Lauren Kennedy

"Seth Rudetsky's Big Fat Broadway Show" and Master Class with Seth at Hot Summer Nights!!

2011-03-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

This summer at Hot Summer Nights we are happy to announce "Seth Rudetsky's Big Fat Broadway Show"! Seth will be performing his one-man show on June 13th at 8pm at The Kennedy Theater and will be teaching a master class earlier in the day. There are only 24 spots for SETH RUDETSKY'S MasterClass on June 13th at 3:30.

WHERE:
The Kennedy Theatre
at The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
2 E South Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
The Kennedy Theatre entrance is located on Salisbury Street around the back of PEC.
Email your name, email address to Rhapset@aol.com

BRING SHEET MUSIC (audition songs…) and something to record with!

Cost: $100… payable in advance…right on Seth's blog!

If you want to audit the class or see his one man show "Seth Rudetsky's Big Fat Broadway Show", go the www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org to purchase those tix. For any additional information visit Seth's Blog www.sethrudetsky.com

Theater Jones : High-flying, Unadorned Lauren Kennedy helps Casa's Evita soar.

2011-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

High-flying, Unadorned
Lauren Kennedy helps Casa's Evita soar.
by Kris Noteboom
published Tuesday, February 8, 2011

photo: Glen E. Ellman

Kevin Gray as Che and Lauren Kennedy as Eva Peron

Evita
by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music); Tim Rice (book and lyrics)
presented by Casa Manana

Closing this week on Sunday, Feb 13
Next performance today at 7:30pm

$40-$65

817-332-2272

Casa Mañana Theatre
3101 West Lancaster Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76107
click here for a location map

Mention Andrew Lloyd Webber to theatergoers and you’ll get a healthy mix of reactions. Some decry his shimmery, epic style. Others laud him as one of the all-time greats responsible for Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, and of course, Evita.

“Oh, that movie with Antonio Banderas and Madonna?” Yes. And at the same time, no. It’s so much more than that, as Casa Mañanaproves in its commendable production about the famed Argentinian actress-turned-First Lady.

Arguably Webber’s grandest epic, Evita tells the story of Eva Duarte de Perón (Lauren Kennedy), primarily through the narration of Ché (Kevin Gray), the indirect yet painfully obvious role inspired by Argentinean Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara.

Eva’s rise from poverty, which involves a mix of acting and sleeping her way to the top, receives plenty of focus. However, the real meat of the story manifests when Eva, via her marriage to Argentinean Secretary of Labour and eventual President, Juan Perón (Greg Dulcie), positions herself as an influential presence in the nation’s political structure.

Narrated by the singly named Ché , the tone of the story is often critical, for though Eva is seen, and eventually officially named, as the Spiritual Leader of Argentina, many of her deeds and motivations are called into question, ultimately painting a mottled picture of a woman who is still highly regarded in the South American country today.

Though told in Webber’s epic style, Evita is a well-focused story about the life of a woman destined to accomplish great things, but who is still human, and thus, flawed. In fact, in addition to being some of the best music Webber has ever written, Tim Rice’s lyrics, which in the operatic style also serve as the dialogue, are second to none.

The bottom line is, Evita is a powerful piece, buttressed by an embarrassment of awards and a who’s who list of former cast members. In short, it’s a challenge, and though not produced on nearly as grand a scale as written, Casa Mañana proves up to the task.

With one of the best and biggest opening numbers in musical history, Casa’s production got off to a rough opening night start. Obviously unable to employ the gargantuan size of the orchestra the music is written for, music director Craig Barna employed a simpler arrangement of the music that left much of the tone setting in the laps of the horn section. And while they performed admirably overall, they contributed to the slow start by taking a few minutes to find their rhythm, missing several notes along the way. Naturally, this is a problem that typically sorts itself out throughout the run of a show as everyone involved gets familiar with the pacing of the performance.

Gray’s Ché is quite obvious in its characterization. Dressed from head to toe in olive green military fatigues and wearing his famous beret, director Richard Stafford leaves nothing to the imagination. This is Ché Guevara, who has become a famous American T-shirt icon.

Some would point out that the original Broadway Ché, the great Mandy Patinkin, who won a Tony for the role, also wore military garb. True. The choice whether to dress Ché in military garb or plain clothes is a matter of preference. How subtle or blatant should the characterization be and how rooted in the reality of the story should he be. After all, Guevara was only from Argentina, he never carried out any of his actual revolutionary activities in the country.

Therefore, his presence is somewhat spiritual more than physical. In the end, Stafford chose a blatant, spiritual incarnation, whose unwavering, unchanging uniform is always visible regardless of what role he appears as in a scene. And arguably, this limited Gray’s performance as one can perhaps only operate overdramatically when wearing that ubiquitous uniform.

To that end, Gray is often angry and always scowling. His Ché lacks depth when he should be more conflicted. Gray has a nice voice, that sounds like he’s attempting to channel a mix between Mandy Patinkin and Antonio Banderas, but the character isn’t what it could be.

Conversely, Kennedy’s Eva is startlingly powerful. A difficult role previously played by the likes of Elaine Page and Patti LuPone, who famously hated the role due to the often high register it’s written in, Kennedy more than holds her own. And LuPone is right. It’s a difficult part to sing that requires powerful lungs and excellent range. LuPone may have struggled with it, but Kennedy excels. Using the particularly high parts as vehicles to drive home the intense emotion of the lyrics, Kennedy’s performance is stirring. No one will be left unmoved.

For being as big as it is, Casa pulls off a praiseworthy production. Mark Halpin’s stage design is simple, yet effective. Stafford and Jonathan Stahl’s choreography is intricate and well executed. And Stafford is able to take a relatively small cast in a small space, at least compared to what one would expect from a typical Webber production, and still made the story feel big.

And it is a big story. Eva Perón was an important and intriguing figure and this musical provides a particularly critically thoughtful version of her tragically short life, presented with a brilliant balance of the typical big box musical and an intensely personal and deep story about a woman.

Don’t cry for Argentina or Casa Mañana. They’re doing all right.

◊ Here is TheaterJones' video interview with Lauren Kennedy.

Theater Jones - Video: Lauren Kennedy

2011-02-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

Video: Lauren Kennedy
The star of Casa Mañana's Evita on revisiting the role and being a working actress in New York.
by Mark Lowry
published Saturday, February 5, 2011

Lauren Kennedy is in that comfy place where she gets steady acting work in New York, records albums and is known by name to musical theater geeks. But she hasn't yet reached that Broadway level that leads to Tonys, originating roles or guest starring onGlee.

And she's fine with that.

She's making a living doing what she loves, and that love has brought her to stages on Broadway (Les Mis, Sunset Boulevard, Side Show, Spamalot,for all of which she was a standby and then a replacement), off-Broadway (Lone Star Love, the musicalVanities) and national tours (Sunset Boulevard and Spamalot, again). She has recorded several albums, including a tribute to composer Jason Robert Brown.

She finds work in the regional theater, too, including her latest gig, playing Eva Perón in Casa Mañana's Evita.

It's a role she first played 17 years ago when she was hired by Wally Jones for the North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, where she grew up. Jones brought her back to star in the show at the theater he oversees now, Fort Worth's Casa Mañana. The production is directed by Richard Stafford, and features Kevin Gray as Ché and Greg Dulcie as Juan Perón.

In the video interviews below, Kennedy discusses revisting the role, what makes Evita an interesting character, and the bliss of steady work in the country's theater capitol.

REVIEW: "Kennedy claimed the showstopper of 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' and made it her own."

2011-02-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

from Pegasus News

Theater review: Evita at Casa Manana Theatre in Fort Worth

by Carol Anne Gordon of John Garcia's The Column

"She didn't say much, but she said it loud." - Che, on eulogizing Evita Perón.

LOUD was the operative word at Casa Mañanaon the opening night of Evita (playing at Casa Mañana Theatre through February 13) -- unnecessarily loud. The two talented leads, Lauren Kennedy as Evita and Kevin Gray as Che, had legit Broadway chops, and truthfully didn't even need to be miked. Evita's real-life story was full of violent emotions and political rhetoric and whenever those two got especially expressive, their mics made them so loud they actually distorted their excellent singing voices. Their mics were so hot that they made me wish I'd had one of them riding around town with me this week to melt the two inches of solid ice on the roadways.

Ditto for the adult chorus: When they started singing, nay, shouting, nay, SCREAMING "Requiem for Evita" at the opening, their mics simply should have been cut. We could have heard them quite easily without electronic assistance. I reached in my purse and pulled out my Bluetooth to put it back in one ear, so that I would have to protect only the other ear whenever this happened throughout the show.

Director Richard Stafford had assembled a gifted cast of well-enunciating singers, so all this extreme amplification was completely superfluous. However, I chalked it up to having seen the show on opening night, while they were still tweaking the sound, and I'm sure by the time you go see this show -- and I am strongly recommending that you go see it -- these sound problems will have disappeared.

Thanks to Costume Designer Tammy Spencer, this show was also a treat for the eyes. Costumes were lush, elegant, and true to the time period when depicting the wealthy English socialites or Evita once she had risen "Rainbow High," and they were monochromatically accurate when portraying her descamisados (the shirtless ones -- the working class who wore t-shirts instead of dress shirts). I especially loved the way Spencer often had Evita, who was in virtually every scene, change costumes right on stage with little effort and no delay, and how she ceremoniously "stripped" the English of their power.

