Angela Lansbury News

New York's City Center can be a dark and unwelcoming place on a Friday afternoon. The recently restored interior is obscured by shadows and the only light comes from the merciless worklights over the stage which only partially illuminate the two performers beneath them. Yet, even through these shadows, the admirable skills of two Broadway veterans are evident as they recreate their roles in WEST SIDE STORY. Both actors appeared in this musical classic over forty years ago at Lincoln Center.

The 78th Annual Drama League Awards will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Friday, May 18, 2012 at noon. Check out the 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award.

Lynn Ahrens ist eine Frau mit vielen Facetten. Seit über 30 Jahren arbeitet sie mit dem Komponisten Stephen Flaherty zusammen und schrieb mit ihm die Musicals Ragtime, Seussical:The Musical und die Musik zu den animierten Film Anastasia (Oscar-Nominierung). Derzeit befindet sich ihr neustes Werk Rocky, basierend auf dem Oscar gekrönten Film von 1975 mit Sylvester Stallone, in Pre-Production und wird im November Welturaufführung im Operettenhaus Hamburg feiern. Mein Kollege Pat Cerasaro sprach mit Lynn Ahrens über dieses Projekt.

Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the 50,000-strong union of stage actors and stage managers founded in 1913, has just announced a celebration of 100 years of professional American theater on the occasion of their Centennial.

Nominations Talley for 3 or more: 9 - Nice Work If You Can Get It; 7 - Newsies, Once; 5 - Follies, Death of a Salesman, Evita, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; 4 - One Man, Two Guvnors, Porgy and Bess, Tribes; 3 - The Best Man, Bonnie & Clyde, Death Takes a Holiday, The Lyons, Queen of the Mist, Sons of the Prophet;

Oscar and Tony Award winning actor and arts advocate Kevin Spacey will receive the Helen Hayes Tribute at the 28th Helen Hayes Awards ceremony tonight, April 23, 2012.

Musical Momentum, a very unique benefit concert series, will kick-off with its first event True Colors: A Benefit/Fundraiser for the Trevor Project at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York on Sunday 29th April at 9:30pm.

Today we are kicking off BroadwayWorld's exclusive multi-part InDepth InterView series focusing on the New York Pops 29th Birthday Gala concert celebrating the music and musicals of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, JOURNEY ON, that will take place at Carnegie Hall on April 30 at 7 PM by taking to the lyricist half of the lauded Tony Award-winning songwriting team herself, the thoughtful and candid Lynn Ahrens. In a wide-ranging conversation covering many of her theatrical collaborations with Stephen Flaherty from their first musical, LUCKY STIFF, in the 1980s, to their Tony-winning success with RAGTIME in the 1990s, to their astounding slate of shows since - SEUSSICAL: THE MUSICAL, DESSA ROSE and THE GLORIOUS ONES included - all the way up to 2012 and their new musical in pre-production in Germany, ROCKY, based on the iconic 1975 Oscar-winning Sylvester Stallone-starring boxing film. Ahrens also shares firsthand news on the new Ahrens & Flaherty musical based on the art and life of Degas and the upcoming feature film version of LUCKY STIFF, directed by Christopher Ashley, as well as reflects on her work for the stage, page and screen outside of her work with Flaherty - songs for SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK and songs for the hit indie musical film CAMP among them. Plus, Ahrens shares her enthusiasm for her many collaborators and the performers famous for interpreting her work as well as relates her excitement for the star-studded JOURNEY ON concert spectacular at Carnegie Hall. All of that and much, much more!

Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN began previews on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012, prior to an April 1 opening night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Candice Bergen chatted about the show this morning during her visit to LIVE! With Kelly. View a photo below!

Remember when political conventions were fun?  When the delegates gathered into town, not to perfunctorily declare a pre-determined winner, but to debate through multiple votes, late night deals and maybe a few protest rallies to come up with a nominee?

Today in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island three esteemed individuals were honored by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. for the contributions they have made to this 'Nation of Immigrants.'

Landmark on Main Street will host Two-Time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole for a performance her critically acclaimed show "The End of the World Cabaret" as a special Mother's Day weekend celebration at 8 PM on Saturday, May 12 in the Jeanne Rimsky Theater.

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre will celebrate the success of its critically-acclaimed 2011/12 season and honor the accomplishments of Victor Garber - one of this country's most versatile actors, at its annual Spring Gala onMonday, May 7th at The Loeb Boathouse Central Park (East 72nd Street & Park Drive North).

Michael Riedel reports in today's New York Post that Lincoln Center Theater 'wants the Beaumont for its next big production - a revival of THE KING AND I starring Kelli O'Hara.' BroadwayWorld.com first reported back in 2011 that the theatre was considering a Bartlett Sher helmed revival of the classic show. O'Hara is currently starring opposite Matthew Broderick in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's star-studded 12th Annual Monte Cristo Awards honored tonight, April 16, the distinguished accomplishments and contributions of long-time Trustee Michael Douglas to the American Theater. The award was presented to Mr. Douglas by his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. See photos of the honoree Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angela Lansbury and more below!

Aaron Lazar will play Joe's Pub tonight at 9:30 PM, under the direction of Alexander Gemignani. Tickets are $20.

In our time and place, the great Marriott Theatre to the north of Chicago, in Lincolnshire, in the collar county of Lake, has mounted a production of "The Pirates of Penzance" which officially opened this past weekend, and will run through June 10, 2012. It's directed by Dominic Missimi, a visionary musical theater director and teacher with vast experience and influence across the country, and especially here.

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor esteemed stage actress Patti LuPone with the company's third Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit on April 16, 2012 at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer said, 'I am thrilled that Patti LuPone will be this year's recipient of the Stephen Sondheim Award. With her wonderful performances in Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Company, Passion, and more - she has had an amazing connection to Steve's words and music. It's wonderful to add her name to the distinguished honorees Angela Lansbury and Bernadette Peters. We look forward to saluting Patti and her extraordinary talents in April.'

On April 30, critic Caryn James will lead a conversation regarding why Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN is more relevant than ever in this election year at 92Y. Set to appear are several of the show's stars: James Earl Jones, John Larroquette, Michael McKean, Jefferson Mays and director Michael Wilson.