Playhouse Stage Company has announced its 36th Season, presenting both professional and youth musical theatre to the Capital Region. The upcoming lineup features four shows to be presented at Cohoes Music Hall and Albany’s Park Playhouse, as well as productions for schools and young people in the community.
The season will kick off in time for the holidays with the musical adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, running from December 1-23 at Cohoes Music Hall. The classic story by Barbara Robinson follows the “horrible Herdmans,” the rowdy bunch who force their way into the annual Christmas pageant, and transform the story into an unexpected extravaganza.
The group will present Spring Awakening, running from April 12-28, 2024. Featuring a cast of advanced teen students alongside professional actors, Spring Awakening showcases a fearless approach to taboo topics. A winner of eight Tony Awards, the timeless musical is based on the 19th century German book of the same name.
Next summer will begin at Cohoes Music Hall with the musical The Marvelous Wonderettes. Running from June 28-July 24, 2024, this 1950s and 60s musical brings fabulous harmonies and fashions as four friends take the stage at their high school prom with a jukebox full of hits.
Finally, the company will return to Park Playhouse for the fan favorite Legally Blonde: The Musical. Based on the book and hit 2001 film, the musical follows Elle Woods, a fashion-forward, hard-working young woman as she embarks on a journey through Harvard Law. Legally Blonde will run from July 16-August 18, 2024.
With this season’s productions, our goal is to continue exceeding audience expectations with first-rate musical theatre that’s both entertaining and engaging. This season, we’re offering a lineup of shows that, each in their own way, invite audiences to reflect on, reconsider and redefine how they see the world around them. With a mix of the region’s most talented young performers from our Playhouse Stage Academy, local and regional professional actors and musicians, and a world-class design and creative team, we’ll once again work hard to prove to audiences why we were dubbed ‘Broadway in the Capital Region’s backyard’ when we were founded all the way back in 1989.
Playhouse Stage Co. Producing Artistic Director Owen Smith
In addition to the mainstage offerings, the Playhouse Stage Company will offer two shows geared towards children: Grace for President, and Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr. Both perfect for family audiences, Grace for President will run from February 26-March 22, 2024. Finding Nemo Jr. will run from August 21-25, 2024 at a new outdoor venue to be announced.
Four-ticket Flex Packs that can be used for any of the company’s mainstage productions will go on sale Saturday, September 30 online playhousestage.org and thecohoesmusichall.org, or by phone at (518) 434-0776. Tickets to individual productions will go on sale later in the season. For more information, audiences can visit www.playhousestage.org.
Fort Salem Theater, located Salem, NY, has announced its highly anticipated 2024 season, offering an exceptional array of performances that promise to bring unforgettable theatrical experiences to the community. With a lineup that spans a diverse range of genres and emotions, the upcoming season will inspire theater enthusiasts of all ages.
“Our 2023 season has been nothing short of incredible, and the response from our audience has been overwhelming. Attendance soared throughout the year, with our community embracing the magic of theater with open arms,” Executive and Artistic Director Kyle West announced. “The unwavering support that Washington County has demonstrated for Fort Salem Theater fuels our passion, and we are truly excited to curate a series of titles that promise a little something for everyone. With this upcoming season, we are determined to raise the bar once again and deliver a showstopping lineup that will leave an indelible mark on the hearts of all who attend.”
Starting in March, the stage will come alive with “Agnes of God” by John Pielmeier, running from March 1 to March 10, 2024. This powerful drama will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as they witness a compelling exploration of faith, secrets, and the human spirit.
In May and June, get ready to journey “Into the Woods” with music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. From April 5 to April 14, 2024, this spellbinding musical intertwines beloved fairytales to craft a complex and enchanting narrative that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking.
“Godspell,” the groundbreaking musical conceived and originally directed by John-Michael Tebelak, featuring music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, will grace the stage with its uplifting energy. This timeless story of friendship, community, and spiritual awakening will run for a limited engagement between May 31-June 9, leaving audiences inspired and uplifted.
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins” will take flight from July 26 to August 11, 2024, bringing the magic of this beloved tale to life with extraordinary performances, captivating visuals, and unforgettable songs that will have audiences singing along long after the final curtain call.
As autumn approaches, prepare for laughter and merriment with “The Drowsy Chaperone” from September 27 to October 6, 2024. With music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, this hilarious and whimsical musical is a delightful palette-cleanser, serving as a reminder that theatre not only is meant to make you think, but to laugh and enjoy the experiences that make us all human.
Marking the month of October, Fort Salem Theater will present Thornton Wilder’s timeless classic, “Our Town,” from November 8 to November 10, 2024. This poignant exploration of life, love, and the passage of time continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Closing out the year on a festive note, Fort Salem’s favorite original holiday concert revue, “Snow Business,” will spread joy and holiday cheer from December 13 to December 15, 2024. This heartwarming celebration is the perfect way to ring in the holiday season with family and friends.
