WAKE UP with BWW 8/14/2015 - FringeNYC Kicks Off and More!
By: Jessica Khan Aug. 14, 2015
Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: FringeNYC kicks off today, William Finn's new song cycle debuts in MA, queen 'PRISCILLA' heads out on tour in the UK and more!
THIS WEEKEND'S TOP ITEMS:
- GIRLS star Ben Rauch's SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY starts tonight at FringeNYC!
- Finn & Abramson's YOU'RE STANDING IN MY WAY premieres tonight at Barrington Stage.
- Duncan James leads the 'PRISCILLA' UK Tour, launching in Manchester tonight.
- Broadway dims its lights in memory of Samuel 'Biff' Liff tonight...
- And the company of off-Broadway's THE CHRISTIANS meets the press, so stay tuned for photos!
NEWS YOU MISSED YESTERDAY:
- WAITRESS is officially coming to Broadway this spring!
- Wayne Brady will succeed Billy Porter in Broadway's KINKY BOOTS.
- DEAR EVAN HANSEN will make its NYC debut at Second Stage this season.
- Ne-Yo and Common have signed on for NBC's THE WIZ LIVE!
- We got a look (right) at Rashad, De Shields and more of the THE WIZ original cast in Central Park, plus a peek at the Spanish-language debut of SPEED-THE-PLOW, and highlights from Signature's THE FIX!
- The WICKED national tour announced new cast members, while Tony Sheldon & more round out the cast of AMELIE at Berkeley Rep!
- MACK & MABEL, starring Michael Ball & Rebecca LaChance, could be headed to Broadway...
- And David Arquette will take SHERLOCK HOLMES on tour, starting in Los Angeles this fall.
Broadway Weather Forecast: Highs in the upper 80s and low 90s, sunny all weekend. Get out there and enjoy the last bits of summer!
Quote of the Day: A word from birthday girl, stage star Sarah Brightman...
"When I sing, I close my eyes. If I see a feather, everything is fine. Without this image in my mind, the sound is not 'truthful' enough, and I must begin again. I have to."
-- Sarah Brightman (via BrainyQuote)
What we're watching: The movie BIG SKY, featuring Bella Thorne, Aaron Tveit and more, in theaters today!
And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Sarah Brightman, who turns 55 today!
Grammy winner Sarah Brightman, who recently had to postpone her flight to the International Space Station, last starred on Broadway in ASPECTS OF LOVE. She originated the role of 'Christine Daae' (which Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote specifically for her) in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in 1988. The part earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination that year. She has also starred in the production in London. Among her other West End credits are NIGHTINGALE, CATS, SONG AND DANCE and I AND ALBERT; she has also appeared UK mountings of TRELAWNY OF THE WELLS, RELATIVE VALUES, DANGEROUS OBSESSION and THE INNOCENTS. She is the first artist to have been invited twice to perform at the Olympic Games -- in Barcelona and in Beijing. The opera singer and recording star recently released her 11th studio album, DREAMCHASER.
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