Feinstein’s/54 Below is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Tony Award winning musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ with 54 SINGS AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’: THE MUSIC OF FATS WALLER , directed by its original Tony Award-winning director, Richard Maltby, Jr. for two shows on September 9 at 7pm and 9:30pm. Click here for tickets.
The inimitable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club and that jumpin’ new beat, swing music. Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American original as some of Broadway’s best struts, strums, and sings the songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Audiences can expect to hear some of Waller’s most iconic works including the incomparable “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Mean To Me,” “You’re Feets Too Big,” “I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and so many more!
Featuring cast members from the Broadway company- André De Shields, Ken Page and Charlayne Woodard; Johmaalya Adelekan, Rheaume Crenshaw, Tyrone Davis, Jr. and Zurin Villanueva from the Crossroads Theatre Production; Frenchie Davis (“American Idol”) from the National Tour and Cynthia Thomas from Delaware Theatre Company.
Music Directed by William McDaniel
Produced by Robert W. Schneider
Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, is a performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. Feinstein’s/54 Below presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music and has set a new standard for culinary excellence worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. Located at 254 West 54th Street.
Feinstein’s/54 Below is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Tony Award winning musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ with 54 SINGS AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’: THE MUSIC OF FATS WALLER , directed by its original Tony Award-winning director, Richard Maltby, Jr. for two shows on September 9 at 7pm and 9:30pm. Click here for tickets.
The inimitable Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club and that jumpin’ new beat, swing music. Ain’t Misbehavin’ evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of this American original as some of Broadway’s best struts, strums, and sings the songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Audiences can expect to hear some of Waller’s most iconic works including the incomparable “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Mean To Me,” “You’re Feets Too Big,” “I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and so many more!
Featuring cast members from the Broadway company- André De Shields, Ken Page and Charlayne Woodard; Johmaalya Adelekan, Rheaume Crenshaw, Tyrone Davis, Jr. and Zurin Villanueva from the Crossroads Theatre Production; Frenchie Davis (“American Idol”) from the National Tour and Cynthia Thomas from Delaware Theatre Company.
Music Directed by William McDaniel
Produced by Robert W. Schneider
Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, is a performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. Feinstein’s/54 Below presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music and has set a new standard for culinary excellence worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. Located at 254 West 54th Street.
Kit Yan, Melissa Li and Jon Viktor Corpuz represent Interstate at the Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival in New York City.
Interstate, a new musical created by Melissa Li and Kit Yan, has been selected as one of 12 productions to take part in the 2018 New York Musical Festival Next Link Project. The workshop production will open the festival and features a diverse mix of talent while showcasing the journey of two Asian transgender artists. Interstate is directed by Jessi D. Hill, choreographed by Jessica Chen, with music direction by Karen Dryer.
The eclectic cast of Interstate stars Jon Viktor Corpuz (The King and I/Broadway), Sushma Saha (Cabaret/Ithaca College), Angel Lin (Once/National Tour), and an ensemble including Kiet Tai Cao, Esco Jouley (Runaways/Public Theater), Allison Linker (Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame/PaperMill Playhouse), Michelle Noh (“Grey’s Anatomy”), and Andreas Wyder (Titanic:The Musical/National Tour).
The band features Karen Dryer (Musical Direction, 1st Keyboard,) Allison Kelly (Guitar/Bassist), Tidtaya Sinutoke (2nd Keyboard), and Ashley Baier (Drummer).
Interstate is an Asian-American pop-rock poetry musical that follows Dash, a transgender spoken word performer who becomes internet-famous along with his best friend Adrian, a lesbian singer-songwriter. Fueled by the allure of fame and a desire to connect with their community, the band embarks on a road trip across America for their first national tour. Their fiercely political and deeply personal music touches Henry, a transgender teenage boy living in small-town middle America, and he finds solace in their art as he struggles with his own identity and family. After blogging about the band and documenting his own gender journey, he decides to set out on a quest to meet his heroes in person, hoping to find answers to his own struggles. Interstate is a touching story about how two transgender people at different stages of their journey navigate love, family, masculinity, and finding a community in the era of social media.
