Kyle Christopher West - Page 8

BWW Review: PASSING STRANGE at Theatre Three

At its best, theatre is an escape from our day-to-day lives, a mirror to society, and an opportunity to see something special. But, when that mirror is combined with a little smoke, the escape turns into an incredible disappearing act, the special becomes magical and the audience is spellbound.

BWW Review: SISTER ACT at Music Theatre Of Denton

BWW Feature: Youth-Helmed 'KidsWorks Festival' to Debut in July

Photo Flash: BYE BYE BIRDIE at The Firehouse Theatre

The Column Awards serves the dual purpose of recognizing talent amongst the diverse Dallas & Fort Worth Arts scene, and also as an avid fundraiser for the New York-based charity organization, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

Most actors receive a standard show contract for around 12 months, but that doesn't mean every actor hangs up their shoes and immediately walks into another show. In fact, not only do some actors extend their contracts, but some make an entire career out of an individual credit. Rob Ouellette, who is currently playing pianist Oscar and a member of the tap-dancing ensemble of the 42nd STREET national tour is about to shuffle into his 1,000th performance with the show on February 16th, 2017, so we caught up with him about his experience. Not only has Rob danced his way through six different companies of the musical, but he's performed several variations of the show's choreography, has worked three times with original book writer and director Mark Bramble, as well as with choreography icons Randy Skinner, Kelli Barclay, and Rick Conant, among others.

Photo Flash: MAME at Lyric Stage

JUNIE B. JONES IS NOT A CROOK might be intended as a lighthearted afternoon for elementary school students, but the lessons of honesty and friendship that are shared by the team at Dallas Children's Theater, however simple, are still meaningful and important for children today, and can even be a nice reminder for some adults.

Twenty-six-year-old dancer Ryan Steele might have the kind of credits most performers spend a lifetime creating, but if his constant laugh and honest vulnerability are any indication, this one-of-a-kind performer is as down to earth as they come. With four Broadway credits, a handful of television appearances, and a leading film role under his belt, Ryan is currently touring the US with the recent Broadway musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. Before his evening performance at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri (the tour arrives in Texas on January 31st), I caught up with Ryan about his impressive resume, and how he's juggling multiple roles in the physically challenging musical.

It's fitting that the weather on opening night of ANNIE as Bass Hall was gloomy and quite wet. Despite the redundant anthem boasting 'the sun'll come out tomorrow,' the quality of the current tour didn't seem so bright. With generally unremarkable performances across the board, any themes of hope or optimism felt anything but inspiring.

There's a brand new theatre company about to make a major splash in the gigantic pool of DFW theatres, and although it's not quite bathing suit season, this hot new troupe is ready to come out and play. With the opening night of their inaugural play, BUYER & CELLAR, now under their belt, Daum Theatre Company has hit the ground running with a quality production that holds its own against any established company in town.

With CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME currently onstage at the Winspear Opera House, ANNIE soon arriving at Bass Performance Hall, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS fast approaching the Music Hall at Fair Park, and several hit shows listed on the current seasons' schedule, it's hard to imagine that season announcements will soon arrive for the upcoming 2017-2018 season.

From January 21st through January 23rd, the students of Richland High School's Fine Arts Department will present the musical GODSPELL by Stephen Schwartz (WICKED, PIPPIN). Based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, GODSPELL is the musical tale of a group of people who work with Jesus to build a strong community. Through storytelling, games and comedic vignettes, the playful story and eclectic score demonstrates key moments of Jesus' life, leading the audience to find hope past the Crucifixion. Featuring the international hit, 'Day by Day,' Godspell features a series of well-known songs, including 'Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,' 'Learn Your Lessons Well,' 'All for the Best,' 'All Good Gifts,' 'Turn Back, O Man' and 'By My Side.'

By all accounts, 2016 has been quite the rollercoaster ride. Fortunately for DFW audiences, the local theatre community and many of the touring productions delivered nothing short of a stellar year, setting quite a high bar for upcoming performances. As we say goodbye to another December, we'd like to look back on a handful of memories that stood out among the long list of Playbills we've gathered. And like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, these live theatre moments will be remembered as a few of our favorite things. We present this list in no particular order, and without awards or titles bestowed upon those listed. To everyone who contributed to the DFW theatre community in 2016, we thank you for sharing your time and talents with us.

BWW Feature: TAP Into The Holiday Spirit With Creative Holiday Music Video by 42nd STREET Dancer Andrew Winans

Last week, I caught up with Daxton Bloomquist, who is not only a leading player among the cast of THE BOOK OF MORMON tour, but a long-time member of the musical's family. While walking his dog through Louisville, Kentucky ('a surprisingly nice city'), Daxton shared his experience of being on Broadway and on the road with the hit musical. This will be the first time he's part of the company that comes to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and he is very excited for that opportunity. Reuniting with his Dallasite sister, niece and nephew over the holidays, he exclaimed that this visit is '...like my dream.'

In August 2015, the a cappella group Pentatonix visited Dallas as an opening act for superstar Kelly Clarkson, although which act received more vocal support is certainly up for discussion. Fast-forward a year later, and the popular group just made a return stop in town - only this time, they were the headliner of an epic evening at the massive American Airlines Center.

Although many guests at the opening night of MainStage Irving-Las Colinas' sparkling production of CHICAGO commented that they've only ever seen the musical's famous (and fantastic) movie, the minimalist stage version has razzle-dazzled audiences for nearly twenty years, making it the longest running revival in Broadway history. While the show offers hardly more than a dozen scantily clad dancers, a bandstand, and a handful of feathers, the magic originally created by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse still manages to shine, even in community theatres across the country.