Wake Up With BWW 6/27: Vanessa Carlton Begins in BEAUTIFUL, and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld!

Vanessa Carlton begins performances in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tonight! The three-time Grammy Award® nominated singer/songwriter will make her Broadway debut as Carole King for a 10-week run.

Working has officially opened at Encores! Off-Center. We've got your first look at the cast in action, including Christopher Jackson, Andrea Burns, Helen Hunt, and more!

Bette Midler will perform at New York's Pride Main Event this Saturday June 29 at the Javits Center! She will be accompanied by composer Marc Shaiman for this performance, which is set for 11 p.m.

Read more about these and other top stories below!

Want our morning reports delivered via email? Subscribe here!

1) Kennedy Center Employee Files Lawsuit For $1 Million Over Signed HAMILTON Poster

According to The Hill, an employee sued the Kennedy Center for $1 million over a signed Hamilton poster.. (more...)

2) Photo Flash: Get a First Look at LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS At The Cape Playhouse

It's time to head down to Skid Row because we've got a first look at the Cape Playhouse's new production of Little Shop of Horrors starring Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Lauren Zakrin! Check out all the photos!. (more...)

3) Bette Midler to Perform at New York Pride
by TV News Desk

Bette Midler is set to perform at New York's Pride Main Event on Saturday June 29 at the Javits Center, according to Variety. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, she'll perform accompanied by "Hairspray" and "Mary Poppins Returns" composer Marc Shaiman. Midler's special performance is set for 11 p.m.. (more...)

4) Jessica Vosk, Sally Ann Triplett, Zachary Sayle, and More Will Lead BECOMING NANCY At Alliance Theatre

The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta announced today casting for its upcoming world premiere BECOMING NANCY. Based on the best-selling British novel by Terry Ronald, this new musical is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray), with a book by Elliot Davis (Peter Pan, Loserville), and a score by the songwriting team of George Stiles (Music) and Anthony Drewe (Lyrics) (Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Honk!). BECOMING NANCY will open the Alliance Theatre's 51st season on its newly renovated Coca-Cola Stage, September 6 - October 6, 2019. Opening Night is Wednesday, September 18.. (more...)

Today's Call Sheet:

Vanessa Carlton begins performances in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tonight!

The three-time Grammy Award® nominated singer/songwriter will make her Broadway debut as Carole King beginning tonight, Thursday, June 27 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) for a 10-week run.

Carlton captured international attention for her debut album Be Not Nobody which is certified platinum status. In addition to the hit single "Ordinary Day," Be Not Nobody features the now iconic single "A Thousand Miles." The song is one was one of the biggest hits of 2002 and was nominated for three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In 2011, Carlton set out as an independent recording artist with her album Rabbits on the Run and then continued her musical transformation when she released the critically-acclaimed studio album Liberman in 2015.

BWW Exclusive: Get A First Look At Renée Fleming and Dove Cameron In THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA at London's Royal Festival Hall

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the romantic musical The Light in the Piazza, making its long-awaited London debut at the Royal Festival Hall through 5th July 2019.

Set in Florence during the summer of 1953, this breath-taking love story transports the audience into the world of Margaret Johnson (soprano superstar Renée Fleming) and her daughter Clara (Disney TV & Film star Dove Cameron) as they take in the wonders of this fabulously romantic City until a fateful gust of wind whisks Clara's hat into the hands of a handsome young local Fabrizio Naccarelli. It's love at first sight which leads to an emotional rollercoaster of joy, fear and family chaos.

What we're geeking out over: Shoshana Bean, George Salazar & More Will Sing in ABC's Pride Special

A slew of Broadway favorites have been tapped to perform in a Pride special on June 30 (11am). Presented by ABC News Live, The Broadway League, and Disney Theatrical Productions, "PRIDE on ABC News Live" will be filmed in part from The New Amsterdam Theatre, current home of Aladdin.

As a part of the special, Broadway veterans, including Waitress' Shoshana Bean and Be More Chill's George Salazar, will perform "Season's of Love" from Rent. The song will also feature: Ainsley Melham (Aladdin), Ryann Redmond (Frozen), Patrick Vaill (Oklahoma!), James Davis (Oklahoma!), Bonita Hamilton (The Lion King), Wilson Cruz, Callum Francis (Kinky Boots), Will Van Dyke (Kinky Boots) and Mason Ingram (The Prom).

What we're watching: Watch Highlights from Encores! Off-Center's WORKING!

First up in the Encores! Off-Center season is Working: A Musical, based on the best-selling Studs Terkel book of the same name. Working: A Musical evokes the unsung nobility of American workers-from the hardworking waitress to the worn out millworker. A living, breathing testament to the people who make this country run, the Off-Center production will incorporate stories from City Center's employees in celebration of the 75th Anniversary Season, acting as a time capsule for the landmark occasion.

The production stars Andrea Burns, Mateo Ferro, David Garrison, Helen Hunt, Christopher Jackson, Javier Muñoz, and Tracie Thoms. Directed by Anne Kauffman, with music direction by Alvin Hough, Jr. and choreography by Avihai Haham, Working: A Musical runs June 26 through 29 at New York City Center as part of the 2019 Encores! Off-Center season along with Promenade (July 10 & 11) and Road Show (July 24 - 27).

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!