Michael Brown News

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, tonight, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

Southern California fans of musical theater are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the musical RENT with a one-weekend-only production of the beloved Broadway smash hit presented by Beyond the Stage productions, with proceeds from the show benefiting the HIV/AIDS outreach and education organization The Stigma Project.

The Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards have announced this year's nominations! See the full list below.

Balagan Theatre will introduce the 2013-2014 mainstage season with a free community celebration, Monday, June 10, 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, featuring America's Next Drag Superstar, Jinkx Monsoon (also known in Seattle as musical actor Jerick Hoffer), and Broadway star and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, best known for creating the role of Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced the nominees for its eleventh annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater. A version of the Tony Awards for high school theater programs, The 5th Avenue Awards allow musical theater students from across Washington state to meet, celebrate, and honor the exceptional musical theater productions presented during the 2012/13 school year. These awards are designed to shine the spotlight on high school musical theater programs, offering performing arts students the kind of support and recognition that accomplished high school athletes have received for decades. The 5th Avenue Awards will be held at 7:00 PM, Tuesday, June 11, at The 5th Avenue Theatre.

Following a successful UK tour last year Less Than Kind will be at the Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday May 14 for one week and will tour the UK for a further 7 weeks to Saturday 29 June 2013.

Broadway stars Nick Adams, Ashley Brown, Jessica Rush and Michael James Scott will appear in a special one night only benefit production of Jason Robert Brown's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD tonight, March 11 at 7PM at XL Cabaret (512 West 42nd St). Directed by two-time Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun, a portion of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Performing Arts Project.

Seventy-nine students from across The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will compete at four regional semi-final competitions as part of the eighth annual Poetry Out Loud today, March 2 and tomorrow, March 3. Competitions will be held in Boston, Framingham, Springfield, and on Cape Cod. Each participating student recently won his or her individual school's competition in order to advance. The winners will advance to the State Finals on Sunday, March 10 at Boston's Old South Meeting House. All upcoming competitions are free and open to the public.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. That Oscar show, the fall season of national tours from Broadway In Chicago, 'See What I Wanna See,' two from Theo Ubique, Mary Zimmerman's 'Jungle Book,' interesting cabarets at Davenport's and more!

Seventy-nine students from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will compete at four regional semi-final competitions as part of the eighth annual Poetry Out Loud March 2 and 3. Competitions will be held in Boston, Framingham, Springfield, and on Cape Cod. Each participating student recently won his or her individual school's competition in order to advance. The winners will advance to the State Finals on Sunday, March 10 at Boston's Old South Meeting House. All upcoming competitions are free and open to the public.

The Rubin Museum will explore illusion and human perception in this year's edition of the popular Brainwave series of on-stage conversations between mind scientists and thinkers from diverse walks of life. Opening today, February 6, the series will include 20 on-stage conversations, 50 film screenings, and an interactive experience in which the museum will become a Memory Palace. While illusion is usually associated with vision, the series will engage audiences through all five senses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Broadway stars Nick Adams, Ashley Brown, Jessica Rush and Michael James Scott will appear in a special one night only benefit production of Jason Robert Brown's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD on Monday, March 11 at 7PM at XL Cabaret (512 West 42nd St). Directed by two-time Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun, a portion of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Performing Arts Project.

The York Theatre Company presents new addition to its educational arm: Bespoke Musicals, a program that pairs teams of emerging writers, chosen by The York Theatre Company, with companies of students from musical theatre college training programs. For its maiden voyage, The York will be collaborating with Marymount Manhattan College.

To think that a murder mystery that's been around for 60 years such as “The Mousetrap', currently playing at Village Theatre, could still be fresh. I mean, everyone knows who the killer is by now, right? Nope. I for one couldn't remember and from the gasps in the audience many others couldn't either. But then that's part of the enduring quality of this Agatha Christie classic, it still keeps you guessing. And the Village production is so full of fun, rich characters and, of course, red herrings that it amounts to a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

In partnership with The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department presents Double Edge Theatre, performing a work co-commissioned by the Theatre Department and The Dance Center tonight, January 18th and 19th at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. The company also will participate in The Dance Center's 14th season of FamilyDance Matinees Saturday, January 19, including a free movement workshop with the artists followed by a family-friendly performance.

The Rubin Museum will explore illusion and human perception in this year's edition of the popular Brainwave series of on-stage conversations between mind scientists and thinkers from diverse walks of life. Opening on February 6, the series will include 20 on-stage conversations, 50 film screenings, and an interactive experience in which the museum will become a Memory Palace. While illusion is usually associated with vision, the series will engage audiences through all five senses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

The York Theatre Company has announced a new addition to their educational arm: Bespoke Musicals, a program that pairs teams of emerging writers, chosen by The York Theatre Company, with companies of students from musical theatre college training programs. For its maiden voyage, The York is proud to be collaborating with Marymount Manhattan College (Patricia Hoag Simon, Music Theatre Coordinator).

The Lynne Show welcomes Michael Newton-Brown, Kevyn Morrow and Russ Trez this month, January 2013. Hear podcasts at thelynneshow.com, and to download a podcast to any PDA, click 'download' on the website.

In Seattle, Seattle Equity Actors, Mainstreet Musicals and the Balagan Theatre are presenting a concert performance of A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS CAROL tonight, December 10th, at 7:30 PM BALAGAN THEATRE 1524, Harvard Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

In Seattle, Seattle Equity Actors, Mainstreet Musicals and the Balagan Theatre are presenting a concert performance of A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS CAROL on December 10th, at 7:30 PM BALAGAN THEATRE 1524, Harvard Avenue, Seattle, Washington.