Stephen Flaherty News

Today, May 22, Paper Mill Playhouse hosted a performance preview for its new production of Once On This Island at The New 42nd Street Studios (229 W 42nd Street, 7th Floor). BroadwayWorld was there and brings you stills from the event, featuring Thomas Kail, Bradley Rapier, Syesha Mercado, Stephen Flaherty and more. Check out the photos below! (more...)

Nick Jonas – the popular singer/songwriter who is currently starring in the Tony-nominated How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying – will serve as master of ceremonies as hundreds of students from middle and intermediate New York City Public Schools in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Manhattan make their Broadway debut on stage at the Shubert Theatre (225 W. 44 St.) on Tuesday, May 29 at 10:30 a.m., the culminating event of the 7th annual Shubert Foundation/MTI Broadway JR. Student Program. The students will perform a song from their school's production of a student version of a Broadway musical, including Annie JR., Once on this Island JR., Disney’s Aladdin JR., Guys and Dolls JR., Bugsy Malone JR., Meredith Willson’s The Music Man JR., Dear Edwina JR., Fame JR., Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR., and Thoroughly Modern Millie JR. (A list of schools participating in the May 29 celebration follows.) (more...)

Several Tony Award-winners are teaming up to bring an adaptation of the 1988 musical “Lucky Stiff” to the screen. The show, based on Michael Butterworth’s 1965 novel “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo,” was written by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty and first performed at New York’s Playwright’s Horizons where it won the Richard Rogers Production Award before going on to London and hundreds of international productions. Ahrens & Flaherty went on to win the Tony for their musical “Ragtime” as well as two Academy Award nominations. Other notable credits include “Once On This Island” and “Seussical.” Ahrens has adapted the play for the screen, while Flaherty and Ahrens have written additional songs. (more...)

In Seussical: The Musical, playing June 1-17 at The Rose Theater, Horton the elephant attempts to save JoJo and the Whos and protect Mayzie La Bird’s egg, in this production of the Broadway show. (more...)

Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, “The Princess and the Pea,” comes to the stage as a musical comedy in Once Upon a Mattress June 19 – August 5 at the Coterie Theatre in Crown Center. (more...)

The Shaw Festival is proud to announce the winner of its highly successful online contest, Get Ready to Rag! Twenty-four year old pianist Lee Cohen was selected for his energetic and skilful rendition of ‘Magnetic Rag’. Contest judge Paul Sportelli said of Cohen’s performance, “Lee is a terrific pianist, and he has a great feel and facility for ragtime. His ‘Magnetic Rag’ crackles with energy!” (more...)

Over the course of five weeks, Paper Mill Playhouse launched five short video interviews with Once on This Island composer Stephen Flaherty. Watch the fifth and final part of the interview series below! (more...)

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer! (more...)

South Coast Repertory has announced its summer shows May 2012 – August 2012, including August Wilson's Jitney, Snow Angel by David Lindsay-Abaire and more. See details below. (more...)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Tony nominees celebrate, Broadway sings Adele, the POPS turns 29, and so much more! (more...)

Monday, April 30, The New York Pops marked its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled ‘Journey On’ honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia. (more...)

On Monday, April 30, The New York Pops marked its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled ‘Journey On’ honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia. (more...)

Over the course of five weeks, Paper Mill Playhouse will launch five short video interviews with Once on This Island composer Stephen Flaherty. Watch the fourth part of the interview series below! (more...)

Today we are talking to one of the biggest new stars on Broadway who first burst onto the scene in HAIRSPRAY but has since carved out a place in the great pantheon of theatre history in creating the iconic lead role of Elder Price in the Broadway hit of the decade, THE BOOK OF MORMON, Andrew Rannells. One among many on the incredibly impressive list of performers at Monday night’s NY Pops JOURNEY ON gala at Carnegie Hall celebrating the music and lyrics of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Rannells joins many of the other accomplished Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars of modern Broadway as well as those who predominantly tread the boards. Illustrating his journey with the edgy and ribald musical smash THE BOOK OF MORMOM from workshop to Broadway, the Tony Awards and beyond, Rannells paints the picture of the show’s road to success and imparts his effervescent enthusiasm and all too apparent joy to be appearing in such a crowd-pleasing and joyous experience eight times a week. Additionally, Rannells shares his thoughts on the upcoming national tour starring Gavin Creel and whether or not there will be a MORMON film version sooner rather than later. Plus, Rannells gives also us the first look at his 21st century parenting and adoption-themed NBC pilot, THE NEW NORMAL, and outlines the finer points of the story, his character and the themes of the hotly anticipated new single-camera comedy series coming from the creator of GLEE, Ryan Murphy. That, his favorite Ahrens & Flaherty songs, favorite shows, future acting plans, what is currently on his iPod - all of that and much, much more! (more...)

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer! (more...)

The family hit musical production "Seussical: The Musical" will continue the season for Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre (Theatre FMPAT) in their new space at the MCL Grand Black Box Theater - May 2-6, 2012, as part of their 20th season. (more...)

Paper Mill Playhouse just announced full casting for the Millburn, New Jersey, theater's production of Once On This Island (book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty). More than 20 years after its premiere, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens are re-inventing their first musical with Tony-nominated director Thomas Kail (In the Heights, Lombardi, Magic/Bird), choreographer Bradley Rapier (So You Think You Can Dance, Jesus Christ Superstar) and new orchestrations by music director Lynne Shankel (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Altar Boyz). Once On This Island begins performances on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2012. Once On This Island is proudly sponsored by Bank of America. The official press opening is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, 2012. (more...)

Today we are talking to a Broadway superstar beloved from the time of her breakthrough performance in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim’s PASSION nearly twenty years ago all the way to two tremendous revivals in the early 00s - KISS ME, KATE and MAN OF LA MANCHA - to her most recent trio of roles on Broadway, first appearing in the straight drama ENRON, then as the troubled lead character of Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL, and, most recently, as the tortured Margaret White in the long-awaited New York return of CARRIE - the one and only Marin Mazzie. Recalling many memories of working on the original productions of such seminal musicals as INTO THE WOODS, PASSION, RAGTIME, SPAMALOT and NEXT TO NORMAL with some of Broadway’s best and brightest talents, Mazzie expresses her sincere appreciation for the unforgettable shows she has been associated with and opens up about her experiences as both an originator of a role, as in the cases of PASSION and RAGTIME, and also as a replacement star and the challenges that that position poses for a performer. Additionally, Mazzie shares her enthusiasm for the words and music of the Tony Award-winning RAGTIME creators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whom she will be saluting alongside a starry assortment of notables on Monday at the NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala at Carnegie Hall. Plus, Mazzie clues us in on all aspects of her journey with the recent New York reworking and reappraisal of CARRIE and gives us first news on recording the cast album, which is set for a Fall release, as well as news on her second duets album with husband, Jason Danieley and solo album thoughts. All of that and much, much more! (more...)

The Camp Broadway Kids, which is comprised of 58 theatre-loving kids, ages 12-16, are set to perform in the New York Pops 29th Birthday Gala titled ‘Journey On’ at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 30. Under the direction of Camp Broadway’s Artistic Director,Tony Parise (Broadway credits include Me and My Girl and 42nd Street), the cast, which was selected from a nation-wide pool of over 500 auditionees, will perform alongside Broadway stars during musical numbers honoring the work of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia. (more...)

DESSA ROSE, featuring Stacey Cabaj as Ruth, by Lynn Ahrens with music by Stephen Flaherty, will be presented in a co-production with Firehouse Theatre Project and Richmond CenterStage. The show features music direction by Leilani Giles, choreography by Karen Getz and is directed by Richard M. Parison, Jr. It runs May 4 - June 3, 2012, Thurs.-Sat. at 8pm, Wed. May 23 at 2pm, and Sun. May 6, 13, 20, and June 3 at 4pm. (more...)