Nicole Rosky - Page 297

Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man as part of its 30th Anniversary season. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir just opened Off-Broadway at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street) Wednesday March 5th. This limited run, in previews now, will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. Character Man will have scenic & video design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Meghan Santelli and sound design by Sean Hagerty. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there for opening night and you can check out what the cast had to say below!

The New York Philharmonic's staged production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center, hosted by Audra McDonald, on PBS stations. The air date will be announced at a later time. The production, which opened last night and will run through March 8, 2014, stars bass-baritone Bryn Terfel in the title role and Academy Award-winning actress Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett in her Philharmonic debut, New York stage debut, and first time performing the role. Jeff Blumenkrantz portrays The Beadle; Tony Award winner Christian Borle, Pirelli (marking his Philharmonic debut);Kyle Brenn, Tobias Ragg (debut); Jay Armstrong Johnson,Anthony Hope (debut); Erin Mackey, Johanna (debut); and Olivier Award winner Philip Quast, Judge Turpin (debut and New York stage debut). Music Director Alan Gilbert conducts; Grant Sturiale is the assistant conductor; Lonny Price directs; Lonny Price and Matt Cowart are the producers; and Josh Rhodes is the choreographer. BroadwayWorld was there for opening night and you can check out highlights below!

Today in 2008, In the Heights opened at the Richard Rogers Theatre, where it ran for 1184 performances. In the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights. The Broadway production was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography (Andy Blankenbuehler), and Best Orchestrations (Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman). It was also a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Happy Birthday, Donna Murphy! Murphy has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in Passion as Fosca and in The King and I as Anna Leonowens. She received three more Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in Wonderful Town as Ruth Sherwood, LoveMusik as Lotte Lenya and The People in the Picture as Raisel/Bubbie. She is known, most recently, for her role as Mother Gothel in the animated Disney film Tangled (2010), Anij, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's love interest, in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and her numerous stage roles in musical theatre.

Happy Birthday, Stephen Schwartz! In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.

The theatre world is still getting over John Travolta butchering Tony-winner Idina Menzel's name on Sunday's Oscar broadcast. If you missed it, Travolta, who was introducing Menzel's performance of the Academy Award-winning 'Let It Go' from Frozen, instead welcomed 'Adele Dazeem' to the stage. In the hilarious video below, Randy Rainbow sings a Travoltafied musical tribute to the new star!

MCC Theater presents the Off-Broadway premiere of Robert Askins' Hand to God starring Steven Boyer who reprises his celebrated, Obie Award-winning performance from the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) in 2011. Boyer is joined in this brand new production by Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch as well as Geneva Carr, Michael Oberholtzer, andSarah Stiles. Hand to God is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and is currently in previews at the Lucille LortelTheatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on February 19, 2014. An official opening night is set for March 10, 2014. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights of the cast in action below!

Following acclaimed, sold-out runs at Long Wharf Theatre and Shakespeare and Company, Terry Teachout's play Satchmo at the Waldorf, stars John Douglas Thompson. Directed by Gordon Edelstein, Satchmo at the Waldorf just opened last night at Off Broadway's Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street). BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there to chat with the cast and you can check out what they had to say below!

The company met the press last night, and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on hand to chat with the whole gang. Check out what they had to say about the musical and watch a performance sneak peek below!

Happy Birthday, Elaine Paige! Paige was selected to play Eva Peron in the first production of Evita in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public. She went on to originate the role of Grizabella in Cats and had a Top 10 hit with 'Memory', a song from the show. She then appeared in the original stage production of Chess, followed by a starring role in Anything Goes which she also co-produced. Paige made her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard in 1996, playing the lead role of Norma Desmond, to critical acclaim. She appeared in The King and I from 2000 to 2001, and six years later she returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. Most recently, she starred in Follies on Broadway.

To celebrate the first day of performances, BraodwayWorld salutes the ladies of IF/THEN with recent performances from 'Living for Today 6' at Joe's Pub. Below, Idina Menzel sings 'Tomorrow' and LaChanze sings 'Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man.'

Idina Menzel, who voiced 'Elsa', sang the film's anthem 'Let it Go' at the Oscars ceremony, and her performance has spurred even more covers from fans online. YouTube has gathered a list of the most popular covers of "Let It Go" on the site, which includes children singing the popular tune, a classical interpretation and even mashups of the song with popular songs such as Passenger's "Let Her Go," as well as other creative versions. Check out the full list and watch all 10 versions below!

The world premiere production of the brand new musical comedy Bullets Over Broadway, written byWoody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film, will begin preview performances on Tuesday, March 11 and officially open Thursday, April 10, 2014 at The St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). The new musical will be directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive interviews with the company as they contemplate thier own mob names!

Today in 1999, Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 1045 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.'

The cast met the press this morning and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on hand to chat with the whole gang. Check out what Parsons and company had to say about the new play below!

Today in 2005, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels openend at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 627 performances.Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based on the 1988 film of the same name. The director was Jack O'Brien, choreographer was Jerry Mitchell, scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg carves, and lighting design was by Kenneth Posner. The cast included John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, and Sherie Rene Scott, with Joanna Gleason and Gregory Jbara.

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

Signature Theatre is currently presenting the world premiere of THE OPEN HOUSE, by Will Eno and directed by Oliver Butler. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. The production is now playing through through March 23, 2014 with a March 3 opening night in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). Check out highlights of the cast in action below!

In anticipation of FROZEN being available to own and continuously binge watch, Disney has released its full 'The Making of Frozen'- a song featured on the DVD/Blu-ray, hitting shelves on March 18. The musical behind-the-scenes series, directed by Kenny Ortega, lets viewers in on what went into making Disney's hit animated film, and features Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Kristen Bell (Anna) and Josh Gad (Olaf). Check out the full song below!

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs ('Charlie Brown'), romantic ballads ('Spanish Harlem') and infectious melodies ('There Goes My Baby').