Beth Williams News

The first national tour of the current Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Omaha. WEST SIDE STORY will be presented at the Orpheum Theater October 19 - 24, 2010 by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents' Broadway direction will be recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

The producers of PROMISES, PROMISES are thrilled to announce that Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth will now be performing during 9 previously announced absences from the hit musical. Due to new scheduling conflicts Kristin Chenoweth will be performing in PROMISES, PROMISES from Tuesday, October 19 through Wednesday, October 27.

The producers of PROMISES, PROMISES announced that Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth will now be performing during 9 previously announced absences from the hit musical. Due to new scheduling conflicts Kristin Chenoweth will be performing in PROMISES, PROMISES from Tuesday, October 19 through Wednesday, October 27.

After breaking ticket office records and selling out in record time in 2009, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton January 26, 2011 through February 20, 2011.

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America are bringing Storytime Live! to Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE October 16-17 for five shows and Orange County Performing Arts Center October 30-31 for six shows.

'Saturday Night Live' alumnus and 'Superstar' Molly Shannon will make her Broadway debut in the smash hit musical comedy PROMISES, PROMISES as Marge MacDougall for a limited 11 week run from Tuesday, October 12, 2010 through Sunday, December 26, 2010. This new production of PROMISES, PROMISES, directed and choreographed by Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford with Neil Simon's funny and touching book and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's hit-packed score, began previews at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) Saturday, March 27, 2010, and opened on Sunday, April 25, 2010.

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America bring Storytime Live! to the Orange County Performing Arts Center for six performances October 30 and 31. In the midst of a 70-city United States tour, Storytime Live! is the first-ever live family theatrical tour featuring characters from four of the current top-rated preschool shows on television: Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets! and Ni Hao, Kai-lan. Preschoolers and their parents can see their favorite Nick Jr. characters come to life in one action-packed on-stage adventure hosted by Nick Jr.'s Moose A. Moose and Zee.

It has been a banner year for PROMISES, PROMISES' Katie Finneran. Her critically acclaimed performance as Marge MacDougall in the smash hit musical comedy PROMISES, PROMISES swept the 2010 awards season winning her the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award. On Sunday, August 22, Ms. Finneran married long time companion Darren Goldstein (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson), and now the couple has announced that they are expecting a child this winter. It is with best wishes that the producers of PROMISES, PROMISES announced today that Tony Award winner Katie Finneran will play her final performance in the smash hit musical comedy on Sunday, October 10, 2010. This new production of PROMISES, PROMISES, directed and choreographed by Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford with Neil Simon's funny and touching book and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's hit-packed score, began previews at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) Saturday, March 27, 2010, and opened on Sunday, April 25, 2010. Casting for Broadway's next Marge MacDougall will be announced shortly.

The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, a new play by David Bertolino, directed by Jerry Douglas, will have its Off-Broadway premiere at 45 Bleecker Street Theatre (just east of Lafayette Street), beginning performances Friday, September 17th. Opening Night is set for October 10th.

The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center presents "one singular sensation" with the new production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony® Award-winning musical A Chorus Line for a limited one-week engagement November 9 through 14.

After breaking ticket office records and selling out in record time in 2009, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton January 26, 2011 through February 20, 2011.

On September 7, Ellen DeGeneres made an appearance in Broadway's PROMISES, PROMISES alongside Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes. In the video below, DeGeneres visits backstage at the Broadway Theatre before her big debut. DeGeneres visited Chenoweth's dressing room where she met her dog, Maddie before being joined by Sean Hayes to practice breathing exercises with Hayes. DeGeneres then took the stage with the rest of the PROMISES, PROMISES cast to practice her singing.

The show that revolutionized musical theatre is returning to Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis for four performances only as a Broadway Across America - Indianapolis Special Presentation.

As reported previously, Ellen Degeneres made a surprise cameo in PROMISES, PROMISES September 7, performing alongside Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. Footage from her surprise performance aired September 15 on the season premiere of her show on NBC. The clips have hit the internet today! Click here to watch her spot.

Broadway headliners are coming in droves to record the 2010 Broadway's Carols for a Cure, the annual holiday CD benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Featured voices include Bernadette Peters and the cast and orchestra from A Little Night Music, Kelsey Grammer, Douglas Hodge, Christine Andreas and the cast of Tony Award winning La Cage aux Folles; Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, from Next to Normal; plus the casts from Memphis, Wicked, Elf, and In the Heights. Jackie Hoffman and the cast of The Addams Family sing 'It's Chanukah,' a Jackie Hoffman/Lon Hoyt original song written during their time together at Hairspray.

Auditions for Pioneer Theatre Company's BLACK COMEDY will be held on Friday, September 24th, 2010. Callbacks will be held on Saturday, September 25th.

The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, a new play by David Bertolino, directed by Jerry Douglas, will have its Off-Broadway premiere at 45 Bleecker Street Theatre (just east of Lafayette Street), beginning performances. Opening Night is set for October 10th.

Lincoln Center Theater, in association with Bob Boyett and NETworks Presentations, presents Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, making its Fox Cities Performing Arts Center debut September 14-19, 2010 as part of the M&I Bank Broadway Across America - Fox Cities Series.

The producers of BURN THE FLOOR have announced that Robbie Kmetoni, Ashleigh Di Lello & Ryan Di Lello, Karen Hauer, and Janette Manrara will appear as featured dancers during the 2010-11 US tour of the Broadway smash hit. All five have been seen on TV's 'So You Think You Can Dance,' in the US (Ashleigh & Ryan Di Lello, Karen Hauer and Janette Manrara) and Australia (Robbie Kmetoni).

PURE Theatre is proud to open its eighth season Nomads & Fools with the regional premiere of Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation. Directed by PURE's Co-Founder and Artistic Director Sharon Graci, and will feature Pam Galle, Paul Whitty, Randy Neale, Sullivan Graci Hamilton, and Carri Schwab.