Ben Fankhauser News

On this day in 2012, Newsies seized the day on opening night at the Nederlander Theater!

Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Bradley Gibson (The Lion King), Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture) and Zach Adkins (Anastasia) will perform at a March 18 concert celebrating the new album, Joyride, by songwriter Joey Contreras at The Green Room 42. Favorites from his previous albums, Love Me, Love Me Not and Young Kind of Love will be included.

Tony-nominated Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls) and YouTube Sensation Natalie Weiss join forces on "Break from the Line," an empowering single written by songwriter Joey Contreras and co-arranged by Weiss. The music video features the two stars belting and having fun at a NYC recording studio. 

Our quest to collect all the OBC Newsies continues this week as we welcome original Davey and Broadway Riffologist Ben Fankhauser! We're pouring out Reyka vodka and Kona Beer while Ben spills about his traumatic makeover before Chicago at Ithaca, his two-year tour life with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and his audition process for Newsies with the best reader ever--Jeremy Jordan!

Lindsay Mendez and Ryan Scott Oliver's ACTOR THERAPY is pleased to announce that enrollment is open for their third annual Summer Intensive. This intensive is comprised of two separate programs: College Prep (ages 15-19), running July 15-26; and New York or Bust! (ages 18-28), running July 29-August 9 in New York City.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Get through hump day with today's top Broadway stories!

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Three Points of Contact, a new conceptual album featuring songs from a musical of the same title by Ryan Scott Oliver, will be released in mid-February via Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms.

John Johnson and Very Intensive Productions have just announced the release of Three Points of Contact, a new conceptual album featuring songs from a musical of the same title by Ryan Scott Oliver. The new recording will be released in mid-February via Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Network officially opens tonight, and more!

 Audiences are thoroughly enjoying themselves at Bucks County Playhouse's production of Broadway's hilarious romantic comedy "I Hate Hamlet." The production, which runs through December 1 and was hailed by The New York Times as "Unapologetically silly…hilarious!" is directed by Marc Bruni ("Beautiful: The Carol King Musical").

Youth, ingenuity, and courage can be held responsible for Buffalo's latest artistic endeavor, STARRING BUFFALO. This new production company has creatively brought the concert musical to the Queen City and in it's inaugural production of Alan Menken and Steven Schwartz's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, they got off to a flying start.

Tony award-winner, Elizabeth Ashley ("Take Her She's Mine") and Tony nominee Tom Hewitt ("The Rocky Horror Show") will headline a refreshed production of Paul Rudnick's witty, laugh out loud comedy, "I Hate Hamlet" at Bucks County Playhouse, November 9 - December 1. The play marks Ashley's return to the Playhouse after co-starring opposite Robert Redford in the pre-Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."

Broadway's Ben Fankhauser (Newsies, Spring Awakening - Tour) will play Quasimodo in Starring Buffalo's upcoming concerts of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, joining previously announced cast members Dan'yelle Williamson (Memphis, Rocky the Musical) as Esmeralda, Jonah Platt (Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstar - Live) as Phoebus, Devin Ilaw (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon) as Clopin, and Keith Ersing (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's Fiddler on The Roof) as Frollo. They will team with celebrated Buffalo actors Leah Berst, Charmagne Chi, Arianne Davidow, Matthew Iwanski-Jackson, Dudney Joseph, Ben Michael Moran, Katy Miner, Raphael Santos, and over 100 other contributing Western New York professional and student artists to create an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Last night was the invited dress rehearsal for Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song, which begins previews tonight, October 9, on Broadway. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out the photos below!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present RAISE A GLASS: THE MUSIC & LYRICS OF DREW GASPARINI on Thursday, October 4th at 9:30pm to a SOLD OUT audience.  The cast features 2018 Tony nominee Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Kathryn Gallagher (Jagged Little Pill), Drew Gehling (Waitress, Dave), Gizel Jimenez (Avenue Q, Miss You Like Hell), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), and Andrew Kober (Twelfth Night), among others. 

The heart of NYC's theatre district will be filled with Broadway stars, fans and unmissable theatrical treasures this Sunday, September 30, 2018, for the 32nd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced initial casting for the 30th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26, 2018 at New World Stages

Lorin Latarro will direct an industry presentation of the dark comedy, ALIVE! The Zombie Musical on September 28. Leading the show are Betsy Wolfe (Waitress), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Lauren Zakrin (Great Comet), and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (A Little Night Music).

On Saturday, September 8, Prospect Theatre mounted a concert production of Peter Mills and Cara Reichel's new original musical The Flood. In the summer of 1993, the town of Valmeyer, Illinois was devastated when the levees broke and the Mississippi river overtook the town. The Flood fictionalizes this tale, resetting it in the town of Meyerville where a host of characters bring heart to the moving tale.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Lin-Manuel Miranda met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Hamilton on the West End, and more!