Podcasts about Neil Simon Theatre

Via Wikipedia: Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, revised considerably by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.[1] The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy Number 13, "Moonface" Martin, aid Billy in his quest to win Hope. The musical introduced such songs as "Anything Goes," "You're the Top," and "I Get a Kick Out of You." Since its 1934 debut at the Alvin Theatre (now known as the Neil Simon Theatre) on Broadway, the musical has been revived several times in the United States and Britain and filmed thrice. The musical has long been a popular choice for school and community productions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/musicspeaks-podcast/support

Via Wikipedia: Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, revised considerably by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.[1] The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy Number 13, "Moonface" Martin, aid Billy in his quest to win Hope. The musical introduced such songs as "Anything Goes," "You're the Top," and "I Get a Kick Out of You." Since its 1934 debut at the Alvin Theatre (now known as the Neil Simon Theatre) on Broadway, the musical has been revived several times in the United States and Britain and filmed thrice. The musical has long been a popular choice for school and community productions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/musicspeaks-podcast/support

Lee Siegel / @lee_siegel Lee grew up singing along to Jesus Christ Super Star and Annie the Musical. Fast forward to Lee's Broadway debut in...you guessed it, JCSS! On top of it, the show was in the Neil Simon Theatre, and the the first show to ever run in the theatre was, Annie! Lee is now a part of the cast of Paradise Square on Broadway. Enjoy our conversation! @Lee_Siegel (for Instagram & Twitter) @LeeSiegelMusic (on Facebook) @NewWerxProductions (for my theatre company, on insta and Facebook) NewWerxProductions.com - Lee's Theatre Company Singing Performances: https://youtu.be/naAjdC8ccCg https://youtu.be/OEwBI-Zq9ag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZb9_8TKht0 https://youtu.be/DcMkvMxHktw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHoy1ttmIWA https://builtforthestage.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee Siegel / @lee_siegel Lee grew up singing along to Jesus Christ Super Star and Annie the Musical. Fast forward to Lee's Broadway debut in...you guessed it, JCSS! On top of it, the show was in the Neil Simon Theatre, and the the first show to ever run in the theatre was, Annie! Lee is now a part of the cast of Paradise Square on Broadway. Enjoy our conversation! @Lee_Siegel (for Instagram & Twitter) @LeeSiegelMusic (on Facebook) @NewWerxProductions (for my theatre company, on insta and Facebook) NewWerxProductions.com - Lee's Theatre Company Singing Performances: https://youtu.be/naAjdC8ccCg https://youtu.be/OEwBI-Zq9ag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZb9_8TKht0 https://youtu.be/DcMkvMxHktw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHoy1ttmIWA https://builtforthestage.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Broadway News: MJ The Musical is now open on Broadway and to celebrate their opening and Black History Month, the team and Playbill have collaborated to release four collectable Playbill covers, for the first time in Playbill's 138-year history. The Playbills will be distributed to ticket holders throughout the month of February at the Neil Simon Theatre. These collectable Playbills, each featuring a different illustration of an iconic Michael Jackson pose by world-renowned illustrator, Nate Giorgio, mark the musical's opening and celebrate Black History Month. The original Broadway cast album of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Flying Over Sunset will now be released digitally February 18, 2022 and on CD April 1, 2022. The Broadway premiere of the Olivier Award-winning production of Martin McDonagh's new comedy Hangmen will open at Broadway's Golden Theatre for a limited 10-week engagement. The play will begin performances on Friday, April 8, 2022, with an opening on Thursday, April 21, 2022, Directed by Matthew Dunster, Martin McDonagh's Hangmen features “Game of Thrones'” Alfie Allen (Mooney) in his Broadway debut opposite David Threlfall (Harry) and is returning to Broadway for the first time in 25 years.   Two-time Tony winner, Chita Rivera is recapping her Broadway career for HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced her memoir today. The book, publication release date set for early 2023 and title to be determined, will also be published simultaneously by Harper Español. Rivera will be writing with Emmy-winning TV commentator and arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. According to a new casting notice, auditions are currently underway for a Broadway transfer of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella. The production is currently aiming to begin its New York run in Fall 2022 at a yet-to-be-named theatre. Broadway's longest running show made history on the anniversary of its opening in New York City. Last Wednesday night marked 34 years since "The Phantom of the Opera" first opened back in 1988. And for the first time, a Black actor, Emilie Kouatchou took over the female leading role of Christine. Special Interview with the fabulous Kelli O'Hara, currently starring in The Gilded Age. Follow @BwayPodNetwork on Twitter. Find co-hosts on Twitter at @AyannaPrescod, @CLewisReviews, and @TheMartinAcuna. Subscribe To BPN's newsletter HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catch up with Jade and Keia down to the kitchen table for a quick holiday check-in. We don't celebrate genocide or revisionist history but we ALWAYS practice gratitude and we ALWAYS gon EAT. Thank y'all for being a part of our family. Support the Show: There's a deal for every moment of the McDonald's 123 Dollar Menu. Order Ahead on the McDonald's App today! Prices and Participation May Vary MJ the musical takes audiences behind the scenes of the Dangerous Tour to witness the creative process of this one-of-a-kind artist and one of the greatest entertainers in history. Performances begin December 6th at the Neil Simon Theatre in the heart of New York City. Get more info and tickets at MJTheMusical.com  Upstart is the fast and easy way to pay off your debt with a personal loan – all online. Find out how Upstart can lower your monthly payments today when you go to Upstart.com/GROWN https://gettingrown.co/ https://www.patreon.com/gettingrown Email: GettinGrownPodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @GettinGrownPod IG: @GettinGrownPod Facebook: www.Facebook.com/GettinGrownPodcast

