Indianapolis Theatre + Broadway News

ALIVE & DEAD IN INDIANA and More Set for Fort Wayne Civic Theatre Playwright Festival, 6/1-10

(5/14/2012) Fort Wayne Civic Theatre presents the plays of the 3rd Annual Northeast Indiana Playwright Festival, Alive & Dead in Indiana, Althea's Well and more.

Beefs & Boards Dinner Theatre Holds Mother's Day Performances of THE MUSIC MAN Tonight, 5/13

(5/13/2012) The Beef & Boards Dinner Theater has invited audiences to its Mother's Day performances of THE MUSIC MAN in Indianapolis.

Buck Creek Players Present THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, 6/1-17

(5/11/2012) Buck Creek Players presents The Drowsy Chaperone, a musical within a comedy, with book by Bob Martin & Don McKellar, music & lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison. Directed and choreographed by D. Scott Robinson with vocal direction by Matthew Konrad Tippel, the show runs June 1-2-3, 8-9-10, 15-16-17, 2012, Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m, at the Buck Creek Playhouse, located at 11150 Southeastern Avenue, Indianapolis, IN.

BWW Reviews: Phoenix Theatre's AVENUE Q

(5/7/2012) In a pleasantly bizarre, Sesame Street-meets-The Breakfast Club kind of way, Avenue Q gets its point across.

Indianapolis Opera Closes 2011-12 Season With FAUST, 5/4 & 5/6

(5/4/2012) Indianapolis Opera will close out the 2011-2012 season on May 4 & 6 with Charles Gounod’s Faust, set to French lyrics by Jules Barbier and Michael Carré. Faust will feature members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Caraher.

Walker Theatre Addresses 'Elephant in the Room'

(5/4/2012) In an article written by Shannon Williams published by the Indianapolis Recorder, the Walker Theatre’s air conditioning system was called out as the elephant in the room. The article addressed the lack of unity and support from the African-American community towards the 85 year old legacy that is the Madame Walker Theatre Center. Today, May 4th, staff and board of the Madame Walker Theatre Center will be on site at New Orleans on the Avenue with Amos Brown from Afternoons with Amos. From 1-3p, anyone who purchases a meal from New Orleans, 10% of the proceeds will go to the Walker. Amos Brown will discuss Walker building concerns with the community and with the board of directors.

Voting Opens for the 2012 BroadwayWorld.com Awards - Vote Now on the Best of the New York Season!

(5/3/2012) The TONY Awards Nominators had their say earlier this week and now it's your turn! We're pleased to announce that voting has now opened for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

Beefs & Boards Dinner Theatre Holds Mother's Day Performances of THE MUSIC MAN, 5/13

(5/1/2012) The Beef & Boards Dinner Theater has invited audiences to its Mother's Day performances of THE MUSIC MAN in Indianapolis.

Walker Theatre Addresses 'Elephant in the Room'

(5/1/2012) In an article written by Shannon Williams published by the Indianapolis Recorder, the Walker Theatre’s air conditioning system was called out as the elephant in the room. The article addressed the lack of unity and support from the African-American community towards the 85 year old legacy that is the Madame Walker Theatre Center. On Friday, May 4th, staff and board of the Madame Walker Theatre Center will be on site at New Orleans on the Avenue with Amos Brown from Afternoons with Amos. From 1-3p, anyone who purchases a meal from New Orleans, 10% of the proceeds will go to the Walker. Amos Brown will discuss Walker building concerns with the community and with the board of directors.

BWW Reviews: Shannon Forsell Lights up The Cabaret at The Columbia Club

(4/27/2012) Whether gracefully lounging across a polished piano, sassing up a self-deprecating joke or sharing a tender thought about husband, David Forsell, the chanteuse lights up the stage and heart.

The Cabaret at The Columbia Club Presents Maureen O’Flynn Tonight

(4/27/2012) Metropolitan Opera leading lady Maureen O’Flynn, makes her Indianapolis cabaret debut, featuring classics by Kern, Porter, Sondheim, and Weill.

APASSIONATA Horse Entertainment Show Kicks Off North American Tour Today

(4/27/2012) Now in its ninth year, APASSIONATA Europe’s most successful live entertainment show, featuring more than 40 horses and seen by more than five million fans in over forty cities, will make its North American debut today, April 27, 2012, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The new show entitled “The Beginning” will kick off an eighteen month, sixty-six city arena North American tour.

APASSIONATA Horse Entertainment Show Kicks Off North American Tour, 4/27

(4/20/2012) Now in its ninth year, APASSIONATA Europe’s most successful live entertainment show, featuring more than 40 horses and seen by more than five million fans in over forty cities, will make its North American debut on April 27, 2012, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The new show entitled “The Beginning” will kick off an eighteen month, sixty-six city arena North American tour.

