I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Sunday Scoop - Week of 1/7/18 What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

Upcoming at State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ

Dancing with the Stars Live
and
Winter Festival: America, Inspiring: Respighi & Prokofiev

Tuesday January 9, Dancing With the Stars: Live
Light Up the Night 8:00 PM

For information or to purchase tickets visit www.stnj.org/event/dancing-with-the-stars-live.

Sunday January 14, 3:00 PM
Winter Festival - America, Inspiring: Respighi & Prokofiev

For more information or to purchase tickets https://www.stnj.org/event/njso_winterfestival_america1_2018.
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Upcoming at Merkin Concert Hall
Kaufman Music Center
129 W. 67th St.
New York, NY 

Times Talks: James & Dave Franco 
and
New York Philharmonic Ensembles

Wednesday January 10, 7:30 PM
Times Talk
James Franco & Dave Franco

The duo will discuss their Golden Globe-nominated and critically acclaimed film, "The Disaster Artist," as well as their familial bond, behind-the-scenes antics, and how there is more than one way to become a legend—and no limit to what you can achieve when you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit 

Sunday January 14, 3:00 PM
New York Philharmonic Ensembles

Hear the individual talents that make up the orchestra, and experience the passion and personality of the performers. Works by Beethoven, Turina, Roesgen-Champion and Brahms. 

For more information or to purchase tickets visit 
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 mage result for blue moon mexican cafe

Blue Moon Mexican Café Englewood Presents:

Latin Friday
with DJ Edwin Martinez

Salsa - Bachata - Merengue

Friday, January 12th at 9:30pm
FREE EVENT


 Blue Moon Mexican Café Englewood presents Latin Friday at the Moon! Get your Salsa, Bachata and Merengue dancing on at Blue Moon Mexican Café in Englewood on January 12th with DJ Edwin Martinez who will be spinning your favorite Latin dance hits on Friday, January 12th at 9:30pm.

All Blue Moon Mexican Café locations offer FREE entertainment on a regular basis, for an up to date listing of performers and locations, visit Bluemoonmexicancafe.com.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar 
Celebrates 1,000 Show With a Free Show on January 21 at 4:00 PM
DR2 Theatre
103 E. 15th St.
New York, NY

New York: The global sensation, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, created by Jonathan Rockefeller, will celebrate its 1000th show worldwide on January 21, 2018 at 4pm. The critically acclaimed The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, has brought Eric Carle’s beloved Very Hungry Caterpillar around the world, including sold out shows in Australia, UK (including a run on the West End), Dubai, New Zealand, San Francisco and New York and gearing up for productions in in Dallas, Oregon and Toronto later this year.

To celebrate this amazing milestone, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show will offer a lottery for FREE tickets to the January 21, 2018 at 4pm show. To enter the lottery for the 1000th show, please visit http://www.hungrycaterpillarshow.com/contest between January 3-10.  Winners will be chosen on January 12, 2018.

A theatrical recreation of Eric Carle’s beautifully imaginative storiesThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Showfeatures a menagerie of enchanting puppets during a magical 60-minute show that faithfully adapts four of Eric Carle’s beloved books for the stage. New York is currently the only venue that features the new edition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar includes the World Premiere of Brown Bear, Brown Bear celebrating its 50th Anniversary, 10 Little Rubber DucksThe Very Lonely Firefly and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller
Now running through April 8, 2018

Performance Schedule:
Thursday at 10am; Friday at 10am 
Saturday at 10am12pm2pm & 4pmSunday 10am12pm2pm & 4pm
DR2 is located at 103 East 15 Street 
 Running time 60 minutes, no intermission. 
Tickets are $49.50* - $69.50* (Premium Seats)/ $89.50* (VIP Experience)
Can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787
*Lap seat are $5 and are required for those under one year old.
School time Performances & Groups can be arranged
by emailing groups@hungrycaterpillarshow.com)

For more information, visit HungryCaterpillarShow.com
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Upcoming at iPlay America
110 Schank Rd.
Freehold, NJ 

Terry Lee Goffee - 
The ULTIMATE Johnny Cash Tribute


Sunday, January 14                                                                                        
Doors: 4:30 PM – Starts: 5:30 PM

Terry Lee Goffee comes to iPlay America’s Event Center for a dinner show that will thrill Jonny Cash fans of every age. Terry Lee Goffee put his first Johnny Cash record on a turntable and his world was never the same. He has been a fan of Johnny Cash since he was about eight years old. Terry Lee Goffee wanted to make his tribute show a little different and unique by portraying Johnny Cash in the first person. Like an actor in a play, he literally becomes his character, in this case, the legendary Johnny Cash. Get your tickets today to see Terry Lee Goffee - The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 
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Upcoming at The New Victory Theater
209 W. 42nd St.
(Between 7th and 8th)
New York, NY

A Sick Day for Morris McGee

January 13 - 28

The award-winning Train Theater, which produces the International Festival of Puppet Theater in Jerusalem every summer, brings Philip C. Stead’s book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, to life in this charming puppetry performance about one creature of habit and his kind-hearted coterie.

