Local Theatre Update
October 24th, 2009
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Local Theatre Update
October 11th, 2009
CANDIDE, ROCKAWAY CAFE & MUCH MORE!
Last night I managed to squeeze in Candide at the Heights Players in Brooklyn Heights. Want to know what I think of the show...click on the video I created above!
In Rockaway, at Fort Tilden in Breezy Point, The Rockaway Cafe is in full swing through October 18th. "Welcome to the 60's" is this years theme. Visit their site at RockawayTheatreCompany.org or call 718-374-6400 for directions or tickets! Proceeds from this show are being donated to North Shore Animal League...a great cause!
Also running this week in Brooklyn, BrooklynOne's Vince Mazza One Act Play Festival through the 17th of October. Visit www.brooklynone.org for tickets which are only $10. This is a really good group and if you can catch, please do!
Also coming up, I encourage all of you to help fight LUPUS. One of LocalTheatreNY.com's very special friends, Janet Miserandino (a longtime theatre supporter and wonderful actress herself) is raising funds to help fight this terrible disease by way of the Annual Lupus Walk, Oct 18. Donate online at-http://www.firstgiving.com/janetmiserandino.
Click on the image for a direct link and help support this great fight!
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October 3rd, 2009
LAST MINUTE EVENTS
October is a busy time of year for local New York theatre and LocalTheatreNY.com is here to spread the word, even when it comes to some last minute events you should try to catch before the weekend is over!
In Queens, check out the children’s version of the Musical Seussical (not surprisingly called SEUSSICAL Jr.) which opened this weekend at St. Joan of Arc School in Jackson Heights and will run through tomorrow Sunday. Tickets are available at the door St. Joan’s is located on 82nd Street between 35th and 37th avenue and the play is directed by Ben Fabrizi.
In Brooklyn, After a 4 year hiatus, the Jeff Samaha Singers (Samaha Vocal Ensemble), a mixed vocal group performing in Bay Ridge for 41 years, returns to the 3rd Avenue Festival main stage on 81st at 3:30pm this Sunday October 4th. Wagner College's women's a capella group, Vocal Synergy opens for Samaha at 3pm. For more information email Cuehim321@aol.com or go directly to the festival.
And last night I had the opportunity to see my oldest son perform his very first standup act at the famous New York Comedy Club courtesy of Sheeba Mason, Jackie Mason’s daughter. It was a great time and he did a great job, so if any of you out there would like to take a crack at getting in front of an audience, check out another great open mic event that opened back on September 30th but will be running every Wednesday at the Leopard Lounge at Sin Sin, 248 East 5th Street at 2nd Avenue (in the East Village). The event is StageBuddy.com’s Open Mic Talent Competition (No cover, no drink minimum)
The competition is open to comedians, musicians, singers, spoken word artists (3-minute monologues, poetry), magicians, performance artists and more!
For more info, email: powellaproductions@earthlink.net
Let me know what else is out there!
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September 19th, 2009
GET OUT!
If you are home this weekend, get out! It might be your last chance at good weather.
In Brooklyn Heights, at the Heights Players, week two of Hollywood Arms, a play by Carol Burnett and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, adapted from Burnett's memoir One More Time, and based on Burnett's real life relatives, opens its second weekend. Ticket information and reservations can be made by calling 718-237-2752 or visiting HeightsPlayers.org.
Prefer to be outside?
How about your last shot to catch Curious Frog’s theatre in the park production of Plutus, Saturday, September 19th at Queensbridge Park in Long Island City or Romeo & Juliet at Astoria Park in Queens. For details and directions to these free productions, click here to visit CuriousFrog.com
For the kids, you can catch a new children’s musical, Dotty Dot (also Free) at Riverside Park’s beautiful North Lawn this Saturday and Sunday or next weekend in Heckscher Playground in Central Park. Two shows at 2PM and 4PM. For information visit RisingSunNYC.com or call 212-946-1242.
