Jessica Lewis - Page 161

Readily recognized for her long time tenure on TV's 'Designing Women' as Julia Sugarbaker and for her starring roles in seven other TV series, Dixie Carter passed away at the age of 70 on April 10, 2010. 'This has been a terrible blow to our family,' her husband Hal Holbrook told ET.

Weekend Movie Box Office Update: April 9 - April 11, 2010

As GLEE gears up for the first season second installment tomorrow, April 13, TV Guide has released the behind-the-scenes footage of an exclusive photo op with the cast for the highly anticipated Madonna episode. Click here to view the shots, including Sue Sylvester in the famed 'cone bra.'

In a year-long celebration of Broadway tradition, Camp Broadway will kick off its 15th season tomorrow, April 13 at 7:30pm, with performances by luminaries of the New York stage and launch its 2010 program initiatives. A selection of Broadway's treasured compositions, and a debut of original pieces, will be sung by Natalie Douglas (2008 MAC Award Winner, 2008 Nightlife Award Winner), Alison Fraser (THE SECRET GARDEN, GYPSY), Lisa Howard (...SPELLING BEE, SOUTH PACIFIC, 9 TO 5); Kevin Michael Murphy (YouTube's break out star, Craig Stevens), Pearl Sun (HAPPINESS at Lincoln Center, ...GRINCH); and Michael Winther (33 VARIATIONS, THE CRUCIBLE, MAMMA MIA!, 1776, DAMN YANKEES), and Camp Broadway Kids from over 30 cities around the country. The concert event will take place at the Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.) BroadwayWorld is offering free tickets to a few lucky readers today! To enter, e-mail rsvp@campbroadway.com. Those who are first to e-mail will be notified directly if they win.

As previously reported, Broadway star, Tony, Grammy and Golden Globe Award winner, Bernadette Peters will pen a second children's book, Stella is a Star, set for publishing and release this spring by Blue Apple Books. The book, inspired by Peters' dog Stella, will feature illustrations by Liz Murphy. Proceeds will go to Broadway Barks, the charitable organization co-founded by Peters and Mary Tyler Moore over over 10 year ago in support of animal shelters.

On Monday, May 3, 7:00PM at Carnegie Hall, The New York Pops presents a 27th Birthday concert and gala celebration entitled 'The Best Is Yet To Come: Celebrating the Legacy of Frank Sinatra'. Music Director Steven Reineke will lead The New York Pops in a concert of Sinatra's greatest hits, hosted by distinguished columnist Liz Smith. Special guest Frank Sinatra, Jr. joins the orchestra in this celebration of his father's legacy, with Broadway and television actor Cheyenne Jackson and Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris, among other notable performers such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tony nominee John Tartaglia and 'Ugly Betty' star Michael Urie. Following the performance, guests are invited to The Plaza Hotel for a black tie dinner dance. The New York Pops Board Chair James A. Read and his wife Patty will be honored, along with MML Capital Partners for their continued support of The New York Pops.

Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio - two of the original Jersey Boys of The Four Seasons - along with JERSEY BOYS: The Musical writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice have filed a law suit against six former JERSEY BOYS: The Musical performers, claiming that their tour, 'The Boys in Concert,' rips off of the Broadway musical in unauthorized ways. The New York Post reports today that 'The Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer claims 'The Boys in Concert' steals songs, stage elements and copyrighted logos to dupe patrons into thinking it's an 'authorized road company' of the long-running Broadway musical.'

Broadway star and country recording artist Laura Bell Bundy has released her newest music video, for her single 'Drop on By' from the Achin' side of her brand new Achin' and Shakin' album. Check out the video on BroadwayWorld below!

PROMISES, PROMISES star Kristen Chenoweth will open the New York Yankees Game tomorrow, April 14 with the singing of the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium. The game marks the Yankees' Opening Day, and will play the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees will additionally receive their championship rings at the Opening Day ceremony prior to game time for their World Series Victory last season.

The Geffen Playhouse's 2010 / 2011 season builds on successful relationships with playwrights who have worked at the Geffen Playhouse in the past - Jane Anderson, Hershey Felder and Neil LaBute, and welcomes the newer voices of Pulitzer Prize winners Tracy Letts and Lynn Nottage. The first season in the newly named Gil Cates Theater, this collection of plays tackles often polarizing issues ranging from faith to war to sex. The season opens with Lynn Nottage's multi-award winning drama Ruined, continues with the crowd pleaser Hershey Felder in Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, then kicks off the new year with the world premiere of Neil LaBute's The Break of Noon, followed by the world premiere of Jane Anderson's The Escort (a Geffen Playhouse commission), and concludes with the West coast premiere of Tracy Lett's Superior Donuts.

Last week, Cindy Adams of the New York post polled the starry attendees of the recent ADDAMS FAMILY opening to find out what it really feels like to open a Broadway show and how the seemingly invincible performers temper their nerves. Broadway vets such as Hugh Jackman, Matthew Broderick, Christine Baranski and more weighed in on the question, all conceding that the experience is nothing short of terrifying.

Beginning May 11th, Sandy Duncan will star in Creating Claire, written by Joe DiPetro. David Saint will direct the production which will run through June 6th at George Street Playhouse. Today it was announced that Celia Keenan-Bolger, Michael Countryman and Lynn Cohen have joined the cast.

Twitter Watch shines a BWW spotlight on Neil Patrick Harris, star of the CBS Comedy 'How I Met Your Mother'. Neil will also direct an upcoming production of RENT at the Hollywood Bowl set to run from August 6 to 8, 2010. As BroadwayWorld previously announced, Harris has cast High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi, and has taken to Twitter to defend his choice to gossip blogger Perez Hilton.

Mandy Gonzalez, who originated the role of Nina in the Broadway musical, In the Heights, joined WICKED as Elphaba on March 23, 2010. Today, BroadwayWorld brings you the first full batch of production shots!

BWW Discounts is offering you the chance to save on tickets to the National Tour of Tracey Lett's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, at Boston's Colonial Theatre from May 4 - May 16.

Rosie's Broadway Kids and their teaching artists put together a Glee-like mash-up of their own, featuring vocals by Rosie's Broadway Kids, an arrangement by Music Director Steven Jamail, choreography by Kyle Pleasant, and direction by Jeff Statile. In this clip, the crew takes pay homage to Gaga, Broadway and GLEE at the Maravel Arts Center in New York City.

As the clock ticks ever closer to the 25th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards on May 2nd, the yearly tradition of a fête to celebrate the year's nominees will be held on April 19th, 2010, at 5 PM, hosted and generously donated in part by Inside Park at St. Bart's, 325 Park Avenue at 50th Street.

The National Alliance for Musical Theater has announced eight projects that will receive funding from the organization's National Fund for New Musicals, according to Variety.

FENCES, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, is set to open on April 26, 2010 at the Cort Theatre. The strictly limited 13-week engagement will begin previews on April 14, and the marquee has gone up!

National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction (NFFR) will present Cabaret for Medicine, an intimate evening of musical entertainment produced by Carl Andress featuring Karen Akers, Jim Caruso, Barb Jungr, Linda Lavin, Christine Pedi and Billy Stritch, on Monday April 12, 2010.