The choreography, created jointly by Director Richard Stafford and Associate Director Jonathan Stahl, was stunning. The Argentinean slums were the birthplace of the tango, and the cast executed tangos, and other dances, with breathtaking precision. Of special note was the tango couple, who were featured in several numbers as punctuation to the musical dialogue. A couple of times, their dancing was so far upstage I was certain that audience members seated far house left or far house right couldn't see them at all, and that would have been a real shame. They even handled a quick "wardrobe malfunction" early in the show very adeptly. Unfortunately, the program didn't list their names so that I could recommend that you go see them again wherever they appear next. I wish I knew who they were.

The choreography of the military men was ... unexpected. The soldiers (or sailors?) were obviously well-trained in ballet, and executed the plies, lunges, squats, and whimsical goose stepping with admirable meticulousness. The first time they appeared, however, they made me giggle as I reminisced about Monty Python's classic Army precision drilling but in the second act, when Greg Dulcie's solid Perón comically tried to mark their steps along with them, it really sold me on their dance moves.

Glen Ellman

Kevin Gray and Lauren Kennedy from Casa Mañana's Evita

Sam Rushen's lighting design was very dramatic, especially during the fun Dr. Strangelove-like/musical chairs number "The Art of the Possible" and Evita's triumphant anthem "Rainbow High."

All of the leads in this production were very well cast. Both Jonathan Bragg, as Magaldi, and Ashley Arnold, as Perón's teenaged mistress, lifted their respective solos heavenward (well, at least as high as the center of Casa Mañana's tall geodesic dome) with effortless purity. Greg Dulcie not only physically resembled the actual Juan Perón, but also brought a subtle, sly comedic element to his portrayal. Kevin Gray, as Che, was always intelligible as the story's narrator, which was not an easy feat with that many lyrics, Lloyd Webber's labyrinthine vocals, and the accompanying emotions required of the part.

The entire show, of course, rested on the slender shoulders of Lauren Kennedy as the titular Evita. At the beginning of the show I was unsure of the choices she was making. Not usually portrayed (as Kennedy was doing here) as a naïf who got swept up into the fast life of Buenos Aires, Evita was rather a manipulative, malicious, Machiavellian woman who knew what she wanted and went after it with a vengeance, even while still a teenager. I just wasn't feeling the "edge" that Evita, according to all her biographers, had from the get-go and wasn't afraid to use.

The real Evita, shown in actual vintage black and white photos on a video screen periodically throughout the show, was not beautiful, nor even really pretty. But she oozed confidence and had a commanding presence, and when she died, most of Argentina petitioned the Vatican to have her canonized. That kind of devotion wasn't inspired by a coquettish Disney-esque heroine.

I could tell you the exact moment in which Kennedy brought the real Evita to the Casa Mañana stage. Near the end of the first act, Perón dreamed of leaving politics and going off to another country, "sipping cocktails on a terrace, taking breakfast in bed." He was sitting on the edge of the bed, while she was walking upstage, with her back to the audience. When she heard his "crazy, defeatist talk," she leaned on the headboard, and her entire body portrayed her emotions: disgust, frustration, and the "there he goes again" sigh of realization that she was, once again, going to have to re-talk him into grabbing and maintaining power with an iron fist. And she did all this with her body -- the back of her body, actually -- as we could not see her face.

So now the big question, the only one that anyone thinks when they hear of a new production of Evita: Can she do "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" justice? Sí, señor. She nailed it. I knew all the iconic renderings of this ballad -- La LuPone's, Madonna's, and my favorite (don't laugh), Karen Carpenter's. I could safely say that Kennedy claimed this showstopper and made it her own. Her Evita then stayed strong and believable throughout the entire second act to the sudden, jarring finale.

If you've never seen Evita, this production is recommended highly. Though every line was sung, each word was enunciated so well, you wouldn't lose the thread of the plot. If you already love Evita and know every word, I still recommend this production highly. The talent, a good deal of which is home-grown, was phenomenal, and we all need to be supporting good theatre with live orchestras and terrific music directors like Craig Barna, if we want it to continue at this soaring level.

Pegasus News Content partner - John Garcia's The Column

LAUREN KENNEDY in EVITA at Casa Manana Photos by Curtis Brown Photography

2011-02-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

Lance Horne NYC Concert to feature Lauren Kennedy with Cheyenne Jackson, Rebecca Luker, Ricki Lake, Alan Cumming

2011-01-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Lance Horne NYC Concert to Feature Cheyenne Jackson, Rebecca Luker, Ricki Lake, Alan Cumming

By Andrew Gans www.playbill.com
06 Jan 2011


Cheyenne Jackson
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The 2011 American Songbook series, which is held at the Allen Room in Manhattan, will present an evening with theatre composer and arranger Lance Horne Jan. 14 at 8:30 and 10:30 PM.

Entitled First Things Last, the concerts will celebrate the release of Horne's debut recording of the same name.

Joining the composer will be a mix of Broadway and West End performers, including Alan Cumming, Lea DeLaria, Cheyenne Jackson, Lauren Kennedy, Ricki Lake, Rebecca Luker, Meow Meow, Daphne Rubin-Vega (10:30 PM show only), Julie Atherton, Alexandra Silber and Paul Spicer.

Daisy Prince will direct the evening, which will feature backup vocals by Julie Garnye, Marty Thomas and Tori Allen-Martin.

Lance Horne provided vocal arrangements for Little Women on Broadway. He has penned songs for Gypsy of the Year, the Actors Fund benefits and contributed to the Off-Broadway song cycle Songs From an Unmade Bed (for which Mark Campbell penned lyrics) as well as Three Lost Chords and The $trip. He co-produced Alan Cumming's album "I Bought a Blue Car Today." His work has been presented at Joe's Pub, New York Theatre Workshop, The Juilliard School and Lincoln Center. Horne is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

For tickets visit AmericanSongbook or phone (212) 721-6500.

Tickets are also available at the Frederick P. Rose Hall box office, which is located at Broadway at 60th

2010-12-07T14:43:00.001-08:00

Synergy Spa is proud to sponsor this year's production of A Christmas Story at the PECPA in Downtown Raleigh, December 7-24. Bring in your ticket stub and we will give you a $25 credit to use towards your purchase of any holiday spa gift certificate as our way of thanking you for supporting your local performing arts!
Click here to buy tickets!
(Offer valid through 12/24/10.)

[title of show] Review: mysteriously monikered musical fun

2010-11-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

By Pete Filicia THE STAR LEDGER

If television can have a big hit show about nothing — why can’t musical theater?

There’s one playing at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. “[title of show]” concerns Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, “two nobodies in New York.” Jeff composes songs that few hear. Hunter writes plays no one sees. But when the two hear that the New York Musical Theatre Festival is looking for new work, they decide to spend their next three weeks writing a show about — writing a show.

“We could put this exact conversation in the show,” Hunter suggests.

“Wait,” Jeff says, trying to understand. “So everything I say from now on could actually be in our show?”

“Yeah,” replies Hunter.

“Like this?” Jeff tests.

“Like this,” Hunter agrees.

And so it goes. Where the application asks for “[title of show],” Jeff and Hunter fill in the space with those exact three bracketed words.

Every quip, observation, complaint and profane word becomes part of their musical.

So do actresses Heidi and Susan. Heidi is held in great esteem because she has – wow! – appeared on Broadway. Susan has less luster because she works in an office.

“[title of show]” is the great-grandson of those Mickey-and-Judy “Let’s put on a show!” movies. This one, however, has a far more realistic take on the jealousy, rivalry and treachery found backstage. And there’s never been a musical with so many inside jokes; indeed, the program includes a two-page glossary. Some frequent theatergoers will pick up the references to “Wicked,” “Into the Woods” and “Rent,” but many will ask, “What are they talking about?”

Bowen and Bell themselves performed the show from its first days in a basement all the way to the 2008 Broadway production. Now they’ve bequeathed their roles to two very winning performers. Insiders will be amused and thrilled to see Seth Rudetsky — the beloved show-tunes deejay on Sirius Radio — portraying Jeff. The irony is that while Rudetsky’s on-air persona is the ultra-fast talker, here he plays (you should pardon the expression) the straight man. Tyler Maynard’s Hunter is the far more flamboyant of the two. But this casting gives Rudetsky the chance to show that he can deliver a full-bodied, finely disciplined and honest performance.

Maynard, whose vocal cords seem to have been dipped in helium, plays flamboyant exceptionally well. Watch him as he pitches his confederates a new idea — that he knows is bad before the sentence is halfway out his mouth. As Susan, Susan Mosher has an expressive face; Al Hirschfeld would have loved to draw her. When singing a song about second-guessing one’s self, she’s first-rate. Lauren Kennedy’s Heidi is equally impressive and provides the show with its greatest drama when there’s talk she may be replaced. Kennedy expertly shows that she’s hurt, but she’ll be steely and strong. She knows the business, and while she’s disappointed, well, that’s life in the theater.

That’s part of [title of show’s] strength. Just as there’s cinema verite, here’s musical theater verite. It offers a reality check for young writers and performers, showing that Irving Berlin lied when he wrote about show business — everything about it is NOT appealing. What is appealing, however, is director Matt Lenz’s top-notch production of “[title of show].”

