Nicole Rosky - Page 301

Grammy Award-winners Toni Braxton and Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds met the press yesterday as they prepare for their two-week engagement in Broadway's After Midnight. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on hand to meet the new stars at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Check out what they had to say about their new gig below!

Mothers and Sons, the new play by four-time Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally and starring Tyne Daly, is currently in previews at Broadway's John Golden Theatre, with an official opening night set for Monday, March 24, 2014. The cast met the press earlier today and BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities. Check out what Daly and the rest of the company had to say about the play below!

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, began performances at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre on February 26th, 2014 for a March 20 opening. In anticipation of the big Broadway opening, we're getting acquainted with the company. In the video below, meet composer Alan Menken!

The new musical ROCKY, starring Andy Karl and Margo Seibert, opens tonight, March 13, at Broadway's historic Winter Garden Theatre. ROCKY features an original score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the celebrated Tony Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated songwriters behind Ragtime, Once on This Island, and Anastasia, and a book by multiple Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan (The Producers, Hairspray, Annie) and Sylvester Stallone, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1976 Oscar-winning Best Picture, Rocky. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the cast in action below!

Coming this Spring, Live From Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series will present Tony Award winner Patina Miller. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Miller is both a fresh new face and a performer at the very top of her game. Her first concert special features music ranging from classic R&B to Broadway's best. Check out a promo for her upcoming special below!

INTAR presents the next production of its 2013-14 season: Adoration of the Old Woman, by Academy Award-nominated and Obie Award winning Jose Rivera and directed by Patricia McGregor will star Raul Castillo (HBO's 'Looking'), Danielle Davenport, Jose Joaquin Perez, Socorro Santiago and Carmen Zilles. This limited Off-Broadway engagement begins tonight, March 13th and continues through April 6th only. Opening Night is set for Wednesday March 19th. The company just met the press and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on hand to chat with the whole gang. Check out what they had to say about the play below!

Today in 1969, 1776 opened at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rogers Theatre), where it ran for 1217 performances. 1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on, and partly fictionalizes, the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical was made into a film of the same name in 1972 and was revived on Broadway in 1997.

Today in 1987, Starlight Express opened at the Gershwin Theatre, where it ran for 761 performances. Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) and Arlene Phillips (choreography), with later revisions by Don Black (lyrics) and David Yazbek (music and lyrics for the 2nd US tour). The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates.

Today in 2002, Sweet Smell of Success opened at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), where it ran for 109 performances. Created by Marvin Hamlisch (music), Craig Carnelia (lyrics), and John Guare (book), the show is based on the 1957 movie of the same name. It tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist named J. J. Hunsecker (based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems inappropriate. The show starred John Lithgow as J.J. Hunsecker, and Brian d'Arcy James as Sidney Falcone.

Today in 1947, Brigadoon opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre, where it ran for 581 performances. Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It tells the story of a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years, though to the villagers, the passing of each century seems no longer than one night. Brigadoon then received a West End production opening in 1949 that ran for 685 performances, and many revivals followed. A 1954 film version starred Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. A 1966 television version starred Robert Goulet and Peter Falk.

Lincoln Center Theater will soon present Act One, a play written and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart. The production is scheduled to begin previews Thursday, March 20 and open on Thursday, April 17 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). The play will feature Bill Army, Will Brill, Laurel Casillo, Chuck Cooper, Steven Kaplan, Will LeBow, Mimi Lieber,Charlotte Maier, Andrea Martin, Deborah Offner, Matthew Saldivar, Matthew Schechter, Bob Stillman,Amy Warren, Santino Fontana and Tony Shalhoub. BroadwayWorld brings you the just-released television spot, featuring Shalhoub, Fontana & Martin, below!

