News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

BWW Morning Brief September 18th, 2017: MCC Theater's CHARM Opens, Bidding Farewell to GROUNDHOG DAY and BANDSTAND, and More!

By: Sep. 18, 2017
Wake Up with BroadwayWorld
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Scroll down for the latest news, and click HERE to learn more about how we've revamped our morning brief for 2017! Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!


1) Jake Gyllenhaal Announces SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE Cast Recording Will Be Released End of September
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2017

Jake Gyllenhaal spoke with CBS Sunday morning about his career including his celebrated run in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. The actor revealed that the cast recording will be released at the end of this month.. (more...)


2) VIDEO: On This Day, September 17- Happy Birthday, Constantine Maroulis!
by Stage Tube - September 17, 2017

Constantine Maroulis made his Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated production of The Wedding Singer. He received a Tony nomination for his work leading the metal musical, Rock of Ages. He most recently starred in the dual title role of the 2013 Broadway revival and National Tour of Jekyll & Hyde, for which he received a second Drama League Award nomination.. (more...)


3) If I Had My Time Again: GROUNDHOG DAY Plays Final Performance Today
by Marissa Sblendorio - September 17, 2017

After 176 performances and 32 previews, Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical Groundhog Day will play its final performance at the August Wilson Theatre today, September 17th.. (more...)


4) Broadway and Opera Star Brenda Lewis Passes Away Age 96
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2017

The New York Times has reported that stage star Brenda Lewis has died at age 96. She passed in her home in Westport, CT; her death was confirmed by her son Michael Asen.. (more...)


5) Ain't They Proud: Take a Look Back at BANDSTAND
by Marissa Sblendorio - September 17, 2017

The Tony Award-winning production of the new American musical Bandstand, directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In The Heights) and featuring music by Richard Oberacker and a book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, will conclude its run on Broadway today, Sunday, September, 17, 2017 following 24 previews and 166 regular performances. Bandstand began performances on March 31, 2017, and officially opened April 26 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.. (more...)


Next up in our "mug shots" series are Kerry Butler (portrait by Walter McBride). Plus visit our merchandise shop to get your own BWW mug, t-shirt, tote bag and more!

Today's Call Sheet:

-Transgender-themed play CHARM opens at MCC Theater!

-Santino Fontana, Heather Headley, Norm Lewis, Laura Osnes and more perform at American Theatre Wing's Centennial Gala tonight!

-Kristin Chenoweth, Lena Hall and more will help honor Kathy Najimy with GMHC's 2017 Howard Ashman Award!

-Kate Baldwin and Kate Shindle will be honored with the 2017 Sarah Siddons Society Award tonight!

-Nancy Anderson, Arnie Burton and more star in A MAN'S WORLD for Project Shaw tonight only!

-Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks to return to host SCLA's FORBIDDEN SHAKESPEARE benefit!

-Christopher Lloyd will headline a reading of POUND in NYC tonight!

-And HAMILTON's Miguel Cervantes is set for tonight's NYCURE benefit!


BWW Exclusive: Learn more about Tony-nominated leading man Ron Husmann in the latest episode of 'Behind the Curtain!'


What we're geeking out over: What's the closing night of a show without a little fun? Watch the GROUNDHOG DAY cast have a snowball fight at curtain call!


What we're watching: BANDSTAND went live for their final curtain call last night!


Social Butterfly: Check out this weekend's Saturday Intermission Pics, featuring MISS SAIGON, WICKED, and more!


And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Stephen Flaherty, who turns 57 today!

Photo credit: Jennifer Broski

Stephen Flaherty composed the music for Broadway's Anastasia, Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, Rocky, and Neil Simon's Proposals (incidental music.) He composed the scores for four musicals at Lincoln Center Theatre: The Glorious Ones, Dessa Rose, A Man of No Importance, and My Favorite Year. Recent premieres include the dance musical In Your Arms (Old Globe) and Little Dancer (Kennedy Center.) Other theater includes Loving Repeating (Jefferson Award, Best New Musical) and Lucky Stiff. For the feature film Anastasia, he was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. Other film includes Lucky Stiff, After The Stormand Bartok the Magnificent. Council, Dramatists Guild of America; co-founder, Dramatists Guild Fellows Program. His concert music has premiered at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and the Guggenheim. Stephen and longtime collaborator Lynn Ahrens received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014, and in 2015 they were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.


See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!







Videos