Published in 2010 by Roaring Book Press, A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead (Hello My Name is Ruby, Bear Has a Story to Tell, A Home for Bird) and illustrated by Erin Stead (And Then it's Spring, If You Want to See a Whale, Bear Has a Story to Tell) depicts a loving camaraderie between a man and his friends, who happen to be animals. It shares a simple message that portraying kindness and thoughtfulness to others, and all species, is very important in our society. For her illustrations, Erin Stead won the 2011 Caldecott Medal and received the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010 award from The New York Times. A Sick Day for Amos McGee was later translated to A Sick Day for Morris McGee by Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir, an Israeli book publisher.

Based in Jerusalem, Israel, The Train Theater was founded inside of a train car in 1981 as a collaboration between four puppeteers: Michael Schuster, Alina Ashbel, Hadas Ophrat and the late Mario Kotliar. For over 35 years, The Train Theater has been a major force of innovation and a hub of inspiration in the creation of puppet theater in Israel. The company originates new work by encouraging interdisciplinary artists, through its continuing education programs, to discover and make puppet theater for children of all ages.Their repertoire of over 30 productions tour throughout Israel and around the world.

Performance Schedule: 21 performances
Saturday, January 13 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm
Sunday, January 14 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm
Monday, January 15 at 10am
Friday, January 19 at 1pm
Saturday, January 20 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm*
Sunday, January 21 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm
Friday, January 26 at 1pm
Saturday, January 27 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm
Sunday, January 28 at 10am / 1pm / 4pm

*sign-interpreted performance

A Sick Day for Morris McGee has a running time of 50 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for kids ages 2-5.

Ticket Information
Full-price tickets for A Sick Day for Morris McGee are $20. Tickets are available online (http://www.newvictory.org/boxoffice) and by phone (646.223.3010).

To purchase tickets in person, The New Victory Theater box office is located at 209 West 42nd Street (between 7th / 8th Avenue). Box Office hours are Sunday & Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.
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Upcoming at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway AT 95th
New York, NY

Experiental Theater Company:
Journey to Oz

Saturday January 13, 11:00 AM

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s classic stories, this unique adaptation puts the audience front and center — literally — as the audience is invited on a journey to Oz with Dorothy. Everyone becomes part of the show in this interactive production, singing, dancing and sometimes even acting along with the cast. Kids and adults in the audience will help the scarecrow, the tin woodsman, the lion, and all the citizens of the Emerald City as they embark on this adventure.Whether it's joining together to whip up a cyclone, helping the Witch of the West put on her makeup, or volunteering to join the cast onstage to play one of the roles, this production reminds the audience that amid a world full of adventure, there is, indeed, no place like home.

L. Frank Baum and illustrator W. W. Denslow were influenced by the innovations of the late 19th century. Electricity, steam powered engines, and innovations like the moving picture captured the imaginations of writers and dreamers. Oz is a magical place of inspiration borne out of events like the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair and the advent of traveling circuses. This play features images and theatricality of more than a century’s past using the sights and sounds from Baum’s books and his times.

Under the direction of Christopher Parks, the Experiential Theater Company is dedicated to creating quality immersive theater productions for young audiences and their families. Learn more about Experiential Theater Company on their website, and view a video preview on their YouTube channel.

To enter win a family four (4) pack of tickets, see our previous blog post Win Ticket to the Interactive Musical Journey to Oz at Symphony Space in NYC!


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PR Firm Roundup

News from Karen Greco PR

The Civilians bring THE UNDERTAKING to 59E59 Theaters

THE UNDERTAKING begins performances on Thursday, January 11 for a limited engagement throughSunday, February 4Press Opening is Wednesday, January 17 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Friday at 7:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 7:15 PM; Sunday at 2:15 PM.Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Single tickets are $25 - $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org

THE UNDERTAKING is a playful and idiosyncratic take on the classical trip to the land of the dead. Drawing on The Civilians’ multi-year exploration into questions of mortality, the play takes the idea of the recorded interview and pushes it into surprising (and personal) new places.

