Benton Whitley News

From July 29-August 21 in New York City, StudentsLive, the premier Broadway Education Company, has brought 48 South Korean students ages 8-14 to NYC (and the United States) for the very first time as they participate in the StudentsLive 'Passport to Broadway' Program (first started in 2009, www.PassportoBroadway.com). This unique cultural experience aims to expose the students (who at the start speak little or no English) to American history, theater and music as they rehearse and put together a special final performance, a musical titled 'Journey to America' which will take place on Tuesday, August 20 at 8pm at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street). This is the 10th South Korean group to participate in the program and other countries have included China, Brazil, Guatemala and Japan.

The cast and creative team of PIPPIN took home for trophies at last night's 67th Annual Tony Awards, including Best Direction of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best Revival of a Musical. The cast and creative team continued celebrating after the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the exclusive party below!

StudentsLive, the Premier Broadway Education Company, has announced its first-ever multilingual international and domestic "Passport to Broadway" Program for students from today, July 23, 2012 to August 3, 2012 at Pearl Studios and Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC). The musical theatre intensive final performance takes place over 10 days from approximately 8:30am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday, at Pearl Studios led by Broadway Musical Directors, Choreographers and Interactive Intensives with Broadway Performers and Guest Artists.

On Wednesday evening, June 20th, a private reading of QUILT - A Musical Celebration at Rosie O'Donnell's Maravel Arts Center, home of Rosie's Theater Kids in New York, took place to mark the 25th anniversary of The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in advance of its planned summer return to the nation's capital. Check out photos from the event below, featuring Elizabeth Hubbard, Carrie Manolakos, Morgan Karr, Steven Cupo, Julia Murney, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Stephanie Gibson, Leah Hocking, Mike Evariste, Stephanie Umoh, Matthew Naclerio and more!

StudentsLive, the Premier Broadway Education Company, has annouced its first-ever multilingual international and domestic "Passport to Broadway" Program for students from July 23, 2012 to August 3, 2012 at Pearl Studios and Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC). The musical theatre intensive final performance takes place over 10 days from approximately 8:30am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday, at Pearl Studios led by Broadway Musical Directors, Choreographers and Interactive Intensives with Broadway Performers and Guest Artists.

Established in 2006, THRILLER LIVE moonwalked into the West End after three acclaimed UK tours and standing ovations across Europe. Currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, as well as simultaneously touring the world, award-winning director Gary Lloyd's THRILLER LIVE brings to life the sensational dancing and distinctive sound of Michael and the Jackson 5.

StudentsLive- The Premiere Broadway Education Company offers international and domestic students of all ages the opportunity to experience, first hand, the best live, Broadway interactive theater education programs, taught by the best, highly trained Broadway specialists, our country has to offer. It allows these young students to experience the intensive training of a professional, successful and highly disciplined Broadway Artist and the myriad skills required in collaboration, interrelation, communication and human exploration. The goals are to expand and deepen students understanding and familiarity with Broadway. Through challenging music, dance, acting and 'behind the scenes' studies physically, verbally and intuitively, we prepare them to be highly competitive in whatever career they choose to pursue.

StudentsLive- The Premiere Broadway Education Company offers international and domestic students of all ages the opportunity to experience, first hand, the best live, Broadway interactive theater education programs, taught by the best, highly trained Broadway specialists, our country has to offer. It allows these young students to experience the intensive training of a professional, successful and highly disciplined Broadway Artist and the myriad skills required in collaboration, interrelation, communication and human exploration. The goals are to expand and deepen students understanding and familiarity with Broadway. Through challenging music, dance, acting and 'behind the scenes' studies physically, verbally and intuitively, we prepare them to be highly competitive in whatever career they choose to pursue.

