Anika Noni Rose News

The exquisite John W Engeman Theater of Northport hosted yet another glorious evening in their ongoing concert series 'Broadway Spectrum'. During their dark week between shows, the Engeman brings together Broadway performers for a one night engagement. The performers divulge little antidotes about their careers and sing selections from their favorite roles. The incredible cast this time around included Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Sara Jean Ford, Shuler Hensley, Andrew Samonsky, and Emily Skinner.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has announced its inaugural Conservatory Awards, which will annually recognize and honor A.C.T.'s award-winning actor training program's outstanding alumni and pay tribute to donors who have provided significant support to the M.F.A. Scholarship Fund.

Today we are honoring the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, which went on to win in the categories of Best Song and Best Score for Broadway's own Alan Menken and Howard Ashman - Disney's tale as old as time; the much-beloved and cherished BEAUTY & THE BEAST. Based on the French fairytale of its namesake, BEAUTY & THE BEAST was a landmark achievement in animated film and proved that Disney's previous animation renaissance mega-hit THE LITTLE MERMAID - also penned by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman - was much more than merely a fluke. A new age of animated film treated totally seriously by critics and audiences alike allowed for Disney to continue on with even more success in the following years with even bigger family-friendly hits like ALADDIN and THE LION KING. Yet, BEAUTY & THE BEAST is the most elegant and enrapturing of all Disney animated films from the last century and just may be the very finest of all their animated features that came to pass during that era of renewed interest in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Featuring the vocal talents of legendary stage and screen star Angela Lansbury - check out our extensive InDepth InterView for a few recollections about that experience here - as well as Broadway's own Paige O'Hara and TV/film notable Robby Benson - both of whom will be featured in extensive InDepth InterViews right here on BroadwayWorld next week. Beginning with a prologue and opening song sequence - "Belle" - to rank among the very best not only in film, but stage musicals, as well, BEAUTY & THE BEAST is a rich French country meal topped off by a dizzying array of aural, visual, emotional, comedic and dramatic treats. 'Belle' is merely the starter bread - or, should I say, pain. So, today, we pay tribute to BEAUTY & THE BEAST as it roars back to movie theaters nationwide, now in a diligently-recreated and astonishingly imagined brand new 3D realization. Before you go see all the stunning sights and sounds of the film itself, whether sampling the 3D version in your home 3D studio or out at the Cineplex, here we have some of the finest musical moments to delight in from the storied history of the immensely successful Disney classic in all three of its versions - original animated film, Broadway stage musical and 3D movie experience.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program, which has trained such celebrated actors as Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Anna Deavere Smith, and Denzel Washington, presents the sharp-witted, raunchy satire The Mandrake by Niccolò Machiavelli.

The erstwhile jazz singer has such musical theater heavyweights as Michael Mayer, Tom Kitt and William Finn in her corner.

Though some shows headed for Broadway are set for theatres without stars, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is in just the opposite position: in spite of hiring Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wood Harris, Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker, the production has yet to book a Broadway house.

Today we are taking a look at the very best theatre-related entities in a variety of different categories - books, music, television, film, and, of course, theatre - as we look back on 2011 and all of the many marvelous moments of excitement, passion, joy and exultation that only theatre and theatre-related projects can possibly hope to provide. From Stephen Sondheim's LOOK, I MADE A HAT on the bookshelves of every Broadway baby worth their weight in sequins to Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone in Sondheim's COMPANY on the big screen courtesy of Fathom to the stunning Broadway revival of FOLLIES starring Bernadette Peters and its tremendous new cast album, all the way to the thrills and chills of Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on the big screen and Blu-ray to the BOOK OF MORMON breaking Broadway records and even TV's best drama and comedy, both from mastermind Ryan Murphy - GLEE and AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Plus, we also have top film picks in the categories of Drama and Comedy, as well as the best of the best of them all, with Lars Von Trier's apocalyptic masterpiece MELANCHOLIA, George Clooney's play adaptation THE IDES OF MARCH and the 80s music video stylized thriller/drama DRIVE topping the list. All of that and a whole lot more awaits in this all-encompassing look back at the theatrical highlights in all entertainment realms in 2011, as well as a look ahead to what we cannot wait for in 2012!

