In two recent blogs, I've looked at conspiracy theories surrounding Hamilton and The Wizard of Oz / Wicked. This time, I am delving into the world of Mary Poppins. Because who doesn't love a spoon full of sugar, and a practically perfect trip down memory lane?

Over the past couple of days, "#metoo" has exploded on social media with women and men from all over the world speaking up and sharing their experiences with sexual assault and harassment. The result has been both appalling and powerful. Reading the stories on my own newsfeed, I am equally disgusted with the way women have been treated and also proud of their bravery to share their stories. I've also seen that the stories have been coming from not only women but men as well.

I’m going to say something that may be seen as quite controversial in the musical theatre world. Okay here it goes… I’m not a big fan of serious musicals.

Now hear me out (I can already hear some of you sharpening your pitchforks), I love Les Misérables as much as the next person and you’ll probably hear me belting out the lyrics to it once and a while.

The Community Day of Dance will feature fun, free family activities such as pumpkin and face painting, a visit from Elsa and other favorite princesses, plus a fun family dance class that mom, dad and the kids can all participate in. 

Artists from Sonia Plumb Dance, Moxie Dance, Ballroom Dancin' Fools, Vivid Ballet and River Valley Dance Project will offer free master classes in Ballet, Modern, Salsa and more. Classes are free and open to dancers ages 10 and up. The teaching artists are donating their teaching fees for these master classes to Child Life and donations of “Wish List” supplies for Child Life will be accepted as well.

Imagine if you will, you're in a show and it's about two weeks from opening night. You and your castmates are off-book, the set is almost finished and you're ready for tech week, then disaster strikes, one of your castmates drops out of the show. 

Not because of an injury or serious illness. Not because of a death in the family or emergency forcing them to leave the state. No, your fellow cast member dropped out because their fragile ego was hurt and rather than stick it out, they quit. Quit the production and more importantly, quit on you. 

We all have moments of self-doubt: when we think about the choices we have made in life or of our ability to believe that we can achieve something and that we are good enough for whatever dream it is that we are chasing.  Those moments occur when things just don't seem to be going as planned. Your mind starts to wander to that state where you question everything you have ever done. I am once again in that spot.

In advance of the full schedule, BroadwayCon is pleased to announce three new panels for BroadwayCon 2018. From exploring the challenges of playing real people to critiquing works from other time periods and much more, BroadwayCon programming will offer something for everyone. BroadwayCon returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Friday, January 26 through Sunday, January 28, 2018. Tickets for BroadwayCon 2018 are available for purchase now at www.BroadwayCon.com/register.

 Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater welcomes Lesley Ann Warren (Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Drat! The Cat!, 110 in the Shade, Dream) and Joyce Bulifant (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Airplane!), as they reprise their roles from the 1967 movie musical spectacular, Walt Disney’s The Happiest Millionaire, celebrating its 50th anniversary in a concert benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 

Last time I checked, it was 2015, not 1960. 

For the past couple of years, incidents involving discrimination, domestic abuse and sexual harassment of women have been, thankfully, thrust into the public eye.  Whether it's the ongoing incidents involving professional athletes, sexual assaults at an epidemic rate on college campuses or the debate over equal pay, these problems are finally being addressed on a national level. 

However, while many organizations and industries are making leaps and bounds with how they treat women, the theatre industry still lacks progress in this area with some theaters taking egregious steps backward. 

It often feels exciting to talk about what new forms of theatre – and what new forms of art and entertainment, generally speaking – may emerge in future society. Whenever this conversation comes up, it is always worth talking about how theatre could potentially be merged with the still relatively young art form of cinema, and become an audience experience unlike any other, and that is exactly why the UVX (the Ultimate Viewing Experience) w