Those We Love Photos - Broadway

What did our critic think of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Burlington County Footlighters?

The world premiere of 'The Good Ship St. Louis' is beautiful, theatrical, stylish, poetic, rich. It's a gracefully told tale of doomed refugees.

West Side Story opens on July 8th at Theatro Sao Pedro. A masterpiece by Bernstein & Sondheim, direction by Charles Moeller and Brazilian version by Claudio Botelho, the musical direction is by Claudio Cruz, who leads the Orquestra do Theatro Sao Pedro. The production also has a cast headed by Giulia Nadruz (Maria) and Beto Sargentelli (Tony)

The glorious Opera Theatre of Saint Louis opened it’s festival season last night with a sheer delight: Puccini’s delectable one-act comedy, Gianni Schicchi.

For the past several summers, I have attended the Festival of Arts and The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. But this year, I also decided to also visit two other art festivals along Laguna Canyon Road rather than spend any time cruising the town as I had done before. The full-day of exploring all the artistic delights on display this year at all three locations left me dazzled by all the talent on display, while wishing I had lot of extra income to purchase and bring home many of the awe-inspiring items that caught my fancy. But the real highlight of the day was viewing the abundance of 'local color' on display in this summer's 'Under the Sun' themed Pageant of the Masters.

Of all the composers in the world Giuseppe Verdi is by far the most popular. Of all the operas in the world his 'La traviata' is by far the most frequently performed. Have you missed out on this mega hit? You can fill in that cultural gap with the splendid production now offered by Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

The psychological arcs of history are sometimes lost in the details and dates. THE BOOK OF JOSEPH amplifies those emotional truths as it follows the Hollander family's past struggle to survive World War II and present struggle to deal with the reverberations of a past we both wish to remember and seek to forget.

The dog days of summer arrive early this year, as Rubicon Theatre Company presents a spring production of A.R. Gurney's howlingly funny canine comedy SYLVIA, a love story about empty nesters Greg and Kate, and an irrepressible mutt named Sylvia. Written by Drama Desk, Obie and Lortel Award-winning playwright A.R. Gurney (also known for Love Letters and The Dining Room), the plot follows what happens after a man going through a midlife crisis finds a dog in Central Park and brings her home without consulting his wife.

If American Horror Story decided to do a season set in the time of ancient mythical English kings, you would get Julia Rodriguez-Elliott's King Lear. I highly recommend this eerie interpretation of one of Shakespeare's most produced works.

Andrea Goss, who plays Sally Bowles, a young British singer at the Kit Kat Club in CABARET, spoke with me from her Denver appearance last week. Andrea has also appeared in RENT and ONCE. CABARET opens at Omaha's Orpheum on October 11 and runs through the 16th.

Philadelphia chanteuse Julie Charnet brings her blend of jazz and swing to the Ethical Society of Philadelphia and other venues.

Giuseppe Verdi's LUISA MILLER exposes the intrigue, in its darkest form, that threatens the purest of love.

BrightSide Theatre, Naperville's only professional theatre performing in the historic downtown district, wraps up its 3rd season with Kander and Ebb's legendary musical Cabaret. Directed by BrightSide Theatre's Artistic Director Jeffrey Cass and playing June 13-June 29, 2014 at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Avenue in Naperville. Tickets are on sale now at www.brightsidetheatre.com. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

In Shakespeare's day, actors performed for boistrous crowds that ate, drank, cheered heroes, booed the villains and shouted occasional quips at the stage; poetic soliloquies moved the dramas forward. To my astonishment and delight, I found a modern day urban equivalent in Guilt Lies & Lust 2.

If there were an International Idol ... The José Iturbi International Music Competition would be it. José Iturbi was recognized as the world's greatest classical pianist during the 1930's - 1970's. He appeared in several Hollywood films of the 1940s, notably playing himself in the 1943 musical, Thousands Cheer and in the 1945 film, Anchors Aweigh. He worked with legendary talents including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Cornel Wilde, and many more. Today, the name José Iturbi has a legacy that still lives through The José Iturbi International Music Competition. It is appropriate that one of the most sought after awards by those who have devoted their lives to music, be dedicated to this remarkable man.

Robert Goulet, and Chicago's Michelle DeJean and Gabriela Garcia were on hand to make the announcement.