AMES, IA — Five years ago this week, Steve Peters and Michael Londra embarked on their VenuWorks Theatricals journey. The pair founded the theatrical company in 2016 to produce unique theatrical events for Broadway, national and global touring. Peters is the Founder and CEO of VenuWorks, a venue management company with a portfolio of over 40 theaters, arenas and conference centers across 13 states. Londra, the original voice of Riverdance on Broadway, is now one of the most sought-after Irish singers and producers in North America.
The fifth anniversary finds VenuWorks Theatricals stronger than ever and focused on three major ventures:
• NOËL, The Girl Who Saved Santa, an original Christmas musical by Eoin Colfer and Liam Bates. First staged at the National Opera House of Ireland in December of 2016 for a sold-out run, NOËL had a very well received U.S. tour in 2018. An updated version of NOËL sees the show revised to a 90-minute, full-scale musical which will tour the United States in November/December 2021. This new version of NOËL includes options for social distancing and multiple shows per day.
• In 2020, VenuWorks Theatricals secured the stage rights to the 1950 Judy Garland/Gene Kelly movie Summer Stock from Warner Bros. This will be the first stage production of the musical that features standards including “Accentuate the Positive” and “Sing Hallelujah, Come On Get Happy.” A Summer Stock table read is planned for fall 2021 in New York City and the show’s producers are searching for a suitable venue for the musical’s premiere for summer 2022. The creatives behind Summer Stock are the award-winning team of Sam Scalamoni (Director), Gary Adler (Music Director) and Charlie Sutton (Choreographer).
• IRELAND WITH MICHAEL, is a new multidimensional concept that combines a six-episode TV travel series (airing on Public Television in Spring 2021) with a live theatrical show, a web series, and a companion travel guidebook, all telling the story of Ireland through the eyes and hearts of its artists, creators, painters, singers, dancers and storytellers, and hosted by Emmy Award-nominated Irish singer Michael Londra.
In 2019, VenuWorks Theatricals formed VenuWorks Agency, an artist booking agency that represents a select group of world-class artists and theatrical shows and offers culturally enriching programming to fine arts presenters. The agency’s current roster of artists for U.S. and Canada bookings includes:
• Celtic Woman star Chloë Agnew
• U.K. and Ireland based country music singer Nathan Carter
• The Official Blue Brothers Revue, a Dan Aykroyd and Judith Belushi production
• Michael Londra
• NOËL
• Real Irish Comedy Show, a collaboration of top Irish comics
“It’s been an amazing five years, and we look forward to a great new year for us and a bright future for our artists and the entire entertainment industry in 2021,” said Peters.
Londra added, “Combining my love of performing with a passion to produce theater with Steve has given me the most fulfilling years of my career.”
