January 2, 20217 min read
October 13, 2017By Victoria Mione
The third annual Elsie Fest took place on Oct. 8 at Central Park Summerstage. The event, which celebrates stars of the stage and screen, was created by Glee actor Darren Criss and he describes it as “the Coachella of the musical theater world.” The show got its name from a lyric in the song “Cabaret.” … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/elsie-fest-takes-over-central-park/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
September 25, 2017By Victoria Mione
Broadway fans flooded Shubert Alley to take advantage of the deals and rare finds amongst the various booths at the Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction. The event, which benefits Broadway Care/Equity Fight Aids (BCEFA), is in its 31st year. As of last year, all 30 years of the event raised $12.6 million. Since the nonprofit … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/broadway-memorabilia-auctioned-and-sold-at-annual-flea-market-for-a-great-cause/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
September 5, 2017By Esther Cho
On Saturday, August 26th, I had the opportunity to attend WordTheatre’s one night only event – ‘In the Cosmos’. I purchased the tickets via WordTheatre back in July and had been ecstatically and, not to mention, anxiously, awaiting the night of the event. To be frank, I must admit that the primary reason for my … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/a-memorable-night-in-the-cosmos/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
August 27, 2017By Mollie Davis
By the end of next month, 3 Broadways shows that opened during the 2016-17 season, will have closed. 2 of these shows, Groundhog Day and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812″ received Best Musical Tony nominations, and the outlier, Bandstand, received the Tony Award for Best Choreography. Here’s a rundown of the 3 shows closing next month, … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/three-2016-17-season-broadway-shows-to-close-in-september/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
August 23, 2017By Fareen Ali
Diana Huey is an Asian-American actress and singer who has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s stage musical, The Little Mermaid. Huey received warm reviews of her performance as Ariel, but along with those reviews, she also received backlash due to the fact that she is not white. Ariel, as you may recall, is a red-haired … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/performers-of-color-should-be-allowed-to-take-on-white-roles/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
August 18, 2017By Victoria Mione
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the musical ‘Waitress’. Waitress is a musical celebrating friendship and the joys of motherhood. It tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a waitress at a local diner and pie-maker extraordinaire, as she copes with a pregnancy by an abusive husband and dreams of a new life with the new doctor … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/why-waitress-is-one-of-the-most-important-shows-on-broadway/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
August 10, 2017By Victoria Mione
Following rumors of closing and casting concerns, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (shortened to The Great Comet) will take its final bow next month. The musical will play its final performance at the Imperial Theater on September 3. The show began previews on October 18, 2016, and officially opened on November 14. When it … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/the-great-comet-announces-closing-date/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
June 25, 2017By Claire Farnsworth
Worst First Kiss Productions is the newest and most successful youth voice in theatre as of late. Based in Los Angeles, it is a company of teens, with four teen producers and an all-teen cast, that recently put on Dog Sees God. DSG is the story of Charles Schultz’ classic Peanuts characters as high school students, originally written by … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/an-interview-with-the-new-teen-voice-in-theatre-worst-first-kiss-productions/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
June 25, 2017By Victoria Mione
Moulin Rouge has set sail aimed for Broadway, with a development lab set for fall, according to an Equity casting notice. The audition calls for females aged 20-30 who are strong singers and dancers with pop/rock/soul voices, to play various roles including “patrons and performers at the Moulin Rouge & the denizens of Montmartre”. The … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/moulin-rouge-musical-starts-development/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
June 23, 2017By Victoria Mione
Musical theater has a habit of disguising powerful messages in catchy tunes and dance numbers. Some shows, such as Next to Normal, Dear Evan Hansen, and Spring Awakening discuss mental illness in an unapologetic manner. Next to Normal follows the life of Diana Goodman, a mother suffering from schizophrenic bipolar I disorder, and her family, including an … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/mental-illness-on-broadway-how-musical-theater-sheds-a-light-on-touchy-topics/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
June 16, 2017By Mollie Davis
Multi-platinum recording artist Ingrid Michaelson will join the cast of ‘Natasha Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’, playing the role of Sonya, next month at the Imperial Theatre. Michaelson will take over the role of Sonya Rostova July 3rd through August 13th while it’s originator, Brittain Ashford, goes on temporary leave. Sonya’s character is … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/ingrid-michaelson-to-make-broadway-debut/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
June 12, 2017By Maariyah Bhari
Misa Kuranaga hails from Osaka, Japan but is based in Boston. She is 5’1 and very petite and often overlooked due to this, she is a principal dancer for the Boston Ballet. She is an international success for the world of ballet due to her defiance of the “standard ballet beauty.” Watch her story here: … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/ballet-dancer-misa-kuranaga-dna-does-not-limit-your-dreams/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read