Nicole Rosky - Page 514

Goodspeed Musicals takes to the high seas with the new musical Amazing Grace. This tale about a slave trader who sees the light and dedicates himself to ending slavery will run through June 10, 2012 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., Goodspeed's home for developing new works. Amazing Grace is sponsored by Essex Savings Bank. BroadwayWorld brings you a clip from the musical below!

Goodspeed Musicals takes to the high seas with the new musical Amazing Grace. This tale about a slave trader who sees the light and dedicates himself to ending slavery will run through June 10, 2012 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., Goodspeed's home for developing new works. Amazing Grace is sponsored by Essex Savings Bank. BroadwayWorld brings you production shots below!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last night celebrated the life and career of legendary dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Film clips, personal remembrances and an exploration of the technology Kelly used to change the look of dance on film were featured at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, hosted by Kelly's widow, film historian Patricia Ward Kelly. In the video beloww, Broadway favorite Hugh Jackman remembers the star from the barricades of the LES MISERABLES film set. Check out what he had to say below!

Signature Theatre began performances for MEDIEVAL PLAY, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, on May 15 in anticipation of a Thursday, June 7 opening night in The Irene Diamond Stage at the Company's new Frank Gehry-designed home, The Pershing Square Signature Center. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the production below!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: SONS OF THE PROPHET wins big at DCC Awards, Town Hall celebrates 1975, THE NORMAL HEART cast preps for tour, and so much more!

Life is imitating art for leading man Raza Jaffrey, as CHICAGO producer, Barry Weissler spotted him in the new Steven Spielberg TV series Smash, and immediately offered him the role of Billy Flynn in the West End production of the musical. He just began his run in CHICAGO at the Garrick Theatre and will continue through July 14, playing the role between David Bedella, and Olympian Robin Cousins, who joins on 17 July.

Theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber recently sat down with Sky News to chat about his SUPERSTAR search for a 'Jesus' to lead the upcoming JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR UK arena tour. While he was there, Lloyd Webber touched on the judges that will sit by his side, bringing new technology to the show, and what he'll be looking for in the contestants. Check out the full interview by clicking below!

Thea Sharrock's production of SUNSHINE BOYS continues at the Savoy Theatre for a strictly limited run until 28 July 2012, having opened last night, May 17. The Sunshine Boys is designed by Hildegard Bechtler with lighting by Neil Austin, music by Adrian Johnston and sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph. Joining Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths as the ageing vaudevillian team Willie Clark and Al Lewis in Neil Simon's award-winning comedy The Sunshine Boys are Rebecca Blackstone (Miss Mackintosh), Nick Blakeley (Eddie), Peter Cadden (Voice of TV Director), Johnnie Fiori (Registered Nurse), Adam Levy (Ben Silverman) and William Maxwell (Patient). Check out photos from opening night below!

This July 4th, America's national Independence Day celebration kicks off our country's 236th birthday, as A CAPITOL FOURTH on PBS welcomes a brand new host, Emmy Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron. Hot off another winning season as host of the hit TV series, DANCING WITH THE STARS, Bergeron will lead an all-star cast in a patriotic evening of unrivaled musical performances, topped off by the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation. The multi award-winning event will feature acclaimed Broadway and television star Megan Hilty (SMASH); singer-songwriter Javier Colon (winner of THE VOICE); R&B superstars Kool & The Gang; four time Tony-nominated Broadway star Kelli O'Hara; the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly; plus a tribute to Team USA honoring the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams (additional talent to be announced). Broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, A CAPITOL FOURTH will air live in HD on PBS Wednesday, July 4, 2012 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The program can also be heard live in stereo over NPR member stations nationwide.

The past couple of days have been full of announcements about 2012 television pickups. NBC's SMASH will be back, but not until January 2013 with an all new season 2. The cast just attended 2012 upfronts, where they performed pieces from the show. Check out photos, as featured on their Facebook page, below!

