I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Sunday Scoop Week of 2/3/19 - What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

In This Week's Scoop

1) National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in Times Square Announces 2019 Specials
2) Upcoming at Merkin Concert Hall
    Tessa Lark, Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Lucy Moses Faculty in Concert,
    2019 Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition Winners Concert
3) Call Madam Encores 2019 February 6 - 10
4) Upcoming at State Theatre New Jersey
     Savion Glover, Tahira, Frozen Sing-Along
5) We Are The Tigers Original Pop/Rock Musical and Teen Horror Comedy Begins Performances
6) Upcoming at iPlay America
    Block Party, Mats Zuccarello, Jersey Four Dinner Show
7) Upcoming at Kelsey Theatre
    Love Letters
8) Upcoming at Symphony Space
    The Doubtful Sprout

   
PR Firm Roundup

9) News from DKC/O&M
    9A) Alice by Heart Begins Performances and Extends Run
   9B) The Light Starts Performance
   9C) Oklahoma Joins Gun Neutral Initiative
   9D) New York Stage and Screen Announces Line-up for 2019 Winter season
   9E) More Rotating Cast Guest Members Announced for Nassim
10) News from Karen Greco PR
       Switzerland Makes NYC Premiere at 59E59 Theaters
11) Upcoming at Lincoln Center
12) News from Pascal Nadon
       Violinist Daniel Hope & Contalto Marie-Nicole Lemieux in Concert With Orchestra of St. Lukes
13) News from Polk and Co.
     13A) Cody Simpson Extends Engagement in Anastasia
     13B) Verve/UMe to Release Wicked 15th Anniversary Special 2 Disc Recording
14) News from Richard Hillman PR
      14A) Australian Discover Stories Announces 16 Stories  Worldwide Vocal Competition
      14B) My Own British Invasion Begins Performances at Papermill Playhouse
      14C) Second 2019 Musicals in Mufti Production, The Day Before Spring to Begin Performances
      14D) Lorna Dallas "Stages" to Play The Birdland Theater
      14E) Abingdon Theater Announces The Prompter
15) News from Spin Cycle News
      Good Friday Begins at The Flea Theater
     
 
1) National Geographic Encounter: 
Ocean Odyssey in Times Square Announces
 2019 Experiences & Offers
226 W. 44th St.
New York, 

Sip ‘n Sea Wine Nights Initially introduced in 2018 as a limited engagement, Encounter is officially expanding Sip ‘n Sea Nights regularly throughout 2019 on Fridays and Sundays from 4 pm until closing, plus a special Valentine’s Day edition on February 14th. When Encounter guests complete the “underwater” portion of their journey, they are invited to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage as they continue visiting Exploration Hall and the National Geographic Gallery. Sip ‘n Sea is ideal for date nights or friends getting together. There is also a children’s activity station, so kids can take part and enjoy. Valid with any paid admission, visit natgeoencounter.com for Sip ‘n Sea dates, as the schedule varies, and blackout dates may apply.

Family Fun Pack for Four – Also returning in 2019 by popular demand, Encounter has opened its Family Fun Pack offer – 4 tickets for $99.00 – all year round. Bring kids, grandkids, friends and others to enjoy Encounter and get the best value ($24.75 per ticket). Limited availability, sales tax will be added to all orders.

 Ocean Explorer VIP Pass– New for 2019 – For the ultimate ocean explorer, guests can now enjoy VIP priority entry anytime and come back to visit as many times as they want throughout 2019, even when Encounter is sold out. In addition, guests will receive a complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage at the legendary Sardi’s restaurant (steps away from Encounter on West 44th Street), 15% off at Encounter’s retail store, a souvenir poster and more. This is ideal for those adults and children who want to visit the ocean more than once and makes for a great gift idea. One adult Ocean Explorer Pass ticket is $59.50, while kids ages 3-12 are priced at $52.50.

