Louis Hobson News

The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT- A Contemporary Theatre are kicking off the presidential election with a bang, presenting the landmark musical ASSASSINS with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Wiedman. The production will run February 27-May 8, 2016.

Jasper in Deadland,a new musical with music by Ryan Scott Oliver and book by Hunter Foster, will be recorded on a cast album and distributed by Sh-K-Boom Records.

Los elencos de Broadway y Argentina se reunieron para una serie de conciertos en el Teatro Astral.

It has been almost five years since Next to Normal played its final Broadway performance, but the show lives on! Just this week, some of the original Broadway cast (Alice Ripley, Louis Hobson and Jennifer Damiano) traveled to Buenos Aries to preform with the Argentinean cast- Casi Normales. Below, check out clips of 'I Miss the Mountains,' 'It's Gonna Be Good,' and 'Everything Else' from a special preview concert! 

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) welcomes Tom Kitt and Friends, a one-night-only concert event featuring Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and lyricist Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then, High Fidelity)

In conjunction with the New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF alum Jeremy Schondfeld (Drift, Greta) will present a concert version of SPUN, A Brother/Sister Rock Musical, at 54 Below tonight, July 10th at 9:30pm. The award winning actor/composer/lyricist/recording artist behind the internationally celebrated concept album, Iron & Coal, will star alongside up-and-coming singer/songwriters Maximilian Sangerman and Brook Wood to present select music from the original musical play (book by Emily Goodson) ahead of its NY premier at the 2015 Adirondack Theatre Festival, July 23-Aug 1.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, BroadwayWorld is celebrating the past with a new series that will take you back in time with some of our favorite vintage video features. That's right- we are opening up the BroadwayWorld Vaults to reminisce on shows are long gone from the Broadway-scene, but have left an indelible mark on the world of theatre as a whole. Today, we bring you a vintage video from 2011. Relive the magic of BONNIE & CLYDE below!

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced the lineup for Tom Kitt and Friends, a one-night-only concert event featuring Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and lyricist Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then, High Fidelity). Broadway's Next To Normal, which won the Pulitzer in 2009, originated in 2005 at NYMF as Feeling Electric - and for one night only Kitt will reunite with cast members from both productions, presenting an array of songs from each. Performers include Next to Normal stars Tony-Award Winner Alice Ripley, Tony-Award Nominee Jennifer Damiano, and Louis Hobson, Feeling Electric stars Amy Spanger and Joe Cassidy, as well as Ben Schrader, Jonathan Dokuchitz, and Adrienne Warren. Tom Kitt and Friends will take place at PTC Performance Space (555 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036) on Monday, July 13 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available now at www.nymf.org/tickets.

In conjunction with the New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF alum Jeremy Schondfeld (Drift, Greta) will present a concert version of SPUN, A Brother/Sister Rock Musical, at 54 Below July 10th at 9:30pm. The award winning actor/composer/lyricist/recording artist behind the internationally celebrated concept album, Iron & Coal, will star alongside up-and-coming singer/songwriters Maximilian Sangerman and Brook Wood to present select music from the original musical play (book by Emily Goodson) ahead of its NY premier at the 2015 Adirondack Theatre Festival, July 23-Aug 1.

Tony nominees J. Robert Spencer and Mitchell Jarvis will headline the 2015 Adirondack Theatre Festival presentation of the new folk rock/bluegrass musical, THE unCIVIL WAR, July 9-18. Rick Kunzi (Book, Music, Lyrics), Justin Zeppa (Book), and Adam Barnosky's (Music) original musical comedy, previously known as Bayonet of Angst, premiered at NYMF in 2014 to rave reviews, and was the winner of four festival awards, including Best Book and Best Ensemble.

If you're going to tell a story about a journey to hell and back then you need to have a reason. Some kind of moral or message or even just an engaging character that the audience can grab ahold of to root for success. Unfortunately the new musical “Jasper in Deadland”, currently at the 5th Avenue Theatre, offers none of those things. On top of that it fails to offer any kind of memorable or plot-moving songs leaving me to wonder who this show was written for since it obviously wasn't the audience.

The 5th Avenue Theatre presents the sensational new musical Jasper in Deadland under the direction of the giftedBrandon Ivie. Starring as Jasper and his guide to the Underworld, Gretchen are The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyleand New York-based actress and musician Sydney Shepherd. Joining them on this mystical journey are Andi Alhadeff, Kyle Bernbach, Jared Michael Brown, Kyle Robert Carter, Taryn Darr, Sarah Rose Davis, Frederick Hagreen, Louis Hobson,Diana Huey, Brandi Chavonne Massey, Caety Sagoian andEvan Woltz. Check out a sneak peek below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre presents the sensational new musical Jasper in Deadland under the direction of the gifted Brandon Ivie. Starring as Jasper and his guide to the Underworld, Gretchen are The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyleand New York-based actress and musician Sydney Shepherd. Joining them on this mystical journey are Andi Alhadeff, Kyle Bernbach, Jared Michael Brown, Kyle Robert Carter, Taryn Darr, Sarah Rose Davis, Frederick Hagreen, Louis Hobson,Diana Huey, Brandi Chavonne Massey, Caety Sagoian andEvan Woltz.

A fiercely talented cast of Broadway and Seattle stars start rehearsal this week for The 5th Avenue Theatre's sensational new musical Jasper in Deadland under the direction of the gifted Brandon Ivie. Starring as Jasper and his guide to the Underworld, Gretchen are The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyle and New York-based actress and musician Sydney Shepherd. Joining them on this mystical journey are Andi Alhadeff, Kyle Bernbach, Jared Michael Brown, Kyle Robert Carter, Taryn Darr, Sarah Rose Davis, Frederick Hagreen, Louis Hobson, Diana Huey, Brandi Chavonne Massey, Caety Sagoian and Evan Woltz.

Even Musical Theater nerds such as myself might not be familiar with “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well & Living in Paris”, currently performing at ACT in a joint production with ACT and the 5th Avenue Theatre. I, myself, admit only a passing familiarity with the work and mostly from the covers that others have done of some of his songs. But now that I've seen it done I can understand the cultish following the show engenders and thankfully it was this production that filled the gap in my Musical Theater knowledge as this incredible ensemble took every angst ridden note and made them soar.

Beginning this month, A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) continues to partner with the 5th Avenue Theatre, co-producing a musical that appears on each organization's season and performed at ACT. Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris opens tonight, March 12, and runs for 10 weeks in the Falls Theatre, directed by David Armstrong.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include coverage of James Snyder at 54 Below, the cast recording for SIDE SHOW, opening night of THE ILLUSIONISTS, and more!

This week, 54 Below is celebrating the music of Frank Wildhorn with some of Broadway's best singers, a reunion of one of his Broadway shows, and songs from a catalog that goes from Whitney Houston to Julie Andrews, from Hootie and the Blowfish to Johnny Mathis, and from Sammy Davis, Jr. to The Moody Blues.

For all of the Frank Wildhorn fans 54 BELOW is stuffing their stockings with a fantastic treat this December. The beloved venue launched their 54 BELOW Celebrates Frank Wildhorn concerts with a Bonnie & Clyde reunion where audiences got to experience the exciting score live. The high-octane concert proved that Bonnie and Clyde still have life in them yet.

Over the past two decades, Frank Wildhorn has given us timeless stories and countless classics set to soaring scores. 54 Below is proud to present a week in celebration of the acclaimed composer of Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Dracula, Bonnie & Clyde, Wonderland, and Victor/Victoria. With eight Broadway shows, twenty original international shows, and almost 100 million records sold of his songs, Frank is one of this generation's most important songwriters.