Bebe Neuwirth News

PIPPIN star Patina Miller is headed to the small screen. Deadline reports that the Tony-winning Broadway actress has joined the cast of CBS's drama pilot MADAM SECRETARY.

Salon/Sanctuary Concerts presents Exodus: Dreams of the Promised Land in Antebellum America featuring The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble with guest actors Rosalyn Coleman Williams and Jennifer Rau. The Script and Stage Direction is by Erica Gould and Jessica Gould did the program concept and dramaturgy.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, today announced plans for its 2014/2015 Season. The upcoming season for the esteemed off-Broadway company begins in October with Rodgers & Hammerstein's ALLEGRO, directed by Tony Award-winner and CSC Associate Director John Doyle. ALLEGRO marks the second installment of CSC's Musical Theater Initiative, which launched last year with the company's hugely-successful production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion, directed by Doyle. Considered one of Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein II's most personal and groundbreaking works, ALLEGRO was their third collaboration and first premiered on Broadway in 1947.

This week, two-time Tony and Emmy Award winner Bebe Neuwirth will play her final eight performances as Matron 'Mama' Morton in Broadway's record-breaking smash-hit musical Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.) Neuwirth, who won a 1997 Tony Award for her acclaimed portrayal of jazz-age killer Velma Kelly and returned ten years later as merry murderess Roxie Hart, concludes her history-making eight-week engagement as Matron 'Mama' Morton -- her third starring role in the production's 18-year run -- on Sunday, March 9. Beginning Monday, March 10, one of the Chicago family's most celebrated performers, stage and screen veteran Roz Ryan, returns to the role of Matron 'Mama' Morton.

Broadway Records will release Jarrod Spector's 'A Little Help From My Friends: Live At 54 BELOW' digitally and on CD on March 25th, 2014. The CD is available for pre-order at http://amzn.com/B00IP9ZAG2. The CD will be available in advance to those attending Jarrod's upcoming 54 BELOW concerts on March 10th, 23rd and 24th. Spector will be signing CDs at these 54 BELOW performances as well as at his engagement on March 31st at 54 BELOW.

Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man as part of its 30th Anniversary season. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir begins an Off-Broadway run at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street) tonight, February 28th, with opening night set for Wednesday March 5th. This limited run will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. Character Man will have scenic & video design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Meghan Santelli and sound design by Sean Hagerty.

In today's New York Times In Performance video, the talented star performs the number "Nowadays," which she describes as "archetypical Kander and Ebb."

Sharon Bush, Philanthropist & Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Teddy Share, Arianna Huffington, Chair, President & Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and Joan Vail Thorne, playwright and director, are Women's Project Theater's 2014 Women of Achievement who will be inducted at its 29th Annual Gala Celebration at the Mandarin Oriental, 80 Columbus Circle, Monday, March 10, at 6:00pm.

Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man as part of its 30th Anniversary season. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir begins an Off-Broadway run at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street) February 28th, with opening night set for Wednesday March 5th. This limited run will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. Character Man will have scenic & video design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Meghan Santelli and sound design by Sean Hagerty.

The cast has been announced for Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, which happily returns to New York with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking on February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues). ERICA DORFLER (Book of Mormon, Memphis), CARTER CALVERT (Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Smokey Joe's Cafe) and join SCOTT RICHARD FOSTER and MARCUS STEVENS, who starred in last year's edition. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking features brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others. Over the course of the spring, Alessandrini will continue to add new material to reflect the season's openings, and unveil the new edition around the time of the Tony Awards.

Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, a new book by Eddie Shapiro featuring interviews with 20 female musical theatre stars, launched earlier this week at the headquarters of Oxford University Press at 198 Madison Avenue. Attendees got to meet some of the dames of Dames including Laura Benanti, Judy Kaye, Debra Monk, Donna McKechnie, Donna Murphy, Lillias White and Karen Ziemba. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there to chat with the ladies about their stories and you can check out what they had to say below!

A concept recording of the brand new musical love story will be released digitally on February 7th and on CD on February 11th, 2014 to coincide with Valentine's Day. The CD is now available for pre-order at http://amzn.com/B00HQ31WDI. There will be a special 54 BELOW album launch concert tonight, January 29th at 9:30 pm and January 30th at 9:30 pm where attendees will be able to buy the album 2 weeks early.

Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, a new book by Eddie Shapiro featuring interviews with 20 female musical theatre stars, launched last night at the headquarters of Oxford University Press at 198 Madison Avenue. Attendees got to meet some of the dames of Dames including Laura Benanti, Judy Kaye, Debra Monk, Donna McKechnie, Donna Murphy, Lillias White and Karen Ziemba. Check out photos from the special event below!

When the national tour of the Tony Award-winning Kander-and-Ebb-and-Fosse Broadway classic CHICAGO returns to Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a week of shows starting January 28, it will not only feature Seinfeld/Dancing With The Stars alum John O'Hurley reprising his role of Billy Flynn, the sexy stage musical will also have another familiar face in the cast---cheery TV personality Paige Davis (Trading Spaces), who returns in the role of Roxie Hart. Before this multi-hyphenate star arrived in the OC for a week of razzle dazzle, we got her to answer a few of our 'silly' questions...

After a 10-month hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, happily returns to New York, beginning February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: Alive and STILL Kicking, featuring brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present BRECHT FEST, a special series exploring the songs, poetry and stories of Bertolt Brecht, to be presented on Monday, February 3 and Monday, February 10 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). CSC is currently presenting Brecht's A MAN'S A MAN, directed by Brian Kulick and with a new score and new songs by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik, continuing the company's exploration of the works of Brecht, which began in 2011 with the sold-out production of Galileo and was followed by last season's The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

Don't Quit Your Night Job, returned to its new home at 54 Below in New York City on Thursday, January 16th, 11:30pm. Scroll down for photos!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its schedule for January 27-February 2, featuring: Joey DeFrancesco, Jared Gold Organ Trio with Dave Stryker, Jamie deRoy & Friends with Dee Snider, Beth Leavel, Kevin Meaney & Lauren Worsham, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Mentor Mondays at Jim Caruso's Cast Party featuring Tony Award-Winner Lillias White, and more. Details below!

On Monday, January 20, the company of Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical smash Chicago is pleased to welcome back Olivier Award nominee Brent Barrett in a new return engagement to the starring role of 'that silver-tongued Prince of the Courtroom,' Billy Flynn.

Bronx Bombers, a new American play written and directed by Eric Simonson, will begin performances on Broadway starting January 10, 2014 at Circle in the Square Theatre. Scroll down to learn more about the cast!