Buy Online and Save Offer– New for 2019 – Book your reserved entry Daily Dive Time ticket in advance and enjoy special online savings of $5-$8 off per ticket, depending on the season.
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2) Upcoming at Merkin Concert Hall
Kaufman Music Center
129 W. 67th St.
New York, NY

Tessa Lark, Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Lucy Moses Faculty in Concert, 
    2019 Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition Winners Concert


Tuesday February 5, 2:00 PM
Tuesday Matinees: Tessa Lark, Violin

Recipient of a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition, Tessa Lark performs Stravinsky, Corigliano, Thurber and Beethoven.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

Tuesday February 5, 7:30 PM
Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Music Series
Mozart Clarinet Quintet

This all-Mozart program features two beloved pieces that reflect the composer’s flamboyant personality: his Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, and the Clarinet Quartet in A Major.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit h

Wednesday February 6, 6:30 PM
Lucy Moses Faculty in Concert

Members of Lucy Moses School's acclaimed faculty collaborate on chamber works to share their love of music with the Kaufman Music Center community. Works performed include compositions by faculty members.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

Sunday February 10, 5:00 PM
2019 Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition Winner's Concert

Nine extraordinary young virtuosos from Kaufman Music Center's Lucy Moses School and Special Music School perform solo works with orchestra.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

3) Call Me Madam Encores 2019
New York City Center
131 W. 55th St.
New York, NY

February 6 -10

See Call Me Madam, the first Encores! production of our 75th Anniversary Season! See performers Carmen CusackJason GotayAdam HellerStanley Wayne MathisBrad Oscar, and Lauren Worsham perform Irving Berlin classics such as "The Hostess with the Mostes' On the Ball," "It's A Lovely Day Today," and "They Like Ike.


For more information or to purchase tickets, visit NYCityCenter.org
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4) Upcoming at State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ

Savion Glover, Tahira, Frozen Sing-Along

Thursday February 7, 8:00 PM
Savion Glover's All Funk'd Up

See the thrilling new program All FuNKD’ Up featuring tap superstar Savion Glover! A mesmerizing interplay of percussive genius featuring Glover’s six-piece band and company of dancers will illuminate original grooves and compositions that only a percussive master could

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stnj.org/event/savion-glover

Saturday February 9, 10:00 AM & 12:00 PM
Tahira
Milk & Cookies

By popular demand, TAHIRA returns to the State Theatre with her entertaining songs and stories. Drawing from the African and African American folklore tradition as well as her own lively imagination, she enthralls and delights audiences of all ages.

Milk & Cookies is a lively, interactive storytelling and music series for families. This program is the perfect way to introduce young children to live theater.

For more information or to purchase, visit www.stnj.org/event/mc_tahira

Sunday February 10, 3:00 PM
Frozen Sing-Along

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stnj.org/event/frozen
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5) We Are The Tigers Original Pop/Rock Musical and Teen Horror Comedy Begins Performances 
Theater 80 
80 St. Marks Place
New York, NY

Previews begin February 7
Official Opening February 21

WE ARE THE TIGERS, an original pop/rock musical and teen horror comedy written & composed by Preston Max Allen and produced by S. Asher Gelman, will make its New York Premiere Off-Broadway at Theater 80 (80 St. Mark’s Place) this winter. Michael Bello will direct the pitch-black comedy about a dismally low-ranking team of cheerleaders trying to survive the night while being terrorized by a serial killer. Music supervision and arrangements are by Patrick Sulken. The production begins previews on Thursday, February 7, 2019, will have its official opening on Thursday, February 21, 2019 and will run through April 17.  www.tigersmusical.com

A new school year means a new beginning for the Tigers, the worst-ranked high school cheerleading team in the state. First-time captain Riley is determined to rally the girls for a fresh start at the annual team sleepover, but the night takes a viciously bloody turn when three Tigers are found mysteriously murdered. Now a squad that can’t even stick a landing has to solve a murder if they want any hope of making it to regionals - or the morning. Featuring an infectious pop/rock score and razor-sharp wit, this new original musical proves the highs and lows of being a teen girl in high school are way more extreme than ever. 

Performances of WE ARE THE TIGERS are Wednesdays – Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 4:00PM and8:00PM, Sundays at 2:00PM and 6:00PM, and Mondays at 7:00PM.

Tickets are $29.50 - $89.50 and can be purchased online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1002560 
or by calling OvationTix customer service toll free at 866-811-4111. 
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6) Upcoming at iPlay America
110 Schank Rd.
Freehold, NJ 

Block Party, Mats Zuccarello, 
Jersey Four Dinner Show

Friday February 8, 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Block Party - 21+ only

Drink specials and live DJ! Purchase a Block Party Pass for $49.99 (valid every Friday 9:00 PM to close) and get unlimited video games plus 10% off food and beverage.                                 

