Tag Archives: musical

January 12, 2015

It’s Monday, New York! Feeling Blue? Cheer up with a former President, some selfies, and theater!

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots

From Grammy® Award-winning pop icon CYNDI LAUPER and four-time Tony Award® winner HARVEY FIERSTEIN comes the exhilarating new musical KINKY BOOTS, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner JERRY MITCHELL.

Charlie Price, played by Tony nominee Stark Sands, has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, portrayed by Billy Porter. A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

Featuring a sensational new score, knockout dancing and a spectacularly uplifting story, KINKY BOOTS is the must-see new musical that proves that sometimes, the best way to fit in is to stand out!

See it at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Visit kinkybootsthemusical.com for more information.

4. American Idiot- Broadway Style- Opens March 24

What happens when you takePicture 2 a Tony Award-winning director and a Grammy Award-winning album and put it together on stage? The new musical American Idiot. Based on Green Day’s politically charged hit album, this rock opera is moving to the big stage of NYC after an amazingly successful run in Berkeley, California. It is about a group of young, working-class men who come to America from the Middle East and find themselves in the confusion of post-9/11 America. It’s the same great storyline in NYC, but with a twist; Michael Mayer, the director of the smash Spring Awakening, will also be directing this cutting edge musical.

Harris Theater is Like a Good DJ- Hot New Numbers Every Time

Chicagoans take theater seriously. Not that they’re obsessed with dramas, no, but the art of theater-going, yes. Here theaters range from the classics like the Goodman, Ford Center (Oriental Theater), and (of course) Chicago Theater to the king of comedy, Second City. In the middle of these two genres is the Harris Theater, whiPicture 7ch masterfully presents options worthy of the classics and funny enough for the kids at Second City. The reason the Harris Theater’s so successful in diversity is that it partners with some of the best performing arts companies, allowing the theater to be on the forefront of all things dance, musical, comedy and drama.

Just take a look at some 2010 highlights to come:

Mikhail Baryshnikov in a solo dance performance, an evening of insight with the “Master of the Musical,” Stephen Sondheim, the Harris Theater debut of Lang Lang under the baton of his mentor Christoph Eschenbach, the Chicago premiere of Orquestra de Sao Paulo with virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.

The theater’s calendar is jam packed with performances making its repertoire new and fresh, especially compared to the big-boy theaters whose stage productions last for months at a time. And for those who still can’t enough of Harris Theater, there are plenty of classes and volunteering opportunities to keep everyone entertained.

Busy Bees at JFK Center for the Performing Arts

Created in 1971, this memorial to PresidentPicture 20 John F. Kennedy highlights more than 3,000 multimedia performances a year, making it the busiest arts facility in the nation. Complete with an Opera House, Concert Hall, Family Theater, Atrium, Terrace Gallery, Rehearsal Room and more, the facility offers workshops, family performances, ballets, musical events and festivals.

For the holiday season you can catch the famous Nutcracker ballet here and it seems for every other national holiday there is a performance, or two, at the JFK Center.

The JFK Center is more than a massive performance arts venue, it is also a living memorial, with sculptures and special exhibits to the beloved President.

Avenue Q

Now showing off Broadway, Avenue Q is the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice. Together, Princeton and his newfound friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life. Adults love Avenue Q, but they seem a little, er, fuzzy on whether it’s appropriate for kids. We’ll try to clear that up. Avenue Q is great for teenagers because it’s about real life. It may not be appropriate for young children because Avenue Q addresses issues like sex, drinking, and surfing the web for porn. It’s hard to say what exact age is right and parents should use their discretion based on the maturity level of their children. But we promise you this: If you do bring your teenagers to Avenue Q, they’ll think you’re really cool.

“Wicked”

The Wizard of Oz is as passé as Dorothy whining and keeping someone else’s ruby slippers. The Broadway Musical Wicked takes the audience back, way before Dorothy, to the building relationship between magic boarding school roommates, Wicked Witch of the West aka Elphaba and Glinda later named the Good Witch. It is a story of popularity, love and a very unlikely friendship. Wicked breaks down everything the audience thinks they know about the Wicked Witch of the West and makes them fall in love with Elphaba.

The unforgettable music of Stephen Schwartz and choreography by Wayne Cilento led Wicked to 3 Tony wins and 10 Tony nominations. Other awards include industry elite Drama League, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Wicked is family friendly yet movingly magical for all ages.