I would like you to meet Arica Jackson. Arica is currently a Swing in Waitress on Broadway at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Before that, Ms. Jackson performed in the National tour of Waitress and most recently made her Broadway debut in Head Over Heels where she was the standby for the roles of Mopsa and Pamela. Her voice honestly knocks me out, and if you get the chance to see her perform, you are genuinely in for a wonderful treat! I was very excited to have the opportunity to interview her!

An extended look at the long-gestating Elton John biopic is finally available.

I would like you to meet the wonderful Afra Hines. She will be performing in Hadestown on Broadway at The Walter Kerr Theatre with previews beginning March 22nd with the official opening on April 17th. Afra has performed on Broadway in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (in which she was honored with the Legacy Robe), Shuffle Along, Motown the Musical, Soul Doctor, Ghost, In The Heights and Wicked. Ms. Hines has also toured with Hamilton. I have had the chance to see this amazing actress perform several times on stage and it was quite the honor and privilege to have the opportunity to interview her.

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.

The wildly popular musical "Hamilton" ended in chaos Friday night in San Francisco's Orpheum Theater.

What audience members thought was an active shooter ended up being a medical emergency, officials said.

People reportedly heard there was someone with a gun inside the theater and started screaming, leading others into a panic, running out of the theater and sending the "Hamilton" cast backstage.

I would like you to meet Maris McCulley. Maris is performing the role of Elle Woods in the National Tour of Legally Blonde (a role she has also performed regionally as well as internationally). Ms. McCulley has also performed with Royal Caribbean Productions, Prather Entertainment Group (PEG), Arizona Broadway Theatre, and The Phoenix Theatre. It was a privilege to have the chance to interview this talented actress who has had an amazing journey playing this role!

Iowa High School administrators demanded their spring musical get cancelled after they say parents and students complained about the content. Cast members say the content the school was trying to censor is the LGBTQ main characters.

Now the school is changing its stance and reinstating the production.

Gas Lamp Players, located in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, is doing something that most youth theatre companies would rather not do- putting on one of the most well-known musicals of all time- Les Misérables. I was able to talk to Broadway Veteran Stephen Buntrock, who played Enjolras, leader of the student revolutionaries, during the Broadway run of the show in 1997-1998 who is co-directing this complicated production alongside Kristy Graves. 

​Ned Donovan and Tony Aidan Vo, two New York actors with a foot in the tech world, have launched a startup company called Auditio​ n Cat (Consolidated Audition Tracker). This upcoming app brings all-new career management tools to the acting community. Ultimately, this app will empower actors to build stronger industry relationships and make more informed decisions pertaining to every future audition.

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL creator is in talks to helm the movie remake.

The legendary EGOT winner reveals her problem with the big screen reboot.

Katie’s Art Project is an incredible non-profit organization that connects children with life-threatening illnesses with artists in their community to create and collaborate on a lasting legacy through art. Not a one time program, it is an organization that strives to connect the artist and child through a project that cannot be created in just one day, but one that takes time to fill a common goal and build relationships. I was fortunate to be able to speak with the President and the founder of the organization, Stephanie Klemons, a Broadway actress, choreographer, director, and educator.

One of Disney's most loved-to-be-hated villains may sing again after all.

If you think too as far back as your grade school classroom, you might recall being asked to research and profile an impactful person in history. How many remember being frustrated by the apparent lack of information on influential women? There are women in our past that have done extraordinary things. They were inventors, scholars, artists, leaders, pioneers, and warriors, but their stories seemed to have been nearly omitted from history and are instead overshadowed by their male counterparts. Unless a woman played the role of royalty or heretic, humanity has failed to write down her story.

Are family members of the Tyson Food Company being cheap with a Texas theatre? According to a lawsuit filed by the Zach Theatre in Austin, TX, that appears to be the case.

According to court documents, theatre officials are accusing Carla Tyson of coming up short on her word of donating $500,000 to the Zach to fund the construction and operation of the Topfer Theatre, in exchange for having a lobby named after her mother, Twilla Jean Tyson, and a wall featuring the name of her sister, Cheryl Jean Tyson.

Tyson paid $255,000 in August 2013, making her next payment smaller than the agreed $100,000. She owed $45,000 in June 2015 and $100,000 in June 2016 and June 2017. But those three last payments were never sent, the lawsuit says.

I would like you to meet the amazing Isaiah Johnson. Isaiah just finished up playing the role for George Washington (a role he originated in the 1st National Tour) in Hamilton in Puerto Rico which has Lin Manuel-Miranda reprising his role of Alexander Hamilton. Isaiah has performed on Broadway in The Merchant of Venice (w/ Al Pacino), Peter and the Starcatcher, Side Show (2014 Revival), The Color Purple (2015 Revival). Isaiah will be starring in the upcoming original series for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) titled David Makes Man, which is from Academy Award Winner Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) and Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

The first time I saw him perform was in D.C. and he has been someone I have admired ever since. So to have the chance to interview this amazing artist is an honor and a privilege.        

The complete cast for the Manhattan Concert Productions event has been announced.

David Mamet tackles one of the biggest stories of the 21st century in his new drama.