Valid one year from purchase date. 

For more information, visit 

Saturday February 9, Door Time: 2:30 PM, Start Time: 3:30 PM
Mats Zuccarello

New York Rangers Alternate Captain and fan-favorite, Mats Zuccarello, will be appearing at iPlay America for a meet & greet and Q&A session with fans!

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

Sunday February 10, Door Time: 4:00 PM Start Time: 5:30 PM
Jersey Four Dinner Show

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a dinner show including a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tribute band playing the groups top hits incorporated with trivia, narratives and humor.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit
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7) Upcoming at Kelsey Theatre
1200 Old Trenton Rd.
West Windsor, NJ

Love Letters

Friday February 8, 2019 to Sunday February 10, 2019 

A touching story that is both witty and bittersweet, this 1988 play follows the "near misses" of a relationship through a lifetime of love letters. From summer camps and boarding schools, through college, war, career and romance, audiences will watch the journey between a free-spirited but unstable artist, Melissa Gardner, and dutiful lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III as they write to each other about their dreams, ambitions, victories and defeats over the 50 years that they live out separately.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 
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8) Upcoming at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY

The Doubtful Sprout
Liz Joyce and a Couple of Puppets

Making its NYC theater debut, this underground puppet adventure invites kids to get ready to explore the world under their feet. Audiences will tunnel down with Worm and Sprout as they discover the mysterious life found in the soil. Along the way, kids will help figure out the secrets that help Sprout grow. Acclaimed master puppeteer Liz Joyce (director of Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor, Long Island) brings this ecological wonderland to life with several styles of puppets, projections, and song (composed by Morgan Taylor of Gustafer Yellowgold).
The musical show, funded in part by a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant and directed by Joshua Holden, features more than 20 puppets in a variety of styles, including marionettes and hand rod puppets as well as animation. While the science-based script is based on real soil ecology principles, the heart of the story offers an emotional narrative about life and growing with a network of support. Sprout is very doubtful about whether she will be able to grow like other plants. But she soon discovers from her fellow "Terraineans" and "Up Toppers" that the world around and above is rooting for us to grow up strong.
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PR Firm Roundup
9) News from DKC/O & M

9A) PREVIEWING NOW 

 WORLD PREMIERE OF

MCC THEATER’S

ALICE BY HEART



DUE TO HEAVY DEMAND FOR TICKETS MCC THEATER 

ANNOUNCES EXTENSION WITH TICKETS NOW ON 

SALE THROUGH MARCH 31, 2019

OPENING NIGHT SET FOR FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Previews recently began for the New York premiere of the musical Alice By Heart with book by Steven Sater with Jessie Nelson, music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater and directed by Jessie NelsonDue to the heavy demand for tickets, MCC Theater (Bob LuPoneBernie TelseyWilliam Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced a three week extension for the show and tickets are now on sale through Sunday, March 31st.
When the madness of the world is too much to bear, we take refuge in the stories we love. Tony® and Grammy® award-winning creators of Spring Awakening, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, reunite for their new musical Alice By Heart, inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and directed and co-written by Jessie Nelson (Waitress). In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s budding teen life is turned upside down, and she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. As they travel through the tale, Alice By Heart explores the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward. This world premiere musical encourages us all to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times.

Tickets are on sale now at mcctheater.org and at the box office.

**
9B) PREVIEWING NOW 

MCC THEATER’S

NEW YORK PREMIERE OF

THE LIGHT

FIRST PRODUCTION IN THE ROBERT W. WILSON MCC

 THEATER SPACE IN HELL’S KITCHEN


OPENING NIGHT SET FOR FEBRUARY 10, 2019


The the New York Premiere production of The Light, the first show at MCC Theater’s new home, The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space (511 West 52nd Street), is previewing now  ahead of an official opening on Sunday, February 10.

As part of MCC Theater’s “Let’s Talk” series, there will be talkbacks following the Thursday, January 31st and Wednesday, February 13th (evening) performances, as well as Audience Conversations following the Friday, February 1st, Saturday, February 16th (matinee), and Wednesday, March 13th performances.

