Donna Drake News

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Maine Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 25th.

After seeing Well-Strung's debut music video, Kristin Chenoweth, Tony & Emmy winning star of Wicked and Glee, invited the group to appear in her two sold-out Provincetown concerts this past August at Town Hall. The group just posted their stirring performance of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah on their YouTube channel with an introduction by Chenoweth. Check it out below!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

This October and November 54 BELOW presents a lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54thStreet. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

On Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 at 7pm, join BZarry Events, in cooperation with Rick Eberle Public Relations, for the premiere opening of 'Beats & Eats Thursdays' at Revel Restaurant, 835 Franklin Avenue in Garden City, NY 11530.

EMMY Award-Winner Bruce Vilanch stars in a staged reading of RUBBLE, a new comedy by 4 time EMMY Award-Winning 'The Simpsons' writer, Mike Reiss at The Provincetown Theater. 'The Sopranos' star and Broadway veteran Jerry Adler also joins the cast. The staged reading of RUBBLE will be directed by James Valletti for one night only to benefit The Provincetown Theater. All proceeds go directly to support The Provincetown Theater.

The annual Beaux Arts Society, Inc. summer luncheon presented its members with classic cabaret performances and dance

On February 12, 1915, the Abrons Arts Center's Henry Street Settlement Playhouse opened its doors on the Lower East Side. Since that day, it has remained a vital cultural resource, providing audiences with artistically bold work while offering artists opportunities to dynamically grow.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) in association with Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter, LLC present Rescue Rue, a new musical fairytale with puppets; Concept, Book and Additional Lyrics by Stacey Weingarten, and Music and Lyrics by Kate Steinberg & Joshua Zecher-Ross. Stacey Weingarten directs a cast of seven including Jennifer Barnhart* (Bway: Avenue Q), Nate Begle(Off Bway: John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean), Sarah Liz Haines* (Off Bway: Freckle Face Strawberry), Jason Jacoby* (Off Bway: Avenue Q), Lisa Helmi Johanson* (Off Bway: Avenue Q), Brendan Malafronte (Nat. Tour: John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean), and Gretchen Wylder* (Off Bway: 'Til Divorce Do Us Part). Rescue Rue will be staged at the Ford Foundation Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street (bet. 9th and 10th Avenues) in NYC for five performances from July 8-20, 2014. A special TDF Autism-Friendly performance will be held at July 20th at 11am. The Pershing Square Signature Center is the official hub of The New York Musical Theatre Festival. *Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

ITALIAN BRED, a new comedy written and performed by Candice Guardino, is making its Los Angeles premiere this spring at the Hudson Theatre Mainstage, prior to opening at Off-Broadway's Theatre Row in the fall. ITALIAN BRED is set to open at the Hudson Theatre tonight (Thursday) at 8 PM.

Over fifty years ago, a 'kid with glasses' from Lubbock, Texas, changed the face of popular music forever. Buddy Holly's meteoric rise to stardom was cut short when, at the age of just 22, he died tragically in a plane crash.

Director Donna Drake and a seasoned cast of musician-actors rock the house at the Fulton all night in BUDDY

Over fifty years ago, a bespectacled kid from Lubbock, Texas changed the face of popular music. Buddy Holly's meteoric rise to stardom was cut short when at the age of just 22 he died tragically in a plane crash. Fulton Theatre's production of Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story tells the tale of the three years in which he became the world's top recording artist.

WELL-STRUNG hasn't been around for decades but since hitting the scene they've proven that while looks will get you pretty far, it's looks AND talent that will take you all the way.

This March, April and May at 54 BELOW presents a lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

Tony Award nominee and recording artist MELISSA ERRICO, who recently starred in the hit revival of Stephen Sondheim's Passion and will soon be seen in the upcoming Cinemax series, "The Knick," will join TOVAH FELDSHUH (who will host), the singing string quartet WELL-STRUNG (Edmund Bagnell, Christopher Marchant, Daniel Shevlin and Trevor Wadleigh), and acrobats from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, including Ringmaster JOHNATHAN LEE IVERSON, to perform at Theatre Development Fund's (TDF) 2014 Gala on Monday, March 3 which celebrates the 35th season of TDF's Accessibility Programs (TAP). TAP are TDF's services for people with physical disabilities, as well as individuals on the autism spectrum. Ms. Errico will be accompanied on piano by TEDD FIRTH. She replaces Victoria Clark who had previously been announced. The program will be directed by DONNA DRAKE.

Feld Entertainment, Inc. Executive Vice Presidents, NICOLE FELD, ALANA FELD and JULIETTE FELD will be honored at Theatre Development Fund's (TDF) gala on Monday, March 3 which celebrates the 35th season of TDF's Accessibility Programs (TAP). TAP are TDF's services for people with physical disabilities as well as individuals on the autism spectrum. The gala will be held at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street, NYC). For tickets, table information and journal ad information go to: www.tdf.org/gala, email: events@tdf.org or call 212.912.9770 x340. The Gala Chair is TDF Trustee MEG HERMANN.

One Direction step aside, there's a new kind of boy band on the circuit! After two sold-out engagements in December 2013, Feinstein's at the Nikko welcomes the return of all-male string quartet Well-Strung: The Singing String Quartet for four performances - Thursday, April 3 (8 p.m.); Friday, April 4 (8 p.m.); Saturday, April 5 (7 p.m.); and Sunday, April 6 (7 p.m.). Called the 'hottest thing with a bow since Jennifer Lawrence in 'The Hunger Games' by the New York Daily News, Well-Strung will feature music of Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach as well as new arrangements of songs by Pink, Adele, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and more! Tickets for Well-Strung range in price from $35 - $50 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

In the midst of their first National concert tour and their first major magazine cover spread, Well-Strung, The Singing String Quartet, will make their debut at New York's celebrated Broadway club 54 Below with shows on February 2 and March 16 at 9:30 PM. The foursome have been referred to as "absolutely amazing" by BBC Radio host Jo Good during their recent London debut, and as "the hottest thing with a bow since Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games" by the New York Daily News. The new show directed by Donna Drake features new arrangements of songs by Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Third Eye Blind among others as well as new material written by Jeffery Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman). For tickets please visit www.well-strung.com.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond: