Jonathan Larson Videos

The Song 'Ordinary Day' is by extraordinary writers Paul Loesel (Music) and Scott Burkell (book and lyrics). We are thrilled to share their Cutting-Edge Composers video starring Donna Vivino (Wicked), Eric Michael Krop (Godspell), Blake Daniel (Spring Awakening), and Maddy Trumble (Mary Poppins)!

MURDER BALLAD, the critically acclaimed new musical which has been nominated for Best Musical by the Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Lortel Awards, will run through Sunday, September 29 at the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street). Murder Ballad opens tonight, May 22nd, at the Union Square Theatre, featuring John Ellison Conlee, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Caissie Levy, and Will Swenson. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights below!

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tonys Meet & Greet on May 1, 2013, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Amanda Green, a nominee for Best Original Score for Hands on a Hardbody. Check out what she had to say below!

Today in 1996, Rent opened at the Nederlander Theatre, where it ran for 5123 performances. Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La boheme. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical among other awards. The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run.

Our featured composer this week is Ryan Scott Oliver. Here is his song "Halfway" sung by Morgan Karr (Spring Awakening) and Jay Armstrong Johnson (Hands on a Hardbody) at our Cutting-Edge Composers concert at the Canal Room. We asked Ryan where he got the inspiration for the song and this was his reply:

On April 1st, 'Miles Of Time' from the musical TRAILS was featured on New Day Northwest Seattle. Kirsten DeLohr Helland, who plays the lead role of Amy in Village Theatre's new musical TRAILS, performed, accompanied on piano by Music Director R.J. Tancioco. The two then joined host Margaret Larson to talk about the musical, which runs through April 21 at Village Theatre in Issaquah and April 26 - May 19 at Village Theatre in Everett. Click below to watch the segment!

-based choral ensemble Choral Chameleon to produce the world premiere production of Tamar of the River Oratorio for two nights only in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn on March 9-10, 2013 starring Broadway's Jessica Grove in the title role, and the 12 singers of Choral Chameleon embodying the River. Click below to watch behind-the-scenes footage from the show in rehearsal!

Today in 1972, Broadway veteran Taye Diggs was born. In 1996, he originated the role of the landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson's Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent, which also starred his future wife, Idina Menzel. After Rent he appeared as Mr. Black alongside Idina Menzel's character of Kate in Andrew Lippa's off-Broadway production of The Wild Party. Diggs also played The Bandleader in the 2002 film version of the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago and filled in as Billy Flynn on Broadway. He also temporarily filled in for Norbert Leo Butz (an original Rent standby) as the love interest Fiyero of Idina Menzel's Elphaba character in Wicked.

The Public Theater presents VENICE, a new musical with book by Eric Rosen, music by Matt Sax, lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, and additional music by Curtis Moore, for its 2013 spring season at the newly revitalized Public Theater at Astor Place. Directed by Eric Rosen, VENICE will run in The Public's Anspacher Theater beginning on Tuesday, May 28 through Sunday, June 23, with an official press opening on Thursday, June 13. VENICE is a next generation Broadway musical that uses the vocabulary of hip-hop while sampling Othello and Brecht to spin an epic tale of struggle and redemption. Watch a promo for the show below!

On the next episode of Neil Patrick Harris' NEIL'S PUPPET DREAMS, Neil's unique physiology causes a stir in the puppet medical community. Harris' Dr. Horrible co-star, actor Nathan Fillion makes a guest appearance on the show. Get a sneak peek below!

The Off-Broadway production of Murder Ballad is currently playing at The Studio at Stage II at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street) and opens tonight, November 15. Manhattan Theatre Club's Murder Ballad, the new musical that is the inaugural production of MTC's The Studio at Stage II - Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center - Stage II, runs through December 2. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights below!

In Pigeon House by Honor Molloy opens tomorrow night, October 17th and runs through November 18th, 2012 at the Den Theatre (1333 N. Milwaukee Avenue) in Chicago. Get a preview of the show in the video below!

Drew Lachey was such a fan favorite on Dancing with the Stars that they brought him back to co-host for awhile. Now he's returning once more as a Dancing All-Star.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, presents a workshop production of the new musical The Black Suits with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Iconis and Robert Emmett Maddock. The Black Suits is part of Barrington Stage's Musical Theatre Lab, William Finn, Artistic Producer. Directed by John Simpkins, with musical direction by James Sampliner, The Black Suits will run August 16 through September 2 at BSC's St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2), located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the show below.

Broadway Star, Karen Mason (Wonderland, Mamma Mia! and the upcoming Broadway show, Rebecca), brings her talents to the intimate stage (78 seats) at CAP21 where she is performing in their benefit series, Concerts for CAP21. As CAP21 approaches their 20th Anniversary, the concert series celebrates all of the accomplishments the organization has had and its goals of the future. Karen Mason: Unfinished Business will be performed through July 19 and certain performances include a reception that is available for ticket buyers. Ticket Prices range from $25-$100. CAP21 is located at 18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011. Tickets and additional information are available at www.cap21.org or by calling 646.213.5488. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there for the first concert, and we bring you highlights from the event and interviews with the star of the evening below!

Happy Birthday, Neil Patrick Harris! A veteran of the theater, Harris recently tackled the role of Bobby in the New York Philharmonic's production of Stephen Sondheim's "Company" at Lincoln Center. Harris made his Broadway debut in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Proof," and subsequently starred on the Great White Way as the Emcee in "Cabaret," and as The Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in the Tony Award-winning production of "Assassins." His additional theater credits include roles in "All My Sons," "Tick, Tick... Boom," "The Paris Letter," "Sweeney Todd," "Rent" and "Romeo and Juliet." Harris made his theatrical directorial debut with "I Am Grock" at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Additionally, he directed a production of Jonathan Larson's "Rent" at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and more recently he helmed a production of "The Expert at the Card Table" at the Broad Stage Theater.

Tony Awards host Neil Patrick Harris appeared on last night's THE COLBERT REPORT to talk theatre and more with his former COMPANY co-star Stephen Colbert. View the interview below!

Tony Awards host Neil Patrick Harris appeared on last night's LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN on CBS and told Dave what it's like to be interviewed by Oprah in his own home. View a clip of his LATE SHOW appearance below!

Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its 25th Anniversary Season with the Broadway mega-hit Rent by Jonathan Larsonplaying at Bristol Riverside Theatre now through June 3. Directed by Jose Zayas, the cast features Julian Alvarez, Mark Willis Borum, Tracie Franklin, James LaRosa, Meera Mohan, Brendan Norton, Tyrone Roberson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Tara Tagliaferro, Brit West, and Nadine Zahr with local actors Michael Hogan, Joseph Michael O'Brien, and Carl Nathaniel Smith. Check out a video reel with footage from the production set to its best known song, 'Seasons of Love' below!

Today in 1996, Rent opened at the Nederlander Theatre, where it ran for 5123 performances. Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical among other awards. The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run.