Kenny Ortega News

The Annenberg Theatre will present Upright Cabaret’s RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT on April 27 at 8:00 pm. RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT is the third installment of Upright Cabaret’s “American Icon” Series and will star Olivier Award-Winner Lesli Margherita, Lexi Lawson (Rent, In The Heights)) and Rogelio Douglas Jr. (In The Heights, The Little Mermaid)). This high energy, multi-media Cabaret celebrates the music of Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Santana and features pop favorites such as Livin’ La Vida Loca, Shake Your Bon-Bon, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Anything for You, Smooth, Let It Shine, and more, performed live with the Upright Cabaret band! (more...)

ABC Family has begun production on the new drama series, BUNHEADS, filming in Los Angeles. Set to premiere on Monday, June 11th at 9:00pm ET/PT, BUNHEADS is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kenny Ortega has signed on to direct the third episode, which will air June 25. (more...)

CHRIS ISAACSON announces the performers for UPRIGHT CABARET's AMERICAN ICON SERIES' third show of their 3rd Season, RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT, starring Olivier Award-Winner LESLI MARGHERITA, American Idol’s DAVID HERNANDEZ (Thousand Oaks and Hollywood Shows only) & LEXI LAWSON, (Rent, In The Heights)) and ROGELIO DOUGLAS, JR. (In The Heights, The Little Mermaid)) celebrating the music of Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Santana! (more...)

Variety reports that Brad Falchuk, co-creator of the Fox musical drama series GLEE, will pen the screenplay for an upcoming DIRTY DANCING remake from Lionsgate. The original 1987 blockbuster film was written by Maria Maggenti and starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. (more...)

Variety reports that Brad Falchuk, co-creator of television's Glee, will rewrite a screenplay of Dirty Dancing for Lionsgate. The screenplay is a reimagined musical version of the 1987 movie, which starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. (more...)

Newsies opened last night, March 29, at the Nederlander Theatre for a strictly limited performance run. BroadwayWorld was there on the red carpet as the stars arrived for the show and brings you complete photo coverage below! (more...)

Merrimack Hall is set to present their Fifth Annual Evening of Dance, a weekend of dance events showcasing performance and choreography talent from across North Alabama. (more...)

Broadway Kids Care just hosted its first Dinner with a Director Education Series, featuring director and choreographer Kenny Ortega and young Broadway performers. Check out photos from the big event below! (more...)

Salt Lake Community College Dance Company has gathered community dancers to perform with them in their fall concert titled, Dreams and Illusions. (more...)

The music harvest is bountiful at VH1 this Thanksgiving with exclusive events featuring today's biggest artists! Beginning Wednesday, November 23 at 10PM*, music lovers can begin their Thanksgiving feast with a hearty portion of music by their favorite artists with the world television premiere of Clear Channel's "iHeartRadio Music Festival" taped September 23rd and 24th, 2011at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. (more...)

In honor of the West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release, Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment paid homage to the remarkable film as stars Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn were immortalized at the exact location of the film's original premiere in 1961. (more...)

Lesli Margherita, star of the original West End production, will recreate her Olivier Award-winning role of Inez in the first international tour of ZORRO THE MUSICAL, opening next month at the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai. (more...)

"Bring It On: The Musical" opened on Friday, November 11 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. Currently in previews, the production will continue through December 10. BroadwayWorld brings you photo coverage from opening night below. (more...)

Salt Lake Community College Dance Company has gathered community dancers to perform with them in their fall concert titled, Dreams and Illusions. (more...)

Lionsgate Films has confirmed that the upcoming remake of the hit film DIRTY DANCING will be released in theaters in July of 2013 according to Digitalspy. (more...)

Originally a low-budget film by a new studio and with no major stars (except Broadway legend Jerry Orbach in a supporting role), Dirty Dancing became a massive box office hit. As of 2009, it earned over $214 million worldwide. (more...)