Book & lyrics writer, Kit Yan, discussed the impetus for creating this musical. “I was inspired to write this musical from a place of queer pain, queer healing, and queer love. Melissa and I used to be in a band called Good Asian Drivers, and we were as popular as a super niche internet-based band could be. Then we went on tour for 2 years and had all the drama that a touring band has, so we broke up. We ended our incredible band and our even more incredible friendship. This was the greatest heartbreak of my life – my friendship and my artistic dreams all crashing at the same time. This show came out of a desire to tell a story of a band whose lives are as complicated as ours, and to give voice, life, and heart, to a couple of queer poc kids with a dream to make music, write poetry, and love hard.”
Interstate features Music, Book & Lyrics by Melissa Li, Book & Lyrics by Kit Yan. The creative team also features the talent of Jessica Chen (Choreography), Edward Morris (Scenic Design), Deepsikha Chatterjee (Costume Design), Jennifer J. Fok (Lighting Design), Fan Zhang (Sound Design), Janelle Lawrence (Properties Design), Natasha Sinha (Dramaturg), Macy Schmidt (Orchestrations & Arrangement), Nic Cory (Assistant Director), Anton Volovsek (Co-Scenic Design), and Joyce Lim (Costume Assistant). General Management, Dailey-Monda Management. Produced by Nicole Kwan, Mark Gagliardi, and Theresa Perkins in association with The Musical Theatre Factory.
Performances take place at Theatre Row’s Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, (between 9th and 10th Avenues). Tickets are $31.75 and can be purchased at NYMF.org. The show’s running time is 120 minutes with intermission.
Performance dates:
Monday, July 9 @7:00 pm
Thursday, July 12 @ 9:00 pm
Friday, July 13 @ 5:00 pm
Saturday, July 14 @ 9:00 pm
Sunday, July 15 @ 1:00 pm
The Creative Team
Kit Yan (Book, Music, Lyrics) is an award-winning Yellow American New York based artist, born in Enping, China, and raised in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Kit’s work has been produced by the American Repertory Theater, the Smithsonian, and Dixon Place among many others. They have been a Civilians resident, WP/Public theater Trans Lab fellow, and resident with Musical Theatre Factory and the Village Theatre. www.kityanpoet.com
Melissa Li (Book, Music, Lyrics) is a composer, performer, and writer. She is a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award and a Queer|Art|Mentorship fellow. Musicals include Surviving the Nian (The Theater Offensive, IRNE Award for Best New Play 2007), 99% Stone (The Theater Offensive), and Interstate (New York Musical Festival). Her works have received support from the National Performance Network, New England Foundation for the Arts, Dixon Place, terraNOVA Collective, and Musical Theater Factory, among others. www.melissali.com
Jessi D. Hill (Director) credits include: new work at New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater/Joe’s Pub, The Playwrights’ Center, Primary Stages, Labyrinth, The Women’s Project, 59E59, P73, The New Group, Rattlestick, Ensemble Studio Theatre, HERE Arts Center, terraNOVA Collective, Culture Project, Musical Theatre Factory, The Barrow Group, PS122, New Dramatists, The Lark, The Playwrights Realm, New Georges, The Wild Project, and others. She has been a director and teacher in professional training programs at Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center/NTI, The Atlantic School, Playwrights Horizons and others. Her work has been seen internationally in Edinburgh, London, New Zealand, Berlin and Hamburg. MFA: Yale. Member SDC. http://www.jessidhill.com
For more information on Interstate and their journey to NYMF, or how to get involved, you can visit the show’s Kickstarter page at http://bit.ly/InterstateNYMF.
About The New York Musical Festival
The New York Musical Festival nurtures the creation, production, and public presentation of stylistically, thematically, and culturally diverse new musicals to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.
Now in its fifteenth year, the Festival is the premier musical theater event in the world. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theater fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in all 50 states, and in more than 24 countries worldwide. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award® and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work “creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form.”
NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. 2018 NYMF is sponsored by The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, PRG, TheaterMania, Clear Channel Outdoor, Tinc Productions and Fox Stage Productions and is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
The NYMF PASS is a great way to experience The New York Musical Festival. With a NYMF PASS, you can get into the theater before individual ticket holders. Passes also offer the exclusive ability to book tickets before they go on sale to the public. Individual tickets on sale now.
The 2018 New York Musical Festival will take place July 9th – August 5th. For more information, please visit: www.nymf.org.
The Will Calhoun Jazz Quintet featuring drummer Will Calhoun, bassist Buster Williams, pianist Donald Vega, tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and alto saxophonist Eric Person are at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway and 60th Street, 5th Fl. at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Reserve by phone 212-258-9595 and in person after 6pm daily at the club. Click here for tickets to the 9:30pm show. The cover charge is $35, $25 for students.
