Peter James Zielinski - Page 26

Don't Quit Your Night Job, the critically acclaimed comedy variety show featuring a revolving cast of Broadway's brightest performing without a net, welcomed Tony Winner Julie White, Jonathan Groff and Lin-Manuel Miranda to join in on the comedy antics.

The cast of Broadway's Grease performed at the NBA Store's Annual Spring Jam on Thursday April 24th 2008.

Legally Blonde star Laura Bell Bundy joined the ranks of the many Broadway legends whose portraits hang on the walls of the famous 44th Street restaurant Sardi's, when her caricature was unveiled on April 24th, 2008.

On Monday, April 21st the Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominees were announced at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan. The Outer Circle Awards are chosen by a group a theater critics and writers covering Broadway for publications outside of the New York City area. This year, Young Frankenstein picked up the most nominations scoring a total of ten. The revival of Les Liasons Dangereuses came in at nine, South Pacific just below at eight. Glory Days was the only production in the nominating committee that was unable to attend because they missed the cut-off, and will therefore be considered for next years nominations. On Thursday, May 22 2008 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m the Outer Critics Circle annual awards celebration dinner will be held at Sardi's Restaurant. For a complete list of nominees please visit http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=27109

On Wednesday, April 16th Disney Theatrical Productions (Thomas Schumacher, producer) presented a cabaret featuring the songs of composer Alan Menken. The evening featured performances by Disney on Broadway stars Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Sean Palmer (The Little Mermaid) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan).

Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, and how this group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were 30.

National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) held its Annual Chairman's Awards Gala and benefit on Monday, April 14 at New York's Cipriani's Pegasus (30 Rockefeller Plaza). This year, NCTF Chairman James S. Turley, Chairman & CEO of Ernst & Young, honored Angela Lansbury, the Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays and Bank of America.

AUDIENCE REWARDS® launched the ARXP Signature Series with a one-night only presentation of American artist Charles Fazzino and his entire 21-piece collection of Broadway themed 3-D originals that include Broadway II (1987) to his most recent issue, Broadway's Got Heart (2008). This exclusive member event was held Tuesday, April 8, in the Grand Lobby of the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Tituss Burgess, currently starring as Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid, performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Room on Monday, April 7 at 9:30PM. Burgess offered tunes from Duke Ellington to Jason Robert Brown as well as songs off of his solo album, 'Here's To You,' which is available now on iTunes and Cdbaby.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will host its annual 2008 Spring Gala on Monday, April 7th, 2008. Roundabout will celebrate the dynamic time period of the 1960s with a unique evening called 'Feeling Groovy: Pop Songs of the 60s.'

LAByrinth Theater Company (Artistic Director John Ortiz; Co-Artistic Director Philip Seymour Hoffman; Co-Artistic Director and Executive Director John Gould Rubin) and The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus)'s world premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Little Flower of East Orange will run through Sunday, May 4. The production, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, opened on Sunday, April 6.

On April 2nd, 2008 'Almost an Evening' opened on Bleecker Street. Ethan Coen's series of three one act plays unsuccessfully tackle important questions: Waiting - Someone waits somewhere for quite some time. Four Benches - His voyage to self-discovery takes a British intelligence agent to steam baths in New York and Texas, and to park benches in the U.S. And U.K. Debate - Cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned.

Stars of The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins and The Lion King appeared in Times Square to introduce the Disney on Broadway Grayline tourist buses. Disney on Broadway stars Sierra Boggess (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins) and Tshidi Manye (Rafiki in The Lion King) took photos with the Grayline tourist buses designed in their characters' images.

Don't Quit Your Night Job, the critically acclaimed comedy variety show featuring a revolving cast of Broadway's brightest performing without a net, welcomed Sutton Foster, Norbert Leo Butz and Andrea Martin among their stars on Thursday, March 27 at The Zipper.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of In The Heights will welcomed 130 Fidelity FutureStage students from Brooklyn's JHS 383K, Phillippa Schuyler and HS for Enterprise, Business & Technology and Manhattan East School for the Arts & Academics (in East Harlem) to performance of the new hit musical In The Heights and to a post-show talk back immediately following the matinee performance. Tickets to Broadway shows & talk-backs are just one of the many highlights of the landmark Fidelity FutureStage program.

Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Itamar Moses' The Four Of Us officially opened last night, Tuesday, March 25 at New York City Center - Stage II (131 West 55th Street). The production began previews on Thursday, March 6. Directed by Pam MacKinnon (Peter and Jerry, Bach at Leipzig), the two-person cast features Gideon Banner and Michael Esper. When Benjamin's (Banner) first novel vaults him into literary stardom, his friend David (Esper), a struggling playwright, is thrilled for his newfound success...or is he? Should Benjamin help David by using his new connections? Can David even expect such favors from his friend? And, most importantly, who should pay for lunch? The Four Of Us is a poignant new play about friendship and memory, the gap between our stories and our lives, and what happens when your dreams come true - for your best friend. The creative team for The Four Of Us includes David Zinn (scenic and costume design), Russell H. Champa (lighting design), and Daniel Baker (sound design). Itamar Moses' The Four Of Us was named 'Outstanding New Play' at the 2008 San Diego Critics Circle Awards. Tickets for The Four Of Us are available by calling CityTix at (212) 581-1212, online at NYCityCenter.org, or in person at the New York City Center box office (131 West 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue). Tickets are $50.00. Group and student rates are also available. For group ticket information, call (212) 399-3000 x 4132. Student tickets are $25 and will be on sale for all performances based on availability on the day of the performance, up to one hour before showtime. Call (212) 581-1212 for further information. MTC at New York City Center is accessible to people with disabilities and is equipped with a hearing augmentation system. For information on how to subscribe please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com

Alan Cumming,Richard Kind, Kristen Wiig, Kristen Johnston, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, and Sherri Shepherd are scheduled to appear Monday on 'Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words'.

This weekend, March 22 and 23, the cast of Broadway's 'In The Heights' laid-down tracks for their Original Cast Recording session at The Legacy Recording Studios (509 W 38th Street).

Mo Rocca, of Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show,' and Amy Goodman, New York Times best-selling author and host of 'Democracy Now!,' were special guests for The Onion-sponsored Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower launched at The Zipper Factory for a 10PM show on March 21.

On March 20, the production team and cast of Life After Tomorrow held a discussion, performance and signing at Barnes and Noble. Life After Tomorrow, a documentary about the trials and tribulations of several dozen women who were on Broadway and in the road companies of Annie, was co-directed and co-produced by Gil Cates Jr. and Annie alum Julie Stevens. Stevens created the film after starting the website AnnieOrphans.com