Jessica Lewis - Page 254

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced it will present the return of its popular benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES on Monday, November 9.

Sierra Boggess, Tituss Burgess, Nikki Renee Daniels, Bryce Ryness, and Ann Sanders have been confirmed to be among the performers at the 'Restore NYC on Broadway,' fundraising concert to be held on October 26th at Symphony Space at 7:00pm. Jeff Kready will host the event and pianist Alexander Rovang accompany the performers.

More trouble surrounding the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles Times reports today. Communications Director for the NEA Yogi Sergant has received a demotion after much chatter surfaced regarding Sergant's alleged recruitment of private arts organizations to get involved with Obama's United We Serve political initiative (which includes the support of his health care reform) on an August 10th conference call .

Broadway In Chicago is proud to announce the off season specials available with the 2010 Broadway In Chicago Season Series. The off season shows are ANNIE, MAMMA MIA!, and 'An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.' Individual tickets are currently available for purchase with a 2010 season subscription.

John Stamos, star of Roundabout Theatre Company?s BYE BYE BIRDIE, will appear on ABC?s ?Good Morning America? between 8AM-9AM on September 29th, channel 7. He will talk about his role as ?Albert Peterson? in this first ever Broadway revival of BYE BYE BIRDIE.

Whatsonstage.com reports that Arlene Phillips, most famous for her choreography and directing work on shows such as SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER an STARLIGHT EXPRESS and for her recent stint on 'Strickly Come Dancing,' is directing and choreographing a new dance spectacle, SACRED FLAME, that will premiere at the O2 Arena on December 28th. The show will star Marti Pellow.

Two national icons come together as America's Choir meets Broadway's leading man in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's new release, Ring Christmas Bells (Mormon Tabernacle Choir®, $18.98). In this 16-track album, the talents of Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell -one of Broadway's brightest stars -combine with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, along with a huge bell choir of more than 100 members. The CD is comprised of live recordings from the choir's 2008 Christmas concert from Temple Square, a musical spectacle that was seen in person by more than 80,000 last year.

Hedgerow Theatre continues its fall tradition of staging a mystery play with Dial M For Murder, Sept. 24-Nov. 1. Although Hedgerow has staged a mystery play each fall for many years, this is the first time Dial M For Murder has been performed at the 86-year old Rose Valley theatre.

Ashanti, who recently starred as Dorothy in the City Center Encores! production of The Wiz, will join Empire State Building officials to 'flip the switch' and light the world-famous icon's tower lights green to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and the September 29 Blu-ray and DVD release of The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Editions.

Chicago Dramatists is having an extraordinary and memorable 2009. In addition to the success of A Steady Rain opening on Broadway this fall, starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman, Chicago Dramatists enters its 31st season with the honor of the TCG New Generations/Future Leaders grant, the announcement of four new resident playwrights and a new associate artistic director, and its selection as only one of four theatres to be included as part of the inaugural Millennium Park 'In The Works' Theatre Lab Project this spring.

Academy Award nominee Annette Bening premieres to night in the title role of a new interpretation of Euripides' MEDEA. The show, which opens tonight after several days of previews at UCLA's Freud Playhouse will run through Oct. 18. Lenka Udovicki directs.

The Colleagues Theatre Company presents actress/writer CATHERINE WOLF in her new one-woman show ON BECOMING at The Cherry Lane Theatre for five performances, beginning tonight. The play with music will be directed by Jack Gindi with Paul Trueblood as musical director and lighting by Marcia Madeira.

Former HAIRSPRAY star Darlene Love and Swedish music group ABBA, whose music is showcased in the blockbuster Broadway musical MAMMA MIA! and the principles of which contributed to the scores of CHESS and the upcoming KRISTINA, are among the nominees for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sir Ian McKellen is confirmed to be the 2009 recipient of the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre. He will be honored The Shakespeare Theatre Company at its annual gala on October 25th at the Harman Center for the Arts.

Film and stage star Jesse Eisenberg will team up with and pop music star and Emmy Award winner Justin Timberlake in the film 'The Social Network' about the formation of Facebook, according to Variety.

From October 6th - October 16th, MAC Award winner Marilyn Maye will perform her new show 'More Mercer,' a celebration of songwriter Johnny Mercer, at the Metropolitan Room. She will be accompanied by pianist Tedd Firth, drummer Jim Elkof, and bassist Tom Hubbard.

The National Theatre could quite possibly be the only institution not suffering from the residue of last year's economic setback. They report 817,000 paid attendances for the 25 productions (17 of which were original) that ran throughout the 2008-2009 the financial year. This figure marks the highest total attendance in the last seven years, at 93 percent of capacity for a total of 1,106 performances.

ELLE Magazine annouced its eight honorees yesterday for its 16th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute. The distinguished ladies include: Julie Andrews, Emily Blunt, Katie Holmes, Julianne Moore, Zoe Saldana, Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger and casting director Bonnie Timmerman. The event will be held at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel.

SHREK THE MUSICAL invites audiences to take advantage of the all-new 'SHREKtoberfest' savings offer. Valid now through November 6th, get 40% off select performances. SHREKtoberfest will continue through December 20th, with a 30% discount available on select performances from November 7th - December 20th. SHREKtoberfest also features Wednesday talkbacks with the cast, free stuff and special offers on NYC attractions and dining!

The first production shots of The Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific National Tour are in! The prize-winning musical classic premiered at the Golden Gate Theatre last Friday, September 18th and will run through Sunday, October 25, 2009.