Tag: musical

After six and a half years, first as co-host and then as host of Stage Talk, Steve Hunt has decided to exit stage left. With his departure the show will take a short hiatus and then re-appear in August in a new format with a new name, but still focusing on the arts. To help commemorate the last episode of the show, Hunt has invited as his guest, Stage Talk creator and first host, Catherine Stadem. Join Steve and Catherine today on Stage Talk as they talk about its beginnings almost twenty years ago through its history of celebrating the performing arts up to today. Thanks for listening!

Anchorage Community Theatre's Executive Director Matt Fernandez drops by Stage Talk this week to give us an overview of what they have planned for their 2018-2019 season. a farce, an historical musical, a drama, an adaption of a Newberry Medal winning novel and a work from an "honorary local" are in the works. Thanks for listening!

Most people remember the Disney film Mary Poppins but now there is a live-stage version spearheaded by a collaboration between Disney and Cameron Mackintosh and Valley Performing Arts is presenting it in the Glenn Massay Theatre on the campus of Mat-Su College March 30th through April 22. Executive Director for VPA Garry Forrester drops by Stage Talk this week to describe how ambitious and rewarding this project is. KSKA: Friday, March 30 at 2:45pm Thanks for listening!

KSKA: Friday, January 26 at 2:45pm The Alaska Fine Arts Academy is taking a sabbatical to regroup and to focus on where their next step will be, but before they do, they are teaming up with Cyrano's Theatre Company for one last theatrical blast, and what a blast it is--Dennis T. Ginacino's Disenchanted! a musical of "royal renegades" (Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, et.al.) who "toss off their tiaras" to tell it like it really is. Two of these "princesses", "Snow White" (Anna Cometa) and "Pocahontas" (Lailani Cook) join director Warren Weinstein today on Stage Talk to tell some of their secrets... LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, January 5 at 2:45pm. It's the start of 2018 and, with the new year, Cyrano's Theatre Company begins its 26th season of producing exciting theatre for the Anchorage community. Producing Artistic Director Teresa K. Pond drops by Stage Talk this week to give an update on how the transition between their old space at 4th and D and their new facility on Debarr has been going as well as to announce what's coming up this year. Cyrano's season will not only involve their own productions but many collaborations as well. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, December 1 at 2:45pm Cyrano's Theatre Company is presenting two shows for the holidays this year. Codie Costello directs Our Friends, The Enemy by Alex Gwyther, a play that recounts the Christmas "miracle" that happened during World War I in the trenches between German and British soldiers. And, Colby Bleicher directs Fancy Nancy, The Musical with book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo and Music and lyrics by Danny Abosch about the beloved eccentric "Fancy Nancy" as she and her friends prepare to perform in their very first show. Our Friends, The Enemy performs evenings December 1-24 and Fancy Nancy, The Musical performs matinees December 2-17. Codie Costello drops by Stage Talk this week to chat about both shows. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, November 3 at 2:45p.m. Stonecliff, an original musical about the building of a railway from Skagway into the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush by Michael J. Heney, Alaska's "Irish Prince", will perform at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium November 10-12. Playwright Conrad Boyce (also Director and Producer) joins Stage Talk this week via phone line from Whitehorse, Yukon where the play is currently in rehearsal. Listen in this week to find out about one of Alaska and Canada's more interesting historical figures as well to find out more about this exciting musical. Stonecliff with music by Matthew Lien is making its world premier in Anchorage. LISTEN HERE

In the summer of 1987 Sandy Harper and her husband Jerry opened Cyrano's, a bookstore and cafe located at D Street and 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage. In 1992, it expanded to include a theatre: "Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse", which became the home of Cyrano's Theatre Company. Over the next 24 years, Cyrano's presented, on average, one play a month. With the passing of Jerry in 2005, Sandy took over as Producing Artistic Director until last year when she handed the reins over to Teresa Pond. This past summer, the Board of Directors made the decision to move the company to the former Out North Contemporary Art House located on Debarr. With this move, we see the "end of an era" for the space on 4th and D and Sandy has decided to hold a celebration on Saturday, September 9th starting at noon and going for as long as people want to stay. Sandy is asking for people to bring stories and memories to share. Join Sandy today on Stage Talk to hear more about this remarkable adventure. KSKA: Friday, September 8 at 2:45pm

Dave Block, the founder and Artistic Director of Midnight Sun Theatre, has some exciting news. He has decided to expand what has up to now been only a summer theatre to a full-year production company and he's on Stage Talk this week to give us all the details. Midnight Sun's upcoming season promises to be full of surprises. KSKA: Friday, September 1 at 2:45pm