Next week, take a look if you can at a wonderful new production, Debbie Workman's play, UnTrue Blue, which has been accepted at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre's Fall Play Festival. The play stars Debbie Workman and Hugh Tipping as Simone and Evan, best friends whose friendship is being tested by the looming presence of Evan's lover, Blue, played by Val Belaj. The show is only running three nights, Sept 30th, Oct 1st and Oct 2nd at 7:00PM, which means that you can see the play and still be out before 8:00PM to enjoy the rest of your evening.:)
Tickets are $20 and the theatre is located at 303 W 42nd Street, (at 8th Ave) 3rd Floor. To order tickets, call 646-329-6588. Info on the theatre can be found at:
http://www.manhattanrep.com/page12/page12.html
Let us know what else is going on. The Fall season is now in full swing and so should you. If you have any knowledge of upcoming shows or auditions, let us know!
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August 16th, 2009
AUGUST HEATS UP.
It is the middle of August on the Summer that barely came, but theatre in New York is sizzling along and hotter than ever.
In Rockaway, Welcome Back to The Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean written by Ed Graczyk and directed by Michael Wotypka opened this weekend and will play through the end of August at Fort Tilden in Breezy Point. Check out http://www.rockawaytheatrecompany/ for more information.
At the other end of New York, at the Roy Arias Theatres in Time Square, Shades of War, written by Dara Frazier Harper and directed by David Allen Harper also opened to a limited engagement. For information and tickets check out LocalTheatreNY.com’s Featured Listings page. And as a follow-up to my earlier blog on marketing, When Marketing Sucks and No One is in The Audience, check out my new blog talking about the impressive approach to marketing this husband and wife team used to promote this production: When Marketing Works.
Wiggle over to our popular Burlesque Stage Page for our review of this past Thursday’s Burlesque on the Beach show in Coney Island. The show, featuring Burlesque acts from such talents as Dirty Martini, Little Brooklyn and my new favorite, Canada’s retro pin-up beauty, the incredible Betina May remains one of New York’s most colorful, memorable and somewhat fascinatingly disturbing treats Coney Island has to offer.
And if none of this is enough, check out our listings for upcoming festival treats from New York’s Fringe Festival, upcoming season announcements from the incredible folks at The Outrageous Fortune Company in Flushing Meadows and our fine friends at The Heights Players in Brooklyn.
And if you know of some audition, some great show or just want to hit us up with questions or info: email us at LocalTheatreNY@gmail.com
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August 6th, 2009
Summer Festivals inFull Swing!
Summer in New York is Theatre Festival time. As some festivals begin to wrap up, other bigger festivals are just about to take center stage.
Wrapping up is the Ice Factory ’09 Festival at the Ohio Theatre (SOHO Think Tank) which runs until August 15th and the International Cringe Fest 2009 which wraps up on Sunday the 9th of August. Tomorrow marks the end of the very edgy, Beyond The Pale Festival. Still, there is plenty of time to catch some of the biggest festivals of the Summer and Fall in New York City!
For starters, Keep your eyes open for 16th Annual Strawberry One-Act Festival which opens August 13th and runs through the 23rd of August. Performances held at The Theatre at St. Clements, 423 West 46th Street, NYC between 9th & 10th Avenue. The festival filters a one-act winner (among other accolades) using a tiered elimination similar to the NCAA finals. Beat the competition, move on to the next round!
Then get ready on August 14th through the 30th for one of the real big boys of Theatre Fests: The New York International Fringe Festival. This 13th annual edition of North America's largest multi-arts festival features 201 shows at 18 venues in downtown Manhattan.
Love theatre? Love up and coming talent and that independent, can do spirit? This is the time of year to get your fill!
And just when you think it might be over, get ready for another incredible fest: New York Musical Theatre Festival. The 6th annual edition, which as always is devoted to the development of brand new musicals, will be played a various venues throughout midtown Manhattan and begins September 28 – October 18. This festival is a huge, with over 40 shows transferring to successful productions on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, on tour, and around the world.
Festival information is available by linking to any of the above festivals directly of by clicking on one of the tabs on this side of this page. Trust me, you love many of these shows!