Season tickets for Fort Salem Theater’s 2024 season will be available for purchase starting in October, allowing patrons to secure their seats for all of the exciting productions in advance. For those interested in attending individual performances, single seat tickets will go on sale starting in December.
Don’t miss out on this unparalleled theatrical experience! Stay tuned for further updates and ticket information at www.FortSalem.com.
Last night, the 76th annual Tony Awards celebrated this year on Broadway by making history and breaking rules, and awarding Kimberly Akimbo the Award for Best Musical.
Ariana Debose hosting, credit to Kevin Mazur.
At the United Palace in Washington Heights, the audience gathered to reflect on and award this past Broadway season. The theatre industry has seen drama offstage this year. Arguments about how much actors should give to their performances, discussions on the industry’s ableism and racism, post-COVID struggles that forced iconic shows to close, and Patti LuPone ripping up her Equity union card were just some of the one-act plays we saw debut on social media.
Ariana Debose hosted the show for the second year in a row. But this year, she did things differently. The show opened to her looking through her script for the 76th annual Tony Awards, only to find blank pages. Unlike most Tony Awards opening numbers, there was no singing. DeBose moved into an impressive dance number choreographed by Carla Garcia. It was started the night with a bang as it married Fosse with modern styles. Once onstage―after catching her breath―DeBose shared the “very good reason” why the Tony’s script pages were blank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4oQeYx5INE
“Our siblings over at the [Writer’s Guild of America] are currently on strike in pursuit of a fair deal,” DeBose said. “I’m sure some of you at home are thinking, ‘Oh, okay, but what does that have to do with the Tony Awards?…Award shows are traditionally written by members of the WGA. So in order for this show to go on, a whole host of people had to come together in order to find a compromise…And so now you are asking, what’s the compromise? Well, we don’t have a script.”
Without teleprompters, the night felt charged. Just like any Broadway show, this truly was a live performance. But that wasn’t the only part of the Tony’s that made it unlike any other before. Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee made history as they became the first out non-binary actors to win Tony awards. Even though Toby Marlow, who won the Tony for best musical score for Six, is non-binary, Newell and Ghee are the first in the Tony’s only gendered category: acting.
Photo by Theo Wargo, Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro.
Newell won best supporting actor in a musical for their performance of Lulu in Shucked, a new musical comedy nominated for 9 Tony awards. Shucked tells the story of Maizy, who travels to find out why all of the corn in her small town, Cob County, is dying. The constant corny humor makes audiences laugh nonstop.
“Broadway, I should not be up here,” Newell said in their acceptance speech. “As a queer, non-binary, fat, black little baby from Massachusetts. And to anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face and tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
J. Harrison Ghee accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical for “Some Like It Hot” at the 76th annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the United Palace Theater in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Charles Sykes, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Soon after, Ghee accepted the Tony for best leading actor in a musical for their portrayal of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like it Hot. They thanked their producers and creative team for letting them lead. “Thank you…for letting me be representation, letting lives be seen.”
Although there were many great shows nominated, one swept overall. New musical Kimberly Akimbo won 5 awards, including best new musical. Even though the night was unscripted, critics and audiences alike were not surprised.
The musical tells the story of Kimberly, a 16-year-old girl born with a rare genetic condition that makes her age almost five times as fast as kids her age. The show is heartwarming and breaking. Other than best musical, Kimberly Akimbo took home beat supporting actress (Bonnie Milligan), best lead actress (Victoria Clarke), best original score, and best book of a musical.
Despite how the show was real and unfiltered, censorship reminded viewers of big differences between stage and screen. After two previous nominations, Michael Arden scored his first win for Direction of a musical for his work on Parade, which won best musical revival. Arden took his acceptance speech as an opportunity to speak out about the need to fight intolerance. “It is so, so important,” Arden stressed, “or else we are doomed to repeat the horrors of our history.”
Michael Arden’s bleeped-out Tony Award speech is instantly iconic:
"Growing up, I was called the F-word more times than I could remember. And all I can say now is I'm a faggot with a Tony!"#TonyAwardspic.twitter.com/pJYzfgIJoh
What viewers remember most about Arden’s speech, though, is something we could not even hear. “to our beautiful trans, nonbinary, queer youth, know that your queerness is what makes you beautiful and powerful,” he expressed. “Growing up, I was called the f word more times than I can remember, and now all I can say is I’m a f***** with a tony.” CBS censored the last words of Arden’s speech. Still, we saw how the live audience stood up and cheered louder than they had all night.
If you missed the 76th Tony Awards, you can stream it on Paramount Plus.
