Monica Simoes - Page 11

The Empire State Building glowed red this weekend, from February 5 - 7, 2010, in honor of Go Red for Women and National Wear Red Day, a day of action aimed at raising awareness of heart disease, the leading killer of New York City women. American Heart Association volunteers were joined by recording artist and new Broadway star, Michelle Williams, formerly of Destiny's Child who makes her Broadway debut in CHICAGO tonight, to light the famous building. Also on hand was New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley to provide a briefing on the state of cardiovascular disease in New York City and illuminate the building with a flip of the switch for National Wear Red Day.

Betty Buckley (Tony Award winner - Cats, Triumph of Love, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1776, Pippin, and more) and theatre personality Julie James (DJ on SIRIUS XM Radio) joined Seth Rudetsky this afternoon for a special addition of Rudetsky's SIRIUS XM Live on Broadway radio broadcast featuring a live musical performances by Buckley.

If It Only Even Runs A Minute, an evening of rare and inspiring songs, anecdotes, and photos from Broadway musicals that may not have been fully-appreciated the first time around, played the Laurie Beechman Theatre on Sunday, January 31. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture performances by a starry cast that included Heidi Blickenstaff, Nancy Anderson, Lisa Brescia, Nick Blaemire, Megan Sikora, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Autumn Hurlbert, Jaclyn Huberman, Jason Sweettooth Williams, Brian Lowdermilk, Jay Aubrey Jones, Joe Iconis, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Adam Gwon, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Leslie McDonel, Lisa Brescia, MK Lawson, Marcy McGwigan, Mary Jo Mecca, Kevin Michael Murphy, Megan Sikora, Melanie Field, Michael Kadin Craig, and more.

Yesterday, January 25, 2010 multi award-winning composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver will brought his buzzed-about concert RATED RSO: The Music & Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver (www.facebook.com/ratedrso) back to Joe's Pub. RATED RSO features a eclectic range of songs from RSO's musicals Mrs. Sharp and Darling, as well as some never-before-heard material, all of which brought sexy schoolteachers, Bostonian rent-boys, obsessive homicidal teenagers, and fairy dust to the intimate nightspot.

Last night, American Idol alum and Rock of Ages star Constantine Maroulis played the Highline Ballroom. BroadwayWorld was there to capture his rousing covers of famous rock tunes.

For one festive night on Sunday, December 13, Broadway came to Urban Stages to ring in the season with special arrangements of favorite holiday tunes. BroadwayWorld was there to share in the experience.

Last week, the starry cast of The Roudabout Theater Company's Present Laughter met the press for their first photo opp. On hand were Victor Garber ('Eli Stone'), Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Brooks Ashmanskas (The Ritz), Lisa Banes, Nancy E. Carroll, Alice Duffy, Holley Fain, Pamela Jane Gray, James Joseph O'Neil, Richard Poe, Marc Vietor and Director Nicholas Martin (Butley). Preview performances for the production begin January 2nd, 2010 and open officially on January 21st, 2010 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. This is a limited engagement through March 21, 2010.

THE JOE ICONIS CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, which included Broadway vets Susan Blackwell, Annie Golden, and Mary Testa, lit up Ars Nova this weekend on December 5th and 6th.

On October 16, Francisco Hernandez Jr. went directly from school to the subway and spent the next 11 days riding from borough to borough with nothing but a metrocard, $10, and a schoolbag. Hernandez, a thirteen year-old who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism that can lead to eccentric behavior and isolation), had gotten in trouble at school and was afraid to go home for fear of being punished. After an 11 day search involving the boy's parents, the New York City transit authority, police and even the Mexican Consulate, Hernandez was found at the Coney Island station stop by a transit police officer.

Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) last night, November 23, 2009.

Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) last night, November 23, 2009.

Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. are presenting the premiere engagement of Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the groundbreaking musical. Dreamgirls introduces Moya Angela as Effie White and features, as The Dreams, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James 'Thunder' Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison in a cast of 26 that also features Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Ronald Duncan, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, James Harkness, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Chauncey Jenkins, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith and Marc Spaulding.

The national tour of Dreamgirls premieres at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street), previews began Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opened Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 5 weeks only, through December, 12, 2009. Dreamgirls will be a highlight of the Apollo Theater's 75th Anniversary celebration in 2009.

The national tour of Dreamgirls premieres at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street), previews began Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opened Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 5 weeks only, through December, 12, 2009. Dreamgirls will be a highlight of the Apollo Theater's 75th Anniversary celebration in 2009. The national tour has announced a series of cities and dates where the musical will visit, the current listing can be found by clicking here.

The opening night of Circumcise Me, a new comedy written by and starring Yisrael Campbell celebrated opening on November 18th. Directed bySam Gold (Circle Mirror Transformation, Jollyship The Whiz Bang), Circumcise Me began previews Off-Broadway at The Bleecker Street Theater (45 Bleecker Street just East of Lafayette Street) on November 1st. The show is produced by Evelyn McGee Colbert and Eva Price for Maximum Entertainment Productions.

Laura Michelle Kelly and Christian Borle took time out of their busy schedules to greet the media on Thursday, October 29th at the world famous Broadway eatery, Sardi's Restaurant (234 West 44th Street). BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there for the 'Jolly Holiday' as the two new leads met the press!

Abingdon Theatre Company's Marathon '33 was a star-studded celebration and special presentation of a new stage show inspired by June Havoc's 1963 play of the same title for one night only on Monday, October 19th at Webster Hall. BroadwayWorld.com's Monica Simoes, a true artist, documented the evening in her expert fashion.

On Sunday, October 11th, over 150,000 people descended on the nation's capital to support equal rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. Numerous Broadway celebrities were part of this effort, adding their voices to the cause that had approximately 1,400 people under the Broadway Impact banner alone.

Broadway's perfectly magical musical MARY POPPINS welcomed the West End's original 'Mary', Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly, and Tony® Award nominee Christian Borle (Broadway's Legally Blonde) beginning Monday, October 12 at 7pm. Produced by Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS will celebrate its three-year anniversary at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street) on Monday, November 16.

Bernadette Peters, Gregory Jbara, Cheyenne Jackson, Matt Cavenaugh, Constantine Maroulis and Linda Eder were among the participants of the third annual New York Times 'Great Children's Read.' The day-long event was a free celebration of reading featuring live entertainment for children and families, presented by Target.