For more information visit www.59e59.org

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LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL returns to 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) welcomes the return of St. Louis Actors' Studio with the LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL, featuring the NYC premiere of one-act plays written by Neil LaButeJames Haigney, and Carter W. Lewis, and directed by John Pierson. The LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL begins performances on Thursday, January 11 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 4Press Opening is Sunday, January 14 at 7:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM; and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Please note: there is an added performance on Sunday, January 14 at 7:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Single tickets are $25 - $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org

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What's on At the Wild Project

January 11 – January 13
SPECIAL EFFECTS FESTIVAL: CLUSTERF*CK
Schedule: Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm
Tickets: $25 (includes a free drink ticket)

This year’s edition of Special Effects Festival (SFX) asks: How do we build community? How do we build empathy? And how do we stay focused and carry each other through this clusterf*ck”. 

Artist driven and oriented, SFX gathers experimental performance works by practitioners exploring contemporary issues. Drawing on a network of over 7,000 artists who are part of contemporaryperformance.com  the festival samples the diversity and richness of the discipline of performance and presents an open forum for critical thinking on the issues of the day
 
SFX Shows:

January 11
Intimatics I-III by Kate Dakota Kremer, directed by Philip Gates
Thursday at 8 pm

Intimatics I-III is a series of three movement-plays about intimacy and citizenship. First developed around the time of the 2016 election, the three parts of INTIMATICS (“Match,” “Speak/Box,” and “Threshold”) investigate the ways in which we navigate boundaries and inhabit flawed rule structures while also pursuing new structures of collaboration and social intimacy. Intimatics raises questions about how borders, walls, prisons, laws, and other governmental structures of containment shape the practice of intimacy between individuals and among communities—and how the practice of intimacy might reshape those structures.
 
 January 12 – January 13
They, 
Themself and Schmerm by Becca Blackwell 
Friday at 8 pm & Saturday at 2 pm
 
 
An evening of new works and works-in-progress from the Contemporary Performance network revealing radical experiments in performance. From young makers breaking into and out of the performance scene, this evening event brings together vital forces that are shaping the next frontier of performativity. Existing between the black box of experimental theatre and the white rooms of the art museum, gray spaces explore the marginal zones of performance.
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News from Michelle Tabnick PR

Works & Process at the Guggenheim
presents a dance commission
Battleground 
Ryan McNamara
January 10 - 12, 2018 at 7:30 PM

Following the sold-out premiere of Battleground in 2016, Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents an encore of this "Cosplay-Battle-Ballet" on January 10-12, 2017 at 7:30pm. During a rare residency opportunity that spanned five months, McNamara created a one-of-a-kind work made in and for the unique architecture of the Guggenheim's Peter B. Lewis Theater. Audience members act as embedded witnesses to the three dance squads battling for dominance in each of the space's three zones: the Red Choir Loft, the Green Balcony, and the Blue Stage.

Cast of collaborators include:
Reid Bartelme, Effie Bowen, Jason Collins, Dylan Crossman, Kyli Kleven, Sigrid Lauren, Mickey Mahar, Courtney Spears, Brandon Washington

TICKETS & VENUE
$45, $40 Guggenheim Members and Friends of Works & Process
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Rotunda

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Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company to Offer
A Sneak Preview of
A Quest for Freedom
at the Annual Association of Performing Arts Presenter Conference in New York City Center
January 13-14, 2018

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will present its latest work, A Quest for Freedom, at New York City's City Center Studio 4 on Saturday, January 13 at 7pm and 8pm, and Sunday, January 14 at 12noon and 12:30pm. The performances will showcase the company's latest collaboration with the renowned Korean American classical music powerhouse The Ahn Trio during the annual conference of the Association of the Performing Arts Presenters. The collaboration, although planned over a years ago, has been influenced greatly by the current discussion on immigration during its development.. Very limited tickets for the public will be available by request from the Company's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/NaiNiChenDanceCompany/.

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Brooklyn Music School presents
Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute: 
Spirit of Hope
Featuring Lester Lynch
Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 5pm

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute: Spirit of Hope on January 13, 2018 at 5pm. BMS is located at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn. Tickets are $5 and are available online athttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-spirit-of-hope-a-martin-luther-king-jr-tribute-feat-lester-lynch-tickets-41707667757.