Grammy Award–winner Will Calhoun is best known as the groundbreaking drummer in the band Living Colour, but he has performed across multiple genres, working with everyone from Pharoah Sanders, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, and other jazz greats to Public Enemy, B.B. King, and Dr. John. Tonight Calhoun is bringing his jazz quintet to Dizzy’s Club to perform music from his latest release on Motéma Records, Celebrating Elvin Jones.. Alongside saxophonist Troy Roberts, pianist Donald Vega, and bassist Buster Williams, Calhoun will draw from his unusually large musical toolkit to pay tribute to master drummer Elvin Jones.
National Asian Artists Project Broadway Community Chorus presents its annual Spring concert showcasing the music of legendary Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at University Settlement House – Speyer Hall, 184 Eldridge Street in New York at 7:30pm. Click here for tickets.
Devin Ilaw
Diane Phelan
The 30 plus member chorus, music directed by Dan Pardo, will be joined by guest artists Devin Ilaw (Miss Saigon) and Diane Phelan (School of Rock) in an exciting musical evening showcasing music from classic musicals including Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Phantom of the Opera.
The chorus includes Amy Ashley, Cailin Chang, Tim Chang, Ann Chow, Shan Y. Chuang, Kiet Tai Cao, Samara Ariel Ehrlich, Eric Elizaga, David Eng, Philip Eng, Shino Frances, Musa Hitomi, Karin Kawamoto, Alex Lawrence, Linda Lee McBride, Sandra Lee, Mio Nakanishi, Anthony Obnial, Chrissy Pardo, Frank Nicholas Poon, Melissa Rivera, Melissa Slaughter, Layla Yu, Tomo Watanabe and Viet Vo.
About National Asian Artists Project:
NAAP was founded in 2009 by Baayork Lee, Steven Eng and Nina Zoie Lam. Prominent theater artists in their own right, they joined together in an effort to address what they felt was a significant lack of opportunity for professional Asian-American theater artists to practice their craft and contribute on a broader level to the diversity of the American theater. NAAP seeks to showcase the work of professional theater artists of Asian descent through performance, education and outreach. NAAP is a community of artists, educators, administrators, community leaders and professionals who recognize the need to bridge the work of artists of Asian descent to the many communities the work can serve, from underserved primary school students to seasoned arts patrons. For more information about NAAP, visit www.NAAProject.org
Nina Zoie Lam, Baayork Lee and Steven Eng, the founders of NAAP onstage before the performance of Oliver!, at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre inside The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on June 7, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
In 2017, NAAP founder Baayork Lee was honored with the 2017 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, presented annually to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations. NAAP was proudly cited and showcased as a contributing factor in the award.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Lia Chang, Photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Elena Shaddow joins the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I as Anna Leonowens, beginning March 20 at ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287. GET TICKETS
Jose Llana as The King in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I. Photo by Matthew Murphy
Shaddow joins the company starring Jose Llana as the King of Siam, Joan Almedilla as Lady Thiang, Brian Rivera as Kralahome, Q Lim as Tuptim, Kavin Panmeechao as Lun Tha, Charlie Oh as Prince Chulalongkorn, Rhyees Stump as Louis Leonowens and Baylen Thomas as Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsey.
Joan Almedilla as Lady Thiang in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I. Photo by Matthew Murphy
Director Bartlett Sher had this to say about Elena Shaddow: “I have worked with Elena for many years, going back to The Light in the Piazza and The Bridges of Madison County. I don’t think there is anyone in the American Theater who possesses her rare combination of qualities: a soaring, pure voice, extraordinary acting skill, all held together by uncommon grace. She genuinely lights up the stage. And she is almost born to the part of Anna in The King and I. She has power, a strong will, and immense kindness. And she can break your heart onstage. She is all heart, and a perfect voice.”
Q Lim as Tuptim, Kavin Panmeechao as Lun Tha. Photo by Matthew Murphy
The ensemble includes Madeline Trumble, LaMae Caparas, Andrew Cheng, Kristen Choi, Max B. Ehrlich, Marie Gutierrez, Rie Hatanaka, Marina Kondo, Darren Lee, Stephanie Lo, Michael Lomeka, Saki Masuda, Nobutaka Mochimaru, Yuki Ozeki, Kevin Schuering, Julius Sermonia, Marcus Shane, Alicia Shumway, Ryan Stout, Michiko Takemasa and Jeoffrey Watson, with Kayla Paige Amistad, Jaden D. Amistad, Sydney Chan, Spencer Donovan Jones, Noah Toledo, CJ Uy and Keira Belle Young as the Royal Children.