Start planning...
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Local Theatre Update
July 29th, 2009
Get out of the Rain and Into the Theatre...or Outside...
It seems like it never stops raining. So with any real chance of going to the beach, why not catch some worthy performances this weekend.
In Northport, The Minstrel Players are wrapping up their final weekend of the Female Odd Couple. Final performances will be on Saturday, August 1 at 8 PM and Sunday, August 2 at 3PM at Houghton Hall Theatre. Visit MinstrelPlayers.org for more information.
Rain also stumped RESUSCITATION: an outdoor dance on a boulder by the river treasuring urban nature scheduled for tonight, Friday. But you can still catch it tomorrow, Saturday August 1st, 2009, 6:00 pm. It’s FREE! Created and performed by Julie Troost.
How about opera...but not at Lincoln Center?
Opera Manhattan Repertory Theatre will be part of this year’s THE ONE-ACT OPERA FESTIVAL (Performances are 7/31-8/2). Tickets available by way of Smarttix, visit:
http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=A1AC. Or catch LA TRAVIATA
Performances are 8/7-8/9. Tickets available at: http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=A1AC
And as we welcome the dog days August, or wet days or whatever they turn out to be, keep you eyes open for some great Shakespeare in the Parks (that’s right, Parks, plural and with an “s”).
Curious Frog Theatre Company announces dates, adds Greek Comedy to Third Annual Shakespeare in the Parks.
Curious Frog will tour a 90-minute, six-actor contemporary version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet along with Aristophanes' ancient Greek comedy Plutus throughout four boroughs this summer. Plutus plays Saturdays, and Romeo and Juliet plays Sundays. All shows are free and begin at 4pm.
The first performances are on 8/15 & 8/16 @ Astoria Park, Queens. Visit http://www.curiousfrog.org/ for the full schedule, directions and much more.
For all those producers out there, if your marketing still sucks, now is the time to reach out to me...I have the perfect solution for you and it won’t cost a thing. Email me at LocalTheatreNY.com.
Have a great week!
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July 22rd, 2009
SUMMER HERE YET?
It looks like Summer is finally inching its way to our great city and with it a few exciting opportunities.
If you are a male actor, singer, or dancer, there’s still a very good chance you can get into the Heights Players’ Fall production of Candide, directed by Albert Walsh. This great little theatre is one of my “theatre” homes and they have some of the best productions in all of Brooklyn. Email the director at Ladivahp@gmail.com ASAP!
Rather just catch a show on a lazy weekday evening?
The Rhapsody Players will be performing at Asser Levy Park Bandshell right off the Boardwalk between Coney Island and Brighton Beach on Tuesday evening July 28th at 7:00. (West 5th St and Surf Ave.) Bring a lawn chair and a blanket, a beverage or two and enjoy the free concert. The Rhapsody Players will be performing hits from their recent show MOSTLY MOTOWN as well as other songs from their previous shows, featuringmusic from the 50's 60's and 70's!! Again, this is FREE!
Later in the Summer, things just have to heat up! In Bellrose, the St. Gregory’s Theatre Group opens Beauty & The Beast on August 7th. Not to worry, they’re air-conditioned! Look on our featured listings page for ticket information.
If that’s not hot enough, keep an eye on our on-going Burlesque coverage this Summer throughout the city! Our latest review: Miss Mary Cyn’s Original Cyn Burlesque show at the Lucky 13 Saloon in Park Slope this past Monday night.
Finally, if you are producer and you need to sell more tickets to your upcoming shows, consider emailing me at LocalTheatreNY@gmail.com for more information on how to immediately promote your show for FREE to thousands of potential ticket buyers. Do it quickly, though. Our promotion will be limited to only a few lucky producers.
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July 8th, 2009
CAN YOU SELL MORE TICKETS?
LTNY.com tackles the question of diminishing ticket sales at the local and independent level with two keys problems affecting many of the productions out there and some possible solutions.
Your Marketing Sucks! Onone blog (TheatreBusiness Blog) we discuss ways to improve your marketing and why it may not be working for you. Think you are doing all you can to fill those seats? Think again. Not only that...you may save some big bucks along the way.
Who is in charge Here!? Onanother blog (Theatre Talk),we comment about theimportance oftraditional structure, line of command and the need for most productions to get it together by organizing their groups more effectively. The question of what the director's role is and who shouldtake charge is addressed.
BURLESQUE in the Summer. Check out our Burlesque Stage page to read about Skits N Tits, every second Wednesday of the month at the Bowery Poetry Club...a raunchy, fun night on the lower east side.
Blog on, join the discussion and enjoy some of the changes taking place on LocalTheatreNY.com.
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June 5th, 2009
CAN YOU ACT?
Seriously, how good is your acting?
I have a rule about never directly commenting to an actor what I think about his or her performance unless I truly and honestly think they were exceptional. Otherwise, I say nothing…or worse: “oh, what beautiful scenery, it must have been fun to do this production.” If I tell you I liked your acting (or singing or dancing), you can pretty much count that it was an honest opinion. If I say nothing, well then maybe your wife or girlfriend will lie to you.
Local, independent and community theatre really does run the range of amateur to professional and it often shows on stage. Audiences never fail to sense what works well on stage and eventually the caliber of a group is judged in large part by the quality of the acting.
For those of you out there who perhaps have acted with no training at all (I know who you are) or might be thinking of taking the plunge and actually learning something, summertime is a great time to hone your “acting” skills. Right now the city is buzzing with aspiring actors of all ages who come to the big city from all over the country to follow their acting dreams. How lucky are you that you can live and learn this craft as a real New Yorker right here in Manhattan? Nothing beatsNYC when it comes to acting classes and believe it or not there’s still time to sign up for basic level acting courses all through out the city.
In midtown, right smack in the heart of the theatre district, the Roy Arias Studios and Theaters is offering a FREE acting class to anyone interested in honing their acting skills.
Taught by Roy Arias, an award winning actor and dancer, the course is offered either twice a week on weekdays or an extended class on Saturday mornings. Class sizes are often moderate and the opportunity for one-on-one training is a big part of the appeal. For those of you that would like to try your hand at learning what the art of real acting is all about, or perhaps might be looking to improve on any training you’ve already taken, this FREE Class opens the door to an affordable and flexible way to do something exciting and educational.
From there you can decide what direction to take with your acting and perhaps choose one of the many different acting and performance courses currently in development at the Roy Arias Studios. As it so happens, later in the month more courses will be offered and taught by some of the industry’s most respected professionals, coaches and instructors. These will include everything from the Meisner technique to physical theater, musical theater and more.
For information, link to their website, http://www.royariasstudios.com/ or call (212) 957-8358. They also offer FREE and discounted Dance classes. If you are a producer, maybe reach out to them about one of their venues or their rehearsal space.
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May17th, 2009
TRUE WEST TO NEW YORK
This is not a review. LocalTheatreNY.com no longer reviews plays. But I have to share what happened to me last week.
I walked into a first floor flat with 24 other guests through a very real hallway on the ground floor of a very real small two story building on Avenue B and suddenly was transported to a very real apartment in a lazy desert town surrounded by howling coyotes, 100-degree days, crickets in the night and a world created by Sam Shepard in his critically acclaimedplay, True West. Guess what? Suddenly even that seemed very real.
I was no longer in New York City in the month of May. This was no set. The sink was real, the refrigerator was working and frigid and the pieces of toast in the toaster were quite fresh and hot when they popped. You could smell the toast burning. The actors were in your face!
What the Curious Frog Company (http://www.curiousfrog.org/) has done with this tale is nothing short of fascinating. Yes, what I am saying is that this is a play presented in a real, actual, working apartment. Real people actually live upstairs.
It happens almost nightly for the rest of the month of May (except Mondays) and you just have to go and experience this live space theatre.
This fresh approach to the theatre experience is actually not that new, and it is certainly not executed enough. As flies on a wall, watching this drama unfold just inches from our faces turned out to be really great fun.
