B Smith News

The Metropolitan Opera and The Juilliard School present an 'Evening of Verdi' in their seventh collaboration on Friday, February 23, 2018, at 8pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Evan Rogister, an alumnus of Juilliard and guest conductor at the Met this season, conducts scenes from Verdi's operas with singers from the Met Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Juilliard Orchestra. Stephen Wadsworth provides concert stage direction for excerpts from I Lombardi alla prima crociata, Stiffelio, Falstaff, and Rigoletto.

THE CHEKHOV DREAMS, a dark romantic comedy by John McKinney, will begin performances January 26th, with Opening Night set for February 3rd at The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42 Street.

Raven Theatre is pleased to continue its 35th anniversary season with the Chicago premiere of Melissa Ross's humorous and heartfelt play NICE GIRL, directed by Lauren Shouse, playing January 24 March 11, 2018 in Raven's 105-seat East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. The press opening is Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 7:30 pm.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers, announces its Top Holiday Songs for 2017. According to an ASCAP analysis of streaming and terrestrial radio data, 1994's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You,' written by Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey, moves to #1, joining enduring Christmas classics like 'A Holly Jolly Christmas'(written by Johnny Marks, 1962) and 'Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow'(written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, 1945), at the top of the charts. (Check out ASCAP's interview with Afanaseiff about writing 'All I Want' at http://bit.ly/2k8S9E0)

BWW Previews: NEW HOPE'S RRAZZ ROOM HOST 3 LADIES IN 2 NIGHTS! at The RRAZZ ROOM New Hope PA

On Christmas Eve, when Walter chooses work over spending quality time with his friends, he falls down the stairs and hits his head, and as he lays unconscious, he enters a dream world where Team SCORPION never existed, on SCORPION, Monday, Dec. 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

'Wreck the Halls' - It's Christmas Eve and Team Scorpion's electronics-free mountain getaway turns deadly when they come across gun-runners, and Ralph is kidnapped when they try to escape. Also, Tim makes an important decision about his position with Team Scorpion, on a rebroadcast of SCORPION, Monday, Dec. 25 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Originally broadcast 12/19/16.)

Portland Shakespeare Project presents the world premiere of Pericles Wet, by Portland playwright Ellen Margolis. Commissioned by Portland Shakes, Pericles Wet is a masterful adaptation of William Shakespeare's Pericles directed by Michael Mendelson. The show will run from December 1 to December 17 on Artists Rep's Alder Stage.

Two cutting-edge one-acts, two playwrights, two directors, five actors, one fridge. Straight from a sold-out run in NYC, 'The Fridge Plays' - Daniel Talbott's 'Nick and Zoe', directed by Shira-Lee Shalit and Steve McMahon's 'sad indie love song', directed by Benjamin Viertel - hit Catskill's intimate Bridge Street Theatre stage like a punch to the gut for two performances today and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd, at 7:30pm.

The Cultch will present Theatre Replacement's East Van Panto: Snow White & the Seven Dwarves at the York Theatre from Today, November 29, 2017 to Saturday, January 6, 2018.

National Theatre Wales is today (Thursday 23 November 2017) announcing its 2018 season of productions, including a month-long festival to celebrate the 70th birthday of the NHS, two productions reflecting on the migrant experience in and beyond Wales, the first two productions in a three-year cycle of experimental works, and a work-in-progress.

Two cutting-edge one-acts, two playwrights, two directors, five actors, one fridge. Straight from a sold-out run in NYC, 'The Fridge Plays' - Daniel Talbott's 'Nick and Zoe', directed by Shira-Lee Shalit and Steve McMahon's 'sad indie love song', directed by Benjamin Viertel - hit Catskill's intimate Bridge Street Theatre stage like a punch to the gut for two performances on Friday and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd, at 7:30pm.

Raven Theatre has announced casting for its Chicago premiere of Melissa Ross's humorous and heartfelt play NICE GIRL, directed by Lauren Shouse.

Out of Box Theatre's annual adults-only holiday sketch show Santa After Hours returns for its eighth season. This year they bring you Holiday Party Crashers, and it promises to be their best show yet. Out of Box Artistic Director Carolyn Choe says, 'Of course we say that every year, but you know, we cross our fingers and hope for the best.' Each season, Santa After Hours is a completely new show written by a bunch of local playwrights/actors who are certainly on the naughty list and are collectively known as 'The Usual Gang of Idiots.'

WP Theater, by special arrangement with Segal NYC Productions, presents the Off-Broadway premiere of What We're Up Against, written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius, Seminar, NBC's 'Smash'), directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Dry Land, Empathitrax).

Halloween is just around the corner and the Playhouse is celebrating the season with the opening of a sophisticated, chillingly sinister thriller that will hold audiences spellbound with suspense!

WP Theater, by special arrangement with Segal NYC Productions, presents the Off-Broadway premiere of What We're Up Against, written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius, Seminar, NBC's 'Smash'), directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Dry Land, Empathitrax).

Portland Shakespeare Project presents the world premiere of Pericles Wet, by Portland playwright Ellen Margolis. Commissioned by Portland Shakes, Pericles Wet is a masterful adaptation of William Shakespeare's Pericles directed by Michael Mendelson.

At an exciting finale event held at iKhaya Lodge in Gardens, Cape Town last night, 22 October, filmmaker Zwelethu Radebe from Soweto, Johannesburg won shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival's 'Made in South Africa' Jury Award for his 30-minute short film submission called THE HANGMAN.