Ann Miller News

Comedian Rip Taylor has been entertaining audiences for over 50 years with a fast-paced delivery of stupid jokes and hysterical one-liners accompanied by a visual menagerie of props that won't quit. You really have to focus in to keep up with him; once he lets loose with a punchline, that's it; whether you caught it or not, it's on to the next, in a barrage of 50 or more, shot out and sprayed around in machine gun style. As Charles Pierce used to say, 'I hope you're wearing pampers, my dear, because you're going to pee!' Taylor is a scream and audiences have always had a ball.

Today we are taking a look at the extended streak of genius exhibited by Stephen Sondheim, along with director/producer Hal Prince, following the resounding success of COMPANY in 1970. Throughout the rest of the 70s they would continue to change the form of theatre itself with four momentous musicals tackling every topic from aging showgirls singing one last tune to Ingmar Bergman sunsets and a topic for a concept musical no less epic than the westernization of Japan in the wake of Commodore Perry - plus, who could forget the remorseful Barber and his knife (or should that be “wife“?). Without question, these are four richly-encrusted crowning achievements of a legendary career and these musical jewels are still sparkling and shining, as glistening and beautiful as ever dazzling us and enticing us to inspect them closer...

The theatrical definition of a triple threat is someone who can act, sing and dance, but Lee Roy Reams takes this definition to even greater heights by not only being a great performer, but director and choreographer as well.

Even if we've seen and heard it a million times over, the old show biz debate about devotion to stage versus film is a treat as served up in Kaufman and Ferber's Stage Door, being given a red carpet production at the Open Fist Theatre.

Hearts will race for the thrilling romance Free Style, riding onto DVD February 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Hearts will race for the thrilling romance Free Style, riding onto DVD February 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

As previously announced, Broadway's James Barbour will present holiday concerts in New York City at Bill's 1890 Restaurant & Café from December 11-19 and in Los Angeles at the Colony Theatre on December 21. Meredith Patterson will be joining him on opening night, December 11, as his first guest.

Broadway star and vocal magician, JAMES BARBOUR, will repeat last season's holiday sold-out success with this season's HOLIDAY CONCERT 2009 which will be presented in both New York and Los Angeles.

Peter Davison and Jill Halfpenny are to join Sheridan Smith, Duncan James, Alex Gaumond, Aoife Mulholland and Susan McFadden in Jerry Mitchell?s Legally Blonde The Musical which will preview at the Savoy Theatre from 5 December 2009. Currently booking until 23 May 2010, Legally Blonde The Musical has now added Sunday performances to its schedules. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O?Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller, sound design by ACME Sound Partners and orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke.

Broadway star and vocal magician, JAMES BARBOUR, will repeat last season's holiday sold-out success with this season's HOLIDAY CONCERT 2009 which will be presented in both New York and Los Angeles.

New Orleans Ballet Association and The NOCCA Institute present Thank You, Gregory! A Tribute to the Legends of Tap ALL PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT!!!

New Orleans Ballet Association and The NOCCA Institute present Thank You, Gregory! A Tribute to the Legends of Tap ALL PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT!!!

New Orleans Ballet Association and The NOCCA Institute present Thank You, Gregory! A Tribute to the Legends of Tap ALL PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT!!!

Come Halloween, all San Francisco will see - and hear -- how the West was sung when the City's only professional musical theatre company, 42nd Street Moon (www.42ndstreetmoon.org) continues its 2009 / 2010 season with the classic western musical Destry Rides Again starring beloved local chanteuse Connie Champagne as 'Frenchy', the enticing dance hall girl made famous by Marlene Dietrich in the film version.

Come Halloween, all San Francisco will see - and hear -- how the West was sung when the City's only professional musical theatre company, 42nd Street Moon (www.42ndstreetmoon.org) continues its 2009 / 2010 season with the classic western musical Destry Rides Again starring beloved local chanteuse Connie Champagne as 'Frenchy', the enticing dance hall girl made famous by Marlene Dietrich in the film version.

Few cabaret performers electrify an audience. Peter Allen was able to do it with sheer energy, talent and drive. You had to see him jump on top of the piano to understand just how much energy was used up during one number. Hugh Jackman can do it. His personality and good looks alone drive both men and women crazy...and his stamina is also phenomenal. Then there's Alan Cumming - appearing last week for one week only at the Geffen Playhouse-whose extraordinary vocal style and devilish sense of humor can keep a show in high gear.

BroadwayWorld.com presents its newest column, Twitter Watch, which will bring you only the best and most interesting reports straight from the mouths of Broadway stars, shows and more on the hot social networking service - Twitter!

WESTCHESTER BROADWAY THEATRE IS PROUD TO PRESENT 42ND STREET Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, Lyrics by Al Dubin and Music by Harry Warren 9/24/09 - 11/29/09 and resuming: 1/7/10 - 2/6/10

Lovely Katherine Hopkins Nicholas performed her nostalgic solo evening @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's on Sunday, September 20 to exciting audience acclaim. What a memorable and exhilarating walk down memory lane with this singular beauty who sings, taps and entertains as well as she did in 1978! It was '78 when Mrs. Nicholas, married to the late great dancing MGM star Fayard Nicholas of The Nicholas Brothers fame, costarred with Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies. Nicholas has talent to spare and is a real charmer. When she started her set with 'Make Someone Happy', she instantly warmed the intimate crowd.

The Diablo Theatre Company will present the Leonard Bernstein-Betty Comden-Adolph Green musical ON THE TOWN, which will run September 11-27 at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Mindy Cooper will direct the production, which will be choreographed by Charles Anderson.