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AMERICAN LYRIC THEATER
presents
ALT Alumni: Composers and Librettists in Concert
Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 8pm

American Lyric Theater presents ALT Alumni: Composers and Librettists in Concert on January 14, 2018 at 8pm at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th Street, NYC. Tickets are $25 and are available by phone at 212-501-3330 or online at www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/alt-alumni-composers-and-librettists-in-concert.
Alumni of American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program are changing the landscape of contemporary opera. ALT's annual alumni concert showcases scenes from three exciting new operas taking the stage around the country, written by alumni of the CLDP.

THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE (excerpts)
Music by Ricky Ian Gordon | Libretto by Royce Vavrek*
Based on the original story by Gail Rock. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera

Adelaide "Addie" Mills wants nothing more than to have a Christmas Tree in her living room during the holidays, but to her father, James, a tree is a reminder of the promises he made to Addie's mom who died shortly after she was born.  When Addie wins a tree in a contest at school, it sets off a chain of events that involve her grandmother, teacher Miss Thompson, best friend Carla Mae, and school arch-nemesis Billy Wild, in an attempt to make her house feel more like Christmas. When her father explodes in anger at the forbidden evergreen, Addie reacts with charity, an action that ultimately inspires her father to make a beautiful gesture of his own.

ALBERT NOBBS (excerpts)
Music by Patrick Soluri* | Libretto by Deborah Brevoort*
Based on the novella by George Moore. Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize Finalist.

ALBERT NOBBS tells the tale of a painfully shy butler in a 19th century Irish hotel who hides an incredible secret: he is really a she.   Albert maintains her disguise for years until one day Hubert Page, a laborer, is boarded in her room and discovers Albert is a woman.  Hubert reveals he is also a woman-and that he has a wife. This unleashes a torrent of emotions in Albert and awakens the possibility of a life that includes love.  She sets off on a journey to find a wife of her own while maintaining her disguise as a man.  She falls in love with Helen, a hotel maid, who rejects her cruelly, plunging Albert into a despair that leads to the revelation of her true identity and ultimately to her death.

MONKEY AND FRANCINE IN THE CITY OF TIGERS (complete)
Music by Kamala Sankaram* | Libretto by David Johnston*
Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera; Developed in partnership with American Lyric Theater.

Bickering siblings Monkey and Francine have to work together to save their royal kingdom from ruin, while battling a hungry crocodile and the greedy Lord of the Tigers.  A mash up of West African folk tales, Sanskrit epics and Indian comic books, MONKEY AND FRANCINE is about family, girls' empowerment and cooperation.  The 45 minute opera, written for children and family audiences, draws inspiration from Bollywood, Ethiopian jazz, and Psychedelic Mbira, pairing danceable grooves and operatic arias.

Featured guest artists: Patricia SchumanLauren SnoufferJennifer PanaraElise QuagliataDaniel T. CurranDaniel Belcherand Adrian RosasMusic Director and Pianist:  James Lowe. Hosted by ALT's Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Lawrence Edelson.

* Denotes alumni of the Composer Librettist Development Program.

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Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Presents a dance commission
One of Sixty-Five Thousand Gestures/NEW BODIES
Jodi Melnick with Jared Angle, Sara Mearns, and Taylor Stanley
January 14 - 15, 2018 at 7:30pm

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents an encore of choreographer Jodi Melnick's sold-out 2016 commission, NEW BODIES. This Works & Process commissioned work weaves together dance, spoken text, and moderated discussion with live music, featuring New York City Ballet dancers Jared Angle, Sara Mearns, and Taylor Stanley in a role originated by Gretchen Smith, with harpsichord by composer György Ligeti, violin by composer Heinrich Biber, and commissioned music by Robert Boston.Also, Melnick, who enjoyed a performance career with Twyla Tharp (among many others), will perform One of Sixty-Five Thousand Gestures, a solo work created in collaboration with the late Trisha Brown.



Works & Process Commissions to Tour in 2018
Works & Process is pleased to announce two of its recent commissions, Battleground by Ryan McNamara and NEW BODIES by Jodi Melnick, will be available for touring in 2018 and onwards. One of Sixty-Five Thousand Gestures -- a solo Melnick co-choreographed with Trisha Brown -- will be added to the NEW BODIES bill. To inaugurate this touring initiative, Works & Process will present encore performances of these two programs at the Guggenheim in January 2018. 