[title of show]
Where: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
When: Through Dec. 12. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m.
How much: $26.50-$63.50. Call (732) 246-7717 or visit GSPonline.org

REVIEW [title of show] From NJ Arts Maven

2010-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

REVIEW: “[TITLE OF SHOW]” @ GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE

www.njartsmaven.com

posted by Ruth Ross

I’m a sucker for plays about the theater. As a fan, I love the references to other plays and productions, not to mention the inside jokes often included in the script. And if the self-referencing play is a musical comedy, so much the better! You’ve probably guessed that I really liked [title of show], now onstage in a charming production at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.

[title of show] involves Jeffrey, a composer, and Hunter, a writer, who decide to write a “play about two guys writing a play about two guys writing a play” for submission to the New York Musical Theater Festival (a real, honest-to-God NYC festival held in September) only three weeks away. Four actors, four chairs and one accompanist is all that it takes to put on this show, but the play’s gestation lasts much longer and is quite difficult. Foremost is the duo’s decision to write an “original” musical, difficult to do because they do not have a film, play or novel upon which to base their efforts. And although the show runs just 100 minutes, the time covered from suggestion to Broadway production covers more than a year of writing, rewriting, facing the demons (here called “vampires”) that stand in the way of success, changing details to attract a wider audience—all the while remaining collaborators and friends.

To help write and perform in [title of show], Hunter and Jeffrey recruit two female friends/actors: Susan, a former actor turned “corporate whore” office manager to pay the rent, and Heidi, an actress whose auditions have only landed her roles in the chorus/ensemble or as second understudy to the understudy. The fact that Jeff and Hunter have never penned a show before doesn’t help matters much either.

With music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell (yes, the two guys portrayed onstage),[title of show] addresses the creative process: how to write with a pencil on a blank paper when your computer has died (right, Rudetsky and Maynard); the source of one’s inspiration; whether to include a dream sequence so popular in classic musicals; how to fight those thoughts or persons who sabotage your dreams; and how to make the resulting product more palatable for group sales or the little old ladies who come to matinees. All of it delivered with great humor and a bit of self-deprecation. And Matt Lenz’s direction is never fussy—or even evident—so smoothly does one scene flow into another. He’s come up with some nifty and agile choreography too.

Seth Rudetsky and Tyler Maynard are terrific as Jeff and Hunter, respectively. Rudetsky’s website designer Jeff is a grammar freak, a composer who balks at changing even a minor detail to satisfy producers who might be interested taking the show to Broadway. Maynard’s Hunter is a “porncastinator,” a television fiend who would rather watch the new season of The Bachelor or the film Doc Hollywood (which runs ad nauseum on TBS) than sit down and write. But he also wants the fame and notice from having a show on the Great White Way, so he is forced to sit down and confront the blank legal pad to write “An Original Musical.”

Susan Mosher as Susan and Lauren Kennedy as Heidi (left, with Mosher, Rudetsky and Maynard) are delicious as the two actors, originally strangers, who forge a sisterly bond throughout the process. Mosher is especially fine leading the others in “Die Vampire, Die” in which they confront their inner demons, and Kennedy reminds them (and the audience) of what life was like as they attempt to find “A Way Back to Then.” Finally, the duet between the two women as “Secondary Characters” is sweet and true. Jesse Vargas, who plays Larry the pianist, provides first-rate accompaniment and even gets a few words of dialogue in edge-wise.

Sound production values, something Jeff and Hunter worry about, abound in this production. R. Michael Miller’s set might not look very elaborate, but along with the projection design by Michael Clark, a bare rehearsal hall turns into a myriad of locations. Philip Rosenberg’s lighting and Michael McDonald’s basic but evocative costumes complete this fine production.

You’re probably wondering about the play’s title, [title of show]; well, I won’t spoil your delight at finding out what it means. Theatergoers have seen a spate of plays about the theater this season, A.R. Gurney’s The Fourth Wall, Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound and the more recent Moonlight and Magnolias, which is about writing the script for Gone with the Wind in five days.[title of show] is a worthy and delicious addition to the genre. If you love musicals and wonder how the original ones came into being, [title of show] will lift the curtain and give you a peek at how it’s done. These guys may not be Rogers and Hammerstein or Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim, but their “play about two guys writing a play about two guys writing…” will make you laugh and appreciate what goes into writing a Broadway hit.

Note: some of the language in the show—mostly common four-letter words used primarily for emphasis or punctuation—might offend theatergoers, especially those of a certain age. But as one character puts it, “Those little old ladies who come to matinees have seen it all—death, divorce, you name it—so they won’t be offended.” I agree.

[title of show] will be performed Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM (no performance Thanksgiving, November 26) and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM through December 12. A Buy One Get One Free offer is available for November 21 at 7 PM; November 23, 24 and 26 at 8 PM; and November 24 at 2 PM. Use THANKSGIV as the code when ordering online. The George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Parking is available in the parking garage behind the theater on Kirkpatrick Street ($5 flat fee). For information and tickets call 732.246.7717 or visit GSPonline.org.

Photos by T. Charles Erickson.

REVIEW (title of show) at George Street Playhouse a laugh riot

2010-11-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

(title of show) at George Street Playhouse a laugh riot

www.mycentraljersey.com

BY CHARLES PAOLINO • CORRESPONDENT • NOVEMBER 23, 2010

If Tyler Maynard had one more ounce of talent, he might explode.

Put him in the Jeff Bowen/Hunter Bell musical "[title of show]" with an ensemble that includes the equally versatil

Seth Rudetsky, and you've got fireworks onstage.

That's what's happening at George Street Playhouse, where Maynard and Rudetsky are performing the unique and popular musical along with Susan Mosher, Lauren Kennedy and pianist/conductor Jesse Vargas.

"[title of show]" was launched in 2004 when Bowen and Bell submitted the script and a demo recording to the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Bell had written the book and Bowen the songs in about three weeks.

They were determined to write something original; as they wrestled with the challenge they had taken on, they decided that what they were going through to write the show would make just as good a script as anything else they could write. Hence, "a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical."

The festival accepted the play, which was later performed both off and onBroadway — with Jeff and Hunter playing themselves.

As the play itself relates, that didn't happen without some soul searching about the clash between the commitment to being original and the perceived expectations of commercial backers and audiences.

Jeff and Hunter set out to show with this project that a successful musical play was possible with only "four chairs and a keyboard," a point which Jeff stubbornly defends when Hunter talks of compromises in order to get "my show" to Broadway.

We see at George Street how right they were in the first place, with Maynard as Hunter, Rudetsky as Jeff, Mosher and Kennedy as Susan and Heidi — performers who signed on to "[title of show]" at the start — and Vargas at the onstage piano.

There's more to it now than four chairs and a keyboard. R. Michael Miller's set is appropriately spare, leaving plenty of space for the wittychoreography carried out under Matt Lenz's direction.

Meanwhile, changes in time, locale, mood and theme are established through an imaginative series of rear projections by Michael Clark — from a parade of playbills from past Broadway turkeys to a swarm of bats to accompany "Die, Vampire, Die," a song in which Susan leads her colleagues in confronting the insecurities and doubts that can plague creative people.

Maynard's performance is a breathtaking display that combines sharp comic timing, a thrilling singing voice, fluid movement, and a magnetic personality. His campy turn as the pseudo-character Blank Paper, reminding Jeff of both the benefits and hazards of starting from scratch, is side-splitting funny.

Rudetsky is equally as effective as a website designer who compulsively corrects his friend's grammar. A man with multimedia entertainment experience, Rudetsky makes the often complicated dialogue and stage business seem natural. He delivers his share of this show's many crackling lyrics with wit and bombast worthy of a man who happens to be an authority on Broadway songs.

Susan Mosher as an office manager who had given up on a stage career, and Lauren Kennedy as a competent actress who hasn't gotten past understudy status are both full of sass and energy to go along with their considerable dramatic and musical powers. Kennedy makes the most one of the more touching moments in the program — the song "A Way Back to Then" in which Heidi recalls the dreams she had as a little girl.

'[title of show]" has a special appeal to theater junkies, and some in the audience might find some of the references and gags obscure. That might not matter much, though, because this show, in its unusual premise, its satirical and bawdy material, and its dynamic execution on the George Street stage is simply a riot.

