Paula Makar - Page 3

WOW! What a fun show! I love some of the crazy lines that just pop up out of nowhere, like “Phil Collins can be kick ass sometimes!” Rock of Ages definitely lived up to its hype, and I was super fortunate to see this production. This well paced show boasted soooo many strong performances, I hardly know where to begin.

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, I had the excellent opportunity to sit down with Eric Sciotto, Director and Choreographer of Rock of Ages at MTWichita, and Brian J. Marcum, Artistic Director at MTWichita. It was a wide ranging interview, with a very stream of consciousness feel, and they were gracious enough to grant me an hour over a lunch break during rehearsal last Tuesday. The energy was high, and I was able to get some excellent insight into Eric’s choreographic process. I also spoke to Brian about leading MTWichita into a new era.

Having wanted to start a Summer Theatre at Cowley College for the past five years, director of theatre Nick Albrecht is excited to announce the inaugural season of Summer Theatre thanks to a generous grant from the V.J. Wilkins Foundation and the hardworking staff at Cowley College.   The Summer Theatre will offer two productions as part of this first year: Guys & Dolls by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows, and Seussical, the musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.  

Rock of Ages is coming to the Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover, KS. It’s running May 31 through June 4. The show starts at 7:30pm and tickets start at $25!

Attention Wichita Area Performers! The Crown Uptown and Injoy Fountain presents Broadway Bootcamp, featuring seven days of intense training from industry professionals in Voice, Acting, and Musical Theatre Dance followed by a Showcase at the end to bring it all together. Currently there are only 10 Spots Available!

Over 50 years after the death of Louis Armstrong, the American icon’s only child, Sharon Preston-Folta, comes forward in the acclaimed PBS documentary, Little Satchmo. After living closely in the shadows of her father, Armstrong’s secret daughter reveals a family and their relationship that was kept entirely invisible - until now.

HAMILTON is coming to Century II in Wichita, KS!! Single tickets are on sale to the public at BroadwayWichita.com or by calling 1-316-755-7328. Tickets will be available for performances June 6–18, 2023.       

I saw this show last night and it was brilliant! It's going to sell out quickly, so please get your tickets ASAP! My review is forthcoming. From the creative minds of the Mischief Theatre Company, this Tony winning farce portrays the doomed opening night of THE MURDER AT HAVERSHAM MANOR. The play won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award. 

What did our critic think of THIS IS OUR YOUTH at Jabara Flexible Theatre In De Mattias Hall At Newman University?

The Crown Arts Collaborative (CAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission of returning theatre and art to the historic Crown Uptown Theatre, presents the first non-musical production of its inaugural season with Calendar Girls, a stage play based on a true story and popularized by the 2003 film of the same name. Performances run weekends August 26 - September 18 at the Crown Uptown, with Friday and Saturday show times at 8:00 PM, and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM.

Wayne Bryan reluctantly leaves his role as Man in Chair in MTWichita's season finale, The Drowsy Chaperone due to medical reasons. Replacing him for the show will be John Scherer.

Roger Miller (KING OF THE ROAD) and William Hauptman’s musical adaptation about Mark Twain’s rebellious teenager Huck and a runaway slave named Jim, takes off, raft and all, on Roxy’s stage August 4, 2022. The limited engagement runs through August 20, 2022 for just 12 performances.

The Wedding Singer made its Regional Debut at the Crown Uptown in July. It’s super fun, high energy musical based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, with music by Matthew Sklar (Elf, The Prom), book by Chad Beguelin (Aladdin, Elf, The Prom) and Tim Herlihy (Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore), and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. The Wedding Singer's score is rife with 80’s pop references, which made me ponder the question, “From which actual hits were the show’s songs derived?”

WhHeathers: The Musical is the comically dark story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy teenage misfit who offers her forgery skills to the Heathers, the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High, in exchange for the good life. Before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with J.D., the new kid who doesn't take any crap from the Jocks. When Heather Chandler kicks Veronica out of the group for defending Veronica's geeky friend, Martha 'Dumptruck,' Veronica begs for Chandler's forgiveness, but J.D. has other plans. There is LANGUAGE and ADULT THEMES. PG-13 for sure.

The American Theatre Guild, the largest not-for-profit touring Broadway presenter in the nation announced that LEGALLY BLONDE - THE MUSICAL will join the 2022-2023 Broadway in Wichita Series at the Century II Concert Hall alongside the Add-On production of THE CONCERT: A TRIBUTE TO ABBA. The 2022-2023 Broadway Series now includes LEGALLY BLONDE - THE MUSICAL, January 28-29, 2023; ANASTASIA, March 17-19, 2023; DEAR EVAN HANSEN, April 11-16, 2023, and HAMILTON, June 6-18, 2023. The season add-on will be THE CONCERT: A TRIBUTE TO ABBA, December 29, 2022.

Opening the 2022-2023 Season for Roxy’s Downtown is Heathers: The Musical, which is set to run until July 23rd.

The Crown Arts Collaborative (CAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission of returning theatre and art to the historic Crown Uptown Theatre, continues their inaugural theatrical season with The Wedding Singer, the Tony Award-nominated musical based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film of the same name. Performances run weekends July 15 - August 7 at the Crown Uptown, with Friday and Saturday showtimes at 8:00 PM, and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. This will be the regional premier of The Wedding Singer, the first time the show has been produced by a professional company in Wichita or surrounding markets.

After a two year hiatus, Music Theatre Wichita is FINALLY back in the Century II Concert Hall and Wichita Theatregoers couldn’t be happier! There was no better way to celebrate the return than an incredible performance of 42nd Street! I’m sad the show didn’t run another week, and sadder still if you didn’t get to see it. For those who did, it was nothing short of magnificent!

Kechi Playhouse is happy to announce the second production of their 40th year: Everybody Loves Opal by John Patrick, July 8-31.