The Phoenix Theatre Opens AVENUE Q

(4/19/2012) The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces Avenue Q will return to the Phoenix Mainstage in the 2011-2012 previously TBA spot. Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and original story by Jeff Whitty, opened off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in March 2003, where it gained rave reviews, and was extended four times.

AVENUE Q Opens at the Phoenix Theatre, 4/19

(4/19/2012) The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces Avenue Q will return to the Phoenix Mainstage in the 2011-2012 previously TBA spot. Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and original story by Jeff Whitty, opened off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in March 2003, where it gained rave reviews, and was extended four times. The Phoenix was the first regional, professional theatre to produce Avenue Q, winner of the 2004 Tony for Best Musical, last season with a local professional cast and crew. That same cast is coming back for performances April 19 through May 13, 2012.

BWW Reviews: Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre's THE MUSIC MAN - Fast-Paced Hilarity

(4/18/2012) With devil-may-care good looks and obvious merriment at being such a scoundrel, Clark is pure joy to watch ... while conning the entire town.

DAMN YANKEES, HAPPILY EVER AFTER CHLOE et al. to Play at Indiana Festival Theatre

(4/17/2012) The IU Department of Theatre and Drama announces its second annual Indiana Festival Theatre season. Hosted in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center on the IU Bloomington campus, the new season offers a slate of classic comedies and musicals for theater lovers of all ages

Lincoln Amphitheatre Premieres BETWEEN FRIENDS, Beginning 4/27

(4/17/2012) A new play about the Civil War will premiere at Lincoln Amphitheatre in April.

JERSEY BOYS Comes to Indianapolis, 1/9-1/27/2013

(4/16/2012) In the midst of the second national tour, Broadway's most beloved group of men, JERSEY BOYS, are set to hit the Murat Theatre's stage. The show is slated to run from Jan. 9 through the 27th in 2013. For more information on the JERSEY BOYS national tour, check out the show's official website at www.jerseyboysinfo.com. Tickets to the show's stop in Indianapolis are set to go on sale later this year.

Phoenix Theatre and University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community Announces FOREVER SUNG, 5/18-26

(4/16/2012) The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the opening of FOREVER SUNG, A celebration of age in song, May 18-26, 2012, in the Frank & Katrina Basile Theatre. A co-production of the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community and the Phoenix Theatre, FOREVER SUNG is a live musical concert that celebrates every age of our lives.

Theatre at the Center's Theatre for Young Audiences Opens JUNIE B. JONES

(4/16/2012) Theatre at the Center’s Theatre for Young Audiences, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, opens the energetic and hilarious children’s favorite, Junie B. Jones tonight, April 16, and runs through April 21. Junie B. Jones is a new musical based on Barbara Punk’s series of books, illustrated by Denise Brunkus and published by Random House.

CLOWES MEMORIAL HALL Presents LES MISERABLES this April

(4/15/2012) Clowes Memorial Hall is set to welcome the French bourgeois, presenting the national tour of LES MISERABLES for a limited engagement. The show will run from April 11th through the 15th. For more information on LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com. Tickets for the national tour's stop at Clowes Memorial Hall are available at www.indianapolis-theater.com.

THE MUSIC MAN Opens Tonight at Beef & Boards

(4/12/2012) There’s trouble in River City, and it’s never been more fun than in The Music Man at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. This six-time Tony Award winner by Meredith Willson has marched onto the Beef & Boards stage with performances continuing through May 25.

BWW Reviews: IRT performs Noel Coward's FALLEN ANGELS March 13 - April 15

(4/10/2012) While the spouses are away, the wives are at play ... with martinis, Champagne, and various smart cocktails in an attempt to numb their deepest romantic desires for heartthrob Maurice.

AVENUE Q Opens at the Phoenix Theatre, 4/19

(4/10/2012) The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces Avenue Q will return to the Phoenix Mainstage in the 2011-2012 previously TBA spot. Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and original story by Jeff Whitty, opened off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in March 2003, where it gained rave reviews, and was extended four times. The Phoenix was the first regional, professional theatre to produce Avenue Q, winner of the 2004 Tony for Best Musical, last season with a local professional cast and crew. That same cast is coming back for performances April 19 through May 13, 2012.

StarKid Launches 2nd National Tour, APOCALYTOUR, in Chicago, 5/9

(4/9/2012) Following the success of The SPACE Tour, internet sensation Team StarKid announces a second national tour: APOCALYTOUR, featuring a cast of StarKid veterans performing hits from the company’s acclaimed original comedy musicals A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, Me and My Dick, and Starship, as well as their latest parody show Holy Musical B@man!. APOCALYPTOUR will launch at the House of Blues in Chicago on Wednesday, May 9, and culminate in New York City at the Roseland Ballroom on Sunday, June 10.

APASSIONATA Comes to Indianapolis, 7/27-29

(4/9/2012) APASSIONATA, Europe’s most successful live arena show, featuring more than 40 horses of 13 different breeds, is coming to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis for four performances July 27-29. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse box office and all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800.745.3000.