StudentsLive- The Premiere Broadway Education Company offers international and domestic students of all ages the opportunity to experience, first hand, the best live, Broadway interactive theater education programs, taught by the best, highly trained Broadway specialists, our country has to offer. It allows these young students to experience the intensive training of a professional, successful and highly disciplined Broadway Artist and the myriad skills required in collaboration, interrelation, communication and human exploration. The goals are to expand and deepen students understanding and familiarity with Broadway. Through challenging music, dance, acting and 'behind the scenes' studies physically, verbally and intuitively, we prepare them to be highly competitive in whatever career they choose to pursue.

Duncan Stewart, Director of Casting at National Artists Management Company since 2007, has joined colleague Benton Whitley to form DUNCAN STEWART AND COMPANY, a New York-based legit casting office.

Yesterday, January 30, an all-star roster of CHICAGO alumni celebrated CHICAGO's 'Facebook Fan Day,' a one-of-a-kind performance marking the first time in Broadway history that a production has given away its entire house to Facebook fans for FREE. Participants included Tony Award winner Chita Rivera (Broadway's original Velma Kelly), Vincent Pastore (Amos Hart), Tony Award winner Lillias White (Matron 'Mama' Morton), Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Roxie Hart), Brent Barrett (Billy Flynn), Rob Bartlett (Amos Hart), Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), Carol Woods (Matron 'Mama' Morton) and many more, plus current CHICAGO stars Bianca Marroquin (Roxie Hart), Leigh Zimmerman (Velma Kelly), Colman Domingo (Billy Flynn), Robert Creighton (Amos Hart) and LaVon Fisher-Wilson (Matron 'Mama' Morton). Also in attendance were producer Barry Weissler, special guest hosts Julie James and Seth Rudetsky of SiriusXM Radio's 'On Broadway' channel, and over 1,000 of CHICAGO's top fans, all of whom are attending this very special performance for free. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.

TRAILS, starring Nick Dalton (Legally Blonde National Tour, Hairspray Las Vegas), Matt Lutz (Bringing Down the Housestarring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore), and Broadway's Vanessa Ray (the recentTony-Award winning revival of HAIR) begins its 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival run at the Barrow Group Theatretoday and will run thru October 16th .

TRAILS, starring Nick Dalton (Legally Blonde National Tour, Hairspray Las Vegas), Matt Lutz (Bringing Down the House starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore), and Broadway's Vanessa Ray (the recent Tony-Award winning revival of HAIR) begins its 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival run at the Barrow Group Theatre today and will run thru October 16th.

Nick Dalton (Legally Blonde National Tour, Hairspray Las Vegas), Matt Lutz (Bringing Down the House starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore), and Broadway's Vanessa Ray (the recent Tony-Award winning revival of HAIR) are set to star in the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival production of TRAILS - A New Musical, which will run at the Barrow Group Theatre from October 8th thru October 16th.

Nick Dalton (Legally Blonde National Tour, Hairspray Las Vegas), Matt Lutz (Bringing Down the House starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore), and Broadway's Vanessa Ray (the recent Tony-Award winning revival of HAIR) are set to star in the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival production of TRAILS - A New Musical, which will run at the Barrow Group Theatre from October 8th thru October 16th.

Casting has been announced for LogoTV-sponsored musical BUNKED! at this year's New York International Fringe Festival.

BUNKED!: A New Musical, by Bradford Proctor and Alaina Kunin, has been picked up for sponsorship by Logo (the same channel that brings you RuPaul's Drag Race, Buffy, and the upcoming RuPaul's Drag U). BUNKED! will make its world premiere this summer at the New York International Fringe Festival (August 13-29; exact dates TBA).

Broadway Backwards is a star-studded event featuring songs that even those not familiar with Broadway know and love, with a very unique and memorable twist. Instead of seeing a woman sing the iconic 'As Long As He Needs Me' from Oliver!, if that song were to be featured in Broadway Backwards, you might see someone like Alan Cumming sing it! The event was a benefit for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Manhattan.

On Sunday June 29th Broadway performers joined Robert Creighton and Friends for the 4th Annual Canadian Day Party at Latitude