Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

Star Machine tells the story of Jaz and Nikki, two sisters trying to break into the music industry who land on a runaway hit TV talent show.Baldwin Wallace Conservatory will produce the world premiere production at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland April 24-26. A pro shot and live Original Collegiate Cast Album will follow.

RIDE THE MUSICAL

April 16 – May 2, 2026

Winnipeg Jewish Theatre

Directed and Choreographed by Lisa Stevens
Starring Berkley Silverman and Colleen Furlan

Annie Londonderry set out to be the first woman to cycle around the world in 1894 and became an international sensation. This new musical, direct from London’s West End, spins her unbelievable journey into a dazzling, empowering ride through history, media, and reinvention. Ride is an inspiring true story with a contemporary score and infectious energy. Don’t miss the Canadian premiere right here in Winnipeg!

You know him

The Magician’s Elephant teaches us that even the impossible can be possible when we open our eyes and hearts to those around us. Baltese is a town where nothing extraordinary ever happens. Recovering from a recent war, it’s a lonely place, where young Peter lives a harsh life. Then one day, a magician conjures an elephant from the sky. The creature’s appearance sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes Baltese forever. As Peter is catapulted into the quest of his life, he discovers a magical bond with the majestic creature and risks everything not only to find his sister, but to set the elephant free.

Nancy Harris (Book and lyrics) is an award-winning playwright from Dublin whose work has been produced in Dublin, London, and New York. Her plays include: Somewhere Out There You, Two Ladies, The Beacon, Our New Girl, and No Romance. She has written stage adaptations of The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy, The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Anderson, and a version of Sophocles’        Philoctetes for children: The Man with the Disturbingly Smelly Foot. She wrote the book and co-wrote the lyrics with composer Marc Teitler for the new musicals,  Baddies The Musical. She is a past recipient of The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Stewart Parker Award, and has been a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. For television she is the creator and writer of the comedy/drama series “The Dry,” for which she received a BAFTA nomination. @nancyfallonharris

Marc Teitler (Music and lyrics) is a composer known for his dark, playful, and otherworldly scores spanning stage musicals, theater, film, and animation. A recipient of the Guardian Innovation Award, his cross-disciplinary work has honed his ability to craft immersive, emotionally resonant storytelling that often draws on the surreal, magical, and uncanny. He is the co-creator of The Grinning Man, the cult hit musical hailed as “crowned by an extraordinary score” (WhatsOnStage), directed by Tom Morris. The show premiered at Bristol Old Vic, transferred to the West End, and inspired international productions, a motion-capture film adaptation directed by Andy Serkis, and a chart-topping cast album. His earlier musical Baddies, co-written with Nancy Harris, was praised by The Guardian as “delightfully witty and endlessly imaginative.” Marc is currently developing an AI-themed musical adaptation of Pinocchio, with Tommy Antonio and Natalie Abrahami.

Marc’s music has featured in “American Horror Story,” “The Patient,” “Portlandia,” “Bones,” “The Loud House,” and “The Seventh Dimension,” and he has scored numerous animations including Hearts, nominated for the VW Score Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and Stuck On a Sunday by Marc Craste. The music video for his haunting song “Stranger in Paradise,” directed by Gabriella Orozco, was nominated for Best Animated Short at Raindance 2025. His commercial credits include PlayStation and Johnnie Walker. For theater, he has composed scores for Dance Nation (Almeida), Blood & Gifts (National Theatre), The Secret Agent (Young Vic), and most recently, The Red Shoes by Nancy Harris (Royal Shakespeare Company). @marcteitlermusic

Michael Kaplan wrote the three-act comedy, Love Town, which is published by Concord Theatricals, and We’re Canceling Cable (and other Empty Threats), which is represented for licensing by Miracle or 2. Many lifetimes ago, Michael had scripts produced on television (Stargate SG-1, Michael Nesmith in Television Parts), alternative media (Psychic Detective by Electronic Arts), and film (Illegally Yours—which was butchered beyond recognition by a very famous but seriously delusional director and I ended up using the pseudonym M.A. Stewart). Michael lives in Morro Bay, California and works by day as a nonprofit executive.

Michael Kaplan wrote the three-act comedy, Love Town, which is published by Concord Theatricals, and We’re Canceling Cable (and other Empty Threats), which is represented for licensing by Miracle or 2. Many lifetimes ago, Michael had scripts produced on television (Stargate SG-1, Michael Nesmith in Television Parts), alternative media (Psychic Detective by Electronic Arts), and film (Illegally Yours—which was butchered beyond recognition by a very famous but seriously delusional director and I ended up using the pseudonym M.A. Stewart). Michael lives in Morro Bay, California and works by day as a nonprofit executive.

Born in Ottawa, Genna Giampaolo is now an Ottawa-based Artist performing internationally in Musicals, Theatre, Film and Television. Local audiences may remember Genna from her earlier years performing around the Ottawa area at such venues as: The Villa Lucia, Saunders Farm, Preston Street Italian Festival, The Full House and the Super Ex, to name a few. Back in 2021, Genna produced and performed in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, reprising her role as Mary Hatch opposite her husband in the show that brought them together.