Not every marriage proposal goes as planned. Loy A. Webb’s The Light introduces us to Rashad and Genesis on what should be one of the happiest days of their lives, but their joy quickly unravels when ground-shifting accusations from the past resurface in this gripping two character drama. Can their relationship survive the growing divide between them over who- and what – to believe? Directed by Logan Vaughn, The Light is a reckoning that unfolds in real-time and peels away the layers of truth, doubt, pain, and ultimately the power of love.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mcctheater.org

**
9C) THE BARD SUMMERSCAPE PRODUCTION OF


RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S


OKLAHOMA!



BECOMES FIRST BROADWAY SHOW

 TO JOIN THE GUN NEUTRAL INTIATIVE


Producer Eva Price recently announced that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!will become the first Broadway show to join the entertainment industry’s Gun Neutral initiative. Gun Neutral is a new, collaborative effort to explore ways entertainment companies, individual productions and storytellers can help solve the gun violence that claims over 100 lives every day in America.
For every visible gun that is seen on stage in Oklahoma!, the production will make a donation to the Gun Neutral 501c3 for the benefit of organizations working to destroy illegal firearms that should be out of circulation. Gun Neutral will also use the funds to make grants to organizations who provide arts and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programming to youth in underserved areas, and particularly those impacted by chronic gun violence.

Gun Neutral launched in October of 2018 when Level Forward announced the initiative and their company-wide commitment to it. The non-partisan initiative and accompanying working group is focused on preserving the authenticity and artistic freedom of storytellers, while increasing awareness and promoting social responsibility - regardless of individual politics. Gun Neutral will also be providing the results of pre and post-exposure research to storytellers and is working with the Annenberg Public Policy Center so that writers, directors and producers can better understand the consequences of their creative choices.

For more information on how to get involved in Oklahoma!’s partnership with Gun Neutral, or for further information about the Gun Neutral Initiative, contact the Gun Neutral Program Manager Brent Zachery at 

**
9D) NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM

ANNOUNCES LINE-UP FOR

2019 WINTER SEASON


NEW WORKS BY HALLEY FEIFFER, 

HARRISON DAVID RIVERS,AND SHARR WHITE, 

IN ADDITION TO PRIVATE RESIDENCIES.

FEBRUARY 4-8 AT THE LARK


New York Stage and Film is thrilled to announce the programming line-up for their 2019 Winter Season at The Lark/Barebones Studio (311 West 43rdStreet, 5th Floor): Halley Feiffer’s Saying Goodbye to the People I Love From My Bathtub, 2015 Founders’ Award Recipient Harrison David Rivers’ the bandaged place, and Sharr White’s Pictures From Home. Tickets are free and can be reserved by visiting www.NewYorkStageAndFilm.org/NYCProgramming. Additional details, including casting, will be announced shortly.

New York Stage and Film’s NYC Programming serves artists through the course of the full calendar year, and throughout the life cycle of their projects. The Winter Season offers workshops, readings, and residencies to several projects simultaneously, and presents them free to the public. The 2019 Winter Season will feature:

Saying Goodbye to the People I Love From My Bathtubby Halley Feiffer
directed by Trip Cullman
Monday, February 4 at 7:00pm

In a desperate desire to find some semblance of peace, Clara summons her loved ones to the only place on earth where she feels remotely safe: her bath.

the bandaged place
by Harrison David Rivers
Wednesday, February 6 at 7:00pm

Jonah is a dancer. 
Jonah is injured. 
Jonah has an ex-boyfriend. 

A brutal and lyrical play about the things we hang on to and the price of moving forward, the bandaged place tells the story of one man’s attempt to free himself from the abuses of his past. Jonah is forced to turn to his precocious daughter and tough love grandmother for support when a former lover resurfaces, re-opening a painful wound.

Pictures From Home
by Sharr White
directed by Daniella Topol
Friday, February 8 at 4:00pm


In 1981, photographer Larry Sultan set out to create a portrait of his parents, Jean and Irv, tracing his family’s journey from postwar Brooklyn to California’s San Fernando Valley. A decade later, the resulting work, Pictures From Home, combined home movie stills, interviews, and Sultan’s own photographs — both candid and staged — of his often aggrieved, but always complicit parents. The work had grown to become an epic exploration of twentieth-century American optimism, deceptively banal, deeply personal. As adapted by Sharr White, Pictures From Homeadds another layer to Sultan’s exploration: that of a volatile and loving relationship between parent and son who employ image as their proxy for an Oedipal struggle over dominance.