The Cabaret at The Columbia Club Presents Linda Eder, 6/22 & 23

(4/5/2012) With a career spanning over two decades and accolades as “one of the greatest contemporary solo voices of our time,” Linda Eder brings her one-woman show to The Cabaret.

Indianapolis Opera to Close 2011-12 Season With FAUST

(4/3/2012) Indianapolis Opera will close out the 2011-2012 season on May 4 & 6 with Charles Gounod’s Faust, set to French lyrics by Jules Barbier and Michael Carré. Faust will feature members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Caraher.

Broadway in Indianapolis Announces 2012-2013 Season

(4/1/2012) Broadway in Indianapolis announces its 2012-13 season. The season will leap into play with the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, an inspirational story, with music by Elton John, of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Two other new titles join the series: SISTER ACT, a comedy with glorious music and even greater heart, and Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT, which has boldly taken the American musical where it's never gone before. JERSEY BOYS will be making its way back to Indianapolis after an engagement in June of 2010, telling the tale of The Four Seasons' road to stardom. Finally, this series will conclude with WEST SIDE STORY, the story of forbidden love with the legendary score by Bernstein and Sondheim.

Putnam County Playhouse to Hold CLUE THE MUSICAL Auditions, 4/1-4/2

(4/1/2012) Greencastle’s Putnam County Playhouse will hold auditions for CLUE THE MUSICAL, a show based on the board game by Parker Brothers, on April 1 at 3pm and April 2 at 7pm in the Rehearsal Center (Hazel Day Longden Theatre).

Buck Creek Players' HAROLD AND MAUDE Closes

(4/1/2012) The Buck Creek Players continues their 38th season with the upbeat off-beat comedy, Harold and Maude, by Colin Higgins. The show runs on weekends through to Sunday, April 1.

CLOWES MEMORIAL HALL to Present LES MISERABLES this April

(3/30/2012) Clowes Memorial Hall is set to welcome the French bourgeois, presenting the national tour of LES MISERABLES for a limited engagement. The show will run from April 11th through the 15th. For more information on LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com. Tickets for the national tour's stop at Clowes Memorial Hall are available at www.indianapolis-theater.com.

Cabaret at the Columbia Club Presents Stacey Kent: DREAMER 6/07-8

(3/30/2012) Stacey Kent will perform at The Cabaret at the Columbia Club (121 Monument Circle, Indianapolis) June 7-8 at 8pm. The evening will feature tunes from her recent Blue Note release Dreamer in Concert, along with songs from her critically acclaimed musical career spanning eight best-selling albums.

OrthoWorx Partners with the Wagon Wheel Theatre

(3/26/2012) The Wagon Wheel Theatre has long been a vital part of the Warsaw community. After 56 years as a for-profit company, the Wagon Wheel, as of January 1, 2012, is now a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It is pursuing a campaign seeking operational funding.

Buck Creek Players Announce HAROLD AND MAUDE for 3/23-4/1

(3/23/2012) The Buck Creek Players will continue their 38th season with the upbeat off-beat comedy, Harold and Maude, by Colin Higgins. The show will open on Friday, March 23, and run on weekends through to Sunday, April 1.

Photo Flash: Theater at the Center Presents ALWAYS… PATSY CLINE, 3/23-4/1

(3/23/2012) The musical play telling the story of legendary country singer Patsy Cline and her most devoted fan, ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE kicks off Theatre at the Center's 2012 season. Based on a true story of this unparalleled pioneer for female performers and a fan from Houston she befriended in a Texas honky-tonk, the production previews February 23, opens February 26 and runs through April 1. ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE will be directed by Brian Russell. Russell, making his Theatre at the Center debut, is the former Artistic Director of American Theater Company and Director of the 1996 Chicago Premiere of ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE which transferred from Northlight Theatre in Evanston to a lengthy commercial run at Chicago's Apollo Theater. Also making her Theatre at the Center debut, newcomer Heather Beck will star as "Patsy Cline". Check out the production photos below!

Fort Wayne Civic Theatre 2012-13 Season to Include DROWSY CHAPERONE, CINDERELLA, LOMBARD

(3/22/2012) Fort Wayne Civic Theatre announces its 2012-13: Dreamgirls, A Few God Men, A Christmas Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, Cinderella, Lombard.

South Bend Civic Theatre's The 39 Steps Closes

(3/18/2012) South Bend Civic Theatre presents The 39 Steps through March 18. Written by Patrick Barlow from the classic spy novel by John Buchan and the celebrated film by Alfred Hitchcock, this comedy ran for two years after originating in London.

Photo Flash: Phoenix Theatre Presents FREUD'S LAST SESSION

(3/15/2012) The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the opening of Freud's Last Session, a play by Mark St. Germain, suggested by The Question Of God: Did Freud and Lewis ever meet? by Dr. Armand Nicholi, Jr., Thursday, March 15, in the Frank & Katrina Basile Theatre. Check out the production photos below!