On this week's episode of #TheFriendZone, Assanté walks us through physical, augmented and virtual realities and what it means for the quality of our lives. Are you signing up for the Metaverse? Black Business of the Week - https://www.maryamhasnaa.com THE FRIEND ZONE IS ON PATREON! Sign up now to catch our 4 spin-off shows (with audio, video and BTS images) and Livestream Tour: www.patreon.com/TheFriendZonePodcast Thank you to our Sponsors: McDonald's - This episode of The Friend Zone is brought to you by the McDonald's 123 Dollar Menu. 
 MJ The Musical - Performances begin December 6th at the Neil Simon Theatre in the 
heart of New York City. Get more info and tickets at https://mjthemusical.com Talkspace - Match with a licensed therapist when you go to https://www.talkspace.com and get one hundred dollars off your first month with the promo code ZONE. 
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Join Jade and Keia at the Kitchen Table for a conversation about "The Great Resignation" and the ways that the world is shifting around professional work, career planning, and overall health and wellness. Resource Referenced in today's episode https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/19/1047032996/why-are-so-many-americans-quitting-their-jobs https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/07/great-resignation-can-be-an-opportunity-to-transition-to-a-new-career.html Support the Show: We're hosting a special video event sponsored by Target, talking all about the artists and performances from the Uncontained stage at Afropunk Atlanta. Make sure you tune in Thursday, November 11th, to check it out! It's one day only, so mark your calendar for 11-11 and we'll see you then at AfropunkRewind.com. Engage your brain with fun puzzles and collect tons of cute characters with Best Fiends. Download the 5-Star Rated game on the Apple App Store and Google Play for free! That's FRIENDS without the R- Best Fiends! This is Uncomfortable is a podcast from Marketplace about life and how money messes with it. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts. MJ the musical takes audiences behind the scenes of the Dangerous Tour to witness the creative process of this one-of-a-kind artist and one of the greatest entertainers in history. Performances begin December 6th at the Neil Simon Theatre in the heart of New York City. Get more info and tickets at MJTheMusical.com. Celebrate your legacy. Invest in the future. Together, we are Black Beyond Measure. Visit Target.com/BlackBeyondMeasure to learn more. Order ahead on the McDonald's App and get two of your faves for just six bucks. Price and participation may vary. Single item at regular price. Limited time offer. https://gettingrown.co/ https://www.patreon.com/gettingrown Email: GettinGrownPodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @GettinGrownPod IG: @GettinGrownPod Facebook: www.Facebook.com/GettinGrownPodcast

Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress and is one of only four singers to have sung for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, first in 1980 as the lead female vocals of the six-piece band Prima Donna and then two years later as part of a double act Bardo.Her first West End appearance was in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Subsequent West End productions include Margie and Young Phylis in Follies at the Shaftesbury, Chess at the Prince Edward Theatre, Rizzo in Grease at the Dominion Theatre and Ruby Keeler opposite Brian Conley in Jolson at the Victoria Palace Theatre and then Toronto, as Grizabella in Cats at the New London Theatre, Mrs Big in The Villain's Opera at the Royal National Theatre and, more recently, as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Royal National Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, directed by Trevor Nunn, as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, as Miss Berta in Acorn Antiques - The Musical at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket and as Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls at the Picadilly Theatre. Sally Ann also appeared in the world premiere of Take Flight at The Menier Chocolate Factory, playing Amelia Earhart. Other stage appearances include Jubilee at Her Majesty's, a Judy Garland tribute concert at the London Palladium, Jill Kemp in Mister Cinders at the King's Head, Lady Evelyn in the workshop premiere of a new Stiles and Drewe musical Tutankhamun at Imagination, Lucy in Snoopy at the Watermill Newbury, Nancy in Oliver! at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester and Rebecca Hershkowitz in Rags at the Bridewell Theatre. Sally Ann starred in Phil Wilmott's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Liverpool Empire. Shakespeare's classic battle of the sexes had been transported to wartime London, where Sal played the feisty Beatrice (played by Emma Thompson in Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation), she also appeared in the review Make Me A Song, based on the works of William Finn and as Marge in Absent Friends at the Watford Theatre. More recently Sal has appeared as Donna in Mamma Mia! at the Prince Edward Theatre, as Maria Merelli in Lend Me A Tenor at The Theatre Royal, Plymouth and Mistress Page in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor at Stafford Castle. Sal has played Diana in the Drama Centre Theatre's production of Next To Normal in Singapore and, between 2012 and 2015, Sal has created the roles of Lauren in Viva Forever at the Picadilly Theatre, Judy/Liza in My Judy Garland Life at the Nottingham Playhouse, Peggy White in The Last Ship at The Bank of America Theatre, Chicago (later transferring to The Neil Simon Theatre, New York) and Billie Dore in the 2015 Chichester Festival Theatre production of A Damsel In Distress.On television Sally Ann appeared in the award-winning short film The Fishing Trip and played one of the leading roles in Magic, a six-part drama series set in Hamburg. Her recent TV appearances include Doctors, Down to Earth and EastEnders, all for the BBC. For more information see www.sallyanntriplett-official.com

Listen and be inspired by one performer's journey to BROADWAY! Featured guest, Emily Grace Kersey played Cassandra in the Broadway Revival of Cats and shares details of the audition and rehearsal processes and what it was like performing at the Neil Simon Theatre. Discover Emily's Brown Cat kismet moment and how she felt moments before taking the stage for her opening night. Since making her Broadway debut she has founded Broadway Bound Initiative in which Emily mentors performers on their path to Broadway through setting actionable goals. Check out her 8-week online course titled KICKSTART your Broadway Career on the Broadway Bound Initiative website! Emily Grace Kersey: Emilygracekersey.com Instagram: @emilygracekersey YouTube Channel BROADWAY BOUND INITIATIVE Website: Broadwayboundinitiative.com 8-week online course: KICKSTART your Broadway Career Instagram: @broadwayboundinitiative Show some love and be sure to rate, review and subscribe to the A Dancer's Guide Podcast on your favorite podcast app! Visit adancersguide.com for more information on topics discussed in this episode Follow A Dancer's Guide on social media Instagram: @adancersguideofficial Interested in Sponsoring this Podcast? Email adancersguide00@gmail.com & let's chat! What Dance related topics do you want to hear about the most? Tell us by completing the A Dancer's Guide SURVEY! Special thanks to all of our listeners!

