Kyle Christopher West - Page 4

From the underground dance clubs of 1950's Memphis, Tennessee, comes the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is about a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves - filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock 'n' roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical and two 2015 Olivier Awards, Memphis features a Tony-winning book by Joe DiPietro and a Tony-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 6th.

I'm not sure that Broadway, or anyone for that matter, was asking for a jukebox musical about Gloria and Emilio Estefan's lives to take the stage in 2015, but after the success of musicals about Carole King (BEAUTIFUL) and recording industry legend Berry Gordy (MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL), I suppose you can't blame the pair (along with book writer Alexander Dinelaris) for trying. But, despite the handful of toe-tapping tunes, ON YOUR FEET! barely jumps off the page.

When CHICAGO last toured through town, I had the pleasure of speaking with Broadway's Dylis Croman, who returns to the national tour of CHICAGO next week, as the fame-obsessed merry murderess, Roxie Hart. With five Broadway shows under her belt, and several national tours, Ms. Croman returns to Texas, having graduated from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Ms. Croman is also no stranger to the musical CHICAGO; she's performed in the show alongside the likes of Billy Ray Cyrus, Bebe Neuwirth, Kara DioGuardi and John O'Hurley, to name a few.

Before American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance opened a window into entertainment industry auditions, it was Broadway's A CHORUS LINE that was inviting audiences behind the curtain for a raw glimpse into the life of aspiring performers. And, just as the original 1975 New York production took the city by storm, Uptown Players' sharp staging managed to become the talk of the town in their fleeting mounting of the show. Twenty of Dallas' best dancers (plus a few out-of-towners) brought the show to life with passion, poise, and precision.

When THE COLOR PURPLE opened on Broadway in 2005 it was well received, thanks in large part to the support of producing partner Oprah Winfrey, whose performance in the film twenty years earlier earned her an Academy Award nomination. The show left New York on a high note in 2008 and continued to tour through three separate national tours for several years. Flash forward to 2015, and a new interpretation of the Broadway musical has made its way back to the Great White Way. And amongst the relevant #metoo movement, the compelling story of THE COLOR PURPLE sings louder and prouder today than ever.

For only four performances last weekend, the two-person musical DADDY LONG LEGS crawled in and out of the Majestic Theatre as Lyric Stage's third production of the 2017-2018 season. And although the production wasn't much larger than a postage stamp, it was a theatrical love letter full of charm.

Lyric Stage's regional premiere of DADDY LONG LEGS stars Samantha McHenry, last seen at Lyric Stage as Diana Deveraux in OF THEE I SING, as Jerusha and Lyric Stage favorite Christopher J. Deaton, most recently Captain Phoebus in THE HUNCH BACK OF NOTRE DAME, as Jervis. Rick Estes directs the production with music direction by Scott Eckert. Scenic design is by Randel Wright and lighting design is by Julie Simmons. DADDY LONG LEGS runs January 19-21, 2018 at the Majestic Theatre. Performances are January 19-20 at 7:30 p.m and January 20-21 at 2:30 p.m.

Lyric Stage will produce the regional premiere of the new musical Daddy Long Legs at Dallas' historic Majestic Theatre.

Elish Conlon (White Christmas Natl. Tour) and Tim Fuchs (42nd Street Natl. Tour) teamed up to recreate and film the Jukebox Dance from the classic movie Broadway Melody of the 1940's with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell. With the help of Katharine Ponza (Tap dance faculty at Broadway Dance Center), Elish learned the dance and taught it to Tim. They both then re-imagined the dance to fit their original concept. This video is meant to honor the directors, performers, behind the scenes crew and highlight the brilliant choreography that made those movies magical. Filmed at the Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown NY. Elish, Tim, Sierra, and Tyler want wish everyone a Happy New year full of blessings!

Our readers have spoken, and the winners of the 2017 BroadwayWorld Awards were announced earlier this week. We are thrilled to support and celebrate each and every one of the winners and nominees, and we're grateful for everyone who participated in the reader's choice voting process. We understand that the arts are not a competitive sport, but we're always happy to acknowledge local artists. This year, rather than picking my own pocketful of favorite performances, I'm exited to instead announce a handful of fresh faces I discovered in 2017 that I'm eager to see back onstage in 2018. Having lived in Dallas a mere three years, I frequently catch performers onstage for my first time, even if they've been long-term staples in our community. Who will I find this year? I can't wait!

