Audra McDonald News

Bucks County Playhouse announces that due to unforeseen artist scheduling conflicts, the Oscar Hammerstein Festival will be moved from fall to spring, 2016.

MasterVoices kicks off the 2015-2016 season with The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Dutyon October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th Street, New York City. Following the success of our 2012 Mikado at Carnegie Hall, MasterVoices' semi-staged presentation of The Pirates of Penzance will feature a cast of stars from the Broadway and opera worlds, along with Orchestra of St. Luke's performing Arthur Sullivan's original orchestrations under the direction of Artistic Director Ted Sperling. Single tickets are $30-$130 and are available at NYCityCenter.org.For more information visit: www.mastervoices.org/city-center-series.

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: IN YOUR ARMS brings vignettes by a crack team of writers to the stage, THESE PAPER BULLETS! rocks in L.A. and more!

BroadwayWorld has just learned that six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, who will star next spring in Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, will take a break from the show next summer. An official show rep commented: 'Due to a pre-existing commitment, Audra McDonald will not appear in Shuffle Along from Tuesday, June 21 to Sunday, September 25, 2016.  Miss McDonald will return to Shuffle Along beginning Tuesday, September 27 and is currently contracted to stay with the production through  Sunday, June 11, 2017.'

On Friday, October 9, noted orchestrator and conductor Fred Barton will bring the music of Broadway and the American Songbook to the Schimmel Center at Pace University, in American Showstoppers: An Evening of Johnny Mercer. In his seventh concert at Pace, Fred Barton now brings the power of Mercer's music and lyrics front and center, with a 14-piece orchestra and a cast of 16 Broadway singers and dancers, with direction and choreography by Scott Thompson. The cast is headlined by Damon Kirsch, Tony nominee Lee Roy Reams, two time Tony nominee Vivian Reed, Nick Spangler, Tony Nominee Lauren Worsham, and Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba. The cast also features Jesse Luttrell, Sean McGibbon and Molly Pope.

This week 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visitwww.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

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: CHICAGO gets a new 'Roxie', Gloria Estefan 'congas' for Viva Broadway, Nicole Kidman takes the stage in London and more!

Live From Lincoln Center's telecast of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET has won the Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program. Therefore, six-time Tony Award-winner McDonald, is now just an Oscar Award away from the coveted 'EGOT' distinction.

THE EMMY AWARDS for Creative Arts have wrapped up, and BroadwayWorld has all the winners listed below!

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, September 12 for SHUFFLE ALONG Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, the striking new production that presents both the landmark 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles to create this ground-breaking work. 

Broadway's 40 theatres aren't the only places to catch performances from your favorite stars! Well after Broadway orchestras begin their overtures, ensemble members take their dance breaks, and performers belt out their eleven o'clock numbers, the party continues at various cabaret venues throughout New York City. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you some cabaret highlights for this week as picked by our theatre editors, including: Robert Creighton at 54 Below; Whitney Bashor at 54 Below; Will Swenson at 54 Below; Cry-Baby Reunion Concert; and Broadway Back to School 2015.

Billie Holiday is coming to The Apollo Theater in Harlem thanks to Holligram USA this fall. The company has previously brought back Nat King Cole, Liberace and Buddy Holly. Now, Holiday will grace the stage and bring to life the music she made so iconic.

Celebrating more than 50 world premiere plays by women at Women's Voices Theater Festival.

The 2015 Gay Days at Disneyland are set to take place Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4. For its 18th year, the event is expected to attract more than 30,000 LGBT park-hoppers from California and all over the country.

Emmy winning Comedian Judy Gold will return to The Art House in Provincetown by popular demand this Labor Day weekend, this weekend, September 3, 4, 5 at 7:00 PM. She is a Drama Desk and GLAAD Award winner for 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, and host of TV's Mom's Night Out, Tru TV Presents World's Dumbest, has been a guest host of ABC's The View and frequent guest on The Joy Behar show. For tickets and information please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006.

This September, 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street.

Josh Groban is a huge tennis fan and last week, attempted to both qualify and audition to be a ballperson at this year's U.S. Open.

In 1998, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner became the first actresses ever nominated together for a Best Actress Tony Award, for their performance as the conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton in the original Broadway production of 'Side Show.' This week, September 1 & 2 at 7:00 PM, Mark Cortale will reunite the two heralded stars of that musical for his ground-breaking Broadway @ The Art House series in Provincetown, featuring SiriusXM Star Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host.

The Random Farms Kids' Theater, a not-for-profit organization that puts young people center stage, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with a commemorative production of Annie, Jr.