Nicole Rosky - Page 246

Today in 1992, Crazy for You opened at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 1622 performances. Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as 'The New Gershwin Musical Comedy', it is largely based on the songwriting team's 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well. Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical. The Broadway production was directed by Mike Ockrent and choreographed by Susan Stroman.The cast included Jodi Benson as Polly, Harry Groener as Bobby Child, Bruce Adler as Bela Zangler, John Hillner as Lank Hawkins, Michele Pawk as Irene Roth, Jane Connell as Mother, and Beth Leavel as Tess.

The Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots is still bringing audiences to their feet nightly at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). The show has enlisted the help of Broadway's favorite pint-sized critic, Iain Armitage, to spread the message of the musical to kids everywhere. Check out what he and some of the show's tiniest guests had to say below!

Happy Birthday, Christopher Sieber! Sieber made his Broadway debut as Agis in the musical Triumph of Love with Betty Buckley and F. Murray Abraham. Following this role, he appeared as a replacement in the roles of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Billy Flynn in Chicago. Sieber played the role of Rapunzel's Prince and shared the role of the Wolf with Gregg Edelman in the revival of Into the Woods in 2002. In March 2005, Sieber originated the role of Sir Dennis Galahad in the Broadway musical Monty Python's Spamalot. He starred as Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical which opened on Broadway on December 14, 2008, after an out-of-town tryout in Seattle. On March 11, 2011, Sieber replaced Jeffrey Tambor as Georges in the Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles opposite Harvey Fierstein.

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you the first of a series of videos, featuring Rivera, Rees and playwright Terrence McNally as they explain what the musical is about. Check out the premiere clip below!

Just last night, Manhattan Concert Productions brought the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning score of PARADE back to Lincoln Center, where it all began in 1998. PARADE was brought to life for one night only at Avery Fisher Hall. Three-time Tony Award winner and original composer Jason Robert Brown conducted a star-studded cast and full chorus, joined by Olivier Award nominee Gary Griffin as director, and Tom Murray as music supervisor.

Lincoln Center Theater will soon present Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, which will feature a cast led by Kelli O'Hara (as Anna Leonowens) and Ken Watanabe (as the King of Siam). Featuring direction by Bartlett Sher, it will begin previews Thursday, March 12 and open on Thursday, April 16 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Check out a just-released TV spot for the Broadway-bound show below!

Let's see what the critics had to say...

NEVERMORE - The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, a unique theatrical experience combining haunting music, poetic storytelling, and stunning stagecraft to tell the fascinating and moving life story of iconic American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), is currently playing at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues). Check out a just-released scene from the show below!

Gattelli recently took a break from rehearsals to chat with BroadwayWorld about bringing Robbins' choreography back to the stage, how it translates into a 2015 revival, and so much more . Check out the full interview below!

Happy Birthday, John Tartaglia! Tartaglia created and puppeteered the roles of Princeton (the recent college grad) and Rod (the closeted Republican investment banker) in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q, which opened July 31, 2003. For the roles, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004. He joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast as Lumiere on November 21, 2006 and played the roles of Pinocchio and the Magic Mirror in Shrek the Musical. He most recently produced Imaginocean.

Multi-talented singer-songwriter Matt Zarley has just released his brand new album hopefulROMANTIC! To celebrate, Matt has released the latest in a series of videos of songs from the album. Below, we bring you an exclusive look at 'Somebody 4 Everybody', featuring Shoshana Bean & Jeb Havens!

When the world's wealthiest woman returns home for the first time in decades, it's the talk of the town. When that woman is portrayed by the legendary CHITA RIVERA, it's Broadway history in the making. This spring, the sensational two-time Tony® winner joins Tony Award® winner ROGER REES in a stunning tale of young love, timeless seduction, and sweet revenge sure to become the season's most delicious musical sensation. Check out a just-released TV spot for the show below!

Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown's much-loved stage musical The Last Five Years gets the big screen treatment in The Last Five Years- a dynamic, achingly romantic new film from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King) and starring Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (Into the Woods, Pitch Perfect) and Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, 'Smash'). BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you an exclusive clip of Jeremy Jordan singing 'Moving Too Fast' from the movie below!

Manhattan Concert Productions is bringing the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning score of PARADE back to Lincoln Center, where it all began in 1998. This concert performance of PARADE will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from the across the United States; the enlarged forces of the New York City Chamber Orchestra; and a full professional Broadway cast. The company just met the press, and below, BroadwayWorld brings you interviews with the full company as well as a few performance clips, including 'This Is Not Over Yet' and 'The Old Red Hills of Home.'

FBI Director James Comey made a speech today at Georgetown University about race relations in America, and he quoted Tony-winning musical Avenue Q to make his point. Pulling lyrics from 'Everyone's A Little Bit Racist,' Comely commented: 'Look around and you will find, no one's really color-blind. Maybe it's a fact we all should face. Everyone makes judgements based on race.'

Today in 1905, Harold Arlen was born. Having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over, Arlen is best known for writing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, 'Over the Rainbow.' Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. Harlen's music has been featured in a number of other early Broadway shows including Hooray for What!, Bloomer Girl, St. Louis Woman, House of Flowers, Mr. Imperium, Jamaica, Saratoga, and many more.

Today in 1980, the first Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY opened at the Minskoff Theatre, where it ran for 333 performances. West Side Story is an American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York City in the mid-1950s, the musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Bernstein's score for the musical has become extremely popular; it includes 'Something's Coming', 'Maria', 'America', 'Somewhere', 'Tonight', 'Jet Song', 'I Feel Pretty', 'A Boy Like That', 'One Hand, One Heart', 'Gee, Officer Krupke' and 'Cool'.

Happy Birthday Stockard Channing! In 1971, she made her Broadway debut in Two Gentlemen of Verona - The Musical, working with playwright John Guare. She also appeared on Broadway in 1973 in a supporting role in No Hard Feelings. In 1978, at the age of 33, she took on the role of high school teenager Betty Rizzo in the hit musical Grease. Additional Broadway credits include: They're Playing Our Song, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, Woman in Mind, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, and The Lion in Winter. She is currently starrign on Broadway in Other Desert Cities at the Booth Theatre.

Today in 1946, Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1147 performances. Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860-1926), who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler. Songs that became hits include 'There's No Business Like Show Business', 'Doin' What Comes Natur'lly', 'You Can't Get a Man with a Gun', 'They Say It's Wonderful', and 'Anything You Can Do.'

Today in 1979, They're Plaing Our Song opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1082 performances. With a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch, the musical is based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager- a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain. They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices, and there are no big production numbers.