Born in the small town of Lubbock, Texas, Steven Skybell knew at the age of 10 as Pavel the peasant boy in the local theatre version of Fiddler on the Roof that the stage was where he belonged. A graduate of both Yale University's undergraduate and graduate theatre studies programs, in 1988 Steven stepped right off the stage at Yale Repertory and onto the boards at the Neil Simon Theatre for his broadway debut in Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! Classically trained in Shakespeare, ironically Steven does not think of himself as a musical theatre performer. But to everyone else? His performance as Tevye in the Yiddish version of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF directed by Joel Grey is a tour de force and the performance of a lifetime. The show was sold out and seen by celebrities and politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Hugh Jackman, Baryshnikov, Lin-Manuel Miranda (to name a few).The production won the 2019 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Revival, the 2019 Critics Circle Special Citation Award and Steven won the 2019 Lucille Lortel for Best Lead Actor in a Musical. The show was the brain child of both Joel Gray and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's (NYTF) Artistic Director, Zalmen Mlotek. Steven has appeared on broadway in shows such as, Love! Valour! Compassion!, WICKED, and The Full Monty. He and his husband, Michael Cole (who is Stephen Schwartz's personal assistant), live a couple of hours north outside the city in a little town known as Mahopac, NY. They have 2 children "fur babies" named MacKenzie and Caleb both are Blue Merle Australian Shepherds. If you ever find yourself on the lake in this lovely little hamlet, you might even see Tevye slaloming across the wakes and doing some tricks.I will tell you that that Steven is as lovely to converse with as he is on stage. Honest. Charming. Kind. Funny. Interesting. He says the trick to acting is If the thought is clear then the actor's message will get across. Steven Skybell is truly a very rich man!

Good morning theater fans! This is Caryn Robbins with The Broadway Scoop for Tuesday, March 3rd. Broadway grosses are in for the week ending March 1, and Tony winner Ivo van Hove’s reimagined version of the classic American musical WEST SIDE STORY enjoyed strong returns at the box office. The production, which officially opened on February 20, played to 100 percent capacity and took in nearly $1.6 million. Four Broadway productions played to S.R.O. seating capacity this week, including COME FROM AWAY, HADESTOWN, MOULIN ROUGE! and HAMILTON, which once again led the pack by earning over $2.6 million. The full creative team has been announced for MJ, the Broadway-bound musical inspired by the life and work of Michael Jackson. Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Christopher Wheeldon, the production will feature sets by Tony winner Derek McLane, lighting by Tony winner Natasha Katz, costumes by Tony winner Paul Tazewell and sound design by Tony nominee Gareth Owen. Preview performances are set to begin on July 6 at the Neil Simon Theatre, ahead of an official opening on August 13.And preview performances for the Broadway revival of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? get underway tonight at the Booth Theatre, ahead of an official opening on April 9th. Two-time Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf stars in the production alongside Rupert Everett, Russel Tovey and 2019 Olivier Award winner Patsy Ferran. Tony winner Joe Mantello directs the strictly limited engagement. And that's The Broadway Scoop for Tuesday, March 3rd.

General Manager Carl Pasbjerg of Alchemy Production Group talks about the true meaning of "show business" and the ultimate importance of being a jack of all trades. From Phantom in Las Vegas to Come From Away all over the world, we discuss how being open to opportunity and always ready to mobilize led Carl to a career in producing and managing some of Broadway's biggest success stories. You can find out more about the work of Carl and his team at www.alchemyproductiongroup.com - and you can see the fruits of their labor on Broadway right now in Come From Away at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (www.comefromaway.com) and this holiday season in The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays at the Neil Simon Theatre (www.theillusionistslive.com).