The Broadway premier production of Lanie Robertson's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill is on the search for a small dog to perform with five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald as the show has a dog written into it. The producers of the show have been looking for submissions for a small dog to be cast in the show and actual callbacks were held yesterday, March 11th at the Circle in the Square Theatre (1633 Broadway). Audra McDonald and Broadway animal trainer Bill Berloni were on hand to judge selected finalists and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there to chat with the whole gang. Go inside the puppy auditions below!

The Goodman Theatre presents Rufus Collins (Broadway's To Be or Not To Be and The Royal Family) and Amanda Drinkall (Strawdog Theatre Company's Great Expectations and Measure for Measure at the Goodman) Venus in Fur, helmed by Joanie Schultz. As previously announced, Venus in Fur runs March 8 - April 13 in the Albert Theatre (opening night is Tuesday, March 18). BroadwayWorld brings you highlights below!

On March 21, 2014, The New York Pops continues its 31st season at Carnegie Hall with On Broadway, an evening celebrating some of Broadway's most unforgettable hits from the past and present, featuring Tony Award nominees Stephanie J. Block and Andrew Rannells. The duo just gave a special preview of the concert and BroadwayWord was on hand to catch a sneak peek. Check out what they had to say about the special event below!

Let's see what the critics had to say...Urinetown, the musical, runs at The St James Theatre until 3 May 2014, starring Marc Elliott (EastEnders/The History Boys/Tape) as Mr. McQueen, Richard Fleeshman (Ghost/Legally Blonde/Coronation Street) as Bobby Strong, Simon Paisley Day (Sherlock/Musketeers/Timon Of Athens) as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Jenna Russell (Merrily We Roll Along/Sunday In The Park With George/Guys And Dolls) as Penelope Pennywise, Jonathan Slinger (Hamlet/The Tempest/Yes, Prime Minister) as Officer Lockstock and is directed by Jamie Lloyd (The Commitments, Macbeth, The Hothouse, The Pride) at the St James Theatre.

Happy Birthday, Liza Minnelli! Tony and Oscar winning Broadway, film and TV star Liza Minnelli has appeared on Broadway in Flora, The Red Menace -- for which she won the 1965 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical -- Liza, Chicago, The Act (another Tony win in 1978), The Rink, Victor / Victoria, Minnelli on Minnelli and Liza's at the Palace. She also received a special Tony Award in 1978 She has appeared as herself on TV in Smash, The Voice UK, So You Think You Can Dance, The Apprentice and more, and she is also known for her portrayal of Lucille Austero in the now-Netflix-based comedy series Arrested Development.

Today in 1987, Les Miserables opened at the Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 6680 performances. Written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Les Miserables is set in early 19th-century France. The plot follows the stories of many characters as they struggle for redemption and revolution. An ensemble that includes prostitutes, student revolutionaries, factory workers, and others joins the lead characters. In January 2010, it played its ten-thousandth performance in London, at Queen's Theatre in London's West End. On 3 October 2010, the show celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in the same city: the original show at London's West End; the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary touring production at the original home of the show, the Barbican Centre; and the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary concert at London's O2 Arena. The original Broadway cast included Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, David Bryant as Marius, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Michael Maguire as Enjolras, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, Braden Danner as Gavroche, Donna Vivino as Young Cosette, Jennifer Butt as Madame Thenardier, Leo Burmester as Thenardier, Randy Graff as Fantine, and Terrence Mann as Javert.

Jeanna recently chatted with BroadwayWorld about making her KINKY debut, how she got the role, advice she got from Ashford and more! Check out the full interview below!

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the Academy Award®-winning animated film, is currently in previews at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, prior to opening on March 20th. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award® and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and two-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). In the video below, go behind the scenes of the Broadway sitzprobe with the cast!

Today in 2001, A Class Act opened at the Ambassador Theatre, where it ran for 105 performances. A Class Act is a musical with a book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price and music and lyrics by Edward Kleban. The musical is based on the life of composer-lyricist Ed Kleban, who died at the age of 48 in 1987. The musical uses flashbacks and the device of time running backwards to retrace the high and low points of Kleban's personal and professional life.