HALIFAX, UK – Based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, and harboring elements of sequels Shrek 2, Shrek Forever After and William Steig’s 1990 book Shrek! the lavish stage adaptation of its hit animated movie received unanimous praise for its colorful set design and costumes throughout its sell-out 441-night run on Broadway. Mark Johnson […]
MARION, IL – Just about everyone who saw the Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore, left the theatre with the soft sensuous lyric line of “Kiss You All Over” running through their heads. Familiar as they became with the soundtrack hit, however, few connected it to Exile Band, the Kentucky quintet that recorded the song more […]
DEINZE, BELGIUM – The historic medieval architecture, idyllic green open spaces of this quaint Belgian city, along with its rich schedule of engaging events, have consistently attracted a steady stream of visitors from nearby Ghent. But for its 40,000 culture-savvy residents, something was missing from their picture-perfect hometown: a city cultural center with theatre. After […]
GREENSBERG, PA – Rarely has a scenic element woven its way as neatly around the essence of a play as the chandelier in Phantom of the Opera. Assuming almost an identity of its own, the giant centerpiece holds sway above the stage, exerting a gravitational pull on the emotions of the characters below, as it […]
LONDON – Tight deadlines! Sure, they can be stressful, but they often serve as a spark that ignites the creative engine. Robert Henderson’s work lighting the South London Youth Theatre’s recent production of West Side Story offers vivid proof of that. The Basingstoke-based LD captured the swirling passions of the classic Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical […]
SARASOTA, FL – “Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired” the immortal Martha Graham once observed. Every day, dancers at Sarasota Contemporary Dance live out these words as they gather at the acclaimed company’s studio to rehearse intricately choreographed routines that will later be performed before appreciative audiences. On some occasions, the company’s […]
WEST PALM BEACH — Imagination sets us free. The wisdom of this adage is brought vividly to life in the Mitch Lee and Joe Darion classic Man of la Mancha. Inspired by Don Quixote, the multi-Tony Award winning musical stands as a monument to the soaring power of the human spirit to shine in even […]
TALLINN, ESTONIA – “Now our students will be able to have a taste of their future lives as creators, and practice on big stages,” declared Professor Ivari Ilja, rector of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre on the opening of the school’s new concert and performance center in late 2019. If the past is […]
AUGUSTA, GA – Music’s power doesn’t spring only from chords, notes and melodies, it can also be fueled by the relationship between the artists who perform together. Such was the case at the recent Goin’ South Brothers and Sisters concert. Performed at the Miller Theatre by a tight knit group of session and club musicians, […]
WAUSAU, WI – Behavioral scientists call it “habituation.” It describes what happens when people tune out an image after seeing it over and over again. Joe Ellis isn’t a psychologist, but he understands how habituation works, and so he diligently avoids repeating looks when creating his lightshows. He demonstrated this in convincing fashion in December […]
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Aedificatum Ut Lux Splendesceret, the words are Latin for “Erected That Light Might Become Brighter.” Chiseled on the central frieze over the entrance to the stately neoclassical structure on Springfield’s State Street, they glistened on the morning of February 15, 1926 when the building was dedicated as one of New England’s largest […]
SOMERSET, UK – A talented group of people belong to the Taunton Amateur Operatic Society. Not only are they skilled thespians, many also excel in costume design. So proud were they of the colorful garb they wove for a recent production of Cats, that they came to rehearsals in their finished show attire. In so […]