Bill Johns News

Dear Readers, it looks like we have a new show topic trend hitting us square in our CPU, artificial intelligence and how it’s becoming more and more a part of our world. There’s a new musical about robots falling in love about to start on Broadway. And in the last week I’ve seen two shows in this vein, the latest, “Abacus” by Duane Kelly from Red Rover Theatre Company, currently playing at West of Lenin, is sweet but needs more and less to say simultaneously.

Unknown painter Nora Baker in 2016 visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where things quickly get weird. From New York she travels to an artist's studio in southern France in 1900. Nora desperately wants to get back to 2016 but Paul Cezanne, another obscure artist with his own problems, is not being helpful. Also ensnared in Nora's crisis are an art historian from Utah and Cezanne's gardener.

Red Rover Theatre Company presents the world premiere of 'Visiting Cezanne', a play by Duane Kelly, at 18th & Union Arts Space in Seattle.

Producer Hal Luftig announced today that Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Anthony Edwards will make his Broadway debut alongside Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff in the hotly anticipated revival of Mark Medoff's groundbreaking play, Children of a Lesser God.

The 39 Steps, a comedy by John Buchan, takes the stage at Westport Community Theatre with performances from June 9 through 25.

Tickets are on sale now for the national touring production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien. This lavish new production will make its West Palm Beach premiere May 9-14 at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts as part of a North American tour. 

This lavish new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, announces Charlotte Maltby as Maria Rainer, beginning January 3 in her national tour debut. Charlotte Maltby begins in Milwaukee, WI, then continues to Indianapolis, IN. Scroll down for a peek at Maltby and O'Brien in rehearsal! 

Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway, celebrates the holiday season with steamy retrotainment in a cozy speakeasy environment. Perfect for date night, holiday party or out-of-town guests, Uptown Underground is home to The Kiss Kiss Cabaret and Chicago Magic Lounge as well as other regular performers from burlesque to drag, cabaret to circus.

KRAKW, Poland, May 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/

Broadway-bound new musical, Come From Away, presented by Seattle Repertory Theatre, wins four Gypsys, tying with another new musical, Lizard Boy, also produced by Seattle Repertory Theatreand also with four Gypsys, a company that has been known for years as a powerhouse dramatic straight-play playhouse! 

Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle is pleased to present the nomination slate of the fifth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.

Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway, celebrates the season like none other with chill-warming craft cocktails in a cozy speakeasy environment featuring retrotainment from burlesque and magic to cabaret and circus arts six nights a week. Featured performers include The Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Chicago Magic Lounge, Brass Chuckles Comedy, The Cabaret Project, Boy Toy's Pocket Cabaret, Pervesk' Burlesk', Muffy Fishbasket's Drag Nights, Acrobatica Infiniti and many others. Nightly cover charge ranges from $5 to $40 and includes a full evening of entertainment. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the first performance, usually beginning at 8 p.m. Uptown Underground is a 21 and over venue, minors are permitted with parental accompaniment. For advanced tickets or information visit www.UptownUnderground.net.

A strong ensemble is crucial in most any play, especially when dealing with commedia dell'arte as each performer takes on typical archetypes which when combined create a solid show. Assuming, that is, there are no weak links. Luckily with STAGEright's current commedia production of "I Gelosi" the ensemble here is quite strong. Furthermore David Bridel's play goes beyond a simple commedia and delves into a potential history of one of Europe's most famous commedia troupes and creates an intriguing and heartfelt piece about the power of theater.

Continuing with its new 'incite change' mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK: 2049, a rapid-fire, raucous festival of 17 world premiere theatre pieces ranging from under a minute to 20 minutes in length, all set in a positive post-apocalypse and reflective of contemporary society's current challenges. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the productions!

Due to popular demand, Taproot Theatre extends The Matchmaker through October 26, giving audiences an additional week to join the adventure and enjoy this classic play that inspired Hello, Dolly!.

The legendary, awarding winning Negro Ensemble Company celebrates 45 years of excellence with the benefit production The Monkey on My Back! (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) on the Irene Diamond Stage at The Perishing Square Theater, 480 West 42nd Street, New York. Debbi Morgan, best known for her 30 year tenure in the role of Angie Hubbard in the daytime soap opera 'All My Children,' writes and stars in this hard hitting dramedy. 'We are ecstatic to have our friend Debbi at the NEC.' exclaims Charles Weldon, NEC Artistic Director. 'We have watched her meteoric rise to stardom and this dynamite production is as equally stellar.'

The Matchmaker is coming to Taproot Theatre this September, promising a story of love, adventure and humor with heart. Thornton Wilder's hit comedy about love, money and the love of money has matchmaking busybody Dolly Levi brokering true love for a wealthy businessman. Will anyone get what their heart desires? Unlikely circumstances and hilarious complications bring surprises at every corner in this play that inspired Hello, Dolly!. Producing Artistic Director, Scott Nolte directs The Matchmaker, which opens tonight, September 20 and runs through October 19, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The legendary, awarding winning Negro Ensemble Company celebrates 45 years of excellence with the benefit production The Monkey on My Back! (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) on the Irene Diamond Stage at The Perishing Square Theater, 480 West 42nd Street, New York. Debbi Morgan, best known for her 30 year tenure in the role of Angie Hubbard in the daytime soap opera 'All My Children,' writes and stars in this hard hitting dramedy. 'We are ecstatic to have our friend Debbi at the NEC.' exclaims Charles Weldon, NEC Artistic Director. 'We have watched her meteoric rise to stardom and this dynamite production is as equally stellar.'

The Matchmaker is coming to Taproot Theatre this September, promising a story of love, adventure and humor with heart. Thornton Wilder's hit comedy about love, money and the love of money has matchmaking busybody Dolly Levi brokering true love for a wealthy businessman. Will anyone get what their heart desires? Unlikely circumstances and hilarious complications bring surprises at every corner in this play that inspired Hello, Dolly!. Producing Artistic Director, Scott Nolte directs The Matchmaker, which opens September 20 and runs through October 19, with previews on September 18 and 19. There is a Pay What You Can performance on September 25.

Tony Award-winning playwright Larry Kramer is the recipient of the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for an American Playwright in Mid-Career as well as a Master American Dramatist award