For more information, visit www.newyorkstageandfilm.org


**

9E) REED BIRNEY, TATIANA MASLANY, MARSHA MASON,

ETHAN SLATER, MICHAEL URIE, KATE WALSH, AND 

MORE

JOIN THE ROTATING CAST FOR

BARROW STREET THEATRICALS

AMERICAN PREMIERE OF

NASSIM

BY NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR

AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER, STAGE II


Barrow Street Theatricals announced today the rotating cast of guest actors through the middle of February for the American premiere of the Nassim Soleimanpour and Bush Theatre production of NASSIM by celebrated Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit Red Rabbit), featuring direction by Omar Elerian. Joining the production will be:

Sunday, February 3 at 2:30pm – Michael Urie
Obie, Lucille Lortel, and Drama Desk Award winner (“Ugly Betty,” Buyer & CellarTorch Song)

Tuesday, February 5 at 7:30pm - Tatiana Maslany
Emmy Award winner ("Orphan Black," Mary Page Marlowe, Network) 

Wednesday, February 6 at 7:30pm - Kate Walsh
Screen Actors Guild Award winner ("Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice")

Australian Film Institute Award winner (“I, Tonya,” “Westworld,” “Instinct”)

Friday, February 8 at 7:30pm - Marsha Mason
Two-time Golden Globe Award winner, Four-time Academy Award nominee ("Frasier," "Grace and Frankie," "The Goodbye Girl," "Chapter Two")
                                                               
Saturday, February 9 at 2:30pm – Ethan Slater
Drama Desk Award winner, Tony Award nominee (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Saturday, February 9 at 7:30pm – Emma Galvin
(Stage KissA Perfect Fit, Audible’s “Divergent”)

Sunday, February 10 at 2:30pm – TBA

Sunday, February 10 at 7:30pm – Alex Finke
(Come From Away, Les Misérables, Anything Goes)

Tuesday, February 12 at 7:30pm – Jerod Haynes
(“The Village,” Southside With YouBlueprint)

Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30pm – Richard Kind
Tony Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers)

Thursday, February 14 at 7:30pm – John Ellison Conlee
Obie Award winner, Tony Award nominee (The Nap, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)

Friday, February 15 at 7:30pm – Beth Malone
Tony Award nominee (Angels in America, Fun Home)

Saturday, February 16 at 2:30pm – Catherine Curtin
Two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner (“Orange is the New Black, ““Stranger Things”)

Saturday, February 16 at 7:30pm – Reed Birney
Tony Award winner (The HumansCasa Valentina1984)

Additional rotating guest actors will be announced shortly.


Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.NYCityCenter.org; on the phone by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212; or in person at New York City Center box office, open Monday-Saturday, noon-8pm, and Sunday, noon-7:30pm.
10) News from Karen Greco PR 


SWITZERLAND

NYC premiere at 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to welcome the NYC premiere of SWITZERLAND written by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Dan Foster. Produced by Hudson Stage Company,SWITZERLAND begins performances on Thursday, February 7 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 3Press Opening is Thursday, February 14 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Friday at 7:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 7:15 PM; and Sunday at 2:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison).

It’s 1995 in the Swiss Alps and the reclusive crime writer Patricia Highsmith is visited by a genial young man from her New York publisher, sent to convince her to write the final installment of her best-selling Mr. Ripley series. What first appears to be a standard cat-and-mouse game of wit and wiles soon becomes a dance to the death. Who is the cat and who is the mouse? And who will make it out of Switzerland alive? From Australia’s most celebrated playwright, Joanna Murray-Smith.