THE KING AND I, directed by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, won four 2015 Tony Awards® including Best Revival of a Musical. Hailed as “first-rate, sumptuous” (The New York Times) and “too beautiful to miss” (New York Magazine), the production played 538 performances on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Bartlett Sher is reunited with the award-winning creative team from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza. THE KING AND I has music direction by Ted Sperling, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber (Tony Award® winner for THE KING AND I), lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer and casting by Telsey + Company/Abbie Brady-Dalton, CSA. THE KING AND I features choreography by Christopher Gattelli based on the original choreography by Jerome Robbins.
One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, THE KING AND I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as “Getting To Know You,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance,” “I Have Dreamed” and “Something Wonderful.” Set in 1860’s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
Elena Shaddow (Anna Leonowens). Broadway: Ottilie in The Visit, Anne in La Cage aux Folles, Bridges, The Woman in White, Fiddler..., Nine, Sweet Smell…, and Les Misérables. London: Magnolia in Showboat at the Royal Albert Hall. National Tour: Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza. NYC: Fanny in Fanny at City Center Encores!, The Bacchae at The Public. Favorite Regional: Mary in Mary Poppins (Papermill), Lilly in Carnival (Papermill) Francesca Johnson in The Bridges of Madison County (Williamstown), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare TNJ). Concerts: Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in Concert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and North Carolina Symphony through UIAPresents. Recent TV: “Conviction,” “Person of Interest,” “Time After Time,” Sister Sophia in NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live!”. www.elenashaddow.com
Jose Llana (King of Siam) returns to the role of the King of Siam after two starring engagements in the Tony-winning Lincoln Center Theater revival. Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award), Wonderland, Flower Drum Song, Rent, Street Corner Symphony and the 1996 Revival of The King and I (Lun Tha). Off-Broadway: Twelfth Night, Here Lies Love (Lortel nom.), Falling For Eve, On the Town and Saturn Returns. Regional: Poster Boy, Oliver!, Martin Guerre, Ballad of Little Jo (Jefferson nom.) and Candide (Barrymore nom.). TV/Film: “Sex and the City” and Hitch. Albums: VIVA Philippines label and Altitude based on his concert for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. www.josellana.com @josellana
The new musical POSTCARD AMERICAN TOWN will have its first industry presentation in New York City on January 12th. This timely new musical features a book by Crystal Skillman (Geek, Mary & Max) and music and lyrics by Lynne Shankel (Allegiance, Cry- Baby, bare: The Musical, Altar Boyz), with direction by Stafford Arima (Allegiance, Carrie, bare: the Musical, Altar Boyz), musical direction by Michael Gacetta (Groundhog Day, Matilda) and music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Mean Girls, Tuck Everlasting, Finding Neverland, Company).
The cast features: Bonnie Milligan (Gigantic, Kinky Boots), Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll & Hyde), Zach Piser (Wicked), Nehal Joshi (Les Miserables Original Revival, School of Rock), Laura Jordan (Cry-Baby), Pamela Bob (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Jodi Capeless (All About Me), Tally Sessions (Falsettos), EJ Zimmerman (Les Misérables), Alan Ariano (Miss Saigon) Shea Renne (Allegiance), Michael Buchanan (Book of Mormon), Chuck Ragsdale (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, US Tour), Christian Whelan (“Blacklist”) and Melody Madarasz (Mad Libs Live).
Marva Hicks (Motown; Caroline, or Change) will be featured in the December 17th installment of “Russ Kaplan’s Broadway Jazz Session,” the popular monthly series which presents In Transit composer Kaplan’s innovative jazz interpretations of current Broadway favorites at The Green Room 42 (570 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036).
Marva Hicks
The band includes Eric Biondo (Trumpet), Christof Knoche (Saxes), Kyle Saulnier (Saxes), Moppa Elliott (Bass), Tom Gavin (Guitar), Brian Adler (Percussion), Wayan Zoey (Drums) and Russ Kaplan (Piano)
Showtime is 7:00 PM (doors are open at 5:30). Tickets are $20 – $40 and available here. There is no food and drink minimum.
