WAKE UP with BWW 8/31/2015 - LES MIZ Honors Lost Comrade and More!
By: Jessica Khan Aug. 31, 2015
Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER reunites in concert and LES MIZ honors its lost comrade, Kyle Jean-Baptiste, this afternoon.
TODAY'S TOP ITEMS:
- Put on your 'Boogie Shoes' for tonight's SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER reunion at 54 Below!
- AFRICA MY BEAUTIFUL begins tonight off-Broadway.
- FUN HOME's Beth Malone performs solo at Joe's Pub tonight.
- And the LES MISERABLES cast will honor Kyle Jean-Baptiste in Central Park today...
NEWS YOU MISSED THIS WEEKEND:
- LES MISERABLES' history-making 'Jean Valjean', Kyle Jean-Baptiste, died this weekend at the age of 21, and Broadway vet Joshua Park has passed away at 38.
- Lynn Nottage's SWEAT is headed to The Public next year, with Broadway in mind!
- Rachel Zatcoff & Craig Bennett join Broadway's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA this week.
- We got a peek (right) at Matthew Broderick & more at this month's SHARPIES reading...
- Cameron Mackintosh is bringing the first-ever Arab-language production of OLIVER! to Amman, while Jason Robert Brown is writing music for PRINCE OF BROADWAY in Japan!
- We could be getting two seasons of AMERICAN HORROR STORY in 2016...
- And finally, CATS star and pop singer Nicole Scherzinger will join Neil Patrick Harris in BEST TIME EVER, Sutton Foster has booked a guest starring gig in Amazon's MAD DOGS, plus Idina Menzel will voice a role on ARTHUR!
Broadway Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy with high of 93 degrees - a hot start to the week!
Quote of the Day: A word from Kyle Jean-Baptiste himself...
"Getting thrown into the world of musical theatre was terrifying and at first I didn't know if I could handle it, but through hard work and perseverance it all came together. Acting and singing have become an extension of who I am, and I strive to use my gift to influence and inspire others. I am now shooting for the stars and trying to reach my goal of becoming the best stage and screen actor that I can be."
-- Kyle Jean-Baptiste, writing on his website.
Video of the Day: In memory of Kyle Jean-Baptiste, watch him perform "Bring Him Home" below, plus click here for more of his performances!
And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Sara Ramirez, who turns 40 today!
Sara Ramirez won a Tony Award for her portrayal of 'The Lady of the Lake' in Monty Python's SPAMALOT on Broadway in 2005. Among her other Broadway credits are DREAMGIRLS in concert, A CLASS ACT, THE GERSHWINS' FASCINATING RHYTHM and THE CAPEMAN. She has also appeared off-Broadway in THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES. The actress is well known for her role as 'Dr. Callie Torres' in the long-running medical drama GREY'S ANATOMY. She also voices 'Queen Miranda' on the children's TV series SOFIA THE FIRST. Ramirez and Baratunde Thurston will be hosting TED TALKS LIVE at Town Hall this fall.
Photo by Walter McBride
See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!
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