Jeff Dennhardt - Page 29

'American Idol' made its way back to the location of its season one winner, visiting the city of Dallas and home of pop superstar Kelly Clarkson. The guest judges joining 'Idol' in the state of Texas were teen heartthrob Joe Jonas and television and Broadway star and Tony Award host Neil Patrick Harris. Dallas brought some excellent singers into the mix and some will definitely make a splash in Hollywood.

THE COTERIE, an up-and-coming downtown opera-theater company, will present a benefit concert The Coterie Un/Plugged, Volume One: Lauren Worsham and Friends at the Canal Room on February 22nd at 7:30PM. The evening will feature Lauren Worsham (Candide, Spelling Bee) and special guests including Tony nominee Barbara Walsh (Falsettos, Company), Theresa McCarthy (Floyd Collins, Titanic) and Andrew Nolan (Wooster Group's La Didone).

THE ORPHANS' HOME CYCLE, PART 3: THE STORY OF A FAMILY, the final part of the world premiere three part theatrical event by the Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning playwright Horton Foote, opened last night at Signature Theatre Company at the Peter Norton Space, 555 West 42nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues - and the critics are cheering.

Producers announced today that the current season of 'Ugly Betty' will be its last, Variety is reporting. Cast and crew were told today that the ABC will no longer air episodes of the show and the finale of the current season will be the finale of the series, planned to air in April.

PASSING STRANGE creators Stew and Heidi Rodewald will premiere a new concert on February 17th at St. Ann's Warehouse. The concert, entitled 'Making It,' details their journey from New York night clubs to Broadway. The concert will run from February 17th through February 22nd.

Tickets for the Broadway run of AMERICAN IDIOT are now available exclusively to American Express card holders. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on February 14th. AMERICAN IDIOT will begin previews on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 and open on Broadway Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the St. James Theatre.

Internationally acclaimed theater ensemble Mabou Mines celebrates 40 years of creating groundbreaking theater with the world premiere of 'FINN', a digital and live-action adventure based on the ancient Celtic legend of Finn McCool opening on Thursday, March 4th (8PM) at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place). Conceived & directed by Mabou Mines Co-Artistic Director Sharon Fogarty, and written by Jocelyn Clarke, this original theatrical work blends traditional storytelling and music with large-scale digital technology. Finn McCool, part mortal, part magical, battles his boyhood demons and emerges a young man ready to lead his band of men. Live performers interact with digital animation in a 21st century adaptation of a timeless legend. FINN is produced by Mabou Mines in association with Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University.

Heat Vision blog is reporting George Lucas is currently developing a CGI-animated musical at his home at Skywalker Ranch. Currently the film is untitled and is directed by Kevin Munroe, director of the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle animated film.

Full casting has been announced for the upcoming Australian premiere of the musical SPRING AWAKENING, set to begin performances at the Sydney Theatre Company on February 4th. The principal cast will include Akos Armont as Moritz, Andrew Hazzard as Melchior and Clare Bowen as Wendla. SPRING AWAKENING runs through February 28th.

The next installment of the True Colors Cabaret will continue at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on February 22nd. The talent will feature Broadway stars Sutton Foster and Joey McIntyre. This will be the fourth performance in the True Colors series.

The Bushnell Theatre in Connecticut will collect funds to be donated to the American Red Cross to help the disaster in Haiti. The Bushnell, in association with The Reach Foundation, will collect money during intermission of THE LION KING through February 14th. All proceeds donated will go directly to the Red Cross.

Several Connecticut theatres will broadcast Patti LuPone's appearance on the popular 'Live From New York's 92nd Street Y' on February 4th. LuPone's concert, 'The Broadway Life' will be seen at The Shubert Theatre in New Haven, beginning at 8:15pm as well as at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Center in Old Saybrook. The evening will also feature Leonard Lopste.

The fifth stop on the audition tour of 'American Idol' landed in 'Idol's' own backyard, Los Angeles. Joining Simon, Randy, and Kara were two young pop stars themselves, Avril Lavigne on the first day and Katy Perry on the second day. Lavigne was rarely seen on screen and did not seem to add much to the judging panel; Perry, however, was one of the few guest judges to truly understand the competition. Instead of joining Kara as the 'feel-good-judge' and sending people to Hollywood if they came in with a good story, Perry only voted 'Yes' to singers who she felt would actually have the chance to win the competition. A welcome change to the judging panel, Katy was more reminiscent of Simon and made her decision based purely on talent.

Trinity Rep continues its 46th season with Sarah Ruhl's dark comedy Dead Man's Cell Phone, directed by Beth F. Milles. Trinity Rep resident acting company member Janice Duclos stars as Jean, an unassuming woman who is thrown headlong into an unexpected odyssey when she answers an incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café.

Conor McPherson's play, THE WEIR, will play the San Jose Repertory theatre beginning January 29th. The play stars Zillah Glory, Alex Moggridge, Andy Murray, Mark Anderson Phillips, Robert Sicular and is directed by San Jose Rep's Artistic Director Rick Lombardo. The will run through February 21st.

Cast members from Broadway's recent FINIAN'S RAINBOW will be on hand at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Center on February 1st, 5pm for the release of the revival cast recording. The cast will perform and sign copies of the CD, which fans will be able to purchase a day earlier than its February 2nd release date.

LA playwright Jamie Pachino was awarded the Primus Prize for her play, SPLITTING INFINTY. The Primus Prize is awarded by the Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation and the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) to an emerging woman theater artist, either a playwright, artistic director or director. The award recipient receives $10,000 2009 and a trip to the ATCA conference at the O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut.

Black Dahlia Theatre has announced the full casting for their upcoming production of David Schulner's FORGIVENESS, premiering at the theatre beginning February 17th. The cast will include Emily Bergl, Lee Garlington, Morlan Higgins, Ron Menzel, and Kendall Toole. The production will run through March 28th.

Comedian Eddie Izzard will host the 25th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent has announced. The awards will take place the night of March 5th at LA Live's event deck in Los Angeles. Film Independent said of the comedian, 'Izzard's tangential, absurd, bizarre, and surreal comic narratives are lauded for their creativity and wit, which suits the irreverent, laid-back style of the Spirit Awards.'

Broadway star Meredith Patterson, most recently seen in Irving Berlin's White Christmas, will bring her new show, 'Sweet Old-Fashioned Girl,' to acclaimed club Birdland. Her show will play the club on March 15th at 7:00pm.