Andrew Lippa News

Director Simon Greiff writes for BWW:UK about creating the new musical, starring Charlotte Wakefield and Helen Hobson, which begins its official rehearsal period on Monday!

The fifth, and final, show of Palo Alto Players' 83rd season is The Farnsworth Invention. Written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, Moneyball, The Social Network, A Few Good Men), this fast-talking, witty drama tells the story of two men locked in an epic competition to lay claim to the most influential invention of the last century: television.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale celebrate the 'BRIDGES' cast recording at Barnes & Noble today, and THE NORMAL HEART airs on HBO this Sunday!

Producers Bruce Cohen, Robb Nanus, Jessica Leventhal, Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman announced today that Tony and Grammy Award nominee Andrew Lippa's new oratorio, I Am Harvey Milk, will have its New York premiere on Monday, October 6 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.

It's Pride month 2014 and The Brown Paper Box Co. is ready to celebrate! Following their successful run of William Finn's A New Brain, The Brown Paper Box Co. has announced their next cabaret series: PROUD AT MARY'S: A June Cabaret at Mary's Attic in Andersonville. Ticketing information for this evening of Pride-based stories and songs can be found at www.brownpaperbox.org.

The fourth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - has announced a new round of stars, including Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera), Austin Scarlett ('Project Runway'), Karen Wyman (celebrated 60s pop singer), Alison Fraser (two-time Tony Award nominee), Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray) and Aaron Weinstein (acclaimed jazz violinist).

The finals of this year's Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer Of The Year Competition 2014 (SSSSPOTY) took place this afternoon (Sunday 18 May 2014) in London's West End, and was won by 20 year old CORRINE PRIEST (London School of Musical Theatre), with her outstanding performance of 'Don't Laugh' from the musicalHotspot.

The finals of this year's Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer Of The Year Competition 2014 (SSSSPOTY) took place this afternoon (Sunday 18 May 2014) in London's West End, and was won by 20 year old CORRINE PRIEST (London School of Musical Theatre), with her outstanding performance of Sondheim's "Don't Laugh" from the musical Hotspot.

West End stars Charlotte Wakefield and Helen Hobson are making quite a habit of being paired together in hit musicals.They first played mother and daughter in Mamma Mia! and then Maria and Mother Abbess in the acclaimed production of The Sound of Music in Regent's Park.

Theatre and technology worlds will come together when TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, once again stages its annual TheatreWorks Honors gala June 21, this year paying tribute to Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Broadway composer Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party, The Addams Family, Big Fish) and Ray Rothrock, Partner Emeritus of pioneering venture capital firm Venrock, both of whom have dedicated their lives to bringing forth vision, innovation, and creativity to arts and business communities in Silicon Valley and around the nation. Master of Ceremonies Tim Molak, Headmaster of Woodside Priory, will preside over the evening while guests enjoy cocktails, an exquisite dinner with wine pairings, live and silent auctions, and a one-night-only musical presentation created expressly for the honorees. TheatreWorks Honors will be held at 6:00pm on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club. A limited number of tables at levels $7,500 and above, and individual tickets at $1,000, are available. For more information, the public may call (650) 463-7135, email Jodye Friedman at jfriedman@theatreworks.org, or visit www.theatreworks.org.

Conductor Judith Clurman, with singers from Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA, will lead a public rehearsal of A Theodore Roosevelt Round by Thomas Cabaniss on Monday, May 19, 2014 at 7 PM, at the Apple Store, 1980 Broadway, corner of West 67th Street & Broadway, New York City.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Michael Urie ignites the night, 'Mamma Mia!' returns, the original musicals 'One Hit Wonders,' 'The Last Ship' and 'Hey! Dancin'!,' a new 'Big Fish' and 'Seussical,' plus all the latest on showtune movies, TV shows and more!

Rehearsals begin today for The Life of the Party - A Celebration of the Songs of Andrew Lippa, a spectacular evening with one of Broadway's most exciting composers and lyricists with David Babani, Artistic Director of the Chocolate Factory, directing alongside an Olivier Award winning creative team. Lynne Page - Choreography, Gareth Owen - Sound Design, Tim Lutkin - Lighting Design and Morgan Large - Set and Costume Design.

Nominations for the 2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced last month at 54 Below, and earlier this week, the honorees appeared at the 2014 Drama Desk Nominees Reception. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there and caught interviews with some of the creatives nominated, including Susan Stroman, Michael Mayer, Andrew Lippa, John Cameron MItchell, and more!

BroadwayWorld.com is proud, and feels very privileged, to have been given EXCLUSIVE access to the evening's historic performance.

The Muny has announced the principle casting for its fourth show of its 96th season, The Addams Family, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, choreographed by Vince Pesce, with musical direction by Ben Whiteley. The Addams Family is sponsored by Missouri Lottery.

Nominations for the 2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced last month at 54 Below, and earlier this week, the honorees appeared at the 2014 Drama Desk Nominees Reception. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a collection of candids of the stars at the big event!

Bernard Haitink will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct two weeks of performances highlighting works by Austrian composers - Berg, Webern, and Mahler - and Beethoven, who spent much of his career in Austria. In the first program, Mr. Haitink will conduct Webern's Im Sommerwind, Berg's Violin Concerto with Leonidas Kavakos, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, Eroica, tonight, May 8, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, May 9 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. Bernard Haitink's appearances are part of an international, season-wide celebration of the 60th anniversary of his conducting debut with the Netherlands Radio Union Orchestra (now the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) and his 85th birthday.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, has announced the appointment of Giovanna Sardelli to the position of Director of New Works. Sardelli brings stellar national directing credits and close ties with many of today's hottest rising playwrights to the company, which has established itself as a leader in cultivating and producing new works. No stranger to TheatreWorks, Sardelli helmed the company's 2013 production of Somewhere by rising star Matthew Lopez, as well as the TheatreWorks' 2011World Premiere of Pulitzer Prize-nominee Rajiv Joseph's The North Pool, named by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of that year's ten best productions in the Bay Area.

BroadwayWorld.com was there, and Kevin Thomas Garcia captured the evening with these beautiful images.