Award-winning "[title of show]" opens at The George Street Playhouse

2010-11-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

Award-winning "[title of show]" opens at The George Street Playhouse

Rick Busciglio
Northern New Jersey Theater Examiner

The OBIE award-winning musical comedy, "[title of show]", yes, that's the show's title, opened this week at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. It is a light, charming, contemporary back-stage musical comedy loaded with clever, funny lines and physical comedy. Anyone who is a hardcore fan of theater, student or aspiring thespian will particularly enjoy this glimpse of back-stage life and the creative writing process.
The four marvelous performers take us on a joy ride as we witness their efforts to create a musical in three weeks and how their relationships are changed. The story? It is about two struggling writers, Jeff and Hunter, who make a commitment to write something new in three weeks for a festival, however they quickly find that writing a musical comedy about the process of writing is more interesting than anything else they could write. Where did the title come from? Since the boys want to enter the competition, but don't have a clue about a subject they simply entered on the 'title of show' line of the application form........[title of show].
The four terrific actors are Seth Rudetsky, as Jeff; Tyler Maynard, who's excellent physical comedy is reminiscent of Pee Wee Herman and Jerry Lewis, is Hunter; the two lady friends (not girlfriends) of the collaborators areLauren Kennedy as Heidi, an actress/dancer waiting for her big break, and Susan Mosher who plays Susan, who works by day 'at a real job,' while seeking her break.
Note that [title of show] clearly is not descended from the musical world of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Fans of the more traditional musical may have difficulty relating to this production, however to help in understanding many of the terms and references... the program contains a 'must-read' glossary of terms e.g. "The O'Neill Center"- a
Connecticut-based summer camp for grown-up theatre nerds Hunter may say, "I made out hard with that dude at The O'Neil Center.")
Creating the world of [title of show] is director Matt Lentz (Hairspray at the Paper Mill Playhouse); Jeff Bowen, music and lyrics; Hunter Bell, the book; scenic designer R. Michael Miller; costume designer Michael MacDonald; lighting designer Phillip Rosenberg; sound designer , Walter Trarbach; projection designer Michael Clarke. The use of rear screen projection is very effective.

Bottom line: The show is a fascinating look behind the scenes of the creative process. While you may not come away humming any of the15 tunes, they are fun to hear and sung by excellent voices. [title of show] is probably best enjoyed by a young adult, or a young at heart, hip audience.
Will the [title of show] be selected for the Festival? Will it succeed? Go to Broadway? To find out..contact theGeorge Street Playhouse Box Office, 732-246-7717 or online at www.GSPonline.org. Tickets begin at $25.
Performances run to Sunday, December 12, 2010. The George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey just steps from public transportation, convenient parking and some of the area’s finest restaurants for every taste and budget. The theatre seating is of the excellent stadium variety.

Raleigh Winterfest Kicks off December 4th; A Christmas Story to open December 7th

2010-11-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Raleigh Winterfest 2010 kicks off on December 4th with A Christmas Story to open on December 7th at the Fletcher Theater in the Progress Energy Center.

Broadway Series South in association with Hot Summer Nights present the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Story, December 7 – 24, 2010 in A.J. Fletcher Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts; General Managed by North Carolina Theatre. Tickets are on sale now!! The presenting sponsor of this production is Barton College.

Written by Jean Shepherd and adapted by Philip Grecian, A Christmas Story follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself, at Goldblatt’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the wet tongue on a cold lamppost experiment; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a fishnet stocking and much, much more. This beloved holiday movie seen by millions is destined to become a theatrical holiday perennial here in the Triangle for years to come!

TICKET INFORMATION

A Christmas Story will play A.J. Fletcher Theater December 7 – 24. Show times are Tuesday – Friday, 7p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 2 & 7p.m. Tickets will range from $26 - $46 and are on sale at the Progress Energy Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Purchase by phone at 1-800-982-ARTS. Tickets for groups of 10 or more, please call (919) 857.4565 for group information.

For more information log on to www.broadwayseriessouth.com, www.nctheatre.com orwww.hotsummernightatthekennedy.org.

BARTON COLLEGE

Barton College is located in Wilson, North Carolina, Barton College is an academic community of approximately 1,130 students and 200 faculty and staff. Nationally recognized for its programs in education, deaf education, nursing and social work, its championship men's athletics teams, and most recently, its outstanding contributions to theatre and the performing arts of the region, the school maintains a close-knit atmosphere and emphasizes individual attention and engaged learning. Their 65- acre campus is home to Barton Bulldogs varsity athletics and boasts five residence halls, the W.N.Hackney Library, the Kennedy Recreation & Intramural Center, the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre, and many other state-of-the-art facilities. President Norval Kneten expressed "Barton College is committed to supporting the performing arts in this region and we're proud to sponsor this outstanding production that will launch an exciting new holiday tradition for the community!"

“Play by Philip Grecian, based upon A Christmas Story, ©1983 Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark and In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.”

Lauren Kennedy to open [title of show] at George Street Playhouse on November 16!!!

2010-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Lauren Kennedy to open [title of show] at George Street Playhouse on November 16!!!

Musical comedy [title of show] next at George Street Playhouse

Rick Busciglio

Northern New Jersey Theater Examiner

George Street Playhouse's David Saint, Artistic Director, is set to premiere the theatre's second production of its 2010-11 season, OBIE award-winning musical comedy, [title of show] Tuesday November 16, 2010.

Musical theatre maven, musical director (he recently collaborated with Betty Buckley in a series of concerts), author and host of “Seth’s Big, Fat Broadway” on Sirius/XM radio Seth Rudetsky, will play the role of Jeff. Joining him in the role of Hunter, is Tyler Maynard from Altar Boyz, Broadway’s The Little Mermaid and the new off-Broadway musical The Kid. Lauren Kennedy, from Broadway’s Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard and Side Show, and Susan Mosher seen on Broadway in Hairspray and on television in a recurring role on The L Word, play two friends of the collaborators. Matt Lenz , who recently directed the Paper Mill Playhouse production of Hairspray, and also served as the Broadway production’s Associate Director, will helm[title of show]. Jesse Vargas will music direct and play the role of Larry, the music director.

“I am so thrilled to welcome this extraordinary group of artists, including my old friend Seth Rudetsky. As this season has come together, a theme has emerged common to all five plays: the importance of discovering one’s true self and what one truly desires as opposed to what the world tells us we should want,” said Artistic David Saint. “The other prevalent theme in [title of show] is relationships and how they evolve as life happens. The truly remarkable thing about this musical is how these very profound ideas are conveyed, and the show is truly hilarious and touching. This is a perfect show for our audiences.”

Creating the world of [title of show] are scenic designer R. Michael Miller; costume designerMichael MacDonald; lighting designerPhillip Rosenberg; sound designer, Walter Trarbach and projection designer Michael Clarke.

[title of show] is a musical comedy for anyone who has followed a dream. When two struggling writers, Jeff and Hunter, make a commitment to write something new in three weeks, they quickly find that writing a comedy about the process of writing is more interesting than anything else they could write. A show about four friends taking risks, creating art, killing Vampires (the dream-destroying kind, not the Dracula kind) – and how relationships change when life happens.

Tickets beginning at $25 as well as various flexible subscription packages are available. Performances run from Tuesday, November 16 to Sunday, December 12 and Opening Night set for Friday, November 19. To purchase, or for further information, contact the George Street Playhouse Box Office, 732-246-7717 or shop online at www.GSPonline.org. Groups of 10 or more are entitled to a discount; for further information contact the GSP Group Sales Department at 732-846-2895, ext.134.

George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick NJ, just steps away from public transportation and some of the area’s finest restaurants for every taste and budget. Ample parking is available, including on-street parking.

(left) Candid moment with cast members

during rehearsal.

(right) The fabulous Tyler Maynard

Photos : Lauren Kennedy

Submissions for pre-show entertainment... October 15th Deadline!!

2010-10-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

** Hurry!! Submissions are due on or before October 15th!! **

Got talent? Got holiday spirit?
A Christmas Story wants you as an opening act!

Broadway Series South in association with Hot Summer Nights presents the
beloved
holiday classic play, A Christmas Story, December 7 - 24, 2010 in A.J.
Fletcher Theater at the Progress
Energy Center for the Performing Arts; General Management by North Carolina
Theatre. Tickets are on sale now-
and your performing group can be part of the pre-show festivities!

We're looking for local singers, school choruses, acoustic musical groups,
handbell choirs, etc...to
perform ON STAGE 15 minutes prior to each of our 20 shows. What a fantastic
performance opportunity
for your group during this magical time of year!

There are 3 ways to audition:

* Email a performance clip (no longer than 3 minutes, please!) to
hotsummernights@me.com
* Upload a video to www.youTube.com and e-mail the link to us

All pre-show performances at A Christmas Story must have a holiday theme.
We will provide 2 microphones on stands.
Accompaniment must be recorded on a CD playable through the Fletcher
Auditorium sound system.
A cappella singing/acoustic instruments are also allowed.

Performances will begin 15 minutes prior to each show, and run no longer
than 10 minutes.

We look forward to seeing you on stage as we inaugurate this new, exciting
Holiday Tradition in Raleigh!

Presenting sponsor: Barton College

A sneak peek into "It Takes Two" starring Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell

2010-09-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

A sneak peek into "It Takes Two" starring Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell

Click HERE for more info!!