TICKETS & VENUE
$45, $40 Guggenheim Members and Friends of Works & Process
Box Office (212) 423-3575 or worksandprocess.org
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Rotunda

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Theater Resources Unlimited
announces the
TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series
January 15, 29, and February 5, 2018 at 7pm
at The Actors Temple Theatre

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Serieson January 15, 29, and February 5, 2018 at 7pm at The Actors Temple Theater, 339 W. 47th Street, NYCA "Dollars and Sense" talkback on the future development of the presented works will be held after each performance. Admission is free.  Please RSVP at least a day in advance (or much sooner) by calling 212/714-7628, or e-mailingTRUVoicesSeries@gmail.com.

The purpose of the series is to help develop new musicals, help producers develop the skills needed to produce new works, and foster the producer-writer relationship for future development beyond our series. Each reading will be followed by a "Dollars and Sense" panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the works presented. Shows that have been optioned for future development from this industry-focused series includeMy Life Is a Musical, Volleygirls, The Forgetting Curve, Echoes of Octavia, The Hummingbirds, Pied a Terre and The Great American Trailer Park Musical.

Viva Max! - January 15, 2018
A new musical-comedy adventure, with music & lyrics by Skip Kennon (Time & Again, The Last Starfighter, Herringbone, Don Juan DeMarco) and a book co-written by Julie Miller (productions include Amigo Duende, Zapata, The MAC Awards Show) & Fred Landau (The Last Starfighter, I Never Miss a Larry Kramer Musical). The show is based on the novel by Jim Lehrer, who is probably best known for The MacNeil/Lehrer Report and Jim Lehrer's NewsHour on TV, but is also a renowned novelist and playwright. Produced by Yoni Vendriger (Right Before I Go, Sacrifices, Loveless Texas) and Mor Cohen (Shotz!, The New Galileos, Over the Wall). Directed by Evan Pappas, whose numerous credits across the country include Liberty, the upcoming A Letter To Harvey Milk, and Wonderful Town.

Remember the Alamo? Max will make sure you never forget it! In this new musical comedy-adventure, a young, idealistic Mexican General seeks respect for himself and Mexico by marching his soldiers into Texas in an against-all-odds quest to reclaim the Alamo. The show is based on Jim Lehrer's rollicking satiric novel set 50 years ago, but the story remains current and passionate on 21st-century matters like immigration, gun control, and respect for foreign peoples and their cultures.

The cast includes Broadway's Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away, Sister Act, The Pee-wee Herman Show) as General Max, Savannah Frazier (Amazing Grace) as Paula, William Parry (Groundhog Day, Camelot, Road Show) as President LBJ, Maureen Silliman (I Remember Mama, Shenandoah, Blue Window) as Hattie, Jane Smulyan (The Most Happy Fella) as Lady Bird Johnson, and Michael Cone (Brigadoon, Rags, Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme) as Private Ungaro, and Sarah Corey (Prospect's Illyria, Souvenir Stories) as the fiery Carmela, who sends Max off on his quest.

Ugly Christmas Sweater, The Musical - January 29, 2017
Book, music and lyrics by Mark William Butler (Mr. Whiskers Goes Viral; Instant Happy!; Attack of the One Acts; Pizza Punks from Outer Space; Patrick's Parade, The Laundry WarThe Nickname Fairy, Bad Christmas Sweater); directed by Richard P. Butler (New works: In the Wilderness; Cat Gets Credit Card!; Instant Happy!; A Brooklyn Bargain Basement Christmas; Bad Christmas Sweater; The Laundry War. Revivals: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Godspell; The Rocky Horror Show); music director Will Buck; presented by John Lant.

Holly thinks Christmas is ugly until she wears "the sweater" - and goes on a high-flying storybook sleigh ride with a wacky cast of North Pole characters - including an ugly Christmas sweater that comes alive and helps her navigate her journey from naughty to nice in this fresh, grown-up holiday yarn.

Carolina Rising - February 5, 2018
A new country-western musical
Book & Lyrics by Bryan D. Leys (Hell's Belles, La RibaltaHow To Marry A Divorced ManMidsummer Nights, The White Witch of Rosehall, Murder OnBroadway, 2017 TRU Voices New Plays Series-Moonshadow); Music by Kevin Kuhn (composer: Midsummer Nights, 66, Harley.  Broadway guitarist: Aladdin, The Lion King, The Who's Tommy); Directed by Joe Barros (Bastard Jones, Cagney, Gigi, Artistic Director/New York Theatre Barn); Music Director: Balint Varga, Stage Manager: Michelle Perri; Presented by Sharon Weiss and Eileen B. Weiss of Tweiss Productions (Hell's Belles, Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking, Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging, Appendage).

