Bernadette Peters News

Broadway and West End producer Judith Ann Abrams has been involved with multiple ground-breaking and multi-award-winning shows in the last 15 years. But when talking to her, it is clear that her passion really lies in a crazy dream she had at age 23 that gained her notoriety in the Broadway community: the Pixie Judy Troupe.

Bucks County Playhouse under the direction of Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman is delighted to announce the launch of the upcoming Bridge Street Concert Series: Jazz Fest 2014.

Bucks County Playhouse Producers Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser are thrilled to welcome the addition of Broadway's beloved Marin Mazzie to the cast of GETTING TO KNOW YOU: An Enchanted Evening of Oscar Hammerstein II, the Saturday night benefit concert of the inaugural Oscar Hammerstein Festival.

The Manatee Players' production of DAMES AT SEA opens in Stone Hall at the Manatee Performing Arts Center tonight, September 11 and plays through Sunday September 28.

New performing arts-centric Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle was officially picked up to series by Amazon following its audience popularity earlier this year and filming is now underway on the first season of the show, featuring appearances by Broadway notables Bernadette Peters and Constantine Maroulis, among others.

According to many in attendance, the highlight of the service was a moving and humorous eulogy, delvered by Rivers' daughter Melissa.

The Old Globe today announced the full cast and creative team for Marco Ramirez's ('Orange is the New Black,' 'Sons of Anarchy') wildly theatrical new play The Royale, directed by two-time Obie Award-winning and Drama Desk Award-nominated Rachel Chavkin. Founding Artistic Director of New York's the TEAM, Chavkin most recently won accolades for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York Post Critics's Picks, and Top Ten of 2012 and 2013). The Royale will run October 4 to November 2 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run October 4 - 8. Opening night is Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m.

Audiences have an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to journey back into the woods and American musical theater history with the creators and original Broadway cast of the award-winning musical Into the Woods on Sunday, November 9 at 6 p.m. in Segerstrom Hall. Part conversation, part musical selections, this one-night-only reunion celebration is being written and produced by Eileen Roberts in association with Segerstrom Center for the Arts. It features special guests composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim and author and director James Lapine, along with original Broadway cast members Bernadette Peters (The Witch), Joanna Gleason (The Baker's Wife), Chip Zien (The Baker), Robert Westenberg (Cinderella's Prince and Wolf), Kim Crosby (Cinderella), Danielle Ferland (Little Red Riding Hood) and Ben Wright (Jack). Mo Rocca is the moderator; Tedd Firth is the musical director.

Now, the list is up to 10 theatres, with the Roundabout Theatre Company announcing that its three theatres (The American Airlines, Studio 54 and the Stephen Sondheim Theatre) will dim their lights as well.

The Helen Hayes Theater, where Rivers starred in 1994's 'Sally Marr ... and Her Escorts,' will also dim its lights on Tuesday evening.

Disney joined Jujamcyn in honoring the late comic by announcing that tonight they will dim the lights of the New Amesterdam theater's marquee, home of their current hit musical ALADDIN, in honor of Rivers.

Happy Birthday Tom Wopat! Wopat first appeared on the Broadway stage as a replacement in the 1977 musical I Love My Wife, as 'Wally'. He then appeared as a replacement in the stage musicals City of Angels, and Guys and Dolls. He finally appeared in the opening cast of the 1999 revival of Annie Get Your Gun opposite Bernadette Peters, Susan Lucci and Crystal Bernard, who played Annie Oakley. In 2008, Wopat starred on Broadway as the father in the musical A Catered Affair, and received his second Tony nomination for that performance. Wopat recently originated the role of Frank Abignale, Sr. in the musical Catch Me if You Can.

In her 2012 book 'I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me,' comedian Joan Rivers shared that she hoped her funeral would be 'a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action' and 'Hollywood all the way.' Boy did she get what she wished for.

Tina Denmark, the diabolically talented tyke in the award-winning musical Ruthless! returns to New York for nine performances only to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, continuing September 8; 12-13; 15; 19-20 and 22, 2014 at 7:00pm. Performances will be held at Stage 72 at The Triad (158 W 72nd St, NYC). Check out photos from inside the first performance below!

The soul of an artist is on full display in Signature Theatre's 14-15 season-opening production of Sunday in the Park with George, and you'll find the artist's soul behind the scenes in Matthew Gardiner, Associate Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, and the show's director.

Like the role she will be playing in a new production of 'Ruthless!,' the cult-hit musical, Sophia Anne Caruso is a young actress who will do anything to get the part. The triple threat tween will follow in the tap shoes of Laura Bell Bundy('Hairspray,' 'Legally Blonde') Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. Before they became stars, all three young actors were cast as the diabolically talented Tina Denmark. Of Caruso, Author/Director, Joel Paley says, 'We didn't find her, she found us!' Sophia tracked down the creators while they were trying out rewrites for a new Connecticut production, writing to tell them that after having been cast as Tina in regional theatre, one of the principle actors suffered a fatal heart attack during the dress rehearsal. The show never opened. Although heartbroken and terribly shaken ('It was the worst thing that ever happened in my life') she assured us she knew the role backwards and forwards and was more determined than ever to play Tina. 'We had to meet her. She was Tina Denmark.' An audition was arranged and the rest is going to be history!

Upon re-opening in 2012, a commitment was made by Bucks County Playhouse: to create and grow a home to inspire artists of all ages and backgrounds through a robust education program. Now, Bucks County Playhouse is delighted to announce an innovative program titled 'Girlspeak', designed with 13-18 year olds in mind, addresses young women's contemporary concerns, including body image, cyber-bullying and media pressure.

Joseph W. Ritsch directs his first Everyman production.

Bucks County Playhouse Producers Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser announce the launch of a musical theatre development program focusing on the importance of lyrics in the creation of new musicals: The Oscar Hammerstein Festival - named in honor of the master writer whose countless accomplishments during his illustrious career include having mentored a young Stephen Sondheim at Hammerstein's Bucks County farm -- is a year-long program that offers expert mentorship to early career composers and lyricists. The Oscar Hammerstein Festival will culminate in a weekend with musical theatre experts, artists, and enthusiasts and various events open to the general public. The Festival will launch September 26 - 28, 2014.