Genna is an Award-winning Singer, Actor, Dancer and has shared the stage with Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban and Jon Antoine. Not only a performer, Genna also spends her time producing and creating new works with her partner Vince Deiulis. Most recently working on a new holiday play with music. Select Theatre credits: Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Janet in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, and Rose Lennox in The Secret Garden. Select TV/Film credits: Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), Thank you for Bombing (Lotus Films).

THREE WOMEN explores love, betrayal, and the complexities of family against the backdrop of the country western music scene. The story follows Billy, a country star portrayed by composer and lyricist Ted Zurkowski, returning to Nashville after a grueling nationwide tour—only to find his carefully constructed life beginning to unravel. As long-buried secrets surface, the line between humor and heartbreak blurs, revealing the consequences of his impulsive choices. Caught between his wife Bonnie, the reserved Lady, and the free-spirited Ruby, Billy spirals through emotional turmoil that feels both intimate and explosive. With its rich storytelling and original score, the production echoes the spirit of classic country legends like Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, and Buck Owens.

Ted Zurkowski, the creative force behind THREE WOMEN, is a seasoned artist with a rich background in music and theater. As the frontman for the rock band Honey West and a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio, Zurkowski brings a wealth of experience to this project. His previous works, including the critically acclaimed comedy farce COLLEGE FUN, have established him as a significant voice in contemporary theater.

Claybourne Elder is a Grammy, SAG, Drama Desk, and Lucille Lortel nominee. He played John Adams on HBO’s hit series “The Gilded Age” and was most recently seen on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Company, starring Patti LuPone. He is known for his performances on Broadway in Bonnie and Clyde, Sunday in the Park with George, Torch Song, and Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl. Other New York performances include Hollis in Sondheim’s Road Show, Strike Up the Band at Carnegie Hall, Do I Hear a Waltz? at New York City Center, and Allegro at Classic Stage Company.

He has been hailed as “handsome and intense” (Observer), “tough and tender” (New York Daily News) and “stupid funny as he is drop-dead buff!” (The Wrap).

Recently Elder launched an initiative called City of Strangers to provide free tickets to Broadway shows for people who might not have the means. They have given away over 3,000 tickets and have gained unexpected attention nationally, being featured on “This American Life,” “CBS This Morning,” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” @claybourneelder

CENTER STAGE RECORDS has announced the release of If the Stars Were Mine, the debut album from Claybourne Elder – best known for starring in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” and Broadway’s Company – in digital and streaming formats on Friday, April 3. The recording will be available on CD on Friday, April 10 and on vinyl later this year. Bryan Perri and Rodney Bush serve as music directors, and also provide arrangements and orchestrations. If the Stars Were Mine is produced by Claybourne Elder and Andrew House, and co-produced by Bryan Perri. Pre-add or pre-save the digital album, or pre-order the CD or vinyl, please visit ⁠orcd.co/ifthestarsweremine⁠.

Elder will celebrate the album with three concerts at the New York nightclub 54 Below on April 3, April 4, and April 15. For tickets, please visit the venue’s website ⁠HERE⁠. Prior to these shows, he will star in the New York City Center Encores! production of Michael John LaChiusa’s The Wild Party from March 18-29.

Using sensitive and passionate musical arrangements – alternating between pop-inspired and swinging jazz – If the Stars Were Mine features Elder’s favorite numbers from Broadway musicals ranging from Sunday in the Park with George and Floyd Collins to Into the Woods and If/Then, in addition to songs made famous by Whitney Houston, Eartha Kitt, and Melody Gardot, while weaving in themes of sex, fatherhood, and religion. Elder has performed the live show to sold-out crowds across the country.

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Born in New York, raised and educated in Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Paris, and Rochester, Ned made his public debut as a composer on the radio program “First Applause” at age sixteen. He has received recognition from The National Endowment for the Arts, N.A.R.A.S., Songwriters Guild of America, International Association of Jazz Educators, Florida Festival of New Musicals and Downbeat Magazine.

Theater pieces include: THEY CHOSE ME, A TALMUD TALE, ARNIE!, BETWIXT AND BETWEEN, and BOYNTON BEACH CLUB.

Orchestrations include: ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, KISS ME KATE, ZHIVAGO, LIZA AT THE PALACE, MINNELLI ON MINNELLI, GALAVANT (ABC-TV), THE ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW, LITTLE MERMAID, WONDER PETS, SAMMY (Old Globe), PAPER MOON, INSIDE OUT, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, THE TIMES, CASPER, SWEENEY TODD, S'WONDERFUL, RADIO CITY EASTER SHOW, NIGHT OF 1000 STARS, THE NEW YORK POPS, THE BROADWAY KIDS, several Warner Bros. films, and for many composers and entertainers.