The Metropolitan OperaNaomi Andre attended Westtown SchoolEric Mitchko is the General Director for the North Carolina Opera.Barnard College, Columbia UniversityThe Magic Flute is an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera by Richard Strauss.Tatiana Troyanos was an American mezzo-soprano of Greek and German descent, remembered as "one of the defining singers of her generation" (Boston Globe).Dame Gwyneth Jones is a Welsh operatic dramatic soprano.Kathleen Battle is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone.Khovanshchina is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky.Dialogues des Carmélites is an opera, divided into twelve scenes with linking orchestral interludes, by Francis Poulenc.Manon Lescaut is an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Columbia UniversityJessye Norman is an American opera singer and recitalist.Sieglinde is a character in Die Walküre, the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.Leona Mitchell is an American operatic soprano and an Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee.Mimi is a character in the opera La bohème, composed by Giacomo Puccini.Martina Arroyo is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers of Puerto Rican descent to achieve wide success, and is viewed as part of an instrumental group of performers who helped break down the barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world.Aida is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is a New Zealand soprano.The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.Nabucco is an Italian-language opera composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi.Samuel Ramey is an American operatic bass.Andrea Gruber is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Puccini, Verdi, and Wagner.James Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is primarily known for his tenure as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a position he held for 40 years.Alfred Walker is an American operatic bass-baritone.Michèle Crider is an American lirico spinto operatic soprano.Mark Rucker, baritone, serves as professor of voice at MSU's College of Music.Porgy and Bess is an English-language opera by the American composer George Gershwin.Fidelio is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera.Marian Anderson was an American contralto singer, one of the most celebrated of the twentieth century.Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, dubbed "The Black Swan" (a play on Jenny Lind's sobriquet, "The Swedish Nightingale”, was an African-American singer considered the best-known black concert artist of her time.James Alan Bland, also known as Jimmy Bland, was an African-American musician and song writer.Thomas Dartmouth Rice, known professionally as Daddy Rice, was an American performer and playwright who performed blackface and used African American vernacular speech, song and dance to become one of the most popular minstrel show entertainers of his time."Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" is a popular song commonly sung by blackface performers in the 19th century.Prada S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house, specializing in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, perfumes and other fashion accessories, founded in 1913 by Mario Prada.Gucci is an Italian luxury brand of fashion and leather goods. Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Tuscany, in 1921.Ralph Shearer Northam is an American politician and physician serving as the Governor of Virginia.Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones, known as Sissieretta Jones, was an American soprano. She sometimes was called "The Black Patti", a reference to Italian opera singer Adelina Patti.The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence.Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat and activist, and served as First Lady of the United States.Rosa Parks was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.Mattiwilda Dobbs was an African-American coloratura soprano and one of the first black singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.Lillian Evanti was an African-American opera singer.Mary Lucinda Cardwell Dawson was an African-American musician and teacher and the founding director of the National Negro Opera Company.Theodore Drury, born in Kentucky, was a singer and music promoter.Dr. Kristen Turner’s work has been published in the Journal of the Society for American Music, and the Journal of Musicological Research. Her research interests are in 19th century opera, 19th and 20th century American musical culture, African American music, music and politics, and music and gender.Sir Rudolf Bing, KBE was an Austrian-born opera impresario who worked in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably as General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1950 to 1972.Ulrica is a character in the opera Un ballo in maschera, an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.RCA Studio B is a music recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee built in 1956. Originally known simply by the name “RCA Studios”, it became known in the 1960s for being an essential factor to the development of the production style and technique known as the Nashville Sound.“O don fatale” is an aria from the opera Les Troyens, a French grand opera by Hector Berlioz.Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal is a French grand opera by Gaetano Donizetti.Leontyne Price is an American soprano. She rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was the first African American to become a leading performer, or prima donna, at the Metropolitan Opera, and one of the most popular American classical singers of her generation.The Julliard SchoolWilliam Warfield was an American concert bass-baritone singer and actor.Alice Ford is a character in the opera Falstaff.Donna Anna is a character in the opera Don Giovanni.Franco Corelli was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976.Il Trovatore is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.Madame Butterfly is an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Liù is a character in the opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini.The Messa da Requiem is a musical setting of the Catholic funeral mass (Requiem) for four soloists, double choir and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi.Joe is a character in the musical Show Boat by Jerome Kern.La Scala is an opera house in Milan, Italy.Otello is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.Atlanta Symphony OrchestraRussell Thomas is an American operatic tenor.Robert Spano is an American conductor and pianist.The Gershwin Initiative at the University of MichiganHouston Grand OperaLyric Opera of ChicagoFrancesca Zambello is an American opera and theatre director. She serves as General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival and Artistic Director of the Washington National Opera.The Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927.Götterdämmerung is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen.Treemonisha is an opera by African-American composer Scott Joplin, who is most noted for his ragtime piano works.Harry Lawrence Freeman was a United States opera composer, conductor, impresario and teacher. He was the first African-American to write an opera (Epthalia, 1891) that was successfully produced.Voodoo is an opera in three acts with music and libretto by Harry Lawrence Freeman.William Menefield is a Cincinnati-born composer. How work Fierce will be premiered by the Cincinnati Opera in 2020.Sheila Williams is the author of Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, On the Right Side of a Dream, The Shade of My Own Tree and Girls Most Likely.