76th Annual Tony Award Winners
Best Play
Ain’t No Mo’ Between Riverside and Crazy Cost of Living Fat Ham Leopoldstadt
Best Musical
& Juliet Kimberly Akimbo New York, New York Shucked Some Like It Hot
Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson A Doll’s House The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Best Revival of a Musical
Parade Into the Woods Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Book of a Musical
& Juliet Kimberly Akimbo New York, New York Shucked Some Like It Hot
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Almost Famous Kimberly Akimbo KPOP Shucked Some Like It Hot
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog Corey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy Wendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House Jodie Comer, Prima Facie Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976 Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Brian d’Arcy James, Into the Woods Ben Platt, Parade Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo Lorna Courtney, & Juliet Micaela Diamond, Parade
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’ Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt David Zayas, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’ Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living Kara Young, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kevin Cahoon, Shucked Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot Jordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot Alex Newell, Shucked
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Julia Lester, Into the Woods Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Prima Facie Life of Pi Good Night, Oscar Leopoldstadt A Christmas Carol
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
New York, New York Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot Shucked Some Like It Hot
Best Costume Design of a Play
Life of Pi Fat Ham Leopoldstadt Ain’t No Mo’ Good Night, Oscar
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Some Like It Hot Parade Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot KPOP & Juliet New York, New York
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Leopoldstadt Prima Facie A Doll’s House Fat Ham Life of Pi Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
New York, New York Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot Parade & Juliet Some Like It Hot Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Sound Design of a Play
Ain’t No Mo’ Life of Pi A Christmas Carol A Doll’s House Prima Facie
Best Sound Design of a Musical
New York, New York Shucked Into the Woods & Juliet Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, Fat Ham Jo Bonney, Cost of Living Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’ Max Webster, Life of Pi
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Parade Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot Jack O’Brien, Shucked Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Best Choreography
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Some Like It Hot New York, New York & Juliet KPOP
Best Orchestrations
& Juliet Kimberly Akimbo Shucked Some Like It Hot New York, New York
Dionne Warwick is taking her show “HITS! The Musical” on tour, with three stops in NY. Warwick and her son, Damon Elliot, have joined the production team as co-producers to bring the show to over 50 cities across North America, starting in February. The show will be stopping at The Egg in Albany, Kodak Theater in Rochester and Town Hall in Manhattan.
As an institution in pop music, Dionne Warwick’s partnership with this musical is a made match. Warwick’s collection of iconic songs — “Walk on By,” “Alfie” — are matched in legend by the hits in “HITS!” which include “Hero,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “Singing in the Rain.”
Warwick is still touring herself; she will perform this February 3 at the MusiCares Dinner to honor Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. CNN is releasing a documentary feature on Warwick’s life called “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” —airing on February 4 on CNN and streaming on HBO thereafter.
Today, Warwick is still going strong. She will be performing at select locations in North America during 2023, including the star-studded MusiCares dinner on February 3 honoring Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. She will also attend the 65th GRAMMY Awards which will be held February 5. Fans can expect a new recording from Dionne Warwick later in February: “Peace Like A River,” a duet with Dolly Parton.
Warwick said she was drawn to produce “HITS!” because of the exciting cast of young creatives. Her son Damon Elliot agreed, saying that the musical’s well known score will bring together families. Elliot, manager and music producer in his own right, most recently he produced the title track for “80 For Brady,” an upcoming sports comedy film.
The tour will stop in Albany, Rochester and NYC. Tickets can be purchased here. See the full list of tour dates below.
HITS! The Musical 2023 SCHEDULE
February 25 Asheville, NC The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
March 1 Concord, NH Chubb Theater at Capital Center for The Arts
March 2 Albany, NY The Egg
March 3 Rochester, NY Kodak Theater
March 4 Boston, MA Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
March 7 New Haven, CT Shubert Theater
March 8 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
March 9 New York City, NY Town Hall
March 10 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
March 11 Harrisburg, PA The Whitaker Center
March 12 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
March 15 Cleveland, OH Mimi Ohio Theater
March 16 Columbus, OH Southern Theater
March 17 Dayton, OH Victoria Theater
March 18 Easton, PA State Theater
March 19 Baltimore, MD Lyric Theater
March 22 Washington, DC Warner Theater
March 23 Durham, NC Carolina Theater
March 24 Charlotte, NC Knight Theater
March 25 Norfolk, VA Harrison Opera House
March 26 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall
March 28 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
March 29 Orlando, FL Dr. Philips Center for Performing Arts
March 30 Jacksonville, FL Times Union Performing Arts Center
April 1 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Parker Playhouse
April 2 Tampa, FL Straz Center for Performing Arts
April 5 Birmingham, AL Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
April 6 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center
April 7 Nashville, TN Tennessee Performing Arts Center
April 8 Louisville, KY Brown Theater
April 12 Lexington, KY Lexington Opera House
April 13 St. Louis, MO Touhill Performing Arts Center
April 14 Chicago, IL Harris Theater for Music and Dance
April 15 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
April 16 South Bend, IN Morris Center
April 19 Appleton, WI Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
