STAGE TUBE: Laura Benanti Tries Out Life as a Barista on New Episode of WORKIN' ITMarch 26, 2015New Yorkers depend on coffee, but when Laura Benanti takes over her local coffee shop, can they depend on her? She learns from Patrick, her real-life local barista, how to froth, foam and have fun with the costumers. Well, it's fun for her anyway. Below, watch as Benanti takes on the city in her latest episode of 'Workin' It.'
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/29/15- THE KING AND IMarch 29, 2015Today in 1951, The King and I opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 1246 performances. The King and I is the fifth musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. The story deals with the experiences of the British schoolteacher, who is hired as part of the King's drive to modernize his country. The relationship between the King and Anna is marked by conflict through much of the play, as well as by a love that neither is able to express.
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/28/15- Reba McEntireMarch 28, 2015Happy Birthday Reba McEntire! Sometimes referred to as 'The Queen of Country', McEntire has sold 41 million records in the United States and more than 60 million worldwide. In the United States, she ranks as the seventh best-selling female artist in all genres and is the second best-selling female country artist of all time. On stage, McEntire has appeared as Annie Oakley in the 2001 Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun followed by the Carnegie Hall concert of South Pacific.
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/27/15- GYPSYMarch 27, 2015Today in 2008, the fourth Broadway revival of Gypsy opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 332 performances. Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The musical contains many songs that became popular standards, including 'Small World,' 'Everything's Coming up Roses', 'Some People', 'Let Me Entertain You', and 'Rose's Turn'.
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/26/15- ANNIEMarch 26, 2015Today in 1997, Annie opened at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), where it ran for 239 performances. Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre). It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical's songs 'Tomorrow' and 'It's the Hard-Knock Life' are among its most popular musical numbers.
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/25/15- MY FAIR LADYMarch 25, 2015Today in 1976, the first Broadway revival of My Fair Lady opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 377 performances. My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so that she may pass as a well born lady. The musical's 1956 Broadway production was a hit, setting what was then the record for the longest run of any major musical theatre production in history. It was followed by a hit London production, a popular film version, and numerous revivals.
STAGE TUBE: Watch New Clips of Danielle Hope & More in THE SOUND OF MUSIC UK Tour!March 24, 2015Now on tour with Danielle Hope and Steven Houghton, is one of the greatest musicals of all time- The Sound of Music. This new production of the classic stage musical coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the film version, the best loved and most successful movie musical in history. Check out new clips of the cast in action below!
STAGE TUBE: SOMETHING ROTTEN! Cast Takes First Broadway Bows!March 24, 2015Hear ye, Broadway - it's really happening!Something Rotten!, the completely original new musical comedy directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, began performances on Broadway last night, March 23. Check out the first official curtain call below!
STAGE TUBE: Broadway Celebrates Stockard Channing at SIX DEGREES Party!March 24, 2015Earlier this month, the Lodge at Gallow Green at the McKittrick Hotel, hosted a party celebrating one of Broadway's favorite stars- Stockard Channing! Six Degrees of Stockard Channing was attended by all sorts of Broadway luminaries which, in the style of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, have some connection to Ms. Channing. Below, go inside the special event with Parade Magazine!
TV: Go INTO THE WOODS to Celebrate Stephen Sondheim's 85th Birthday!March 28, 2015On Monday night, March 22nd, an all-star line-up of Broadway performers united to honor legendary composer, Stephen Sondheim. The evening celebrated the journey of Woods and Sondheim from stage to screen. Performances included music from Into the Woods as well as other Sondheim classics sung by feature film and Broadway talent including Lilla Crawford, Tituss Burgess, Lance Horne, Norm Lewis, Michael McElroy & Broadway Inspirational Voices, Abby Mueller, Andrew Nielson, Kristin Olness, Molly Pope, Christopher Sieber, Brian Sills,Catherine Walker, Trevor Vaughn, Michael-Leon Wooley, Karen Ziemba, Chip Zien and more. BroadwayWorld brings you interviews with all of the red carpet guests below!
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/24/15- ALL SHOOK UP!March 24, 2015Today in 2005, All Shook Up opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 213 performances.All Shook Up is a jukebox musical with Elvis Presley music, with a book by Joe DiPietro. The story is based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Directed by Christopher Ashley, with choreography by Ken Roberson, the original Broadway cast included Cheyenne Jackson (Chad), Jenn Gambatese (Natalie Haller/'Ed'), and Jonathan Hadary (Jim Haller).
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/23/15- AIDAMarch 23, 2015Today in 2000, Aida opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 1852 performances. Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. Aida was nominated for five Tony Awards and won four Tony Awards in 2000, including Best Musical Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Aida was also named by Time Magazine in 2000 as one of the top ten theatre productions of the year. The First National tour was nominated for nine National Broadway Theatre awards (now 'Touring Broadway Awards') and won five awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
STAGE TUBE: Jonathan Groff Duets with Mary-Mitchell Campbell for International Day of Happiness!March 20, 2015In celebration of the third annual International Day of Happiness at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the NGO Relations and Advocacy Section of DPI held an expert global panel yesterday, exploring scientifically proven data that demonstrates the inverse relationship that wealth (both national and personal) can have on happiness. Broadway Conductor and Composer Mary-Mitchell Campbell, currently serving as musical director of Finding Neverland, and Founder of Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) served as the event's Moderator. Campbell called upon her friend Jonathan Groff, who is currently appearing onstage in Hamilton, to celebrate the special occasion on Good Day New York. Below, watch as they perform 'Happy Days are Here Again' and 'Get Happy.'
TV Exclusive: Rob Marshall Reveals Why He Loves INTO THE WOODS in DVD Bonus Features!March 19, 2015INTO THE WOODS arrived in movie theaters nationwide on Christmas Day and both the Blu-ray and DVD editions are now available for pre-order, as well as a HD digital download, set to be released on March 24. Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to share with you an exclusive clip that reveals why director Rob Marshall felt so strongly about bringing the musical to the big screen!
STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/22/15- Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber!March 22, 2015Sondheim is the winner of an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards, including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award. Described by Frank Rich of the New York Times as 'the greatest, and perhaps best-known artist working in musical theatre', his most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins. He also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.
Lloyd Webber has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass. He has also gained a number of honours, including a knighthood in 1992, followed by a peerage from the British Government for services to Music, seven Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, fourteen Ivor Novello Awards, seven Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006. Several of his songs, notably 'The Music of the Night', 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' and 'You Must Love Me', 'Any Dream Will Do' and 'Memory' have been widely recorded and were hits outside of their parent musicals.