Not familiar with Shepard’s True West? Well all I can say is that this play is not performed enough in New York and I am not sure why. It is a great story about two brothers, one a screenwriter about to cut a movie deal and the other a wayward, alcoholic con artist drifter with no real direction in life. As the story unfolds, the two brother’s lives are suddenly intertwined in an explosive manner that explores many themes and escalates into a destructive crescendo that in such an intimate space can only be described as controlled chaos. That this type of play is even attempted in such a cramped and limited space is daring, very daring.
If you enjoy theatre, you need to see this play. If you’ve seen this play, then you need to see this production’s version of the tale. Producer and executive director Reneé Racan Rodriguez has not only twisted the concept of theatre space in this production, she has beautifully broken quite a few barriers in terms of casting. As it turns out, another interesting aspect of this version is that the cast is Asian-American, a move that at first seems inconceivable but actually works beautifully.
My point?
Why do so many producers take the easy and obvious route? While everyone else is doing Annie and the millionth production of Arsenic and Old Lace, this group is pushing the boundaries not only in terms of play selection, but also space and casting. It is fresh and it is wonderful. It is just the thing we need at the local and independent level. Of course there is a place and time for the standard form of theatre, but I am delighted these folks can give us the other end of the spectrum too.
Actor Edward Chin-Lyn, the wayward brother Lee, is intense on stage and at moments very menacing. If he hits that typewriter hard enough with that golf club a shard just may go flying and dig into an audience member’s eye! But, of course, you’re safe. “Did being Asian have anything to do in approaching your character,” I later ask him. As expected, it didn’t. “What about those fight scenes? Did you ever feel like you were going tocrash withsomeone in the audience?” Again, they have it under control. For Chin-Lyn, as for director Isaac Byrne or for that matter actor Alvin Chan (who plays the screenwriter brother, Austin), this is a story to be told as is, regardless of ethnicity and with great emphasis on using the space they have. Again, this daring and brilliant. It works.
You have just a few more weeks to see this show. It runs every day of the week at 7:30 PM except Mondays through May 31 and seats are limited. Ticket information is www.curiousfrog.org. There are also special discounted nights so check the website for details (On Wednesdays bring a loaf of white toast and get in for a discounted price). Tell Renee Roger sent you. And then get back to me as to what you think!
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May 14th, 2009
Two weeks ago, I had the good fortune to attend an all day symposium and memorial celebration for playwright, actor, director Harold Pinter who passed away last year. 
The full day event, held at the CUNY Graduate Center was quite a treat...and best of all it was free of charge to the public. In addition to readings, discussions, rare audio and video recordings, screenings and the U.S. premiere of the documentary Working with Pinter, the event featured such well-known panelists and speakers as playwright John Guare, author Salman Rushdie and participants like Emily Mann, Henry Woolf and many others celebrating the work, politics and art of Harold Pinter.
One really big highlight of the event was the screening of . If you haven’t seen it, it is certainly worth logging on to the Nobel website and catching it there. The web address is: http://nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=620&view=7 Presented by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center as part of the PEN World Voices Festival, this symposium is thekind of eventthat anyone serious about theatre should be attending. Visit the Martin E. Segal Center at http://www.thesegalcenter.org/ or go to PEN World Voices at http://www.pen.org/ for more information.
Back in our local theatre world, last week marked the opening of The Heights Players’ production of Showboat, directed by Tom Tyler. The musical is the season closer to the Heights 08/09 season. Tyler’s musicals are usually huge sellers for the Heights, so book your reservations by clicking on the Showboat image which will link you directly to their site. Otherwise you can call the Heights Players at 718-237-2752.
In Rockaway, Peggy Page directs Crimes of The Hearts, which closes this weekend. A shout-out goes to Dan Cardona who joined the cast of RTC’s upcoming Oklahoma as Ali Hakim, but jumped in a few weeks ago to perform in this production as a fill in (much to his delight!).
