The music stars in ‘They’re Playing Our Song’ at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
For fans of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: two-plus hours of signature tunes, tight harmonies, and soaring voices.
For fans of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: two-plus hours of signature tunes, tight harmonies, and soaring voices.
Channeling a band’s life onstage can be a tricky endeavor. The musical “biopic” is a tempting stage device, with its ready-made score and built-in name recognition. But it also has the danger of going off-kilter (see ABBA and the whimsical, paper-thin plot of “Mamma Mia.”) “Jersey Boys,” the musical sensation based on the life and hits of The Four Seasons, certainly does not make that mistake. Its gritty and often eye-opening portrayal of Frankie Valli and his band members adds gravitas to their well-known iconic songs. As soon as the rights to the show were available, Riverside snapped it up. Jersey is now located in Stafford County and the effect is, “Oh, What a Night!”
“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Bye Bye Baby” — we’ve all heard these classic songs by the Four Seasons either on the radio, in a commercial or in a movie. Or perhaps for a lucky number of you, live in concert.
However, behind those breezy popular hits was a lot of hustling, hard work, determination and drama. “Jersey Boys,” now playing at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, charts the successes and struggles of this iconic pop-rock group while also ramping up the nostalgia with an endless parade of musical numbers.
Stafford County’s Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is set to heat up even in the chilly winter weather as the “Jersey Boys” take center stage for their opening weekend.
Snow, ice, or wind won’t deter audiences from experiencing this award-winning musical’s phenomenal music, memorable characters, and captivating storytelling.
This holiday season, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is taking audiences to one of the most Christmassy places in the country: New York City — 34th Street to be exact.
The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is decked out for Christmas, and its Christmas show reminds us what it means to be kind this holiday season.
Meredith Willson’s tune-filled musical, based on the classic film of the same name, is a seasonal treat that's fun for all ages.
As the fall weather turns cooler, the desire for all things cozy and heartwarming becomes stronger. And Riverside’s beautiful production of “The Bridges of Madison County” exceedingly fits the bill.
The performances by all of the cast were outstanding, and the singing quality was excellent. One party member commented that this production would not be out of place in a London West End Theater.
Like the rock band The Clash, The Bridges of Madison County asks the question “Should I stay or should I go?” Director Patrick A’Hearn and the cast at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts have put on a musical that is a triumph of high art.
When Patrick A’Hearn, producing artistic director of Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, saw the movie “The Bridges of Madison County,” he recalls thinking it would make a wonderful musical.
The movie — which opened in 1995 starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood and is based on a 1992 novel by Robert James Waller — tells “such a beautiful love story,” A’Hearn said.
“I always thought to myself, ‘This would make a good musical, and luckily someone else did, too,” he said.
In the Hollywood-musical-turned-Broadway show ”42nd Street,” Peggy Sawyer, a young girl from Allentown, PA, dreams of being in a New York Broadway show in the theatre district of 42nd Street. The show fluctuates between the challenges she faces as a Broadway newcomer, her interactions with various people she meets in show business, and her unexpected triumphs towards stardom. It is a show within a show since most of the musical numbers are part of the fictional musical, “Pretty Lady.”
If you ever wondered what happens before the curtain goes up opening night, take a journey to “42nd Street.”
Beyond the marquee lights, there’s also a lot of sweat and tears—not to mention broken ankles, thugs, meltdowns and romantic entanglements.
This Tony-winning classic, onstage at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, is absolutely pure enjoyment as it throws audiences into the Golden Age of musicals.
The players returned to Riverside Center for the Performing Arts to present “42nd Street,” a story about a girl who moves from a small town to New York City to find fame on Broadway.
Riverside’s production of the high-energy show stars Andrea McArdle as Dorothy Brock, the seasoned star hired to make the fictitious show in the play, “Pretty Lady,” a hit. The iconic McArdle has appeared in several Broadway plays, including her heart-winning performance in the title role of “Annie” in 1977, a major musical based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.”
An aspiring chorus girl from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Peggy Sawyer, arrives in Depression-era New York and joins the ensemble of Pretty Lady, a new Broadway show. Right before opening night, the star of the show breaks her ankle. Will Peggy be able to step into the starring role and soar to stardom? With marvelous tap numbers, snazzy costumes, and well-known songs like “I Only Have Eyes for You,” “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” and “42nd Street,” the musical 42nd Street at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is a winner.
A show within a show has arrived at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.
“42nd Street” — based on an iconic 1932 novel-gone-film starring Warner Baxter and Bebe Daniels — débuted yesterday and will run Wednesdays through Sundays through Sept. 10.
And, by all indications, its gearing up to be a showstopper.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is currently presenting “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Director and producer Patrick A’Hearn correctly describes this as a “fun show,” and for its 25th Anniversary, Riverside wanted a family friendly show just such as this.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s beloved classic Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, produced and directed by Patrick A’Hearn, with musical direction by Carson Eubank. This vibrant, spirited production is a must-see for fans of musical theater, and is a great choice if you’re looking to please the whole family.
Technicolor is in the show’s name and, indeed, it’s shaping up to be a colorful spectacle like few others in the ‘Burg.
The nonstop, light-spectacle-of-a-musical that is “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opened at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts yesterday and runs through July 9.
The current production of “Ragtime” at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg is one of the best shows we’ve seen anywhere. The entire production is Broadway caliber, including the large, talented cast, singing, acting, dancing, live orchestra and elaborate set. The classic story is extremely moving and strikingly relevant to current issues facing our country. It focuses on three divergent families and how their lives converge over time. “Ragtime” is beautifully executed and is something special and memorable.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg, VA is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. It is including some very special shows this year, including the current production of “Ragtime: The Musical,” based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow.
It’s been a while since Riverside Center for the Performing Arts has had a large-scale production on its stage. Think “Les Misérables” or “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” or in recent memory, “Bright Star.” And what better way to roll out its 25th anniversary season than with “Ragtime,” a show that’s also hitting its own 25th milestone.
Just last week, stars from the original Broadway cast — including Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald — reunited for a one-night-only benefit concert in New York. Even if they weren’t lucky enough to catch that performance, local theatergoers have time to experience this epic heartbreaker, which is onstage at Riverside through early May.
In a celebration of 25 years of Broadway quality musicals in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Ragtime the Musical lit up the stage at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts with emotional performances by Jacquez Linder-Long, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Alan Hoffman, Kadejah Oné, and Adrianne Hick.
This show was masterfully directed by Patrick A’Hearn, Riverside’s producing artistic director. The 25-year-old, Tony award-winning show, is based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow and has a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Carson Eubank’s music direction and conducting helped this musical soar.
What has a nice ring to it? Twenty-five years after opening on Broadway, “Ragtime the Musical” will hit the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts stage during the theater’s very own 25th anniversary year.
The show — full of raw emotion and commanding tunes — débuted at Riverside yesterday and runs through May 7.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is kicking off its 25th year with one party of a production! Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville has everything a good celebration needs: tropical drinks on the beach, lively music and dancing, romance, and even a smattering of zombies (you read that right).
With these cold, gray days and talk of a wintry mix, a trip to Margaritaville sounds pretty nice right about now. The reality is that it’s not an actual place, but it sure feels like it at Riverside.
The performing arts center has been transformed into a piece of paradise in the Caribbean, where vacation-starved tourists, bachelorettes and colorful locals come out to play, hook up or just chill out. Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” onstage through March 5, is a feel-good show wrapped in the sun-drenched sounds of the Key West-loving crooner.