'With every ending comes a new beginning,' is a thematic message woven throughout the hit musical, Tarzan, performed by 36 Hilton Head Christian Academy students at the island's Seahawk Cultural Center.

Valentine's Day came a tad late for this historical-theatre devotee, but there is no home for disdain in my heart after a day like February 18th.

Van Kaplan is a man of many talents. His producing credits include award-winning Broadway shows such as AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, ON YOUR FEET, EVITA, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and MATILDA. Van is also on the board of the Broadway League and is the executive producer of Pittsburgh CLO. We had the honor of speaking with Van on day three of the THEatre ACCELERATOR. Here are some of Van's key points: 

This week, I had the chance to talk with Fiona Campbell, Nick D'Alessandro, and Anneliese Moon from the cast of A PIECE OF MY HEART at Rollins College.

Denver North and Strive Prep High Schools present IN THE HEIGHTS, February 23, 24 and 25 at 2960 Speer Boulevard. This is the first production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical by a Colorado High School. 

Don't miss the Briarcrest High School spring production, INTO THE WOODS, continuing February 23-25, featuring six performers from the nationally renowned a cappella group OneVoice. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Not every high schooler can say that his high school production was directed by a former cast member of the show. But for Saugatuck High School, the students are getting the opportunity of a lifetime. 

Jess here. Every once in awhile you hear about a show that you would do just about anything to see. Although the stages of Las Vegas offer a variety of amazing entertainment options on a nightly basis, it's a rare occasion to have the opportunity to see a multi-talented performer whose career spans across several different medias; from TV to film to Broadway. When I saw that The Smith Center for the Performing Arts was hosting a show featuring Santino Fontana I was ecstatic! Initially scheduled for a two night run, Fontana's Friday night show was cancelled due to a foot of snow closing down all of the NYC area airports. Thankfully, 'the show must go on' adage rang true, and Fontana was welcomed to the sunny desert on Saturday night by an eagerly awaiting, over-packed house.

This is the third post in my series about Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR. THEatre ACCELERATOR utilizes new technology to develop musicals in a unique way. For a full explanation of THEatre ACCELERATOR, see my first post here. 

This week, Cinderella at UHS celebrated an annual holiday and our own victory. On Tuesday, after indulging in one too many chocolate kisses, I prepared for my Valentine vocal tech. These rehearsals have been some of my favorite this process! In a brief amount of time, I have overcome a variety of my obstacles in vocal production. Post rehearsal I had a break through realizing how much I have to be proud of. While I receive devoted guidance from my teachers, I know that my personal drive is starting to pay off. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I plan to inch towards it each and every day. Into the evening, my most anticipated staging rehearsal was held! (?)

The THEatre ACCELERATOR utilizes new technology to develop musicals in a unique way. Participants use video conference software to talk with industry experts from around the country. (For more information about the THEatre ACCELERATOR, see my latest post here.) Last week, artists jumped into their first week of virtual workshops. 

Happy Valentine's Day, Drama Kids! I can't wait to spend the whole day with my true love, the Fiddler revival soundtrack.

Beautifully directed and full of life, this high school production of the iconic musical left audiences humming as they exited the theatre.

Last Saturday I attended the Broadway tour of Once The Musical. I knew that they had won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2012, but I had never really looked into the show.  I had expected it to be not my favorite of the Broadway series at The Hanover Theatre, but I had been totally wrong. The music was mesmerizing, and the set was cleverly done. Before the show, they let the audience up on stage to buy their drinks from the bar in the pub set that they had created. Not only did that set double as a pub, but also a music store, a house, a Hoover repair shop and much more. Without large changes of sets, they created these different environments with tables, chairs, and a change of lighting. Sam Cieri and Mackenzie Lesser-Roy were strong leads as Guy and Girl followed by an equally strong cast of characters. The simple staging of the show made the small moments usually missed by the audience, more exposed and made the show more emotional. Kudos to Steven Hoggett, the movement director, for flawlessly using movement to move the show along in an eye catching way. Overall, it was a beautifully written and performed musical, that I would see again if I had the chance and would recommend to friends! 

