Nicole Rosky - Page 558

According to published reports, NBC's SMASH, which aired its fourth episode last night, got a slight ratings boost with almost 6.9 million viewers. Last week's audience was 4% smaller at 6.5 million viewers. The series premiere earned the show a whopping 11.5 million tuning in on February 6.

Signature Theatre has just announced a one-week extension for the world premiere of Katori Hall's HURT VILLAGE, directed by Patricia McGregor. This inaugural production in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at the company's new home The Pershing Square Signature Center will now play through Sunday, March 25. HURT VILLAGE opened on Monday, February 27. Tickets during the extension week are $75 each.

Today in 2008, Passing Strange opened at the Belasco Theatre, where it ran for 165 performances. Passing Strange is a rock musical about a young African American's artistic journey of self-discovery in Europe, drawing on heavy elements of existentialism, metafictional comedy, and the Künstlerroman. The musical's lyrics and book are by Stew with music and orchestrations by Heidi Rodewald and Stew. It was created in collaboration with director Annie Dorsen. The musical was developed at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in 2004 and 2005, one of the only works there ever to be invited back for a second round of development. It had productions in Berkeley, California and Off-Broadway before opening on Broadway in 2008, garnering strong reviews and several awards. Spike Lee filmed the musical on Broadway as a documentary, premiering the film in 2009.

On next week's episode of SMASH, titled 'Let's Be Bad,' Karen discovers a new acting opportunity while attending a government party with Dev. Things get more complicated between Michael and Julia and Eileen teams up with Ellis. Check out a preview below!

Last night on NBC's SMASH entitled 'The Cost of Art', Karen needed to start learning how to get ahead in the world of Broadway, and Eileen tested a new fundraising strategy. Tom went on a date and, Derek threw a party for a hot young celebrity, played by Nick Jonas. Miss the Episode? Catch up below!

Milan Fashion Week recently featured a show by designer Roberto Cavalli and his Autumn 2012 collection. Check out photos from the event below.

Last night before a crowd of 200 theatre makers and theatre lovers, theatreWashington announced the nominees for the 28th Helen Hayes Awards. The National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery set the scene for the announcement of nominees in 26 categories for artistic excellence and the announcement of the recipient of the 2012 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The Helen Hayes Awards is one of the most prestigious honors for artists and theatre companies in Washington's vibrant theatre scene.

According to his official website, Jim Steinman is busy working on lyrics for a new musical version of The Nutcracker. Titled Nutcracked, the musical will feature the classic music by Tchaikovsky with arrangements by Steven Margoshes. The show will include a book penned by Terry Jones.

Rose Theatre Kingston will present THE LADY FROM THE SEA starring Joely Richardson, recently seen in U.S. version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Also playing this season is HERE, a comedy about love and living together by one of Britain's most acclaimed playwrights, Michael Frayn.

Columbia Records -- The music from Fox's smash hit Glee has reached another amazing milestone this week as they are #8 in the top 10 selling digital US artists of all time, according to SoundScan. With over 32 million Glee songs digitally downloaded in the US, they are in the company of pop icons Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Black Eyed Peas.

According to published reports, multiple Emmy Award winner and Broadway veteran James Spader ('Boston Legal,' 'The Practice') will exit NBC's 'The Office' (Thursdays, 9-9:30 p.m. ET) at the end of this eighth season. Spader plays CEO Robert California of Sabre, the parent company of Dunder Mifflin.

BENJAMIN WALKER (star of the upcoming 20th Century Fox action film ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER) will be back on stage Tuesday, March 6th at 9:30pm for the return FIND THE FUNNY- which he created and hosts.

Newsies will move to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre for a strictly limited 101 performance run this spring, following its critically-hailed run at Paper Mill Playhouse in fall 2011. The musical, featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman, and a book by four-time Tony Award® winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), will play its first Broadway preview on March 15th prior to its March 29th opening night; the final performance is scheduled for June 10th. In the video below, meet one of the characters form the show- 'Jack,' played by Jeremy Jordan!

Broadway veteran Laura Bell Bundy will soon release her new album 'Another Piece of Me,' and the first single, 'That's What Angels Do' will be released on February 27. In the video below, the singer chats about what the song means to her. Click below to check it out!

MAGIC/BIRD, a new play from the team that brought you LOMBARDI on Broadway, will play at the Longacre Theater, 200 West 48th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, NYC. Previews will begin Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Magic Johnson recently visited the cast at rehearsals and suprised a lucky ticket buyer at the box office. Check out photos below!

After a year and a half hiatus, Seth Rudetsky's famed Seth's Broadway Chatterbox has returned to Don't Tell Mama. Seth's Broadway Chatterbox includes interviews and performances by noted Broadway celebrities and is a raw, funny and insightful interview program that really has no equal.

According to the NY Daily News, the Life Cafe, the setting that inspired Jonathan Larson's RENT, has been closed since September and is now available for rent. The Alphabet City restaurant, which is where the La Vie Boheme scene takes place, is where Larson penned a great deal of the iconic musical.

The Dramatists Guild of America presents its In the Room series, broadcasting archived audio, unheard by the public since their original recording. In the Room features some of the most influential and celebrated playwrights, composers and lyricists in American theatre, sharing their insight to craft, process and personal stories behind creating some of their most celebrated work. Featured this week is a vintage interview with theatre legend Stephen Sondheim as he chats about lyrics back in 1971.

The Collegiate Chorale will present Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado at Carnegie Hall on April 10 at 6:30pm. The concert will feature soloists: Chuck Cooper, Jason Danieley, Christopher Fitzgerald and Kelli O'Hara. For tickets, visit: http://collegiatechorale.org/

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Howard Kissel, the long-time theater critic for The Daily News, who passed away on Friday night at the age of 69. The marquees of Broadway theaters in New York will be dimmed in his memory tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 28th, at exactly 7:00 p.m. for one minute.