“hypnotic choreography.”

“When you see Spelman’s name in the director’s slot these days, there’s good reason to buy a ticket. She’s become a potent auteur, a believer in simplicity, honesty, and unstinting truth.”

A group of stage performers in colorful and patterned costumes sit in a circle against a deep blue backdrop. The sit with their backs towards each other as they reach into the air in all different directions

“….a winner of the SDCF agnes de mille commission and nominee of helen hayes and connecticut critics awards, katie has choreographed at goodspeed, denver center, lookingglass, shakespeare theatre company, asolo rep, chicago shakes, and more; she was associate choreographer of moulin rouge and rent live! on fox.”

the broadway women’s fund, women to watch on broadway

“Katie Spelman has been on the scene as a choreographer for years now, putting in her time as an associate choreographer on numerous Broadway productions from Amélie to American Psycho to Moulin Rouge (I mean, their Act II opener is still the best number on Broadway all these years later). As choreographer of The Notebook, her lyrical movement elevates the entire production, especially when paired with Ingrid Michaelson’s lush score in the incredible mid-Act I song "I Wanna Go Back," a number I still think about nearly daily. I am ready for what she dreams up next.”

theaterly31, inaugural class

About Katie

Katie wears a white blazer with a black bralette, black pants and black heels. She sits with her legs spread towards either side of a black chair and supports her head with her hand with a sultry gaze

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A director returns to Writers Theatre to work her magic on ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’

Spelman says her new Writers production of “Natasha,” which opens Sept. 13 as part of a busy fall weekend in Chicago theater (with three major openings in the area), will aim to evoke the glamor of the Russian setting with the intimacy that is the Writers calling card. Designer Courtney O’Neill will evoke an opera house in Versailles and “create a really beautiful playground for us,” Spelman says. “But at the same time, most of the scenes in this show are composed of a chair, a chaise, a thing. I just keep falling in love with this piece more and more as we rehearse.”

theatrely31 inaugural class

What does the theatrical landscape of tomorrow look like? The Theatrely31 is our newly minted annual compilation of visionary actors, directors, and theatre makers poised for a meteoric rise. These trailblazers and emerging stars are carving unique paths within our industry, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting destinations they will take us to next.

chicago tribune review: lovely ‘music man’ is all about marian the librarian

But in the very lovely “Music Man” now at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, the director Katie Spelman and the actress Alexandra Silber make it very clear that there is just one reason: Harold has saved Marian’s traumatized kid brother Winthrop by making him believe in himself. That’s all that matters to Marian. Game, set and match for Harold Hill.

When you see Spelman’s name in the director’s slot at a Chicago theater these days, there’s good reason to buy a ticket. She’s become a potent auteur, a believer in simplicity, honesty and unstinting truth, reminding me of the kind of work director David Cromer did that then launched a Broadway career. This is no ordinary “Music Man.” Indeed, it’s quite different from the most recent Broadway revival, a massive hit with Jackman and Sutton Foster, and from the earlier Susan Stroman revival which toured to Chicago, and from Gary Griffin’s prior Marriott staging, which starred the late Bernie Yvon, who remains the music man in many Chicago theater hearts.

entertainment weekly: the notebook leaps off the page in emotional new musical

The Notebook is well aware of what theatergoers are expecting from it before they take their seats: they want to laugh, they want passionate arguments, they want kisses in the rain, and, most importantly, they want to believe in a love that conquers all. With its stunning performances, beautiful songs, and supreme stage directing, the musical succeeds in delivering a fresh spin on its original material while also making sure that Noah and Allie’s story is never truly forgotten.

“The Notebook” the musical coming soon to Broadway

NEW YORK - It has been a literary bestseller, a tearjerker of a movie, and now it's a big Broadway musical.

"The Notebook: The Musical" arrives on Broadway promising a rich and heart-wrenching experience. "It's about love. It's about love, about finding and losing," actor Maryann Plunkett said. "It's emotional. It's life."

"Frustration and angst and separation," actor Dorian Harewood said. "But it's about commitment and perseverance."

The best-selling book by Nicholas Sparks has already been adapted into a hit Hollywood movie.

Broadway Musical The Notebook Begins Rehearsals

A fresh wave of anticipation sweeps across Broadway as rehearsals kick off for The Notebook, a new musical adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel. The novel’s heartrending love story of Allie and Noah, later immortalized in a highly successful film, is set to enchant the audience anew in a theatrical form. The musical is slated to begin previews on February 10, with an official opening night scheduled for March 14 at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City.

‘Hello Kitty Must Die’ to play Edinburgh Fringe

Casting has been revealed for the world premiere of Hello Kitty Must Die, which will be mounted at Edinburgh Fringe next month. Based on the cult novel by Kate Kamen (formally Angela S. Choi), Broadway alums Amy Keum and Jully Lee from KPOP will star in the show at Pleasance Courtyard's Pleasance 2 August 2-27. The musical is produced by the producers behind Six and The Play That Goes Wrong, pointing to a potential future for the show if it does well in Edinburgh.

NY Times: in ‘an american tail,’ a family’s jewishness comes to the fore

“…to bring the story to life onstage, the creators turned to vaudeville, which was coming into its own at the time and place of Fievel’s adventures. They built a small set and cast 20 actors, several of whom double roles. A six-piece band backs the company on 16 songs.”