Discussing all aspects of her sensitive, charming and emotional new collection of songs, MY LIFELONG LOVE, today we are talking to composer Georgia Stitt, a uniquely gifted artist whose moving new album is an ideal representation of the many facets of her songwriting abilities as well as a portal into her own genre-spanning inspirations and projects from which a number of these songs are culled - many musicals included! In addition to all about MY LIFELONG LOVE and the fabulous Broadway personalities appearing on it - such as Jessie Tyler Ferguson, Susan Egan, Shoshana Bean and Brian D'Arcy James - Stitt also illustrates how her personal life and role as a mother to two daughters has influenced her craft and career, as well as what we can expect from her in the future - like the new jukebox musical, HELLO! MY BABY, and the original musical, BIG RED SUN. Plus, working on the recording of the new ballet, THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN, with her husband, Tony-winner Jason Robert Brown; music directing and acting as vocal coach on AMERICA'S GOT TALENT and GREASE: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT, an overview of the musicals she is working on currently - and much, much more!

Lincoln Center's American Songbook Week Two runs January 18-21, 2012 at The Allen Room, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has announced its inaugural Conservatory Awards, which will annually recognize and honor A.C.T.'s award-winning actor training program's outstanding alumni and pay tribute to donors who have provided significant support to the M.F.A. Scholarship Fund.

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns to the elegant Allen Room in January for its fourteenth season celebrating the diversity of American popular song. For 16 nights the series will explore the best of the golden age of musical standards through to today's most dynamic songwriting. Week One of the 2012 season will start off with a relatively new composer on the scene, multiple Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) who will be bringing his new rap composition about American historical figure Alexander Hamilton called The Hamilton Mixtape. Next up is the just-nominated-for-a-Grammy Award duo Chris Thile and Michael Daves, who play a dazzling, modern form of bluegrass that nonetheless references legendary bluegrass artists from the past. From the rock canon will be J.D. Souther, performing songs he wrote for Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles as well as newer compositions. To close out Week One, composer William Finn (Falsettos, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), along with guest vocalists, will be performing a song cycle inspired by the poetry of William Blake.

SH-K-BOOM RECORDS will release the new CD from GEORGIA STITT, the award winning and critically acclaimed composer and lyricist.

'Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith', a Hallmark Hall of Fame film based on the best-selling book, will premiere Sunday, November 27 on ABC.

Emmy and Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne ('What's Love Got to Do with It,' 'Two Trains Running') stars as Rev. Henry Covington in the new Hallmark Hall of Fame film, 'Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith,' premiering SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. The movie, based on the latest best-selling book by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven), was filmed on location in Detroit. Get a first look at the movie below!

Emmy and Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne ('What's Love Got to Do with It,' 'Two Trains Running') stars as Rev. Henry Covington in the new Hallmark Hall of Fame film, 'Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith,' premiering SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. The movie, based on the latest best-selling book by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven), was filmed on location in Detroit.

SH-K-BOOM RECORDS will release the new CD from GEORGIA STITT, the award winning and critically acclaimed composer and lyricist. My Lifelong Love features thirteen of Stitt's original songs performed by some of the entertainment industry's most exciting singers, including Jesse Tyler Ferguson (TV's 'Modern Family,' The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog, Dreamgirls, TV's 'The Good Wife'), Brian d'Arcy James (TV's 'Smash,' Shrek, Titanic), Susan Egan (Beauty And The Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Shoshana Bean (Wicked, Hairspray), Heidi Blickenstaff ([title of show], The Addams Family), Laura Osnes (Anything Goes, Bonnie and Clyde), Christopher Jackson (In The Heights, TV's 'The Electric Company'), Michael Arden (Bare, Source Code), jazz duo Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli, Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow) and Michael McElroy (Rent, Broadway Inspirational Voices). The recording will be available on November 29, 2011. You can pre-order the album at http://sh-k-boom.com/georgiastitt.shtml.

SH-K-BOOM RECORDS will release the new CD from GEORGIA STITT, the award winning and critically acclaimed composer and lyricist.

The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts will present a FREE Exclusive Sneak Preview Screening of author Mitch Albom's 'Have A Little Faith,' a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. The film is based on the latest best-selling book by Mitch Albom ('Tuesdays with Morrie,' 'Five People You Meet in Heaven'). The screening will be held on Friday, November 18, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. at the Saban Theatre; 8440 Wilshire Boulevard; Beverly Hills, CA 90211. KABC 790 AM is a promotional partner on this event.

The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts will present a FREE Exclusive Sneak Preview Screening of author Mitch Albom's 'Have A Little Faith,' a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. The film is based on the latest best-selling book by Mitch Albom ('Tuesdays with Morrie,' 'Five People You Meet in Heaven').

A&E Network presents 'Stephen King's Bag of Bones,' a four-hour epic miniseries based on The New York Times #1 bestselling novel, and featuring Pierce Brosnan's return to television. The two-night event from Sony Pictures Television premieres on Sunday, December 11 and concludes on Monday, December 12, airing at 9PM ET/PT on both nights.