???????Can the world of musicals learn something from tech startups? Tim Kashani, who comes from both worlds, thinks so. This is the idea behind Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR. Apples and Oranges Studios has produced Tony award-winning musicals such as AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, MEMPHIS, and HAIR.  

I am happily writing to you from a much needed snow day at home. Unfortunately, this caused my most anticipated rehearsal to be canceled for today. (No spoilers here!) Being snowed in gave me an opportunity to rest and reflect on my first Act one run of Cinderella this week! As a company, we were able to put together and receive feedback on our performance. This rehearsal makes me look forward to our next run and all my opportunities to improve along the way. 

At my high school, we have a Senior Arts project where we have to read a short story by a chosen author, write a paper, pick a theme, and perform an art piece in either theatre, dance, music, or visual art. I chose theatre (of course) to portray my theme of fear of change.

I had the chance to talk with Beth Marshall, Savannah Simerly, Kit Cleo, and Melina Kay from Beth Marshall Presents' THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at the Garden Theatre.

Have you been wanting to see a poignant, funny and professional play without spending a lot of money? Look no further than ANATOMY OF GRAY by Jim Leonard. With nothing more than some hay bales and a projection backdrop, the Mountain View High School production takes us back to the 1800's.

Jess here.  Last summer I had the opportunity to spend a week in Carmel, Indiana with 39 of the most talented teens I've ever met.  What happens in Carmel, you ask…?  THE SONGBOOK ACADEMY!  Now in its eighth season, the Songbook Academy is an annual week long summer music intensive designed for teens who are passionate about the music of the Great American Songbook.  Michael Feinstein, the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in 2007.  Each year he helms the program, and brings Broadway actors, Grammy and Emmy winners, and faculty from collegiate arts music programs to work alongside him in educating students about the rich history, songs and composers associated with the Great American Songbook. 

Students from Mountain View, Eagle and Centennial High Schools have joined together to bring us TARZAN. Directed by Centennial Drama Teacher, Machaela Burt, this Tarzan rendition is the stage musical based on the Disney film.

Opening March 31st, the Union High School Performing Arts Company will be presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. I would like to welcome everyone to a new series on my blog where I share my thoughts on the path to creating magic. Going into my 10th and final UHSPAC production playing Marie / Fairy godmother is already proving itself to be an exciting challenge. As I reflect on my high school theatre career, so much has led me to this moment.

Jess here.  In my very first article I wrote about what makes a good show.  One of the points that was brought up included the importance of having a cohesive ensemble (and by ensemble, I mean the entire cast). I had the pleasure of seeing these words come to life on stage this past week.  I saw two high school theatre productions, each perfectly demonstrating the role a cohesive ensemble plays in taking a show to the next level.  

I'll never forget the day I found out the first-ever BroadwayCon was happening. I saw the headline in big, bold letters, and could barely believe my eyes. I WENT INSANE (tbh, that's an understatement). I began jumping up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs!!! For years and years, I'd been constantly rambling on about how desperately I wanted a Broadway convention to happen. Finally, it was going to be a reality, and I was overwhelmed by joy and surprise! The first year of BroadwayCon was absolutely unforgettable-and not just because we got stuck at the Hilton in the midst of that crazy blizzard!!

We love musicals. Musicals are so common, so known, and so loved. Almost everyone knows of iconic musicals like Wicked and Chicago. Every theater kid knows every word to The Phantom of the Opera. The best part about musicals is that they are universally popular. The idea of a musical is not a niche, cult-followed topic. Musicals are enjoyed by the non-theater people as well. I mean, look at Hamilton. Its popularity beyond the theater community is staggering. But what about the other side of theater? What about the side where performers do not break out into song and dance every few minutes, solve their problems with a six-minute tap number, or sing catchy lyrics that stick in the audience's mind for the next few weeks? Yes, I am talking about straight plays. Why don't we hear about their impact and popularity? Why don't I see theater kids running around wearing The Glass Menagerie shirts instead of Dear Evan Hansen? This leads to the basis of this article: let's support straight plays.