Jason Moore most recently directed the Broadway musical The Cher Show, which showcases Cher's life story brought to the stage featuring her beloved chart-topping hits. Starring Stephanie J. Block, Teal Wicks, Micaela Diamond and Jarrod Spector, with costumes by designer Bob Mackie, The Cher Show will began previews in November 2018 at the Neil Simon Theatre prior to the opening night on December 3, 2018. In addition, he’s currently directing Superhero at the Second Stage theatre which is set to begin on January 31, 2019. Starring Kate Baldwin, Kyle Mcarthur and Bryce Pinkham, Superhero is a deeply human new musical about a fractured family, the mysterious stranger in apartment 4-B, and the unexpected hero who just might save the day. Moore’s feature directorial debut, Pitch Perfect, starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow, was both a critical and commercial success. Written by Kay Cannon, the film premiered in 2012 and follows Beca, a freshman at Barden University, who is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition. Recently, Moore directed Sisters, starring Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph, written by Paula Pell. The film was released on December 18, 2015 by Universal Pictures. He will next direct and produce Hair Wars for Fox 2000, a musical project based on a real competition where hair salons face off, and Lionsgate’s Goodbye for Now, an adaptation of the Laurie Frankel novel.   Moore is also the creative force behind some of Broadway’s biggest hits. Most recently, he directed Fully Committed, the restaurant-world comedy by Becky Mode starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who takes on over 40 characters in this one-man comedy set at Manhattan's number-one restaurant.  Additionally, his previous theater projects include Shrek the Musical, for which he earned Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk award nominations; Steel Magnolias; and Avenue Q, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Furthermore, he directed Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall and the off-Broadway hits Speech and Debate, Avenue Q, Guardians and The Crumple Zone, as well as, Tales of the City, with music by the Scissor Sisters, which premiered at the American Conservatory Theater. Moore’s previous television directorial credits include episodes of “Dawson's Creek,” “Everwood,” “One Tree Hill,” “Brothers and Sisters,” and “Trophy Wife.” Moore divides his time between New York and Los Angeles and received a B.A. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.

Gary and Frank catch up and discuss a couple of recent theatrical viewings. First off, we get an inside look at Frank's eastern European trip which took him away from Booth One for a couple of episodes. He tells of his experiences in Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Vienna and Budapest, how the architecture and city centers have changed, and why Prague is one of the most stunning cities he's ever visited. He is grateful to friend of the show and two-time guest, Stuart Dybek, for his great suggestions for things to do in Prague. He also let us know that Warsaw is booming and beautiful. While on the continent, Frank sampled a Porn Star Martini, ate at iconic local restaurants, and ogled the naked people on building facades in Prague. Other than Vienna, the entire trip was a bargain and the direct flights on LOT between both Warsaw and Budapest & Chicago made travel a breeze. A trip that Frank highly recommends.   The boys visited the Steppenwolf Theatre to view their new main stage show The Roommate, featuring knock-out performances from Ora Jones and Sandra Marquez, both Steppenwolf ensemble members. Written by the up and coming and very talented playwright Jen Silverman and directed by Phylicia Rashad, The Roommate is a comedy/drama centered around two women who become housemates somewhere in Iowa. Gary and Frank share their thoughts and opinions on the play, and suggest that it is perfect summer fare for those seeking a great night out at the theater. The Roommate runs through August 5. We discuss writer-performer Amanda Duarte's Guide to Theater Etiquette. Standing, talking, eating, drinking, clapping and cell phones are among the topics she shares her opinions on in this New York Time Out article. Enjoy. Next up is our take on The Cher Show, which recently had its pre-Broadway tryout here in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre. Containing 35 hit songs and a flurry of thrilling Bob Mackie gowns, this biographical musical gives us three versions of Cher - Babe, Lady and Star - at different points in her life and career. Played by three actresses - Micaela Diamond (in her professional debut), Teal Wicks, and the always amazing Stephanie J. Block - the show is framed as a TV special being made about Cher's life. The three "Chers" interact with each other throughout, even having musical numbers as a trio, something Gary found to be an oddly disconcerting choice by the writers. Nevertheless, the opening night audience was very responsive and cheered wildly at many of the show's high points and at the curtain call. By the way, Jarrod Spector as Sonny is marvelous. Both Frank and Gary feel there is a bit of work to be done by the creative staff prior to the November 1 preview at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York. But they agree that they were highly entertained and that the show has great promise. Especially considering the box office success of the current Summer - The Donna Summer Musical now on Broadway. Kiss of Death: Gillian Lynne - Choreographer of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera The renowned British ballerina who turned choreographer created the sinuous dances in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. Gillian Barbara Pyrke began dancing at an early age and by 15, was dancing at the Ballet Guild, whose artistic director gave her a new surname. She appeared in films, onstage and on television throughout the 1950s, and choreographed The Roar of the Greasepaint - the Smell of the Crowd in 1965 on Broadway. This past June, the New London Theater, where Cats opened in 1981, was renamed for Ms. Lynne. She was carried to the stage on a golden throne surrounded by dancers from the musical. Gillian Lynne was 92. Read the full NYT obit here.  