In Manhattan, an Asian American cast tackles Sam Sheppard’s True West.Curious Frog Company is one of those theatre groups that is aiming to bring a new twist to contemporary theatre and I look forward to seeing this production and writing more about it in the days to come. The group is doing press previews this week and opens Saturday, May 16th in Greenwich Village, playing through May 31. The site is: www.curiousfrog.org.
Keep sending the info on new groups and let’s get everyone on the site!
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During the last couple of weeks, I’ve been sitting in on some rehearsals for Ken Ludwig’s Shakespeare in Hollywood, opening this Friday, April 3rd in Brooklyn Heights at The Heights Players main stage.
The comedy, written by Ludwig back in 2003 was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage, winning the Helen Hayes award for Best New Play of the Year. Remarkably, it has never made its way to New York until now...a very fortunate turn of luck for both the Heights Players as well as director Bernard Bosio, who is also making his own debut of sorts with his directorial debut at the Heights.
The New York premier of anything written by Ludwig is usually reason enough to justify picking up the phone and ordering tickets, but if rehearsals are any indication of how enjoyable this play will be, I can only imagine what will happen when live audiences start to appreciate the caliber of performances out on that stage!
Bosio, who is no stranger to comedic roles or comedic directing for that matter, has fashioned a tight, fast-paced production that is neat, seemingly simple and incredibly funny, utilizing the stage to maximum effect and doing great justice to Ludwig’s very funny and ingenious book. With each rehearsal, I’ve witnessed an evolution of sorts that while always interesting to observe from a production perspective, seems to get better with each rehearsal when enjoyed from the seats as an audience member. It is like hearing a joke over and over, but every single time some new twist has been added to the delivery that makes it fresh and funny all over again. I can’t wait to see what happens on opening night.(By the way, if you've never been to a Friday production at the Heights, do try and go. There's always a very enjoyable party afterwards where you can mingle with the cast and crew right there in the theater.)
The cast itself is really standout, which explains much. The mix of mostly newbies to the Heights along with some veterans really seems to work well. I am not going put pressure on any one actor, but I can tell you in all honesty that every single performance out there is catching my eye in a very good way...this is a collaborative effort and the perfect ensemble has come together to pull it off.
I’ve gotten to know some of these actors in the last few weeks and they are all delightful to talk to, really have an excellent work ethic and all demonstrate great talent and modesty. I just love this cast.
LocalTheatreNY.com highly recommends seeing this production. I won’t lie that some of these folks are my friends, but I also will not lie (even for a friend) when a show is not up to par. This production exceeds on many levels, starting with a book that is exceptional in so many ways to performances that are just equally priceless! Please on’t miss it. I'll be there helping backstage so I hope that if you do come, you look for me and introduce yourself.
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URGENT CASTING CALL! My good friend Freddy Kaminski, who is currently rehearsing with the Footlight Players on Arsenic and Old Lace, opening in May, has asked that I please let our readers know that they are making an emergency casting request for two actors to play the roles of Jonathan and Mortimer Brewster. If you are interested, please reach out immediately to director Nate Green at either: (516) 599-8342 or (516) 491-1179. The show goes up in May. Freddy, who is an exceptional friend and actor, worked with me in Rockaway when I directed him as Teddy in the same show. He is reprising this role and I assure you that you will have fun working with him!
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SPECIAL MESSAGE for Producers and Directors: As we continue to evolve and improve our site, I am really looking for folks out there to become more proactive in letting us know what is going on in local theatre not just in terms of auditions and productions opening, but also in helping feature new talent. I’ve asked for groups to send me information about their theatre companies so we can create a new directory and amazingly only a handful have responded. The more people know about you and the work you do, the better it is for backstage help and bigger audiences. So what gives? I have created a new page entitled “TELL US ABOUT YOUR GROUP” which lists the information I need to include your group free of charge in this new directory. Please visit it, fill out the questions and get it to me as soon as possible.
We are also creating profiles on directors, producers and other talent. Why not take advantage of that too. This particular profile can be done with a simple phone interview and I welcome you to email me about your interest or perhaps tell us about someone you think should be profiled. My email is RogerTCP@aol.com
Break a leg!