Crystal Ann McKay's wild and independent spirit finds no outlet in her town's unending dreariness, but life abruptly changes when a labor organizer arrives from Detroit.   Inspired by true events, Carolina Risingshows how frustration mixed with courage can turn a troublemaker into a hero.

Admission is free for everyone. But reservations are requiredPlease reserve at http://truonline.org/tru-voices (click for the show you wish to reserve), or call at least a day in advance for reservations: 212/714-7628, or e-mail TRUVoicesSeries@gmail.com.

TRU is currently accepting submissions for the 2018 TRU Voices Play Reading Series. For details, and to submit an application visithttps://truonline.org/2018-play-guidelines/Deadline for submissions is January 21, 2018.
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News from Richard Hillman PR

THE DRAMA LEAGUE
PRESENTS
"DIRECTORFEST"
34th FESTIVAL CELEBRATING THE ART AND FUTURE OF
AMERICAN STAGE DIRECTING

SPOTLIGHT DIRECTORS INCLUDE LAURA BRANDEL, BONNIE GABEL, MATT DICKSON,
FLORDELINO LAGUNDINO, REBECCA MARTINEZ, AND ILANA RANSOM TOEPLITZ

ACTING COMPANY INCLUDES JEN BLOOD, CHRISTINE BRUNO, ELIJAH CALDWELL,
DRAE CAMPBELL, CORY CENSOPRANO, JENN COLELLA, LYNN CRAIG, CINDY DE LA CRUZ, TANESHA GARY, TAMRIN GOLDBERG, JENNA LEIGH GREEN, DOUG HARRIS,
STEPHEN HU, LATOYA JACKSON, MARY KNAPP, SAMI MA, ZOE MANAREL, JASON MOODY, MARY LIZ MCNAMARA, AARON PHILLIPS, SCHUYLER PRESS, JAMIE ANN ROMERO,
ELIZA SIMPSON, SAIDU SINLAH, JASON VEASEY, PILAR WITHERSPOON

RARELY-SEEN PLAYS BY DAVID HENRY HWANG AND ENDA WALSH
ALONGSIDE NEW WORKS BY
GABRIELLE REISMAN, ALEJANDRO RICAÑO AND ALEX RUBIN
AND SELECTIONS FROM NEW MUSICALS BY
ANGELICA CHERI, ROSS BAUM, TIMOTHY HUANG, AND MARY LIZ MCNAMARA

JANUARY 13 - 22, 2018

The Drama League (Executive Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) has announced full casting for the newly reimagined annual event DirectorFest, a multi-week, city-wide festival focusing on the art and future of contemporary American stage directing at various locations around NYC: The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), and The Drama Book Shop (250 West 40th Street) from January 13-22, 2018.  Festival details, tickets and additional information are now available at www.directorfest.org<http://www.directorfest.org>, or by calling (212) 244-9494.

For its 34th year, the festival will include four fully-staged productions, a showcase evening of new musicals, staged readings, discussion panels, book signings, workshops and conversations with America's most notable directors.


The festival will also include UpClose, a series of conversations with America's foremost contemporary directors, including Anne Bogart (Dead Man's Cell Phone), Anne Kauffman (Mary Jane), Damon Kiely (Oklahoma!), Robert O'Hara (Bootycandy), Kimberly Senior (Disgraced), and George C. Wolfe (Shuffle Along).

DIRECTORFEST SCHEDULE
Tickets Available at www.dramaleague.org/directorfest<http://www.dramaleague.org/directorfest>


FESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS


January 13, 2018 at 7:30pm

January 14, 2018 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Black Box at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

18 Bleecker Street

$18 General Admission


Cultural difference, history, and relationships collide in this evening of plays exploring the gripping ways we respond to change in our lives.


STORM, STILL

An abridged version by Gabrielle Reisman

Directed by 2017 Drama League Fellow Bonnie Gabel


The three-member cast features Drae Campbell as Regan, Cindy de la Cruz as Cordelia, and Pilar Witherspoon as Goneril.  The Stage Manager is Emily Roth.  Casting by Harriet Bass.

In Storm, Still, three modern-day sisters - who might bear a resemblance to the daughters of King Lear - encounter unexpected events as they sort through the belongings of their deceased father.