The 1958 movie musical “Gigi,” about a young woman being groomed for a life as a courtesan, won an impressive nine Oscars, including Best Picture. But a 1973 theatrical production did not enjoy similar success. Now a new lavish stage version has opened on Broadway. Directed by Eric Schaeffer, it stars Vanessa Hudgens, best known for the “High School Musical” franchise. This production features a newly adapted book by Heidi Thomas, which has been revised since its first, brief, appearance on Broadway. Along with it come all the Lerner & Lowe songs made famous in the movie, including “The Night They Invented Champagne,” “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” and “I Remember It Well.” New York Times theater critic Charles Isherwood assesses the latest “Gigi," playing at the Neil Simon Theatre.

On Broadway right now at the Neil Simon Theatre is The Last Ship, which might as well be called The Sting Musical, since the pop superstar has contributed not only music and lyrics, but most of the pre-launch publicity. The story is based on the world Sting knew growing up in an English seaside town where life revolved around the local shipyard. The book is by John Logan, author of the Tony-winning play Red, and Brian Yorkey, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal. Joe Mantello, the veteran director whose Wicked has run for more than a decade on Broadway, is at the helm. New York Times theater critic Charles Isherwood offers his impressions of The Last Ship and its prospects for smooth sailing on Broadway.

Actor Bryan Cranston’s roles keep getting bigger. He gained fame for his work on the TV sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle,” then went on to even greater acclaim — and three Emmy awards — for his work on the drama “Breaking Bad.” Now he’s making his Broadway debut playing a bigger character than either Malcolm’s father Hal Wilkerson, or the “Breaking Bad” high-school-teacher-cum-meth-dealer, Walter White. In the new play All the Way, Cranston is Lyndon Baines Johnson, president of the United States. It’s the first year of Johnson’s administration, immediately after the assassination of JFK, and he’s working with every political fiber in his being to pass the Civil Rights Act. Written by Robert Schenkkan, All the Way is directed by Bill Rauch and can be seen at the Neil Simon Theatre. New York Times theater critic Charles Isherwood asks if Cranston measures up to the Johnson Act — that is, playing a real-life character with a well-known exterior and a complicated inner life.

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane talks about how his fascination with Greek myths dovetailed with a producer's overture to adapt a famously bad movie, resulting in the new musical "Xanadu"; describes his years of making ends meet by staffing the hearing device booths at Broadway theatres, and manning the stage door at the Neil Simon Theatre; recalls his break-through year as a writer with "Advice From A Caterpiller" and "The Country Club"; chronicles the origin of his influential Off-Broadway company The Drama Department; and considers why he's managed to write roles with specific actresses in mind in both "As Bees In Honey Drown" and "The Little Dog Laughed", only to have those shows play to great success with entirely different women in the leads. Original air date – June 22, 2007.

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane talks about how his fascination with Greek myths dovetailed with a producer's overture to adapt a famously bad movie, resulting in the new musical "Xanadu"; describes his years of making ends meet by staffing the hearing device booths at Broadway theatres, and manning the stage door at the Neil Simon Theatre; recalls his break-through year as a writer with "Advice From A Caterpiller" and "The Country Club"; chronicles the origin of his influential Off-Broadway company The Drama Department; and considers why he's managed to write roles with specific actresses in mind in both "As Bees In Honey Drown" and "The Little Dog Laughed", only to have those shows play to great success with entirely different women in the leads. Original air date – June 22, 2007.