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Local Theatre Update
March 14th, 2009
Last night we had the good fortune to catch Ron Hellman’s Outrageous Fortune Company’s production of Our Lady of 121st Street by Stephen Adly Guirgis. This young, high energy cast was nothing short of 
powerful in bringing to life Guirgis’ book with little more than great performances, effective sound design and practically no sets at all.
I’ve seen twodifferent productionsat Outrageous Fortune Company and have not been disappointed. There are two performances of Our Lady left: one tonight and one on Sunday. Grab a few friends and carpool it to the newly revamped Queens Theater in the Park before you miss it. They had a really good turnout yesterday but deserve a full house! Tell producer Ron Hellman we sent you.
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Out on Fort Tilden, the Rockaway Theatre Company is creating some noticeable buzz on Facebook with their production of David Auburn’s Proof, directed by Frank Caiati and Susan Corning. I am planning on seeing the last performance tonight to see what the buzz is all about for myself. Too bad RTC decided to do a short run on this show, it looks like a winner from what we’ve been hearing.If you go, look for me and say hello...I love matching faces with names.
Keep an eye out for All in The Timing which opened last night at Theatre Time in Whitestone and for Mel Brook’s The Producers which makes it New York area debut March 20th in Brooklyn at Poly Prep (Jeff Samaha / Rifge Chorale). We hope to get to those too.
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AUDITIONS!
Big, big, big buzz is going around concerning the Parkside Players audition for Sondheim’s COMPANY, tomorrow Sunday, March 15th and on Monday March 16th. The musical is Directed by Ray Bonétt. This group, by the way, is always searching for fresh talent. The group which is profiled on LocalTheatreNY.com is situated in a great neighborhood and easily accessible. If you live anywhere nearby and want to get involved, what a better time than now to head out there! Link here for more information.
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February 9, 2009
CommunityTheaterNY.com Now LocaltheatreNY.com
Welcome to our new site!
This idea that change is good and inevitable is something I’ve just adopted and applied to our site! Don’t blame the recent presidential election. I’ve always been a believer in change, especially when it is for the better. I hope that in changing the name from CommunityTheaterNY.com to LocalTheatreNY.com I’ve accomplished just that.
The idea as I state in our “This is Local Theatre” page explains my theory. I hope you take the time to read it and let me know what you think.
The next few months promise to be busy ones. My good friend Bernard Bosio is directing (and auditioning this week) for a play that I don’t believe has played in New York at all (if you happen to know, tell us). The play is Shakespeare in Hollywood by Ken Ludwig. Hit the button on the left for more information on auditions and start the year off by coming down to the Heights Players in Brooklyn Heights to audition. I plan to be there to lend my support during auditions. If you see me, say hello! Then give Bernie the best audition of your life…or feel free to volunteer backstage.
In Rockaway, my good friends are auditioning for Crimes of the Heart next Sunday, February 15th. Maybe you’d like to give them a try. Susan Jasper, the groups head honcho/ producer/ jack of all trades would love to have you come down, as would the show’s director Peggy Page. If you are lucky enough to get cast, you may just find yourself enjoying the oncoming Spring weather surrounded by the fresh, salty sea air of Breezy Point. They didn't get much time to annopunce this audition so it ups your chances of getting cast if you go down and try out!
Or head down to Poly Prep Academy in Bay Ridge next month and catch one of the first productions ever in local theater of Mel Brook’s Hit Musical, The Producers. Jeff Samaha and Company (Ridge Chorale) currently are in rehearsals for this much anticipated production and are sure to deliver a great show. In my personal opinion this is one of the funniest musicals ever written!
All in all, things are about to get as busy as ever and I want you to use this site to make the most of it. Check in once in a while and don’t forget to tell your friends about LocalTheatreNY.com.
To receive our regular newsletters and announcement, go to the sign in form on the right side of this website and send me a note. And when you do start to get those blasts, pass them along…the more the merrier.
Talk to you soon!
Roger Gonzalez,
Editor & Publisher