Tom Shelton News

The New Jersey Youth Chorus (NJYC) will host Three Trebles and Friends: United in Song April 20-21 culminating in a concert on Sunday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. at Morristown United Methodist Church located at 50 South Park Place in Morristown.

JoBeth Williams (“Poltergeist,” “The Big Chill”) and Peter Strauss (“Rich Man, Poor Man,” “The Jericho Mile”) star in the romantic Love Among the Ruins, written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian, from a film script by James Costigan. Love Among the Ruins is a Papazian Hirsch presentation  and is directed by Michael Arabian.

The New Jersey Youth Chorus (NJYC) presents its Winter Concert at Ridge Performing Arts Center located at 268 South Finley Avenue in Basking Ridge on Sunday, January 22 at 4:00 p.m.

JoBeth Williams and Peter Strauss star in the upcoming World Premiere production, based on the 1975 ABC Theatre Presentation that starred Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, of the wonderfully romantic LOVE AMONG THE RUINS. Check out photos here!

Laguna Playhouse has announced that JoBeth Williams (“Poltergeist,” “The Big Chill”) and Peter Strauss (“Rich Man, Poor Man,” “The Jericho Mile”) are set to star in the upcoming World Premiere production, based on the 1975 ABC Theatre Presentation that starred Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, of LOVE AMONG THE RUINS.

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is delighted to present French Stewart and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in the wonderfully comic HARVEY, written by Mary Chase and directed by Andrew Barnicle.  Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, "We could not think of a better play to end our 98th season with than HARVEY, starring French and Vanessa Claire Stewart under the inspired direction of Andrew Barnicle. French Stewart will be the perfect Elwood, a role he has always wanted to play! Our subscribers and audiences are going to go crazy with laughter and believe in very tall rabbits once more!"

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is delighted to present French Stewart and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in the wonderfully comic HARVEY, written by Mary Chase and directed by Andrew Barnicle. Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, "We could not think of a better play to end our 98th season with than HARVEY, starring French and Vanessa Claire Stewart under the inspired direction of Andrew Barnicle. French Stewart will be the perfect Elwood, a role he has always wanted to play!

Scripps Ranch Theatre, located on the campus of Alliant International University, presents their 6th Annual Out on a Limb - New Plays from America's Finest City. Scripps Ranch Theatre is a leader in the Southern California Arts Community in developing and producing new plays. The pieces are all new, world-premiere plays written by area playwrights, and have a common theme of having something to do with San Diego. This year, the festival will run for two weekends; July 14-16 & July 21-23, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm.

Though that comedy device of rewritten song lyrics is (unfortunately) not utilized for the film's musical stage adaptation, still, much of the spirit and basic plot architecture of the original movie remains in SISTER ACT - THE MUSICAL, which features all-original songs by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater, as well as a book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (with additional material contributed later by playwright Douglas Carter Beane). Currently, Musical Theatre West's admirable regional production of this Tony-nominated Broadway musical comedy is finishing out its final weekend of performances at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through April 24. Goofy and full of cutesy charm MTW's regional production definitely brings in the (joyful) noise and the funk to Long Beach. So what makes the show enjoyable? Well... for lack of a better phrase... it's all about the nuns.

Sister Act the Musical started out in 2006 at the Pasadena Playhouse, premiered in London's West End in 2009 and then underwent serious revisions before coming to Broadway in 2011. I remember liking the first mounting in 2006 with many reservations. Since I loved the 1992 film so much, I didn't feel that the stage version was particularly faithful...no pun intended. Well, with all the 2011 changes, MTW's revival of the Broadway version is tops, a joyful, tuneful, splashy romp that never lets down, with a tremendous cast, stellar direction from Michael Matthews and soulful choreography from Daniel Smith. Douglas Carter Beane, who penned the screenplay To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and the Tony nominated play The Little Dog Laughed, added new book material for the national tour, included here, and this contributes substantially to molding a sleek and unforgettable show.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) presents Sister Act, Broadway's feel-good musical comedy at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center April 8-24.  Based on the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg hit film, written by Joseph Howard, the five-time Tony nominated Broadway sensation features an award winning creative team with original score and music by composer Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Newsies, Little Shop Of Horrors), lyrics by Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Tangled), book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (Cheers), additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed ).  The reinvented musical adaptation is filled with heavenly music with a disco beat, outrageous dancing and a truly moving story that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!  Tickets are now on sale at www.musical.org or by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4.  Tickets start at $20.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series (RRS) returns this season with an outstanding lineup of classic and forgotten Broadway gems, beginning with Pal Joey on Sunday, January 24, 7pm at the University Theatre at California State University, Long Beach (off 7th Street between East and West Campus Drive, Parking Lot 7).

The Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director Sheldon Epps and Executive Director Elizabeth Doran) announces the cast of George Bernard Shaw's PYGMALION, the fifth production of its 2014-2015 Season. PYGMALION, which began rehearsals today, will perform March 17 - April 12, 2015 with the official press night on Sunday, March 22, 2015.

Like The King and I, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting story told across racial borders ... with an elegant score. The look in its rich set design with an incredible, dreamlike Bali Ha'i in the background, setting the romantic tone for the entire show, adds lovely detail to the current production at MTW, Long Beach. This production is marvelous with great direction and a sensational cast.

Cygnet Theatre, in collaboration with Playwrights Project, is proud to present the third annual Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival. Cygnet Theatre has long been committed to celebrating human stories through the medium of live theatre. Playwrights in Process will present four readings of new plays by selected Southern California playwrights. The four winning plays were selected from more than 160 submissions - more than triple the number from last year - with three of the playwrights coming from the San Diego region.

Cygnet Theatre, in collaboration with Playwrights Project, is proud to present the third annual Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival. Cygnet Theatre has long been committed to celebrating human stories through the medium of live theatre. Playwrights in Process will present four readings of new plays by selected Southern California playwrights. The four winning plays were selected from more than 160 submissions - more than triple the number from last year - with three of the playwrights coming from the San Diego region.

One of my very favorite Christmas stories of all time is A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote about his boyhood growing up with his eccentric cousin Sook Faulk. Geraldine Page played Sook in a 1966 telefilm, and it was later remade for television in the 80s with Patty Duke. It is the Page version that stays with me, having left a lasting impression of the woman, the era and its fierce impact on humanity. Now Duane Poole has fashioned a retelling of the story with music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Carol Hall in a new musical version of A Christmas Memory making its Southern California premiere at Laguna Playhouse through December 29.

James Patterson's latest installment in the hit Alex Cross franchise, titled RUN, reclaimd The NY Times' best fiction best seller list for the week ending March 31. Sheryl Sandberg's LEAN IN: WOMEN, WORK, AND THE WILL TO LEAD topped nonfiction and Amazon's overall list. The top 10 for fiction, nonfiction, and more are below!

Founding Artistic Director Martin Benson will direct the work of an old friend when South Coast Repertory presents Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful Oct. 21 through Nov. 20 on the Segerstrom Stage.