Last December, I wrote a piece on the fact that Broadway Break Thru and its founder David Petro, had not paid its guest faculty for their work during their summer college programs.

Some of the guest faculty hadn’t been paid a dime despite some of them being owed upwards to $1,000.

After publishing the article, I had heard that Petro promised(in writing) that he would pay all monies owed by February 28th. I’ve been told by various faculty, that he hasn’t sent them a dime.

This Spring, Curtain Call Theatre in Braintree, MA was set to produce To Kill a Mockingbird. However, after auditions were held and rehearsals were set, the theatre was forced to cancel their production due to legal threats they received from lawyers representing Scott Rudin, the lead producer the currently running Broadway show of the same name.

Normally this would be pretty cut and dry, except for the fact that Curtain Call was set to perform an entirely different script licensed by a different company. And that issue is causing problems worldwide and might even end up in a court battle of its own.

In 2015, we here at OnStage Blog ranked the B.A. in Theatre program at Willamette University as the best in the nation. We felt that the combination of academic rigor, bold production choices, outstanding faculty and ample scholarships made them stand out among the rest. Since then, the school has been in the Top 10 on our annual rankings and this past year came in at #3.

However, a recent student strike has led to the cancellation of the program’s two upcoming productions. And if what we’re hearing from the students is true, then it could lead to a swift downfall for one of the country’s best theatre programs.

News is coming out of Italy this week that Rome Opera had fired soprano Jessica Nuccio for not singing full out during a dress rehearsal for their production of La traviata.

This past summer, news broke that Music Theatre International Inc.(MTI) filed a lawsuit against Theaterpalooza Community Theater Productions, Inc and its owner, Teresa Walker.

The issue centered on Theatrepalooza’s 16 unauthorized productions of MTI titles over the past three years. Even despite warnings and cease and desist communication, Walker and her group continued to perform the material without paying for the rights.

While Theatrepalooza is fighting one legal issue, more could be on the horizon.

A performing arts education and audition coaching company is under fire today over claims that it has not paid its guest faculty members for summer workshops and masterclasses even though they had agreements over email regarding compensation.

Despite promises of maintaining transparency, the findings from an investigation of two claims of sexual harassment at the Colonial Theatre will not be made public.

Last week, news broke in Redlands, CA that a high school drama teacher was arrested on suspicion of having sex with two underage students and possession of child pornography. Joel Everett Chandler Koonce was taken into custody on November 9th. While these accusations are terrible, what’s even more terrifying is that this is the third teacher accused of sexual abuse over the past five years and the number of victims coming forward is climbing.

Last month, furor erupted within the theatre department at Bowling Green State University in OH over the casting of its production of “Little Shop of Horrors”. The controversy arose when the director of the production cast three white actresses in the roles of Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon, known as the “urchins”.

With the vast amount of Broadway productions opening this season, some are already off to strong starts while others not so much.

This past month, Disney unveiled the first teaser trailer for “Aladdin”, its latest remake of their animated classics set to release in Spring 2019. In addition to some glimpses of Iago flying above some epic CGI-generated landscapes, we also got to see a quick look at the Cave of Wonders and hear some pretty familiar dialogue,

“Only one may enter here,” the Cave says. “One whose worth lies far within. A diamond in the rough.”

I’m 100% sure we’re going to hear some of the more iconic lines of the original animated films in this remake. However, apparently Disney is being more than a bit stingy when it comes to paying the original writers of the animated film.

One of the most prestigious music programs in the country is being rocked by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving professors and students. Worse yet, the school’s response to these issues has been severely lacking in the eyes of its students.

This year, The Laramie Project is sure to be one of the most produced plays across the country. In fact, usually is regardless of what year it is. But for one director in CT, the play is all the more personal. Because while much of the world knows Matthew through this play and his story, Shannon-Courtney Denihan got to know him while they were friends in college.

While one could certainly argue that the 2018-19 Broadway season is off to a mixed start, there are certainly shows on the horizon that have our interest piqued.

Some of these shows sound more promising than others and some seem to be Tony contenders before they even open. Here are my picks for the 10 Most Anticipated Shows of 2018-19.

When one thinks of Breckenridge, CO the first thing that usually comes to mind is their popular ski resort. Then perhaps their famous Oktoberfest. But probably no one thought it would be home to a brewing controversy involving its local community theatre. A controversy that has led to threats of boycotts and the resignation of two theatre officials.

All due to a satirical sketch poking fun at Donald Trump. 

Theaterpalooza, as we know it, is gone. Now, there is I Creative Arts Centers. 

Possibly as an attempt to put some negative press behind them, the owners of the controversial Theaterpalooza have changed their company's name. In addition to the name change, they have also created a brand new website as well.