Marva Hicks has appeared on Broadway in The Lion King, Motown the Musical, Lena Horne: The Lady and her Music and Caroline, or Change. Off-Broadway:Little Shop of Horrors (City Center Encores! Off-Center), Cabin in the Sky (City Center Encores), Thunder Knocking on the Door (Minetta Lane) Caroline or Change (The Public) The First Breeze of Summer (The Signature Theatre). Regional: Arena Stage in Thunder Knocking on the Door (Helen Hayes Award), Cuttin Up, The Women of Brewster Place, co-produced with the Alliance Theatre (Suzi Award), Crowns, and Sophisticated Ladies. Bess (Austin Circle of Theatres B. Iden Payne Award) in the Zach Scott Theatre’s Jazz/Blues production of Porgy and Bess. TV: “Search Party,” “Dare Devil,” “House of Cards,” “One Life to Live,” “Mad About You,” “Star Trek: Voyager”. FILM: Labor Day, Assunder, Virtuosity, Preaching to the Choir. Marva has recorded on Polygram Records. TOURS: Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. She is currently touring in the symphony pops concert, Louis and Ella And All That Jazz. Currently playing the role of “Kruger” in The Front Page, Clarke Thorell made his Broadway debut in The Who’s Tommy. He originated the roles of “Corny Collins” in Hairspray, “Jim Farrell” in Titanic, and “Rooster” in the Broadway revival of ANNIE. As a vocalist, he has performed with Sting, Dave Brubeck, Liza Minnelli, ABBA, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Red Clay Ramblers, Pete Townshend, and is a proud member of Michael McElroy’s Broadway Inspirational Voices.
THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO played an acclaimed summer engagement at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ, starring Teal Wicks (Wicked, Finding Neverland), Eric William Morris (Be More Chill, Mamma Mia!), Jane Bruce (Elf, The Theory of Relativity), and Daniel K. Isaac (“According to My Mother,” “Billions”). The company also included Cole Burden, Brian Flores, Leenya Rideout, Christopher M. Russo, Perry Sherman, Kristin Stokes, Ian Michael Stuart, and Barbara Tirrell.
Daniel K. Isaac, Teal Wicks, Jane Bruce and Eric William Morris, in THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO. Photo by Amanda Crommett
On Sunday, November 12th, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club, will present an album release concert featuring members of the cast and band at 9:30 PM. Tickets are $35, include a CD and are available here. Tickets on the day of performance after 4PM are only available by calling 646.476.3551.
The Musical Company will release the original cast recording of the celebrated THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO on November 10, 2017. The album is also on Amazon and iTunes For more information on the album’s release, visit here.
THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO by Mike Reid (composer, co-bookwriter), Sarah Schlesinger (lyricist, co-bookwriter), and John Dias (co-bookwriter) is inspired by the real-life-story of Josephine Monaghan, a young woman from late 19th century Boston who made a new life in an Idaho mining town disguised as a man called Jo.
Grammy Award-winning, multi-Platinum songwriter Mike Reid (whose many hits include “I Can’t Make You Love Me”) and Sarah Schlesingertogether have received the Kleban Prize, Richard Rodgers Award, Gilman & Gonzalez Falla Theatre Foundation Award, and Chicago’s Jeff Award for Best Original Musical New Work for THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO.
John Dias, Two River’s Artistic Director, made his Two River directorial debut with this production, which featured choreography by Marc Kimelman.
The album was produced by Sean Patrick Flahaven, CEO of The Musical Company and a producer on over two dozen cast albums for Stephen Sondheim and others, nine of which were Grammy-nominated, including the triple-Platinum, Grammy-winning Hamilton.
The band consists of John O’Neill (conductor/piano) and Martin Agee(violin),Troy Chang (cello), Philip Coiro (drums/percussion), Simon Hutchings(reeds), Justin Rothberg (guitar), and Joseph Wallace (bass).
Prior to the production at Two River Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company produced THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO in 2000 as its first musical. It was subsequently produced at the Bridewell Theatre in London in 2003.
The creative team for Two River Theater’s production of THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO included orchestrator Danny Larsen, music supervisor & vocal arranger Patrick Vaccariello, scenic designer Michael Carnahan, costume designer Jess Goldstein, lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, sound designerDrew Levy, wig designer Leah J. Loukas, and fight director Thomas Schall. The casting was by Jack Doulin + Sharky. The production stage manager was Amanda Michaels and the assistant stage manager was Denise Cardarelli.