Single tickets are $25 - $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call the 59E59 Box Office at 646-892-7999 or visit www.59e59.org.
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11) Upcoming at Lincoln Center

Thursday, February 7 – FREE – at 7:30 pm 
Great Performers Navarra String Quartet 
The U.K.-based ensemble praised for its “compelling performances” (BBC Music Magazine) plays Ravel’s rhapsodic String Quartet in F major and the ethereal music of Latvian composer PÄ“teris Vasks at this free, hour-long concert. 
David Rubenstein Atrium, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage (Broadway bet. 62nd & 63rd St.)
FREE Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, including program updates, visit LincolnCenter.org/GreatPerformers
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12) News from Pascal Nadon Communications


Violinist Daniel Hope 
and 
Contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux 

Join Orchestra of St. Lukes on February 6

in a Unique Program of Works for Double 

Orchestra

 by Vivaldi and Handel


OFebruary 6, 2019, Orchestra of St. Luke’s fills Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage with an extravagant program of works for double orchestra by Handel and Vivaldi. Daniel Hope joins the Orchestra and Bernard Labadie for Vivaldi’s Concerto in A Major for Violin, Strings, and Continuo, while Marie-Nicole Lemieux performs two contrasting settings of the Salve Regina by Vivaldi, both for contralto and double orchestra. 
A schedule and tickets info for Orchestra of St. Luke’s upcoming performances through June 2019 are available at OSLmusic.org. 
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13) News from Polk and Co.

13A) ANASTASIA THE MUSICAL
ANNOUNCES
CODY SIMPSON TO EXTEND ENGAGEMENT 
FOR 8 WEEKS

SIMPSON TO STAR AS “DMITRY” 
THROUGH APRIL 14, 2019

The producers of ANASTASIA are thrilled to announce Cody Simpson has extended his engagement in the hit musical for eight additional weeks.  Simpson made his Broadway debut as “Dmitry” on November 29, 2018 and will continue to star in the Broadway production through April 14, 2019. 

TICKETS:
Tickets range from $69 - $169. Premium tickets range from $199 - $352. For more information, visit www.AnastasiatheMusical.com or call 212-239-6200.

**
13B) Verve/UMe to Release 
Special 2-Disc Original Cast Recording

WICKED: The 15th Anniversary 
Special Edition

on February 8th, 2019

Featuring the Original Broadway Cast Recording Plus 4 Bonus Tracks
Re­­corded Live During the NBC Special,
“A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years On Broadway”

“The Wizard and I” cover by ARIANA GRANDE
“What Is This Feeling?” performed by PENTATONIX,
“As Long As You’re Mine” sung by ADAM LAMBERT and LEDISI
and 
“For Good”  performed by KRISTIN CHENOWETH and IDINA MENZEL,
joined by a chorus of actresses who have played Elphaba and Glinda

To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the global blockbuster musical WICKED, Verve/UMe will release WICKED: The 15th Anniversary Special Edition, a special 2 CD set of the Grammy Award-winning Original Cast Recording that also includes four bonus tracks recorded live during the NBC Special, “A Very Wicked Halloween,” which aired nationally on October 29, 2018.

WICKED: The 15th Anniversary Special Edition will be released on February 8th, 2019, and will feature the 19-track Original Broadway Cast Recording plus 4 bonus tracks: “The Wizard and I” by Ariana Grande, “What Is This Feeling?” sung by Pentatonix, “As Long As You’re Mine” performed by Adam Lambert and Ledisi, and “For Good” by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, joined by a chorus of actresses who have also portrayed Elphaba and Glinda. The special edition is available to pre-save:https://lnk.to/Wicked15 and will be available at the Gershwin Theatre beginning February 8th.

For more information about WICKED, please visit www.WickedTheMusical.com.
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14) News from Richard Hillman PR