Join UAA Department of Theatre and Dance faculty members Brian Cook and Ty Hewitt this week on Stage Talk as they let us in on an exciting new season that breaks away from the traditional fare of scripted drama and dives headlong into the creative process as it progresses throughout the year. Included in this season is a year-long celebration of Earth Matters on Stage. LISTEN HERE KSKA: Friday, August 18 at 2:45pm

KSKA: August 4 at 2:45p.m. Perseverance Theatre of Juneau is bringing another full slate of plays to Anchorage this coming season. Artistic Director Art Rotch, Playwright Lucas Rowley and Anchorage General Manager Josh Lowman join Steve this week on Stage Talk to go through the line-up. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, July 21 at 2:45pm Cyrano's Theatre Company is presenting The Great American Trailer Park Musical, an hilarious romp that takes place in the "Armadillo Acres" trailer park in a small town in northern Florida with characters bigger than life. The musical (with music and lyrics by David Nehls and book by Betsy Kelso) runs July 21st through August 27 at Cyrano's Theatre located at 4th and D street in Anchorage. This week on Stage Talk, actors Jill Bess and Mark Robokoff slip in and out between their real lives and the characters they play while director Teresa K. Pond tries to keep things in control. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, July 14 at 2:45pm Eagle River's Alaska Fine Arts Academy is celebrating ten years of theatre and have announced their upcoming season. Executive Director Lailani Cook, celebrating the start of her second year as ED, comes on Stage Talk this week to give us an overview of what is coming up. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, June 23 at 2:45pm Twenty-five years ago, Jerry and Sandy Harper founded Cyrano's Theatre Company located at the corner of 4th Avenue and D Street in downtown Anchorage. This summer, the Board of Directors announced that the company will be moving to the former Out North Contemporary Art House located on Debarr Street midway between midtown and east Anchorage. This week on Stage Talk, Cyrano's Producing Artistic Director Teresa Pond and Board Member Jay Burns drop by to tell us about all the new and exciting opportunities this will bring to the company as well as a few fond memories of the old space. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Friday, March 17 at 2:30pm Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita) are recognized as two of the most popular musical theatre composer/lyricists today and The Alaska Fine Arts Academy of Eagle River is producing one of their most enduring, and earliest works based on the story of Joseph from the Old Testament, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. On this week's Stage Talk, AFAA's Executive Director Lailani Cook brings two of the actors, Arthur Braendel and Emma Wasko to talk about how this show is as entertaining for the entire family today as it was when it premiered in 1968. Joseph runs March 24-April 1st. LISTEN NOW 

KSKA: Friday, February 24 at 2:45pm. Pre-Moth Radio Hour, This American Life and even Alaska's own Arctic Entries, author Studs Terkel took tape recorder in hand to interview real people doing real jobs across the country and then published a book about the people he met. Later, renowned composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) collaborated with several other composers and song writers (James Taylor, Craig Carnelia, etc.) to bring that book to the stage in the form of the musical Working which is being presented by the University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Theatre and Dance. In their last weekend (Feb 24-26), Director Nova Cunningham and two of the actors from the show, Jacob Marforth and Jordan Crenshaw drop by Stage Talk this week to give us some background on all of these remarkable people. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Friday, August 19 at 2:45p.m. Lot's coming up this year over at the University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Theatre and Dance so Assistant Professors Dr. Brian Cook and Ty Hewitt drop by Stage Talk to tell us all about it. The university produces a full slate of theatre, dance and student produced shows throughout the year. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Friday, August 12 at 2:45pm. Perseverance Theatre is bringing six productions to Anchorage this year along with a few surprises. Josh Lowman, Anchorage General Manager drops by Stage Talk to chat about all that is going on. Peter and the Starcatcher opens the season on September 30th. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Friday, August 5 at 2:45pm Valley Performing Arts is kicking off it's forty-first season as it began it's first with Mary Chase's popular heart-warming play Harvey. But then they dive into a wide variety of dramas, comedies, murder mysteries, farces and musicals. Executive Director Garry Forrester drops by the studio this week to give us the run down on their exciting line-up for the coming season. LISTEN NOW

Alaska Fine Arts Academy has a new Executive Director and she has a lot of plans for the Eagle River company. Join Lailani Cook this week on Stage Talk as she tells us about herself, her plans and the upcoming theatre season. KSKA: June 17 at 2:45pm