The Musical Company has also announced that it represents live stage performance licensing of THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO, available now to professional theatres, with subsequent amateur licensing coming soon.
THE MUSICAL COMPANY provides best-in-class, comprehensive service to creators and producers of musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing and cast recording. Our experienced, innovative, client-and customer-focused approach is designed to help bring theatre to a wide audience. Operating from our headquarters in New York, with offices in London and Los Angeles, we’re owned by two industry-leading, independent and like-minded music companies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group and Concord Music. Visit themusicalcompany.com.
Since its founding in 1994, TWO RIVER THEATER has been committed to creating great American theater by developing and producing work by some of the country’s leading artists. We are proud to be viewed as a vital cultural resource in the community of Red Bank, New Jersey. Through 10 theatrical productions each year (including world premieres, musicals, classics and theater for young audiences) and 50+ annual events, we produce exceptional theater and cultivate engaged audiences. TWO RIVER THEATER is under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst. For more information, go to tworivertheater.org.
FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, is a performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. A few blocks from the heart of Times Square and just below the legendary Studio 54, FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW is a classically designed state-of-the art nightclub in the theatre district that hosts audiences with warmth and style. FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music and has set a new standard for culinary excellence worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. Located at 254 West 54th Street, FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW features up to three shows nightly with cover charges ranging from $5-$105.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Lia Chang, Photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Members of the Broadway National Touring cast of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I in conjunction with La Ti Do Productions will host “One Night in Bangkok” an evening of song and dance at Bistro Bistro DC on Monday, August 14th. Net proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. Bistro Bistro DC is located at 1727 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, D.C.
Audiences are invited to the Royal Palace to take part in this exclusive evening as the Royal Court step out of their roles in the musical and perform some of their favorite non-Siamese material. ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK is part of an ongoing series of performances by the touring company to support charitable causes, and it will be truly Something Wonderful.
The King and I cast members will perform songs by Stephen Sondheim, Maltby & Shire, William Finn, Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and will feature Joan Almedilla, Heather Botts, Amaya Braganza, Adriana Braganza, LaMae Caparas, Mindy Lai, Darren Lee, Michelle Liu Coughlin, Jose Llana, Michael Lomeka, Graham Montgomery, Manna Nichols, Marcus Shane, Riley Sickles, Sam Simahk, Kelli Youngman, plus other special guests to be announced. The evening will be co-hosted by the founders of La Ti Do Productions and local D.C. natives Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico.
All proceeds from “One Night in Bangkok” will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).
The National Touring Company of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I has raised more than $100,000 in donations for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS all over the country.
VIP admission is available for $40, which includes a pre-show reception with company members from the National Touring Company of THE Lincoln Center Theater PRODUCTION OF Rodgers & Hammerstein’S THE KING AND I from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., preferred seating, and light hors d’oeuvres. Theatre doors open at 7:00 p.m. for VIP ticket holders.
Regular Admission tickets are available for $25.
A very limited number of rush tickets will be available day of, but securing your spot to this sell-out event is highly recommended. All proceeds benefit BC/EFA. The purchase of event tickets is tax deductible. Visit www.OneNightInBangkok.net or www.LaTiDoProductions.com.
The King and I runs July 18-August 20, 2017 in the Kennedy Center Opera House on the following schedule: Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit the Kennedy Center website, in-person at the Kennedy Center box office, or call (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS helps men, women and children across the country receive lifesaving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $285 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington DC. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization. For more information, go to www.broadwaycares.org.
Curated and hosted by La Ti Do co-founders Filipino Americans Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico, the pair are thrilled to support their fellow Asian American artists by co-producing this benefit concert with cast members of The King and I. La Ti Do Productions made its debut to a full house in Washington, DC on January 23, 2012 at The Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle. Since then, La-Ti-Do became DC’s premiere musical theatre cabaret and spoken word series to serve the artistic community. On June 9, 2013, the show then opened a touring chapter in New York City and also made a special appearance at Feinstein’s/54 Below. In 2016, La Ti Do became a program of a parent company: Winters Lane Productions under the direction of Founder/Artistic Director Anya Randall Nebel. Currently, the DC chapter remains in Dupont Circle housed at Bistro Bistro restaurant and the NYC chapter at the Dramatists Guild Fund, Inc.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Members of the Broadway National Touring cast of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I in conjunction with La Ti Do Productions will host “One Night in Bangkok” an evening of song and dance at Bistro Bistro DC on Monday, August 14th. Net proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).