Lauren Kennedy to star in [title of show] at George Street Playhouse

2010-09-25T12:15:00.001-07:00

By Andrew Gans www.playbill.com

Casting has been announced for the George Street Playhouse's upcoming production of of [title of show], the four-person Broadway musical that chronicles the creation of that musical.Directed by Matt Lenz, performances will begin Nov. 16 at the New Jersey venue with an official opening scheduled for Nov. 19. The production will continue through Dec. 12.The cast will feature actor, musician and Playbill.com columnist Seth Rudetsky as Jeff, Tyler Maynard as Hunter, Lauren Kennedy as Heidi and Susan Mosher as Susan. Jesse Vargas will music direct and play the role of Larry, the music director."I am so thrilled to welcome this extraordinary group of artists, including my old friend Seth Rudetsky. As this season has come together, a theme has emerged common to all five plays: the importance of discovering one’s true self and what one truly desires as opposed to what the world tells us we should want," stated artistic director David Saint. "The other prevalent theme in [title of show] is relationships and how they evolve as life happens. The truly remarkable thing about this musical is how these very profound ideas are conveyed, and the show is truly hilarious and touching. This is a perfect show for our audiences."The design team comprises scenic designer R. Michael Miller, costume designer Michael MacDonald, lighting designer Phillip Rosenberg, sound designer Walter Trarback and projection designer Michael Clarke.[title of show], according to the George Street Playhouse, is a "musical comedy for anyone who has followed a dream. When two struggling writers, Jeff and Hunter, make a commitment to write something new in three weeks, they quickly find that writing a comedy about the process of writing is more interesting than anything else they could write. A show about four friends taking risks, creating art, killing Vampires (the dream-destroying kind, not the Dracula kind) – and how relationships change when life happens."[title of show] — the new musical that, according to a fan-favorite song in the show, would rather be nine people's favorite thing than 100 people's ninth favorite thing — played its final performance at the Lyceum Theatre Oct. 12, 2008. Following runs at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2004 and the Vineyard Theatre in 2006, the entire original cast — including co-creators Jeff Bowen (score) and Hunter Bell (book) as well as co-stars Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff — made the leap to the Broadway stage. A Chorus Line's Michael Berresse, who helmed the acclaimed Off-Broadway run, also directed the Broadway version, which featured musical director-arranger Larry Pressgrove onstage playing the electric keyboard. The musical was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (Bell).For tickets visit www.GSPonline.org. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ.

It Takes Two : An Evening with Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell at the Davis Theater in Concord, NC

2010-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

A sizzling evening of music performed by two Broadway and television stars will open the 2010-2011 season of On Stage at the Davis Saturday, September 25.

It Takes Two: An Evening with Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell includes showstoppers from Broadway, standards from the Great American Songbook, swing numbers, country classics and rock and roll. The show will be at 8 p.m. in the theatre in Cabarrus County’s historic courthouse. Tickets are $42 and available online at www.CabarrusArtsCouncil.org and at the Davis Theatre Box Office, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 704-920-2753.

Individually, Kennedy and Campbell are respected, much admired and sought-after Broadway, theatre, recording film and television artists. When they are on stage together, the audience is treated to a rich and joyous duet of music and laughter – a magical evening from start to finish.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about them:

“From the bravura opening number to their charming encore, Campbell and Kennedy have personality plus and know how to project it.” (ClassicalVoiceofNC.com)

“The couple’s combined Broadway experience translates into bang-up, class A entertainment.” (Raleigh News and Observer)

“Alan Campbell is a charismatic golden boy with a voice to match” (Wall Street Journal)

“Kennedy gives a star-making performance. Her singing rings out as clear as a fingernail flick on a crystal champagne glass. Intoxicating.” (New Jersey Star Ledger)

North Carolina native Kennedy has appeared on Broadway as Fantine in Les Miserables, Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot, Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard and Daisy Hilton in Side Show. Her regional theatre credits include Nefertari in The Ten Commandments with Val Kilmer at the Kodak Theatre.

Florida native Campbell received a Tony Award nomination for the role of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard opposite Glenn Close, Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige. He starred in Susan Stroman’s 2000 Tony Award winning musical Contact at Lincoln Center. His film credits include Weekend Warriors, Bump in the Night, Simple Wish and Tom, Dick and Harry. On television, he co-starred onJake and the Fatman, Three’s a Crowd, Another World and All My Children.

Read more about these wonderful performers at www.goingbarefoot.com.

AUDITIONS FOR 'A CHRISTMAS STORY' PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT

2010-09-14T14:19:00.001-07:00

Got talent? Got holiday spirit?
A Christmas Story wants you as an opening act!

Broadway Series South in association with Hot Summer Nights presents the
beloved
holiday classic play, A Christmas Story, December 7 - 24, 2010 in A.J.
Fletcher Theater at the Progress
Energy Center for the Performing Arts; General Management by North Carolina
Theatre. Tickets are on sale now-
and your performing group can be part of the pre-show festivities!

We're looking for local singers, school choruses, acoustic musical groups,
handbell choirs, etc...to
perform ON STAGE 15 minutes prior to each of our 20 shows. What a fantastic
performance opportunity
for your group during this magical time of year!

There are 3 ways to audition:

* Email a performance clip (no longer than 3 minutes, please!) to
hotsummernights@me.com
* Upload a video to www.youTube.com and e-mail the link to us
* Attend our open audition during theatreSPARK September 18th from
11-12pm on Lichtin Plaza
outside Raleigh's Progress Energy Center for the Performing
Arts. Please email your contact info to
pre-register for the audition.

All pre-show performances at A Christmas Story must have a holiday theme.
We will provide 2 microphones on stands.
Accompaniment must be recorded on a CD playable through the Fletcher
Auditorium sound system.
A cappella singing/acoustic instruments are also allowed.

Ghostlight Records Releases Cast Recording of GOOD OL' GIRLS starring LAUREN KENNEDY, 8/31

2010-08-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ghostlight Records in association with White Sand Entertainment and Ken Denison, Executive Producer, will release the cast recording of the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical GOOD OL' GIRLS on Tuesday, August 31st. Produced by Keith Levenson, the CD features the original cast, which includes Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me), Teri Ralston (Company), Gina Stewart (Dawson's Creek) and Liza Vann (Machiavelli), with music by Nashville hit-makers Marshall Chapman (Jimmy Buffett, Wynonna, Olivia Newton-John) and Matraca Berg (Reba McEntire, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill). The new CD will be available at Amazon, iTunes, Sh-K-Boom (link) and wherever music is sold.

GOOD OL' GIRLS played Off-Broadway, at The Black Box Theatre at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre earlier this year. Paul Ferguson wrote and adapted the musical from the works of two prominent Southern authors, Lee Smith (author of 12 novels including her newest, Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger) and Jill McCorkle (author of 8 books including Going Away Shoes), GOOD OL' GIRLS was directed by Randal Myler (It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues; Hank Williams: The Lost Highway; Love, Janis).

Two of Nashville's leading singer/songwriters redefine the modern Southern woman in GOOD OL' GIRLS, a musical about love, loss and laughter. Through the language of five unique southerners, GOOD OL' GIRLS celebrates childhood through old age, with big hair and bigger hearts. Official website is at www.goodolgirls.com.

Classical Voice of North Carolina "Lauren Kennedy plays 'Tell Me On a Sunday' to Packed House, Standing Ovation"

2010-08-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Another rave review for "Tell Me On a Sunday" at Hot Summer Nights!!

Classical Voice of North Carolina review by Alan R. Hall

August 20, 2010, Raleigh, NC: Raleigh’s Lauren Kennedy is a Broadway actress who spends her summers at “Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy,” a summer series that plays in the Kennedy Theater, downstairs at the Progress Energy Performance Center in Raleigh. Kennedy, the Producing Artistic Director, and shares the reins with her husband, Managing Director Alan Campbell. But for this season she is also performing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s one-woman tour-de-force Tell Me on a Sunday. Friday’s show was a sell-out, and Kennedy’s stunner of a performance received a standing ovation.

If the show is not familiar to you, this may help: Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Tell Me on a Sunday as the first of two acts under the title Song and Dance. The second act of this show is a ballet, performed to “Variations on a Theme by Paganini,” which Webber wrote for his brother, Julian, a cellist. But the work is seldom performed as a complete show sinceTell Me on a Sunday is compact and produceable on a less-than-grand scale, while a full-scale ballet is not.

Kennedy’s show is backdropped by a video screen, which helps us keep up with changes in scene, letters her character sends home, and the various boyfriends who make up the tally in “Emma’s” romantic misadventures. While Webber wrote the work for a young Cockney Londoner who moves to New York City to make it big, Kennedy plays her instead as a hayseed from North Carolina who makes the same trip, to be with her first misadventure, “Chuck,” a musician. Emma arrives in the Big Apple complete with a thick Southern accent, which all her New York friends call “adorable.” Emma manages to lose her accent pretty quickly, after her second misadventure, Tyler King, flies her out to L.A. to star in films he is producing. “Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad” is the musical number that seems to sum up her L.A. adventure, but not before she levels a scathing accusation at King, in “You Made Me Think You Were In Love.”

After she realizes that King is not her white knight, Emma returns to New York, where she meets Joe, a Nebraskan she describes as “Metro-sexual.” Joe turns out to be her longest relationship, eliciting the most songs: “An Unexpected Song,” “Come Back With That Same Look in Your Eyes,” and the central song of the work, “Take That Look Off Your Face,” which reprises several times during the show.

Throughout the work, Kennedy is dead-on, covering a gamut of emotion from scared and vulnerable to confident and defiant. She handles several on-stage costume changes with aplomb, never dropping a note. And her technique is flawless, handling a soft, tender torch song one minute and belting out a showstopper the next.

Interestingly enough, Emma actually gets her first big break on the same night that she breaks up with Paul, her latest fling and a married man. She finishes on a high note with a final rendition of “Take That Look Off Your Face,” indicating that, like her new career, the right man will come along as long as she keeps trying. The final note brought the crowd to its feet, and cheers rang the room for several minutes.