14A) AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY ORCHESTRA (ADO)
ANNOUNCES
“16 STORIES”
A WORLDWIDE ONLINE VOCAL COMPETITION
16 VOCALISTS WILL BE CHOSEN TO RECORD
NEW SONGS WRITTEN BY RENOWNED MUSICAL THEATRE WRITERS
THAT WILL COMPRISE AN UPCOMING ADO ALBUM
ON THE BROADWAY RECORDS LABEL
CHOSEN VOCALISTS WILL ALSO APPEAR IN ACCOMPANYING MUSIC VIDEOS
 The Australian Discovery Orchestra (ADO), the world’s first solely digital streaming orchestra, is proud to announce “16 STORIES” - a worldwide online vocal competition. Renowned musical theatre creators from around the world have contributed a song from a musical they have written that has never previously been recorded for commercial release; these 16 songs will comprise an upcoming Australian Discovery Orchestra album, to be released on the Broadway Records label. This Friday, February 1st, an online global vocal competition will commence to find 16 vocalists for each song on the album – who will appear on the album as well as in the accompanying music videos. The competition will be open for submissions from midnight on February 1st until midnight on March 15th, 2019. For more information, including submission instruction, entry rules and fees, visit ADO online at https://australiandiscoveryorchestra.com/16-stories-introduction/.
**
14B) THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
MY VERY OWN BRITISH INVASION 
A MUSICAL FABLE OF ROCK ‘N’ LOVE 
BOOK BY TONY AWARD WINNER RICK ELICE 
MUSIC DIRECTION BY LON HOYT 
DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY TONY AWARD WINNER JERRY MITCHELL
NOW AT PAPERMILL PLAYHOUSE
Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents the world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion with book by Tony award winner Rick Elice (Peter and the Starcatcher). My Very Own British Invasion is produced in association with Hal LuftigCraig Haffner and Rodney RigbyMy Very Own British Invasion began performances on Thursday, January 31, 2019, and will continue through Sunday, March 3, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). 
This world-premiere musical tells a fable of young love, set against the backdrop of the exploding 1960s music scene – when England launched the little dustup that became known as the British Invasion. Based on the experiences of Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, who was just a teenager willing to sacrifice international stardom for the sake of girl he loves, the show features more than two dozen chart-topping hits from all the best British bands of the era.
My Very Own British Invasion will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. All major credit cards accepted. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717. Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.
**
14C) THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY’S 
25th ANNIVERSARY WINTER 2019 “MUSICALS IN MUFTI” SERIES 
CELEBRATING THE ALAN JAY LERNER CENTENNIAL 
PRESENTS 
THE DAY BEFORE SPRING 
BOOK AND LYRICS BY ALAN JAY LERNER 
MUSIC BY FREDERICK LOEWE 
MUSIC DIRECTION BY DAVID HANCOCK TURNER 
DIRECTED AND ADAPTED BY MARC ACITO
11 PERFORMANCES ONLY
FEBRUARY 9 - 17, 2019
AT THE YORK THEATRE AT SAINT PETER’S
Celebrating the centennial of Alan Jay Lerner. The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, continues the 25th Anniversary of its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the work of the legendary librettist and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, whose hundredth birthday was August 31, 2018. The series honors one of the creators behind such classics as -Brigadoon, Camelot, Love Life, and My Fair Lady.
For the second show in the 2019 Winter series, The York revisits one of Lerner and Loewe’s lesser-known gems: 1945’s The Day Before Spring, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by his longtime collaborator Frederick Loewe. Directed and adapted by Marc Acito (Allegiance), and with music direction by David Hancock Turner (Desperate Measures), the 11-member cast will feature Jonathan Christopher (La Boheme) as Gerald Barker, Michelle Liu Coughlin (The King and I) as May Tompkins, Nicolas Dromard (Mary Poppins) as Bill Tompkins, Judith Ingber (Man of La Mancha), Kent M. Lewis (Billy Elliot) as Harry Scott/Ensemble, Alyse Alan Louis (Amélie) as Christopher Randolph, Ian Lowe (Murder for Two) as Eddie Warren/Ensemble, Jesse Manocherian (Marry Harry) as Alex Rutland, Madison Claire Parks (The Fantasticks) as Katherine Townsend, Will Reynolds (Daddy Long Legs) as Peter Townsend, and Brittany Santos(West Side Story).
A married woman attends a college reunion where she encounters the man with whom she almost eloped ten years before. Romantically stirred by a novel he has written about her, she considers leaving her husband and reuniting with her former flame. With a score that was never recorded, moments of The Day Before Spring served as inspiration for such Lerner and Loewe classics as Gigi and My Fair Lady. Although the show was previously seen in a Mufti staging in 2007, this presentation will feature the full original score, recently rediscovered for a 2010 UK production—its first hearing in New York since 1945. Performances begin Saturday afternoon, February 9, 2019 and continue for 11 performances only through February 17, 2019. Opening Night will be Sunday evening, February 10, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
The Day Before Spring will play the following 11-performance schedule— First Week: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.; Second Week: Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., Thursday at 2:30 p.m
For additional information, please visit www.yorktheatre.org
**
14D) BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB 
PRESENTS 
LORNA DALLAS
“S T A G E S” 

