Snowgren was born in Missesota but moved to Texas at a very young age. She considers herself a Yankee Texan and loves to spend time with ther family including her 25 cousins. Keleen shared with us her experiences on the road with a hugely popular new musical, THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

Austin's Texas Performing Arts had a Season Preview Party on Thursday, April 25, 2013.