Stage Notes: Pegasus director talks 'Martyrdom' and queerness; Lea Salonga headlines Winspear

Award-winning actor and singer Lea Salonga will bring her perfect pitch to Dallas this weekend. The Tony-winner for Miss Saigon will headline the Winspear Opera House to perform some of her famous showtunes.

Recently, Salonga was announced as a new member of the cast of Here Lies Love which she also serves as a producer on. She joins Jose Llana and Bros actor Conrad Ricamora for the show that opens this summer. This concert is a tight fit, because she will join the show on July 11. Now that’s a pro.

Among her signature rules include Eponine in Les Misérables, Once on this Island and Flower Drum Song opposite Llana. Disney queens will know she was the singing voice of Princess Jasmine for Aladdin and of Fa Mulan in Mulan. Thus, she has been bestowed the title of Disney Legend by the Walt Disney Company itself.

See this theater icon live and in person on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets available here.

WaterTower announces cast and creative for its world premiere

WTT’s Producing Artistic Director Shane Peterman and Associate Producer Elizabeth Kensek recently announced details for its upcoming world premiere of the new musical Goin’ Hollywood by Stephen Cole and David Krane. The production will close WTT’s 27th season. The show will open July 19-July 30.

“As we worked on other musicals like Aspire, The Road to Qatar! and Inventing Mary Martin, we would get together and dream about how great our careers might have been if only we had been born before our time and got to work during the golden age of movie musicals,” Cole and Krane said in a press release. “If only we could have been at MGM when they were making Singin’ in the Rain! We would have ruled the world. ‘Say’, we said, ‘that’s an idea for an original musical with a brand-new score’. Five years, three readings and several workshops later we find ourselves at the WaterTower working with top notch talent on a thrilling world premiere of our fantasy…Goin’ Hollywood!”

Their musical had a New York City reading in 2018 and then workshopped here at WTT in 2021. This led to the final production and ultimately the upcoming world premiere.

From WTT:

The production stars Alison Whitehurst as Alice Chandler and Brian Hathaway as Garson Stein who travel back in time to try their hand at becoming a Hollywood writing duo in 1949. They quickly encounter AJ Engerman, played by Cooper Grodin, who heads up the embattled MGM Writers room, played by Jovane Caamaño, Jarrett Self, Micah JL Brooks, and Andrew Nicholas, as well as a brassy mail girl named Nancy, played by Jocelyn Hansen, who is about to turn the studio upside down by heading up a mailroom strike- set to become a battle which takes her toe-to-toe with the legendary MGM Producer and star maker LB Mayer, played by Stan Graner. Alice and Garson find their sudden successes threatened on all fronts as they try to survive another time while navigating rampant corruption, antisemitism, and sexism. The show includes as ensemble of skilled singers, dancers, and actors including Mary Kim, Taylor Hadsell, Ireland Reneau, Mikki Hankins, Jonah Munroe, Michael Alonzo, Anthony J. Ortega, and Bryan Brooks who portray legendary Hollywood stars, MGM employees and many other characters.

The creative & production team includes Bob Lavallee as Set Designer, Sarah Mosher as Costume Designer, Michael B. Moore as Wig Designer, Jane Quetin as Properties Designer, Sam Rushen as Lighting & Projections Designer, Mark Howard as Sound Designer & Engineer, Christopher Treviño as Production Stage Manager, and Ania Lyons as Assistant Stage Manager. The directors will be supported by Assistant Directors, Erica Harkins & Maxwell J. Evans.

Tickets are available here.

First-time director Gerald Taylor brings show to life at Pegasus Theatre’ festival

Gerald Taylor

Pegasus Theater kicks off its Fresh Reads Festival today with staged readings of three new comedies. The festival runs through July 1 at the Bath House Cultural Center. One show will have a new voice in the director’s chair.

Actor Gerald Taylor has been seen onstage at Uptown Players, Theatre Three and with MBS Productions. For Fresh Reads, he’s taken on a new perspective.

“It’s terrifying,” he said by phone. “And it’s been such a whirlwind process, but the actors have given me the grace to celebrate sitting on this side of the table.”

Taylor directs Rita Anderson’s The Art of Martyrdom which will have four performances over the course of the festival. The show explores the story of the first female playwright.

From Pegasus Theatre:

The Art of Martyrdom by Rita Anderson [is] an irreverent behind-the-scenes look at Hrosvitha, our foremother and the first female playwright. It is an exploration of how her “secret” plays got out and about the 10th-century nun’s secret playfulness. But, if the first female playwright of the Western world lived 500 years before Shakespeare, then why has no one heard of her?

Taylor said he feels proud about the work they’ve done on making this piece his and the cast’s own, but he also found some inspiration in the show that spoke a bit differently to him.

“On the surface, a story about a 10th century German nun couldn’t be more opposite from my story as a male-presenting Black queer individual from Texas,” he said. “But, I found so much in common with Hrotsvitha. The artist’s struggle is eternal and we explore the patriarchy and debate if its men who kept her history erased or her own fear that didn’t allow that fullness of her creativity.”

Her story and the play itself sparked Taylor’s own journey – particularly in theater.

“I’ve been afraid to take the next step but this told me I can’t allow fears to dictate my talent and path,” he said.

He was excited when selected as the director for Martyrdom although he thought he didn’t have a chance. The other two directors were women and he figured on either of them selecting and “winning” the chance to direct that show. Luck was on his side.

Rehearsal for Pegasus Theatre’s ‘The Act of Martyrdom.’ (Courtesy photo)

“Neither wanted it. I’m glad because this show speaks to me as a queer Black man raised by a strong Black woman. I understood what I knew and I saw some of that here. Plus, it does have a slight queer edge that screamed my name,” he said.

Staged reading performances of The Art of Martyrdom will be held today, Sunday, June 24 and 30. Tickets are available here.

–Rich Lopez

Stage Notes: Pegasus director talks ‘Martyrdom’ and queerness; Lea Salonga headlines Winspear