MUSICAL DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER DENNY 
DIRECTED BY BARRY KLEINBORT
ONE NIGHT ONLY!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019 @ 8:30PM
THE BIRDLAND THEATER
315 WEST 44th STREET – NYC
Birdland Jazz Club will present vocalist Lorna Dallas for one night only in Stages, an all new show at The Birdland Theater (315 West 44th Street) on Monday, February 11, 2019 @ 8:30 pm.
Last season, American born and West End favorite Lorna Dallas returned to the New York cabaret world after a twenty-year hiatus. The reviewers were unanimous and unstinting in their praise. Bistro Awards wrote, “May Ms. Dallas return to the New York stage…and often!” Cabaret Scenesechoed that sentiment: “This is truly a once in a lifetime event not to be missed.” Rex Reed of The Observer also chimed in: “The kind of inspired singing that is as rare as a pink unicorn in MGM Technicolor.”
This season, Ms. Dallas returns again to Birdland, premiering a sparkling new show, Stages, devised by her two long time collaborators, musical director Christopher Denny and director Barry Kleinbort. Stages refers to those theaters and nightclubs where Ms. Dallas displayed her formidable gifts as a singer and top tier interpreter of popular song, as well as to the formative stages in a life, stages that have taken her from a small town in Southern Illinois to the rarefied hothouse atmosphere of New Orleans and on to dazzling nights in the West End with Sammy Cahn and Dame Cleo Laine, culminating in Royal Command performances for Queen Elizabeth and the Royal family. The musical program is equally diverse, ranging from unforgettable standards and show tunes by Broadway’s greats to little known but equally worthy gems from both sides of the “pond.” In short, Stages **offers a treasure trove of glorious singing, intimate detail and heartfelt reminiscence.
Lorna Dallas Stages plays the Birdland Theater (315 West 44th Street) on Monday, February 11 @ 8:30pm. There is a $30 cover charge and a $10 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.birdlandjazz.com or by calling (212) 381-5080.
**
14E) THE PROMPTER
BY WADE DOOLEY
STARRING ACADEMY AWARD WINNER ESTELLE PARSONS & WADE DOOLEY
DIRECTED BY SCOTT SCHWARTZ
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH @ 7PM
AT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE
(121 CHRISTOPHER STREET, NYC)
The Prompter follows veteran actress Irene Young, who, after a forty-year absence, is returning to the Broadway stage. But now, she can’t do it alone; so, the production hires a young actor to be her prompter. But this isn’t her story, it’s his. Based on real events, The Prompter is a funny, heartfelt, untold, behind-the-scenes looks at Broadway through the eyes of a young dreamer.
The cast features Oscar Winning Actress Estelle Parsons and the playwright in the title role.
Tickets for The Prompter are $26 (in celebration of the company’s 26h Anniversary Season Off-Broadway) and may be purchased online here.
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15) News from Spin Cycle News

Guns and feminism collide in
 GOOD FRIDAY 
beginning Feb. 11 
at The Flea Theater


The Flea Theater proudly presents the New York premiere of GOOD FRIDAY written by rising Chicago-based playwright Kristiana Rae Colónand directed by Sherri Eden Barber.Previews begin on February 11 with its
opening night slated for Monday, February 25.

GOOD FRIDAY continues The Flea’s 2018-2019 Color Brave season addressing #metoo feminism at the intersection of gun and sexual violence. In GOOD FRIDAY, a ricochet of bullets disrupts a fierce and
funny feminist debate. Assaulted at every turn, a group of millennial women must decide whether they are ready to put their bodies on the line for each othe
r.

GOOD FRIDAY runs Thursday–Monday at 7pm, with Sunday matinees at 3pm. GOOD FRIDAY runs Thursday–Monday at 7pm, with Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets start at $15 with the lowest priced tickets available on a
first-come, first-served basis.The Flea Theateris located at 20 Thomas Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers, close to the A/C/E, N/Q/R/W, 4/5/6, J/M/Z and 1/2/3 subway lines.
Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.  Tickets start at $15 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis.The Flea Theateris located at 20 Thomas Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers,
close to the A/C/E, N/Q/R/W, 4/5/6, J/M/Z and 1/2/3 subway lines.
Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.
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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

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