Oren Korenblum and his dancers from O.K. Dance Company NYC put on their tap shoes and headed onto the cold New York City streets to create this epic dance video. The company is filled with some of the country's best tap dancers who have collectively appeared on Broadway, in several national tours, and in many of the best regional theatres across the U.S.

Announcing The Cast of A CHORUS LINE at Uptown Players

The Firehouse Theatre Announces their 2018-2019 Season

When your job is to share your honest feedback on local productions, the only thing more disappointing than delivering a negative review is having a poor audience experience. So, it is with regret that I share that THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, Lyric Stage's first production of the 2018-2019 season, although it has some sweet sounding moments, rarely accomplishes more than testing the endurance of its ticket buyers.

This weekend only, Lyric Stage will perform Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NORTE DAME. Andrew Keeler makes his Lyric Stage debut as Quasimodo with Catherine Carpenter Cox as Esmerelda and Christopher J. Deaton as Claude Frollo. roudning out the cast is Brandon McInnis as Clopin Trouillefou, Erica Peterman as Florika, James Williams as Father Dupin, Sarah Comley Caldwell, Amber Flores, Cora Grace Winstead, Katie Moyes Williams, Shannon Conboy, Brigitte Reinke, Madison Calhoun, Alyssa Barnes, Vivian Frederick, Nancy Lopez, Sarah Lapaz, Samantha Been, Amy Stevenson, Teresa Natera, Justin White, Scott Sutton, David Meglino, Jonathan McInnis, Christian Teague, Dominic Pecikonis, Rodney Morris, Quinn Moran, Kieran Hansen, Colin Phillips, Dylan Prentice, Aaron Bunnell, Austin Zhuang, Alex Beane, Trey Cardona, Trey Tolleson, Robert Twaddell, and Brandon Loera.

If you're dreaming of a White Christmas this holiday season, look no further than the stages of Texas. Now in its 17th year of spreading festive fun, IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS is the tap-tastic wintery classic that perfectly marries the famous 1954 film with all of your old-fashioned Broadway dreams. And, with tour stops in Fort Worth, Dallas and San Antonio (three of only six 2017 stops), Texas is in for one super sweet holiday treat.

Not only does actress Karen Ziemba have a career for the history books, but her work in 2017 alone has been jam-packed with credits most performers would trade their career for. Since making her Broadway debut in A CHORUS LINE in 1975, Ms. Ziemba has worked steadily on the stages of New York, starring in everything from CRAZY FOR YOU to CONTACT to CURTAINS. Now back on the road in IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, I caught up with the actress about her transition from song-and-dance starlet to larger-than-life character roles.

With a catalog full of hits like JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and CATS, Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musicals seem to polarize musical theatre fans into those who either love him or those who feel like he is a no-substance sellout. And, although I occasionally find his lyrics a tad trite, I'm a self-confessed sucker for larger-than-life females with big, sassy vibrato. So, despite a few structural defects, the thrilling score of EVITA is an epic win. And, with Casa's talented team at the helm, the current production packs a whole lot of punch.

Broadway's Leading Lady, Mamie Parris will teach and perform with top theatre students in the state of Texas during the annual Texas Thespians State Festival in November. Nearly 8,000 high school theatre students will emerge on Dallas, Texas to attend the Festival. The festival is currently the second largest state gathering of high school theatre students in the United States.

The 1997 British comedy film THE FULL MONTY was such a surprise hit, winning four Academy Awards on this side of the pond, that it was no shock to see it musicalized on the Great White Way only three short years later. For Broadway, the setting had been relocated from Northern England to the Northeast U.S. (Buffalo, New York to be exact), and although the men's drawers continue to be removed, the humorous and heartfelt storyline remains faithfully intact. And fortunately, the same can be said of the current production Uptown Players, Dallas' favorite LGBT-focused theatre company who confidently bares it all for their eager audiences.