Hot Summer Nights closes this season with another week of Tell Me on a Sunday, but if you wish to see this short but powerful stunner, call right away for reservations. This one is going to sell out.

Tell Me on a Sunday continues through August 29 in Raleigh and then plays in Wilson from September 1-5. For details, see our calendar.

To read view on Classical Voice of North Carolina site click HERE

NEWS & OBSERVER REVIEW: "Kennedy adds warmth to 'Tell Me On a Sunday"

2010-08-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

News & Observer Review- Roy C. Dicks

Most people know of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage-filling extravaganzas "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera." But he also can be intimate, as in "Tell Me on a Sunday," a one-woman one-act musical being staged by Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy with Raleigh's own Broadway star, Lauren Kennedy.

The hour-long piece has a varied history. It started as a 1979 British concept album, and then became one-half of the 1982 musical "Song and Dance." The story of a young English woman finding love and adventure in New York City was substantially revised for its 1985 Broadway run and reworked again for its 2003 and 2010 versions.

Although the show has some of Lloyd Webber's catchiest songs, critics have faulted the shallow plot that concentrates on Emma's series of failed relationships and complained about her unsympathetic, self-centered character.

The right performer can sway reactions to the show, however, and Lauren Kennedy proves it with a warmly charming interpretation. It helps that the script has been completely Americanized and fitted to Kennedy's persona, turning Emma into an optimistic innocent from North Carolina gone to the Big Apple to seek her fortune in the theater.

The show's clever structure has Emma singing not only to herself, but also to unseen boyfriends, best pal Viv and her mother back home. Kennedy makes Emma's hurt when she finds her new boyfriend is unfaithful readily believable. When Emma follows a film producer to Hollywood, Kennedy astutely projects her initial star-struck awe and eventual boredom. After Emma returns, Kennedy knowingly charts her relationships' progressive sophistication and coldness, eventually leading Emma to realize she has changed too much.

Kennedy confidently sings Lloyd Webber's range of styles, making the several versions of "Take That Look Off Your Face" full of conflicting emotions and the title song appropriately soaring. Kennedy impresses with her stamina and charisma throughout, deftly guided by director Matthew-Jason Willis.

This is the company's most technically accomplished production this season. A simple brick wall on which appropriate photos and videos are projected backs minimal furnishings. Chris Bernier's lighting design adds intriguing color and movement. Julie Florin's five-piece band (placed high above the action to one side) supplies mellow accompaniment in beautifully balanced sound, Kennedy's lyrics and quiet moments coming through clearly. However, tempo choices sometimes seem more relaxed than necessary, allowing the pace to sag in places.

Musical fans should take this rare opportunity to experience Lloyd Webber in miniature and Lauren Kennedy up close and personal.

Tell Me On A Sunday opens August 18th, Watch Lauren Kennedy on News 14 Carolina all day today!!

2010-08-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! Lauren is so excited to be opening Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Tell Me On A Sunday" TOMORROW NIGHT at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy! Lauren and director Matthew-Jason Willis have been having such an amazing collaborative experience and they can't wait for all of you to see it!! Get your tickets NOW they are going fast!! Call (866) 811-4111 or visit www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org Adults $22 and Student ID/Military/Senior $18.

ALSO, if you're near a tv today turn your sets over to News 14 Carolina to watch Lauren Kennedy's interview with anchor Tracey Early that will be airing throughout the day! Lauren will be sharing more about "Tell Me On a Sunday" at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy which opens TOMORROW!! Don't miss the interview or the show!!

Lauren Kennedy Headlines TELL ME ON SUNDAY at The Kennedy

2010-08-12T16:29:00.001-07:00

Artistic Director. Producer. Director. Actress. Lauren Kennedy (SPAMALOT, SUNSET BOULEVARD, LES MISERABLES) just about does it all when it comes to theatre; especially with her own
company Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy. This year is no different at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh, NC. Kennedy will make a return to the stage as "Emma" in Tell Me on a Sunday. The show will not only hit the Raleigh stage but also play a limited engagement at the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson, NC, which officially opened last September.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy has been opened since 2005. During the first season, Kennedy
and her husband, Tony Award Nominated actor Alan Campbell (SUNSET BOULEVARD, CONTACT) performed their own concert Beyond Broadway for Raleigh audiences. Since then, Kennedy has taken a back seat to performing at the intimate 120-seat theatre to help the company grow. Last year, she added Artistic Director and Producer to her title and decided after a solid two seasons, she was ready to come back and perform at the theatre her father K.D. Kennedy, Jr. and brother Michael started.

"I jumped at the chance when director Matthew-Jason Willis and I discussed this show because it is
a score I've been desperate to tackle and I adore working with him! He had some fascinating and fresh ideas on the show that really excite me," says Kennedy.

With music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black, TELL ME ON SUNDAY is a one-act
musical that tells the story of an ordinary girl, played by Kennedy, and her romantic misadventures in search of love.

"This show has a long history of reinterpretation, way back to 1979 and I don't think any commercial production ever produced has been the same," says Kennedy, who added, "So, we too have our own unique spin on this modern tale of an ordinary gal setting out to find true love and accomplish her dreams in New York City!"

Under the direction of Willis is a stellar production team that includes Christine Rapp (Production
Stage Manager), Chris Bernier (Technical/Set/Lighting Designer), Brian L. Hunt (Sound Designer)
and Leanne Norton-Heintz (Properties Mistress), Chris Wallen (Assistant Stage Manager), Jesse
Jones (Running Crew) and Jensen Davis (Spot Light Operator). Kennedy and Willis are also
sharing Costume Designer duties with some wardrobe provided by Hot Summer Nights' long time
sponsor, CT Weekends. Musical Director/Pianist Julie Florin returns with a talented band comprised
of Drew Lile (Guitar), John Simonetti (Bass), Les Webster (Percussion) and Joan Beck (Violin).

TELL ME ON SUNDAY will run at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh Aug 18-29 and at The Kennedy
Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson Sept 1-5. Shows are at 8PM Wednesday-Saturday
and Sundays at 3PM. Tickets are $22.00 for general admission and $18 for senior adults and
students. For tickets, call 866-811-4111 or visit the Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy website
www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org.

The Cabarrus Arts Council's "On Stage at the Davis" series will kick off Sept. 25 with a performance by Broadway stars Lauren Kennedy & Alan Campbell

2010-08-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Observer

Cabarrus News

Bravo! Curtains going up

New arts season in Cabarrus gears up

By Meghan Cooke

The Cabarrus Arts Council recently announced upcoming performances at the Davis Theatre, a 227-seat theater in Cabarrus County's historic courthouse on Union Street.

The third season of the arts council's signature series, "On Stage at the Davis," will kick off Sept. 25 with "It Takes Two: An Evening with Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell," starring two Broadway showstoppers. Kennedy, who has performed in Broadway's "Les Miserables" and "Spamalot," and Campbell, whose credits include several television roles, will perform a repertoire of Broadway hits, swing, country and rock-n-roll. Tickets are $42.

Next up at the Davis Theatre is a Nov. 12 performance by Pianafiddle, an improvisational all-musical-genres piano and fiddle duo.

"One of the things we do is look at bringing in a wide variety of performances," said Noelle Rhodes Scott, president and CEO of the arts council.

The arts council is a member of the N.C. Presenters Consortium, an organization that promotes collaboration among arts groups to bring acts on tours through theaters across the state.

By working with the consortium, the arts council is able to bring in acts that they might not otherwise be able to afford, said Scott. Many of the performers are on the brink of making it big, and some, like Kennedy and Campbell, are already stars, she said.

And in times when wallets are tight, Scott said many people take advantage of local performances rather than footing the bill for expensive theater tickets in Charlotte.

"Even when the economy is down, people need to see things that lift them up," said Scott.

That's why the arts council is hoping to bring quality performances to the county, she said.

"We want people to leave and say, 'Wow. That was incredible,'" she said.

In the spring, the theater will host Galumpha, a group of dancers who perform acrobatic choreography, as well as singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, who has toured with Alison Krauss and Union Station.

The series will wrap up with a May 6 performance of "Blood Done Sign My Name," a play based on Tim Tyson's memoir of a 1970 murder in Oxford, a small N.C. town. The play recounts the murder of 23-year-old Henry Marrow through the eyes of several witnesses, the acquittal of the murderers by an all-white jury and the reaction of Oxford's black community.

Local talent is involved too. Local actors danced and sang their way across the stage last week during a dress rehearsal at the Old Courthouse Theatre, a volunteer-run community theater on Spring Street in Concord. The cast was preparing for the first show of the theater's season: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

The comedic musical is based on the 1988 film by the same title starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin as Lawrence Jamieson and Freddy Benson, two conmen living on the French Riviera who agree that the first person to swindle $50,000 from the young Christine Colgate will get to stay in town, while the loser must leave. Performances will be held 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 22.

Next month, actors will take the Old Courthouse Theatre stage again to perform "Harvey," a Pulitzer Prize-winning play about Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary friend, Harvey, a rabbit more than 6 feet tall, and Dowd's sister, who tries to have him committed. In a comedy of errors, Dowd's sister is mistakenly committed instead until the truth comes out and the hunt is on for Dowd and his invisible friend.

The theater will open again in December for the production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," the tale of a couple struggling to organize a church Christmas pageant, and in February for "Divorce Southern Style," a comedy about a middle-aged divorcee running low on cash who decides to try to get back together with her ex-husband.

The Old Courthouse Theatre's season will conclude in April with "Honk!," a play based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling."

Tickets for the Old Courthouse Theatre's productions are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and $10 for ages 12 and younger.

The community theater will also hold free performances of three different plays as part of its "Living Room Reading" series on Sept. 12, Nov. 14 and Jan. 23.

In addition to the "On Stage at the Davis" performances, the arts council will also host musical performances in its two other series, "Jeff Whittington's Brand New Opry," a bluegrass variety show, and "Footlights," a showcase of regional performers.

Snapshots of Lauren Kennedy in rehearsal for 'Tell Me On a Sunday' at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy

2010-08-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

LAUREN KENNEDY ENDS HOT SUMMER NIGHTS SUMMER SEASON IN 'TELL ME ON A SUNDAY'

2010-08-12T15:33:00.001-07:00

BROADWAY STAR RETURNS HOME FOR SEASON ENDER

LAUREN KENNEDY STARS IN TELL ME ON A SUNDAY AT HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

RALEIGH - Artistic Director. Producer. Director. Actress. Lauren Kennedy(Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables) just about does it all when it comes to theatre; especially with her own company Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy. This year is no different at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh, NC.Kennedy will make a return to the stage as “Emma” in Tell Me on a Sunday. The show will not only hit the Raleigh stage but also play a limited engagement at the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson, NC, which officially opened last September.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy has been opened since 2005. During the first season, Kennedy and her husband, Tony Award Nominated actor Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard, Contact) performed their own concert Beyond Broadway for Raleigh audiences. Since then, Kennedy has taken a back seat to performing at the intimate 120-seat theatre to help the company grow. Last year, she added Artistic Director and Producer to her title and decided after a solid two seasons, she was ready to come back and perform at the theatre her fatherK.D. Kennedy, Jr. and brother Michael started.

“I jumped at the chance when director Matthew-Jason Willisand I discussed this show because it is a score I've been desperate to tackle and I adore working with him! He had some fascinating and fresh ideas on the show that really excite me,” says Kennedy. With music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black, Tell me on a Sunday is a one-act musical that tells the story of an ordinary girl, played by Kennedy, and her romantic misadventures in search of love.

“This show has a long history of reinterpretation, way back to 1979 and I don't think any commercial production ever produced has been the same,” saysKennedy, who added, “So, we too have our own unique spin on this modern tale of an ordinary gal setting out to find true love and accomplish her dreams in New York City!"

Under the direction of Willis is a stellar production team that includes Christine Rapp (Production Stage Manager), Chris Bernier (Technical/Set/Lighting Designer), Brian L. Hunt (Sound Designer) and Leanne Norton-Heintz(Properties Mistress), Chris Wallen (Assistant Stage Manager), Jesse Jones(Running Crew) and Jensen Davis (Spot Light Operator). Kennedy andWillis are also sharing Costume Designer duties with some wardrobe provided by Hot Summer Nights’ long time sponsor,CT Weekends. Musical Director/PianistJulie Florin returns with a talented band comprised of Drew Lile (Guitar), John Simonetti (Bass), Les Webster (Percussion) and Joan Beck(Violin).

Tell Me on a Sunday will run at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh Aug 18-29 and at The Kennedy Campbell Theatre atBarton College in Wilson Sept 1-5. Shows are at 8PM Wednesday-Saturday and Sundays at 3PM. With the exception of Saturday, August 21st which will be at 7PM. Tickets are $22.00 for general admission and $18 for senior adults and students. For Barton tickets, visithttp://www.barton.edu/theatre. For tickets to The Kennedy, call 866-811-4111 or visit the Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedywebsitewww.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org.

Alan Campbell and Lauren Kennedy on BlazinRy Blog Talk Radio

2010-08-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Did you miss today's BlazinRy Radio Blog interview with Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell? Don't worry! You can catch the full (uninterrupted) interview by visiting www.blogtalkradio.com/blazinry !! You can also download the interview by searching "blazinry" on iTunes!!

Another rave review for Hot Summer Nights' DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

2010-08-03T14:53:00.001-07:00

TRIANGLE ARTS ENTERTAINMENDEATH AND THE MAIDEN

Review by SUSIE POTTER

THE TENSION IN “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” IS PALPABLE, ARIEL DORFMAN’S PLAY IS DRAMA AT ITS MOST INTENSE

Alan Campbell & Benji Taylor Jones. Photos by Katherine Kennedy.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy’s DEATH AND THE MAIDEN is pure, intense drama at its finest. The show, which opened on Wednesday, July 28th, tells the story of Paulina (Benji Taylor Jones), a woman who was abducted, raped, and tortured by the minions of a military dictatorship in an unnamed South American country. One fateful night, 15 years after her release, her attorney husband, Gerardo (Alan Campbell), welcomes a helpful stranger, Dr. Roberto Miranda (David McClutchey), into his home and invites him to spend the night. Paulina becomes convinced that Dr. Miranda is one of the men who held her captive and brutalized her all those years ago.

Later, unbeknownst to her husband, she knocks out Miranda; drags him into the living room; ties and gags him; and appoints herself judge, jury, and executioner in a makeshift trial. Once her husband reluctantly joins in on the action, the lines of truth and reality begin to blur, leaving the viewer hanging on to every word.

Alan Campbell & David McClutchey. Photos by Katherine Kennedy

The tension that exists on stage is palpable, and each character is brought to full and vibrant life by the three gifted actors. Jones’ Paulina is disturbed, plotting and, in her own way, entirely sympathetic, whereas McClutchey’s Dr. Miranda is just slimy enough that the viewer will have doubts about his innocence. Most impressive here is Alan Campbell’s multilayered portrayal of Gerardo, a man whose loyalties are split between his belief in democratic institutions and judicial fairness and his touching love and empathy for his wife.

Scenic and lighting designer Chris Bernier’s subtle lighting, used only to take the scene from day to night or to highlight the most dramatic of moments, works well here, as does Bernier’s set design. A few quick changes to the set take the audience from the inside of the couple’s home to their private moments on the front porch, still allowing the viewer to witness the bound Dr. Miranda.

Paulina’s haunting words about having to listen to Schubert’s “Death and The Maiden” as she lay terrified in the dark in prison, deprived of her sight and her dignity, are immediately followed by fitting blackness and then Dr. Miranda’s chilling confession. The catch here is that audience members are left to draw their own conclusions about the validity of that confession. All of this leads up to an edge-of-your-seat climax and an eerie, unsettling conclusion.

Even those viewers who do not have a solid understanding of the political situation in Southern American countries, such as Chile, which playwright Ariel Dorfman fled after the 1973 coup d’étatled by army general Augusto Pinochet, will be able to empathize with each character and find themselves thinking about the very definitions of right and wrong and questioning whether vigilante justice is appropriate when a newly elected democratic government refuses to right the monstrous wrongs perpetuated by a brutal military dictator and his henchmen. This is, quite simply, the stuff that real theater is made of.

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN will continue its run through Sunday, August 8th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.hotsumemrnightsatthekennedy.org.

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell to appear on BlazinRy's Blog Talk Radio this Thursday

2010-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell to appear on BlazinRy's Blog Talk Radio show this Thursday at 1pm. (Eastern Standard Time)

BlazinRy Radio Blog welcomes the uber-talented husband and wife team of Lauren Kennedy & Alan Campbell. Having starred in "Spamalot," "Sunset Boulevard," and "Les Miserables," Barrymore Award nominee Lauren Kennedy is a Broadway veteran. Alan Campbell was nominated for a Best Actor Tony and won the Drama-League Award for his portrayal of Joe Gillis in "Sunset Boulevard." He starred in the CBS series "Jake and the Fat Man" .

The brand spankin' new BlazinRy Radio Blog is an entertainment show powered by Blog Talk Radio. The episodes begin by covering the hot topics of the day in show business, news, and sports. BlazinRy host Ryan Holmes then interviews the hottest, most interesting, and funniest artists and entertainers of today. Former guests include slasher movie star and Playboy cover girl America Olivo, stage and screen actor Christian Campbell, advertising mogul Tom Messner, and MAC Award-Winner Cait Doyle. In its first few weeks, the show has already been featured several times on the blogtalkradio.com homepage. It has garnered the coveted "Today's Top Picks" slot twice and is currently listed on the top of the homepage as "Featured Internet Radio." Due to the comedic background of producer Zach Messner and the unique interviewing style of Holmes, the episodes are zany, hilarious, and ridiculously fun. The show's ratings have sky-rocketed since the first episode. Upcoming guests include television actor Mike Lowry, Broadway veteran Greg Reuter, and ESPN's Jesse Ullmann. TheBlazinRy Radio Blog is also currently podcasting on the extremely popular iTunes and Blubrry Networks. Here is a link to the homepage:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blazinry

The Reviews Are In!! Death and the Maiden is a HIT!!

2010-07-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

The reviews are in for Hot Summer Nights production of Death and the Maiden and we couldn't be happier!!

Robert McDowell of Triangle Arts and Entertainment says

"..Campbell is the unheeded voice of reason, and McClutchey is a squirming victim or victimizer (take your choice). But it is also undeniable that this trio of terrific performers create three unforgettable characters that are the stuff that nightmares are made of...."

