Photos: Stars Arrive at THE THANKSGIVING PLAY Opening Night!
Second Stage Theater's production of Larissa FastHorse's play, The Thanksgiving Play, directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, opened Thursday, April 20, at Second Stage's Hayes Theater (240 West 44th Street). BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out photos of stars arriving on the red carpet here!
BWW Interview: Hershey Felder of NICHOLAS, ANNA & SERGEI at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Offers a Moving Portrait of Rachmaninoff in His Latest Virtual World Premiere
Have you heard the one about Rachmaninoff and Anastasia? Well, Hershey Felder has quite a tale to tell you! On Sunday, May 16th, acclaimed pianist/performer Felder will portray the iconic Russian composer in Nicholas, Anna & Sergei, his latest world premiere livestream from Florence, Italy. Nicholas, Anna & Sergei explores the little-known story of a strange meeting of Russian piano virtuoso Rachmaninoff and Anna Anderson, a woman who claimed to be Princess Anastasia, the sole surviving member of the Romanov Dynasty. Set in the Beverly Hills house in which Rachmaninoff died in 1943, Nicholas, Anna & Sergei is a mesmerizing memory play imbued with the composer's most-beloved music.
Presented by Hershey Felder Presents Live from Florence in conjunction with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the show was written by Felder and directed by Felder and Italian film artist Stefano DeCarli. It promises Felder's uniquely entertaining blend of live performance, filmed elements, sumptuous visuals, gorgeous music, compelling drama and fascinating cultural history, all leavened with bits of wry humor. The production will also include guest stars such as world-famed soprano and actor Ekaterina Siurina as Natalia Alexandrovna Rachmaninoff, Klezmerata Fiorentina violinist Igor Polesitsky as Dr. Golitzin, and theatre and film actor J. Anthony Crane (who played the title role in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Cyrano) as Tsar Nicholas II. Helen Farrell will play Anna Anderson. Nicholas, Anna & Sergei will stream live at 5pm PDT, on Sunday, May 16, 2021 (with streaming on-demand access through May 23). To purchase tickets or find more information, visit TheatreWorks.org. Ticket sales directly benefit TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
BroadwayWorld spoke with Felder last week from his home in Florence while he was in the whirlwind of creating this world premiere. We talked about the craziness of producing these incredibly complicated multimedia livestreams during Covid times, how Rachmaninoff's music and story resonates so deeply for him, and his plans for a whole new season of offerings. Felder is always a delight to talk to - instantly engaging, funny, warm and knowledgeable - and any conversation with him is apt to go off on a number of unanticipated tangents. For example, who knew that Rachmaninoff was tickled pink by Mickey Mouse playing his Prelude in C #? Felder's use of language is also uniquely musical. But then, what else would you expect from a Canadian who grew up speaking English, Yiddish and French, and is now creating his latest work in Italy surrounded by a team of Russians?
Winners Of 2019 Berkshire Theatre Awards Announced
At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 11, 2019. This was the fourth year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.
BWW Review: AMERICAN SON at TheaterWorks
Sometimes the most powerful theatrical experiences are the ones that hit closest to home. In today's America, with racial and political divides growing ever wider and tensions building to a breaking point, it might just be a play like Christopher Demos-Brown's AMERICAN SON that will shine the brightest light on these issues, not only pointing out the flaws and imperfections, but providing a spotlight for all of us to truly see. And, by offering this intense and thought-provoking piece as its opening play (of the season and of their newly remodeled space), TheaterWorks Hartford boldly illustrates why it is well-qualified and well-appointed to deliver such a powerful night of theatre.
AMERICAN SON Opens TheaterWorks 34th Season
TheaterWorks Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero announced today the cast and creative team for AMERICAN SON, the first play of the theater's 34th season. The cast includes Ami Brabson, J Anthony Crane, John Ford Dunker and Michael Genet all making their TheaterWorks debut. AMERICAN SON is the first play to open in the theater's newly renovated space and runs October 18 through November 23, 2019. Press Night is Thursday October 24th at 7:30.
BWW Review: IF I FORGET at Barrington Stage Company A Rare and Powerful Mix of Reality and Raw Emotion.
There are a few slower moving moments in Tony Award winning (Book of Dear Evan Hansen) playwright Steven Levonson's work but there is plenty of pathos as well as lots of levity and laughter in IF I FORGET. The ensemble cast is very strong and extremely well balanced. So much so that at some point I stopped seeing individual performers engaged in their craft as actors and became totally engrossed in watching a family. While this may be somewhat attributable to my own personal connection to the subject matter as a member of the diaspora and secular Jewish community in suburban America, I think the Fischer family and its many dynamics will feel familiar to most. In other words, you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate this powerful and moving play, but it won't hurt. Many audience members will likely see their own family members on the stage. IF I FORGET explores, deeply, a family and its history. It looks at the past, the present, and how the future might affect them, as well as the legacy they should / will leave.
BWW REVIEW: No Empty Chairs at Opening Night of LES MISERABLES in Sioux Falls
The company of LES MISERABLES kicked off a five-day run in Sioux Falls Wednesday night to a full house of patrons excited to see one of the most beloved shows in theater. LES MISERABLES tells the story of redemption, love, and sacrifice in 19th century France as reformed prisoner Jean Valjean (Nick Cartel) works to make himself into a new man after serving nineteen years in jail under the watchful eye of Inspector Javert (Josh Davis).
Barrington Stage Co Announces Casting For 2019;
Mykal Kilgore, Julia Murney, Jonathan Raviv, and More
Barrington Stage Company announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary season. Casting will include Elijah Alexander, Mara Davi, Carson Elrod, Joel de la Fuente, Mykal Kilgore, Alyse Alan Louis, Kate MacCluggage, Jeff McCarthy, Julia Murney, Jonathan Raviv, Debra Jo Rupp and more. Full casting for the 25th Anniversary season is below.