Pioneer, innovator and the voice of an entire new musical theatre generation coming in the dawning of the age of GLEE, Tony Award recipient and Grammy-winning composer, lyricist and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda has merged the worlds of the two most significant of original American art forms - musicals and rap - in such a striking and surprisingly inventive way with his hit musical IN THE HEIGHTS - currently touring the country - and is setting out to do the same with his fresh collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL composer Tom Kitt on their new musical BRING IT ON!, currently in previews out of town in Los Angeles as it eyes New York. In addition to discussing the development of IN THE HEIGHTS and BRING IT ON! in detail, Miranda and I also outline his experience working alongside the two modern-day masters of the musical theatre - Stephen Sondheim and the recently deceased Arthur Laurents - on the Spanish translation and new lyrics for the recent bilingual revival of WEST SIDE STORY - in addition to his forthcoming ALEXANDER HAMILTON project, which Miranda recently performed a medley from for President Obama himself at the White House Poetry Jam. As if all of that were not enough, we also delve into his thought process as he sets out to take on one of Sondheim’s most challenging roles in all of musical theatre - that of Charley Kringas in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at Encores!, under the direction of James Lapine. Plus, news on his new feature film THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN, as well as recollections of his fondest Broadway shows, scores, cast albums, movie musicals and general musical and theatrical inspirations - and his favorite Shakespeare plays, too - as well as much, much more! (more...)

While GLEE is on hiatus until its long-awaited return on November 1 and X-FACTOR was pre-empted and moved around as a result of the World Series games, DANCING WITH THE STARS has kept up the Broadway quotient on prime time TV in the interim in a major way thanks to this week’s two-night Great White Way salute featuring Tony-winner and Emmy-winner Kristin Chenoweth. Fan favorites J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff made their mark with CHICAGO’S sizzling “Hot Honey Rag” and this week’s InDepth InterView participant Ricki Lake - along with her partner, show favorite Derek Hough - made a splash with a rollicking “The Lady Is A Tramp” from Frank Loesser’s classic score for GUYS & DOLLS, and even Nancy Grace got into the snazzy act with a spirited and jolly “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” from SPAMALOT with her partner Tristan MacManus. Yet, some groups fared less well - Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer failed to find the music or the magic of the night with “The Phantom Of The Opera” and they were sent home on Wednesday as a result (penguin critiques and Cher tweets notwithstanding). And, so, too, did Hope Solo and show-standout Maksim Chmerkovskiy falter with their less than impassioned performance of an outright odd head-scratcher of a quickstep song selection, RENT’s “Seasons Of Love”. Yet, on the ever-improving side of things reside Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke, who managed to bring some JERSEY BOYS-esque swagger to The Four Seasons smash “Walk Like A Man” from the Tony-winning musical revue. Additionally, David Arquette and Kym Johnson ended up somewhere in the middle, with a somewhat tentative treatment of the GREASE warhorse “We Go Together”, which still managed to minisculely evoke John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the movie. While some stars certainly shone much brighter than others - J.R. and Ricki undoubtedly seem to be battling it out for top honors - Broadway Week on DANCING WITH THE STARS was generally a resounding success for many concerned. And, that’s not even mentioning the spectacular group performance mash-up of “Hey, Big Spender” from SWEET CHARITY and “Money, Money” from CABARET (choreographed by Kevin Maher); Kenny Ortega’s specialty number encompassing three famous theatrical standards, specially designed for HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and IN THE HEIGHTS star Corbin Bleu; or - most of all - Kristin Chenoweth’s two stupendous star turns; first, singing a song she made famous for a whole new generation alongside Lea Michele on GLEE - the classic Kander & Ebb CABARET‘s “Maybe This Time”; which was followed by MY FAIR LADY's "I Could Have Danced All Night" - and, on the second night, performing the title track from her new solo album, SOME LESSONS LEARNED. Broadway stars to dancing stars to reality stars and beyond, Broadway Week on DANCING WITH THE STARS managed to sparkle and shine with panache. (more...)

It was Broadway Week - Part 2 last night on the hit ABC TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS and the 'week' came to its end with another performance by Kristin Chenoweth, this time from her latest album - 'Some Lessons Learned'. That wasn't all though - Corbin Bleu, of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and IN THE HEIGHTS on Broadway fame sang and danced his way through a Kenny Ortega staged medley of Broadway hits from 42nd STREET, WEST SIDE STORY and IN THE HEIGHTS. Want bonus points? Spot Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda in the audience giving Bleu a standing ovation. (more...)

Lesli Margherita, star of the original West End production, will recreate her Olivier Award-winning role of Inez in the first international tour of ZORRO THE MUSICAL, opening next month at the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai. (more...)