F.O.B.
By David Henry Hwang

Directed by 2017 Drama League New York Directing Fellow Flordelino Lagundino

In F.O.B., a revival of the acclaimed play by David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), "the possibilities and perils of assimilation" (New York Times) are upended as two Americans encounter a new immigrant who believes himself to be the reincarnation of a legendary Chinese warrior.
Choreography by Ling Tang


January 19, 2018 at 7:30pm

January 20, 2018 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Black Box at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

18 Bleecker Street

$18 General Admission


Love, obsession, and the occasional murder -- as this evening of plays illustrates, relationships are reaaaally complicated!

PORK KIDNEYS TO SOOTHE DESPAIR
by Alejandro Ricaño, Translated by Daniel Jáquez

Directed by 2017 Drama League New York Directing Fellow Rebecca Martinez

The two-member cast features Jamie Ann Romero as Marie, and Jason Veasey as Gustave with Mary Knapp on Accordion.  The Stage Manager is Danielle Thomsen.  Casting by Michael Cassara.

Set in 1940's Paris, fact and fiction intertwine in Pork Kidneys To Soothe Despair, where an unsuccessful writer and his paramour stalk Samuel Beckett, ostensibly to ensure that his masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, is completed.


DISCO PIGS
By Enda Walsh

Directed by 2017 Drama League New York Directing Fellow Matt Dickson

Movement Consultant Laura Brandel

The two-member cast features Doug Harris as Pig, and Eliza Simpson as Runt. The Stage Manager is Tracey Wooley.  Casting by Stephanie Klapper.

Disco Pigs, by lauded playwright Enda Walsh (Once), is the story of Pig and Runt, two lifelong, violence-prone friends who have developed their own private language since birth.  As they celebrate their 17th birthday in the nightclubs of Cork, they unexpectedly discover that their relationship is about to change forever.

FESTIVAL WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT

DRAMA LEAGUE DIRECTORS PROJECT ALUMNI READING

January 19, 2018 at 3:00pm

The Drama League Theater Center

32 Avenue of the Americas

FREE


GROUP
A new play by Alex Rubin

Directed by 2016 Directors Project Alumna Ilana Ransom Toeplitz

Featuring Tony Award nominee Jenn Colella (Come From Away), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked), and Schuyler Press.

Tony Award-nominee Jenn Colella (Come From Away), joined by Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked) and Schuyler Press, leads a reading of Alex Rubin's provocative new work.  In a quiet New Jersey beach town Kari, Rachel, Janet, and Joy -- the 1988 graduates of Deena Boyd's Home for Disturbed Young Women -- are about to have a very unusual reunion.  Thirty years later, their lives have taken vastly different directions, but one secret still unites them.


A LEO SHULL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS SPOTLIGHT EVENT

January 22, 2018 at 7:30pm

Black Box at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

18 Bleecker Street

$18 General Admission


SHE PERSISTED
Conceived and Directed by 2017 Drama League Leo Shull Musical Directing Fellow Laura Brandel
Music Direction by Josh Kight Casting by Kate Lumpkin Casting

Excerpts from:
Koi Story - Music, Lyrics, and Books by Timothy Huang
Gun and Powder - Book and Lyrics by Angelica Chéri, Music by Ross Baum
Body and Soul - Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mary Liz McNamara;
Based on the documentary "Body and Soul" by Alice Elliott

The cast will feature Jen Blood, Christine Bruno, Elijah Caldwell, Lynn Craig, Tanesha Gary, Tamrin Goldberg, Latoya Jackson, Zoe Manarel, Jason Moody, Mary Liz McNamara, Aaron Phillips, and Saidu Sinlah.

She Persisted is a surprising, moving, and unexpected musical evening celebrating the fortitude and resilience of female characters in American musicals. Through scenes, songs and moments from both classic and contemporary musicals, director Laura Brandel leads us on a journey through her insights and experience of the past twelve months.  Made possible by support from the Leo Shull Foundation for the Arts.

FESTIVAL CONVERSATIONS

A Leo Shull Foundation for the Arts Spotlight Event

UPCLOSE: BONNIE GABEL AND FLORDELINO LAGUNDINO

January 14, 2018 at 4:30pm

Black Box at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

18 Bleecker Street

FREE

Enjoy this freewheeling conversation with two of America's most promising theatre directors.  Based in New Orleans, Ms. Gabel's work ranges from community-based projects to world premieres.  Mr. Lagundino, who leads New York City's Leviathan Lab, has directed across the country giving voice to the Asian-American experience.  Made possible by support from the Leo Shull Foundation for the Arts.

