David Michael News

On June 4, Broadway veterans will unite for a fundraiser with President Barack Obama and special guest President Bill Clinton at the New Amsterdam Theater, titled- BARACK ON BROADWAY. Featuring direction by George C. Wolfe, the event will be hosted by Margo Lion, Thomas Schumacher, Michael David, Lauren Mitchell, Roger Berlind, and Paul Boskin.

It's officially summer come June and this summer season promises to be an active one at the Frist Center. Next month kicks off with the opening of Metamorphoses: Drawings by Erin Anfinson, Kristi Hargrove, Mark Hosford, and Chris Scarborough in the Conte Community Arts Gallery, and is shortly followed by the opening of Constable: Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum on June 22. The Frist has collaborated with Watkins College on an quilting workshop with edgy quilter Ben Venom and the second installment of Frist Fridays on June 29th features Sam Bush with special guest Lera Lynn.

Receiving its long overdue west coast premiere is The Fix, which premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 1997 and then made its way finally to the US playing in Virginia, but never landing on Broadway. It's pure political satire with music, in the style of a rock opera, but, unlike pure rock opera, with spoken dialogue as well as the music to move the plot along. Reminding one of a vaudeville at times with its broad playing mood, it is an intensely dark, hard-hitting, gritty drama that socks a big wallop. Its one major drawback is its lack of comedic flair; it is so serious and razor sharp, it forgets to lighten up at times to let its audience digest it properly. Now in a finely staged engagement through May 20 at ICT, Long Beach, The Fix boasts above all else... a splendiferous cast.

Just as the 2012 presidential race heats up,International City Theatre (ICT) presents the West Coast premiere of a hard-boiled, darkly comic, Olivier Award-nominated rock musical about the American political machine. With book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, The Fix begins a four-week run on April 27 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Randy Brenner is at the helm, with musical direction by Darryl Archibald, choreography by Heather Castillo, and Sal Mistretta reprising his Helen Hayes Award-winning role as Uncle Grahame. Low-priced previews take place on April 24, 25 and 26.

The award-winning musical JERSEY BOYS recently re-opened at the Paris Las Vegas hotel after concluding its run at the Palazzo Las Vegas at the end of 2011. BroadwayWorld brings you the boys' arrival to their new home below.

Upon the conclusion of six weeks of intense competition which began January 8, nearly a thousand patrons supported 20 of Southern California's newest and most dynamic, young musical theatre performers in LA's Next Great Stage Star 2012 at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA.

Director and actor Natalija Nogulich has been named as director for the Chicago premiere of songwriter Spider Saloff's one-woman musical, THE ROAR OF THE BUTTERFLY, to be presented by KMP Artists at Victory Gardens' Richard Christiansen Theater May 2 - 20, 2012. In the tradition of Lilly Tomlin and Tracey Ullman, Saloff portrays eight different characters in this new musical comedy.

On 19 February at the Prince of Wales Theatre, West End and Broadway star Kerry Ellis (Wicked, We Will Rock You, Oliver!) was voted Winner of the Jo Hutchinson International Best Solo Performance at the WhatsonStage Awards (2012). Kerry Ellis will next be appearing at the Royal Albert Hall, in another production produced and directed by Hugh Wooldridge, for the benefit of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, The Night of 1000 Voices, on Bank Holiday Sunday May 6.

JERSEY BOYS - The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will open at the Festival Theatre, Adelaide, from October 26, 2012.

"Our 2012 season is comprised of three world premieres: one by David Michael Sirois and two by Mark Della Ventura. We wanted to put together an evening of short plays written by these two amazing playwrights to show our audience a sample of the exciting things happening this season," says Producing Artistic Director Adalberto J. Acevedo.

On Sunday February 12 LA's Next Great Stage Star brought its annual six-week singing competition to a rivetingly pulsating conclusion @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's. Twenty contestants who began on Sunday January 8 performed, and 14 judges then narrowed the group to five finalists. Not an easy task, as this year's contestants were all immensely talented vocalists who gave their all to every single performance! Once the five finalists were announced, each performed one more time in order for the judges to pick a winner. Lovely Chelsea Emma Franko from Apple Valley took the top prize. In second place is Carrie St. Louis. Tyson Pyles and David Michael Laffey tied for third place, and in fourth, sweet, petite Justine Huxley. Audience had assigned points to the contestants for the first five weeks and the judges weighted these results as part of the final voting.

On Sunday January 15 producers Michael Sterling and Tony Monsour presented the second week of the annual six-week competition LA's Next Great Stage Star 2012, now in its sixth knockout year. Twenty very talented contestants are competing for the title which will be announced at the end of the finale on Sunday February 12.

The Carbonell Awards, the arts organization that 'recognizes and awards excellence in South Florida theatre,' today announced the nominations for the 2011 season.

JERSEY BOYS - The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, which opened September, 2010 at Sydney's Theatre Royal will be one of the longest running musicals in the history of the venue, breaking the Theatre Royal's weekly Box Office records as the highest grossing in the theatre's history.

Now, Rhino has created a 1-hour radio show about "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas." The radio show features New Music From "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boy's Christmas" and exclusive interviews with Bob Gaudio, original founding member of The Four Seasons, the group's principal songwriter, and also the producer of the musical and Christmas CD; Ron Melrose, Musical Director, Associate Producer, and also arranged music for the Jersey Boys musical and Christmas CD; Michael David, President of the Jersey Boys Production Company; and Ryan Malloy & Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young, Members of the Jersey Boys cast featured on "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas". Below, BroadwayWorld brings you Part 3 of the radio segment. Click here to revisit Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Now, Rhino has created a 1-hour radio show about "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas." The radio show features New Music From "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boy's Christmas" and exclusive interviews with Bob Gaudio, original founding member of The Four Seasons, the group's principal songwriter, and also the producer of the musical and Christmas CD; Ron Melrose, Musical Director, Associate Producer, and also arranged music for the Jersey Boys musical and Christmas CD; Michael David, President of the Jersey Boys Production Company; and Ryan Malloy & Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young, Members of the Jersey Boys cast featured on "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas". Below, BroadwayWorld brings you Part 2 of the radio segment. Click here to revisit Part 1 and check back tomorrow for Part 3!

Now, Rhino has created a 1-hour radio show about "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas." The radio show features New Music From "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boy's Christmas" and exclusive interviews with Bob Gaudio, original founding member of The Four Seasons, the group's principal songwriter, and also the producer of the musical and Christmas CD; Ron Melrose, Musical Director, Associate Producer, and also arranged music for the Jersey Boys musical and Christmas CD; Michael David, President of the Jersey Boys Production Company; and Ryan Malloy & Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young, Members of the Jersey Boys cast featured on "Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas". Below, BroadwayWorld brings you Part 1 of the radio segment. Check back the rest of the week for Parts 2 and 3!

The smash-hit JERSEY BOYS moves to a new home at Paris Las Vegas this spring and tickets will be available beginning today, December 12, at 10 a.m.

The Silver Palm Awards committee - founded four years ago to honor theatrical excellence in South Florida - has announced that this year it will present the coveted award to 17 individuals, including two for direction of plays, two for playwriting and one for creating a memorable fighting sequence. Also among the honorees is Mosaic Theatre for its ensemble work in the 2011 production of The Irish Curse.

In time for the holidays, Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre presents its special one-hour production of the classic Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol. Enhanced with music, the timeless tale is live on stage from Dec. 3-20.