To read more of Robert McDowell's review click HERE

------

Roy C. Dicks of the News & Observer praises Death and the Maiden!!

"....the production delivers gripping, edge-of-your-seat entertainment, along with thought-provoking questions about justice and forgiveness."

"Tony nominee Alan Campbell proves his range as Gerardo, giving him a genuinely caring nature, torn by his wife’s need for revenge and his own wish to move forward. David McClutchey turns in a subtle performance as Roberto, lacing his protestations of innocence with just enough hesitation to instill doubt about their veracity."

"Benji Taylor Jones projects Paulina’s unhinged hysteria believably and is moving in her frank descriptions of the torture..."

"...Director Adam Twiss skillfully builds tension..."

To read the full review click HERE

Buy your tickets today, they're going fast!!

www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org

THE FREAKERS BALL

2010-07-22T18:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC2GGk6lUjw

Barefoot Commercial.m4v

2010-05-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

2010-05-03T07:51:00.001-07:00

THE REVIEWS ARE IN:

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100502/ENT/305020024/1005/ENT

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20100502/ARTICLES/5021057/1042?p=1&tc=pg

STEEL MAGNOLIAS IS A HIT!!!

Get you tix NOW!

http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org/shows-and-events/2010-season/steel-magnolias.html

2010-04-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

What: “Steel Magnolias” on stage.
When: Thursday through May 23. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Where: Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock.
Tickets: $34 with discounts for students, seniors, groups. 693-0731, 866-732-8008. www.flatrockplayhouse.org

2010-04-19T06:51:00.001-07:00

This one-night-only event will celebrate 27 seasons of Broadway at North Carolina Theatre and stars Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mannand Quiana Parler.

Clay Aiken is a multi-platinum recording artist and is set to release his sixth album,Tried and True, this summer. Since his meteoric rise to fame on the hit TV showAmerican Idol in 2003, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Timesbest-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, starred on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, and has guest starring roles in TV's Scrubs, 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live. Before all of these accomplishments and more, Aiken performed on the North Carolina Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776 in 1996.

Lauren Kennedy has numerous Broadway credits to her name since she moved to New York from Raleigh, her hometown. She starred as Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's Spamalot, appeared in Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close, and received acclaim as Fantine in the final year of Les Miserables. Kennedy has dazzled audiences in a number of NC Theatre productions, most recently starring alongside Country music singer Larry Gatlin in Annie Get Your Gun.

Sharon Lawrence is a four-time Emmy nominated actress and is known for many roles on the hit TV shows NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Grey's Anatomy. In addition to film and Broadway work, Lawrence has performed a myriad of roles on the NC Theatre stage and starred alongside Terrence Mann in the theatre's first production, Camelot, in 1984.

Terrence Mann currently stars on Broadway in The Addams Family. He made his Broadway debut in 1982 in the Tony Award-winning musical, Barnum, and has been a fixture on the Great White Way ever since. In 1987, his portrayal of Javert in Les Miserables earned him his first Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, which he reprised years later. He originated the role of the Beast in Disney'sBeauty and the Beast, earning another Tony nomination. Other Broadway credits include Rags, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Getting Away with Murder, The Rocky Horror Show. Mann served as an actor, artistic director and director for many NC Theatre productions throughout the years.

Quiana Parler has shared the stage with an array of national artists, from Keith Sweat to Clay Aiken; Miranda Lambert to Kelly Clarkson. Her performances have been seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Good Morning America, The Academy of Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live. Additionally, her vocal talents have been sought out by recording industry leaders such as David Novik, Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. Her debut in 2008, as Effie, in NC Theatre's Dreamgirls became one of the most talked about performances of NC Theatre's 27 year history.

Tickets
Ticket prices range from $50 to $100 with a VIP option of $150 that includes an exclusive, one hour pre-show reception and complimentary parking.

Week of April 12th: On sale to NC Theatre subscribers only
Week of April 19th: All tickets open to the general public

To purchase, call the NC Theatre Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6943 OR x6944. Sponsor packages also available.

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE!

2010-04-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

MY NEW WEBSITE IS LAUNCHED!

THANKS AMIT PATEL!

www.laurenkennedy.com

Discography

2010-03-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

Here And Now

Songs Of Jason Robert Brown

37 Notebooks

South Pacific

Vanities

2010-03-08T11:48:00.001-08:00

I am so excited about this...it is only $10. Come check us out. It is worth it just to see The Canal Room. Such a cool space and such a smokin' sound system!

ROCKERS ON BROADWAY PHOTOS!

2010-03-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

CHECK OUT THESE PHOTOS ON BROADWAYWORLD! IT WAS AN AWESOME NIGHT AND WE RAISED $10,000 for HAITI!

ROCKERS ON BROADWAY

2010-02-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

DON'T MISS THE SHOW!!! BB Kings on Monday Night at 8pm!

ROCKERS ON BROADWAY

2010-02-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

We here at the PATH Fund / Rockers On Broadway, have been so moved by the devastation in Haiti and it’s affect of the nations children so buy your tix now for Benefit Concert on Monday March 1st, 2001 at 8pm at BB Kings Blues Club. All proceed go to UNICEF and Save The Children.

To purchase tickets:
http://www.bbkingblues.com/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=4951

NCT Hip/Tix BOGO Offer!!!

2010-02-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Broadway Star Lauren Kennedy Underwrites Subscriptions for HipTix!

We are so excited to announce that NC Theatre alum, board member and Broadway star Lauren Kennedy will underwrite 50 subscriptions for the launch of our newly formed HipTix program. HipTix is a $100 subscription to all four productions in 2010 with the opportunity to network at HipTix socials before performances at a designated Empire Eats restaurant. Because of Kennedy's generosity and dedication to the theatre, the first 50 HipTix members will receive a subscription for FREE when they purchase one subscription at full price.

In her first year as a board member at NC Theatre, Kennedy wanted to do more than just write a check. She wanted to make a difference – the way that NC Theatre made a difference in her own life. Kennedy says, “NC Theatre was a huge part of my life growing up; my early experiences on the NC Theatre stage provided me with invaluable training and helped shape me into who I am today. I want to make live theatre affordable to those just out of college, maybe paying off their student loans, perhaps not yet accustomed to seeing shows on a regular basis. Theatre can transform lives. I really believe that.”

Benefits of HipTix
Discounted subscription – normally 50% off, but with Kennedy’s donation now nearly 70% off
Meet other young professionals in the Triangle at a pre-show networking event
Additional single ticket discounts for those outside the HipTix age bracket
Free ticket exchanges for Tuesday or Thursday evening performances
Personalized service from the NC Theatre Box Office
30 % off discount cards to Empire Eats restaurants four times per year
All HipTix are for the Wednesday evening performance and are located in the mezzanine section.

We are also excited to partner with Empire Eats in this new program. Before the show, mix and mingle with fellow HipTix members at an Empire Eats establishment and enjoy drink and appetizer specials. Empire Eats restaurants include The Pit, The Raleigh Times Bar, The Morning Times, Sitti and Gravy. For more information on Empire Eats, visit www.empireeats.com.

Ordering HipTix
Call the NC Theatre Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6944, click here to download the order form or visit the NC Theatre Box Office located at One East South Street in downtown Raleigh.

HSN ANNOUNCES 2010 SEASON AND AUDITIONS

2010-02-03T06:12:00.001-08:00

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy Announces Their 2010 Season and Auditions
The 2010 Season will include Barefoot in the Park (June 9-20), The Great American Trailer Park Musical (June 30-July 18), Death of a Maiden (July 28-Aug 8) and Tell Me on a Sunday (August 18-Sept 5). Auditions are being held for the first three shows of the season. To be considered for any show, all those auditioning must be available for both production and rehearsals dates (which run two weeks prior to each show's opening). No conflicts allowed. Auditions are scheduled for Saturday, March 6th from 12PM-6PM at the Kennedy Theatre in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh. Those interested in auditioning will be given a total of five minutes and should prepare either two contrasting monologues or a monologue and song. Accompanist will be provided. To schedule an appointment please call Tiffany at 919-770-5892 (between 1PM-7PM ONLY). For more information about Hot Summer Nights, visit www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org

DRIFT WINS!!!

2010-02-02T06:28:00.001-08:00

"Drift" WINS! You voted and made "Drift" the Tops in the Triangle for Theatre for 2009! With 2917 people voting, "Drift" took home 576 in the Triangle Arts and Entertainment online magazine poll. Thanks to all who voted. Also on the list: "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" which was part of the top ten.

GOOD OL' GIRLS

2010-01-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Previews begin for GOOD OL' GIRLS on Feb. 8th and opens officially on Feb 14th! Please come and check us out at The Black Box Theatre at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th Street

For tickets

call (212) 352-3101
or (866) 811-4111
or visit
www.theatermania.com

Tickets are $70 ($85 premium)

For group sales
of 10 or more
call (212) 265-8500
or log on to
www.theatre4groups.com

* LIMITED ENGAGEMENT*

The playing schedule for GOOD OL’ GIRLS is
Mondays, Tuesdays, Friday and Saturday at 8PM,
with matinees Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.

2010-01-22T18:50:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my BLOG! This will be the 'go to' place for news about my upcoming projects, appearances and concerts! Thank you so much for your support!