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo just announced that the theatre will honor New York Theatre Workshop Board Chair Barbara Warner Howard and Disney Theatrical Group and its president Thomas Schumacher at its 2012 Spring Gala on Tuesday, May 22 at the Plaza Hotel.

According to the Associated Press, a stuntman from Broadway's SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK is considering suing the production over injuries suffered in 2010-11. Richard Kobak (Joshua Kobak according to cast lists for the show), claims not only that he suffered knee injuries while filling in for another cast member in 2010, but that 'a computer program controlling one of his jumps from a balcony sent him flying into a wall on April 5, 2011.'

GLEE's season three finale is coming up on Tuesday, May 22, and fans are still buzzing about which characters will be back after graduation. Creator Ryan Murphy told Vulture: 'A lot of people have been writing Dianna's off the show, Amber's off the show - they're not off the show. I think Amber was talking about that bittersweet feeling of, 'I'll never be in the choir room with that exact group of people.' At least that's what she told me ... When I read that [tweet,] I said, 'I think people will misconstrue that.' She's excited about where her character is going. They all are. I wanted to do the right thing by all of them.'

South Coast Repertory's 49th season will offer audiences an exciting blend of current hits and world premieres. The season begins with Alan Ayckbourn's hilarious farce, Absurd Person Singular, and will include new plays by some of the hottest writers on the theatre scene, including the world premiere of Noah Haidle's Smokefall and a second world premiere to be announced; Sarah Ruhl's comic tale of loss, Eurydice; the Southland debuts of Bill Cain's touching How to Write a New Book for the Bible, Amanda Dehnert's trailblazing musical take on Shakespeare, The Verona Project, and David Henry Hwang's hit comedy Chinglish; and the West Coast premieres of Samuel D. Hunter's poignantly funny The Whale and Stephen Adly Guirgis' Broadway hit The Motherf**ker with the Hat.

The Drama Desk Awards have just announced that award winning actress, model and author Brooke Shields will co-host the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards with TV Star, Broadway's favorite leading man and past Drama Desk Award winner, Brian d'Arcy James. The Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan. This year's award show is being written by cast album producer, playwright, and two-time Drama Desk Award winner Bill Rosenfield and directed by multi-award winning director Mark Waldrop (Divine Miss Millennium Tour, When Pigs Fly, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends).

Off-Broadway's acclaimed Irish Repertory Theatre presents its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala, a concert performance on Broadway of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! - a glorious, Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of 1850's London in the time of the Industrial Revolution - on Monday, June 11 at The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) in Manhattan. Charlotte Moore, who directed last year's concert staging of CAMELOT on Broadway and the IrishRepertory's recent revival of Brian Friel's DANCING AT LUGHNASA, will direct.

BroadwayWorld was there for this year's official Tony Brunch, and got a chance to chat with this year's nominees! Today we bring you Martin Pakledinaz, Best Costumes nominee for NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, theatre veteran and disco legend Donna Summer passed away this morning, May 17 in Florida after a long battle with cancer. She was 63 years old. In the video below, the music legend sings Broadway anthem 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' on 'Regis and Kathie Lee.'

Earlier this month, the 2012 Tony Awards Nominations were announced by Tony winning actress Kristin Chenoweth and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Jim Parsons. The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from the Beacon Theatre, on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 10, 2012. BroadwayWorld was there for this year's official Tony Brunch, and got a chance to chat with this year's nominees! Today we bring you Lifetime Achievement honoree Emanuel 'Manny' Azenberg.

Earlier this month, the 2012 Tony Awards Nominations were announced by Tony winning actress Kristin Chenoweth and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Jim Parsons. The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from the Beacon Theatre, on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 10, 2012. BroadwayWorld was there for this year's official Tony Brunch, and got a chance to chat with this year's nominees! Today we bring you Frank Wildhorn, nominee for Best Score for BONNIE & CLYDE.