Patricia Birch News

Kenny Ortega will be awarded the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award on June 7th when the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards are presented in a ceremony at the Gerald Lynch Theatre at John Jay College. The ceremony will also include performances by Robin Cofer and Ronald K. Brown's Evidence Dance Company, there will also be a spercial tribute to Ortega.

The York Theatre Company will continue their Developmental Reading Series with the presentation of William Zeffiro's musical, THE ROAD TO RUIN. The reading will be directed by Tony nominee Pat Birch with a cast featuring members of Marymount Manhattan College's theatre program. The readings will take place January 25th and 26th at 7:30pm.

The 39th Annual Theatre Hall of Fame ceremony will take place January 25th at the Gershwin Theatre in the North Rotunda. The list of inductees include Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lynn Redgrave, John McMartin, Stephen Schwartz, Jim Dale and more. The evening will be hosted by Pia Lindstrom.

The list of presenters at the 2009 Theatre Hall of Fame ceremony includes such notables as directors Frank Dunlop, Joseph Hardy, and Michael Montel; actor Everett Quinton; playwright John Guare, and producers Paul Libin, David Stone, Marc Platt and Nick Scandalios.

Radaronline.com is reporting that Disney star Cody Linley is Broadway-bound in the remake of the musical Over Here! Linley, of Hannah Montana and Dancing with the Stars fame, reportedly has passed on the Disney Channel's television movie Starstruck in order to participate in the Broadway production. Sterling Knight has since taken over the Starstruck role. Over Here! is hoping for an opening in the beginning of 2010.

Current MARY POPPINS star Christian Borle and Sherie Rene Scott led a private industry reading late last week of the musical THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG.

Chase Brock works in reverse of conventional modern dance choreographers who take aim at Broadway only after establishing themselves on the 'serious' concert dance stage. Brock, who began his career at age 16 on the Great White Way in 'The Music Man,' recently committed his prodigious talent to modern dance.

Warner Home Video will release the animated version of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN on DVD on January 26th, 2010. YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN is one of many prime-time animated TV specials based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts and originally aired on the CBS network on November 6th, 1985.

The 2009 Theatre Hall of Fame inductees have been revealed and include such icons as actors Jim Dale, John McMartin and Lynn Redgrave; producers Roger Berlind and Ted Mann; composers Stephen Schwartz and Andrew Lloyd Webber; and, posthumously, the late playwright/actor Charles Ludlum. The Annual Theatre Hall of Fame ceremony, now in its 39th year, will be held Jan. 25, 2010, in the Gershwin Theatre's North Rotunda. Terry Hodge Taylor is producing the event.

Chase Brock works in reverse of conventional modern dance choreographers who take aim at Broadway only after establishing themselves on the 'serious' concert dance stage. Brock, who began his career at age 16 on the Great White Way in 'The Music Man,' recently committed his prodigious talent to modern dance.

John Bonanni, Big Fish Big Pond, Ltd and the New York Musical Theater Festival present the world premiere of Under Fire, a new musical set in the late 1970's during the bloody revolution in El Mirado, and based upon the 1983 motion picture of the same title.

Chase Brock works in reverse of conventional modern dance choreographers who take aim at Broadway only after establishing themselves on the 'serious' concert dance stage. Brock, who began his career at age 16 on the Great White Way in 'The Music Man,' recently committed his prodigious talent to modern dance.

Nominations for the 2009 Astaire Awards were announced last night at Elaine?s Restaurant by Michael Riedel of the New York Post. These selections were made by this year?s Nominating Committee; Sylviane Gold (Theater Columnist for Dance Magazine), Anna Kisselgoff (former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times), Wendy Perron (Editor in Chief of Dance Magazine), Linda Winer (Chief Theater Critic of Newsday) and Damian Woetzel (Former Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet). The producers of the 2009 Astaire Awards, which recognizes excellence in dance on stage and in film, are Patricia Watt and Ron Glucksman.

Patricia Watt and Ron Glucksman, Producers of the 2009 Astaire Awards, have announced that this year's Nominating Committee, Sylviane Gold (Theater Columnist for Dance Magazine), Anna Kisselgoff (former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times), Wendy Perron (Editor in Chief of Dance Magazine), Linda Winer (Chief Theater Critic of Newsday) and Damian Woetzel (Former Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet), will announce this year's nominees from the best of Broadway and film performances and choreography this season on Monday, May 4 at 7:00pm at Elaine's Restaurant (1703 2nd Avenue at 88th Street). The Astaire Awards recognize excellence in dance on stage and in film.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents the multiple Tony Award-winning musical Parade at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, the performing arts center of Point Park University, Feb. 27 through March 1 and March 12 through 22, 2009; a preview performance is open to the public on Thurs., Feb. 26. Tony Award-winner Michael Rupert directs; he is joined by Zeva Barzell as associate director and Douglas Levine as music director.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents the multiple Tony Award-winning musical Parade at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, the performing arts center of Point Park University, Feb. 27 through March 1 and March 12 through 22, 2009; a preview performance is open to the public on Thurs., Feb. 26. Tony Award-winner Michael Rupert directs; he is joined by Zeva Barzell as associate director and Douglas Levine as music director.

The Cedar Lake Theater in West Chelsea will come to life on Friday, January 23 with a thrilling evening of dance to benefit Dancers Responding To AIDS (DRA), a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). Hosted by Tony Award winning choreographer Rob Ashford, this gala event guarantees to be a soul-stirring showcase of the best and brightest from today's varied dance landscape with performances by American Ballet Theatre, Battleworks, Broadway's 'Billy Elliott,' Camille A. Brown, Dresden Ballet, Les Ballet Grandiva, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. The program will also feature the world premiere of TITLE by choreographer Chase Brock performed by NYCB principal Tiler Peck.

The Cedar Lake Theater in West Chelsea will come to life on Friday, January 24 with a thrilling evening of dance to benefit Dancers Responding To AIDS (DRA), a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA). Hosted by Tony Award winning choreographer Rob Ashford, this gala event guarantees to be a soul-stirring showcase of the best and brightest from today's varied dance landscape with performances by American Ballet Theatre, Battleworks, Broadway's 'Billy Elliott,' Camille A. Brown, Dresden Ballet, Les Ballet Grandiva, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. The program will also feature the world premiere of TITLE by choreographer Chase Brock performed by NYCB principal Tiler Peck.

This fall brought the 4th B'way show and 2nd child for Kevin, a journeyman performer who also writes music.

Angel Desai, Stephen Bogardus, Patricia Birch and others salute NYC and 'West Side Story' in a concert at a Manhattan museum.