Theater

This holiday season, NBC will air Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, a new movie-musical special. Country music icon Dolly Parton will appear in the hotly anticipated holiday special together with Tom Everett Scott, Ana Gasteyer, and Angel Parker. Willie Nelson, Jimmy Fallon, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Zach Williams, and Jimmie Allen are just a few of the brilliant special guests who will be appearing on Mountain Magic Christmas. Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas special is sure to quickly put everyone in the festive spirit with a cast this strong.

Deirdre O’Connell who won a 2022 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her amazing performance in Dana H. will star in Sarah Ruhl’s off-Broadway production of Becky Nurse of Salem for the Lincoln Center Theater this fall.

Bernard Pomerance’s Tony Award-winning classic, The Elephant Man, is based on the life of John Merrick, a horribly deformed 19th-century British man—the victim of a rare skin and bone disease— who becomes the star of a freak circus show where he is used, abused, and exploited.

As someone who is personally not the biggest theater fanatic, I have questioned why “Mamma Mia!” is seemingly always the exception. As controversial as it may be, I think that what makes the majority of musicals so unappealing is the songs themselves. While there is definitely a niche group of musical theater fans who listen to nothing but the “Hamilton” soundtrack, I have found that I am not the only one who cannot stand the sound of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s voice and show tunes. However, following the release of the 2008 film adaptation, the 1999 musical “Mamma Mia!” became popularized once again in Gen Z viewers, and it holds a special place in my heart due to the soundtrack being completely comprised of ABBA songs.

Four-time Emmy winner and The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons will be leading the Classic Stage Company’s Off Broadway production of A Man of No Importance.
The musical premiered at Lincoln Center in 2002, and it’s based on a homonymous 1994 Albert Finney film. It features a script by Terrence McNally (Ragtime) and music and lyrics by the team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Anastasia, Ragtime).

Seven years after the finale of the hit show “Glee,” insiders have shared that actress Lea Michele is being considered as a strong contender to replace Beanie Feldstein’s role as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway. Her obnoxious character on Glee, Rachel Berry, spent the majority of the show pining after this same Broadway role, eventually having her fictional Broadway debut at the end of Season 5. Subsequently, “Glee” fans have been desperate for Michele to take on the role in real life, considering her dedication to the musical and her admiration for Barbra Streisand on the show.

With the expansion of 4D movie theaters, I worry about true theatre. You know, the kind with live performers, an orchestra, intricate costume design, and lots of drama? Ever heard of it? Yikes. Shakespeare would be so disappointed.

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” Anyone who went to high school in the United States knows that phrase like it’s the back of their hand. Throughout our high school years, and even college, teachers have been shoving Shakespeare down our throats, and it’s for good reason, their classics. Although reading the play might be somewhat boring, watching it is a completely different experience.

When you find a movie that really speaks to you, you’ll want to watch it over and over again. If you’re a really big fan, you may go as far as interviews with the actors and writers, trying to soak up as much of the content as you can. That is what makes movies made into theater pieces so exciting. What better and new way to enjoy something you already love, than the opportunity to see it on stage. 

Lizzo confessed on TikTok that one of her biggest dreams is to be on Broadway. The singer posted a video last Sunday of her short yet very emotional rendition of “El Tango de Roxanne” from “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

It was announced on May 1st that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show Cinderella would be canceled and not continue with a new cast in London’s West End. Many of the cast members who were meant to begin working on July 17th had not been told at all by anyone in charge. Rather they learned they would be out of a job through social media or on the news.

Ballet has existed since the 15th century of the Italian Renaissance. A performance meant for the royals and elaborate celebrations, the art is now embraced by many audiences around the world. The techniques and stories from centuries are still recognized today. You don’t need to be an expert to understand what ballet is, but here are some recommendations for the ballet stories you ought to see.