UPCLOSE: A CONVERSATION WITH GEORGE C. WOLFE

Moderated by Kamilah Forbes

January 16, 2018 at 7:00pm

The Drama League Theater Center

32 Avenue of the Americas

$50 Premium Seating | $25 General Admission | $20 Members

Few theatre directors have imprinted upon the American mind like George C. Wolfe has, with iconic productions of Topdog/Underdog, Angels in America, The Wild Party, Jelly's Last Jam, and more.  As he approaches his upcoming Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh starring Denzel Washington, Mr. Wolfe sits down with The Drama League to discuss his work in theater, television and film over the past four decades.

UPCLOSE: A CONVERSATION WITH ANNE BOGART
January 17, 2018 at 7:00pm

The Drama League Theater Center

32 Avenue of the Americas

$50 Premium Seating | $25 General Admission | $20 Members

Internationally-renowned for productions with her ensemble SITI Company, as well as her advocacy for Viewpoints and Suzuki training methodologies, director and author Anne Bogart has transformed generations of theatre directors.  In this candid conversation, Ms. Bogart will explore her career's legacy and offer possible clues as to the future of directing.

HOW TO READ A PLAY

A Conversation and Book Signing featuring Director/Author Damon Kiely

with directors Anne Kauffman, Robert O'Hara and Kimberly Senior

Moderated by Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director, The Drama League


January 19, 2018 at 5:00pm

The Drama Book Shop

250 West 40th Street

FREE

How To Read A Play: Script Analysis for Directors, published earlier this year by Routledge, is the brainchild of Chicago-based director Damon Kiely.  Threading together interviews with over forty of the most acclaimed directors working today, Kiely distills the shared knowledge of today's brightest visionaries into a working process for 21st-century directors.  In this panel discussion, Kiely is joined by three of the directors interviewed: Anne Kauffman (Marvin's Room, Mary Jane), Robert O'Hara (Bootycandy, Bella: An American Tall Tale) and Kimberly Senior (Disgraced). Moderated by Gabriel Stelian-Shanks.

A Leo Shull Foundation for the Arts Spotlight Event

UPCLOSE: REBECCA MARTINEZ AND MATT DICKSON

January 20, 2018 at 4:30pm

Black Box at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture

18 Bleecker Street

FREE

So what is a "disco pig" anyway?  In this open conversation with two of America's most exciting rising directors, you'll find out the answer to this and much more.  Both New Yorkers, Rebecca Martinez has already made a name for herself, exploring the Latinx writers and artists who inspire her.  Matt Dickson is an actor-turned-director whose work illuminates the nuances in human interaction. Made possible by support from the Leo Shull Foundation for the Arts.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.dramaleague.org/directorfest.

**
THE BARROW GROUP THEATRE COMPANY
PRESENTS
THE WORLD PREMIERE
OF
T H E   T H I N G   W I T H   F E A T H E R S"
A NEW PLAY BY SCOTT ORGAN
DIRECTED BY SETH BARRISH

PERFORMANCES BEGIN JANUARY 13, 2018
FOR LIMITED ENGAGEMENT THROUGH FEBRAURY 10, 2018
AT TBG THEATRE

OPENING NIGHT SET FOR JANUARY 22, 2018

The Barrow Group Theatre Company (Seth Barrish and Lee Brock, Co-Artistic Directors; Robert Serrell, Executive Director), recipient of a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award, continues their 2017-2018 season with the World Premiere of The Thing with Feathers, a play by Scott Organ.  Directed by Company Co-Artistic Director Seth Barrish, the four-member cast features Zachary Booth (The Winslow Boy, "Damages"), as Eric, DeAnna Lenhart (Point Last Seen, Phoenix) as Beth, Robert Manning, Jr. (Magic/Bird, "Blue Bloods") as Tim, and Alexa Shae Niziak (Matilda the Musical, A Christmas Story the Musical) as Anna.

Performances begin Saturday, January 13, 2018 for a limited engagement through Saturday, February 10, 2018 at The Barrow Group Mainstage Theatre (312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor).  Opening Night is set for Monday, January 22, 2018 at 8:00PM. A world premiere, with a cast of four, The Thing with Feathers feels almost like a thriller as Scott Organ masterfully spins the tale of an underage teenager who is seduced by an older man on the internet.  Things are not as they seem however.

The Thing with Feathers will play the following performance schedule:  Monday at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 7:00 p.m.  Please note:  There is a special added performance on Tuesday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m. and no performances on January 17 & 18.

Single tickets for The Thing with Feathers are priced at $35 (Premium Seats) & $25 and are available by visiting the website at www.barrowgroup.org<http://www.barrowgroup.org>  or by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111.
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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

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