Betty Comden News

'Exciting' is not a word normally associated with productions of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Heartwarming? Sure. Chilling? When its climax is done well, certainly. But director David Cromer's non-traditional take on the play - which remains completely faithful to the author's text and themes - is one of the most exciting theatre events of the season.

Eric McCormack, Emmy Award winner for 'Will & Grace,' will play El Gallo, Lucas Grabeel from 'High School Musical' will play Matt, and Broadway star and Tony nominee Harry Groener will play Bellomy in 'The Fantasticks,' which concludes the 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company at the Freud Playhouse May 5-May 17 (press opening May 6).

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & LyricistsTM with SUNNY SIDE UP, featuring the Lennon/McCartney of their time, DeSylva, Brown & Henderson. Subtitled 'Roaring through the Twenties,' the show focuses on the megastar songwriting team of Prohibition-Era Tin Pan Alley who turned out hits like 'You're the Cream in My Coffee,' 'Button Up Your Overcoat,' 'The Best Things in Life Are Free' and the definitive college musical, Good News.

The season opens in September with a musical that highlights and celebrates America's frontier, Little House on the Prairie. In November, Paper Mill produces the classic song and dance spectacular On the Town. The winter months bring Lost in Yonkers, a Neil Simon classic to brighten the stage and warm your heart. Spring is twisting and jiving with the 1950's rock ?n' roll extravaganza Smokey Joe's Caf?. The season closes with the internationally acclaimed classic Peter Pan.

Five exciting productions are slated for the 2009 season, running twenty-one weeks from Memorial Day to Columbus Day Weekends.

The 92nd Street Y announces final casting for the 2009 season of Lyrics & LyricistsTM, the Y's legendary American Songbook series. Linda Purl, La Tanya Hall, Johnny Rodgers and Hilary Kole join Polly Bergen, Lucie Arnaz, Tom Wopat, Marilyn Maye and more who will sing the songs of Ira Gershwin, Mel Torm? and DeSylva, Brown & Henderson. Charles Osgood returns to L&L as host, for the latter show. This is the first season curated by new series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer.

New York Festival of Song (NYFOS), called by The New York Times 'A national treasure when it comes to the art of song,' will present musical stars Tyne Daly, Amanda Green, Walter Bobbie, Darius de Haas, Jason Danieley and surprise guests in its 21st-Season Gala, titled CARRIED AWAY (with the Lyrics of Comden & Green), a celebration of legendary musical comedy writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green, on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 PM at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Sunday, March 1, 2009.

BILL KRAKAUER will be singing popular songs from the 20's to the 2000's - famous or forgotten - written by women or sung by great women performers at THE CELL PERFORMANCE SALON. JONATHAN CERULLO directs, PAUL TRUEBLOOD is the accompanist and music director, and JERED EGAN performs on double bass. The production plays March 2nd at 8:00 pm. All Tickets are $25.00 (no minimum) and can be reserved by calling 212-724-7933. THE CELL is located at 338 West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

BILL KRAKAUER will be singing popular songs from the 20's to the 2000's - famous or forgotten - written by women or sung by great women performers at THE CELL PERFORMANCE SALON. JONATHAN CERULLO directs, PAUL TRUEBLOOD is the accompanist and music director, and JERED EGAN performs on double bass. The production plays March 2nd at 8:00 pm. All Tickets are $25.00 (no minimum) and can be reserved by calling 212-724-7933. THE CELL is located at 338 West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists with DAVID ZIPPEL as host and artistic director of It Started with a Dream, February 21-23. Subtitled David Zippel - Lyrics He Wrote, Lyrics He Wishes He Wrote, the Tony award-winning, Oscar-nominated lyricist of City of Angels and Disney's animated Hercules and Mulan, presents highlights from his own scores and shares his inspirations and personal favorites from the American Songbook. The show features an all-Broadway cast, including vocalists KATE BALDWIN (Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty), KEVIN EARLEY (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Mis?rables), Tony Award-winner DEBBIE GRAVITTE (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Chicago, Les Mis?rables), DANNY GURWIN (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty), and Tony Award-winner LILLIAS WHITE (The Life, Dreamgirls, and. the voice of 'Calliope' in Hercules). One of the most acclaimed and sought-after lyricists working today, David Zippel's other credits include the Broadway musical The Goodbye Girl (written with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon), The Woman in White (with Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which Zippel won another Tony nomination) and the musical stage version of Wendy Wasserstein's bestselling children's book, Pamela's First Musical, written with Wasserstein and City of Angels collaborator Cy Coleman. Series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer, in her first season at the helm, notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that L&L will devote an entire show to a contemporary Broadway songwriter at the height of his career--a return to the spirit in which L&L was founded, with the living lyricist as an active participant.

BILL KRAKAUER will be singing popular songs from the 20's to the 2000's - famous or forgotten - written by women or sung by great women performers at THE CELL PERFORMANCE SALON for just two nights only. JONATHAN CERULLO directs, PAUL TRUEBLOOD is the accompanist and music director, and JERED EGAN performs on double bass. The production plays two nights only, Monday, February 16th and Monday, March 2nd at 8:00 pm. All Tickets are $25.00 (no minimum) and can be reserved by calling 212-724-7933. THE CELL is located at 338 West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner as Cervantes/Quixote. Julia Migenes, the renowned opera and theatre performer, will play Aldonza/Dulcinea; Valerie Perri will play the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea at matinee performances; and Tony nominee Lee Wilkof will play Sancho Panza. 'Man of La Mancha' is written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Court. 'La Mancha' will play at the Freud Playhouse from February 14-March 1 (press opening February 15).

Reprise Theatre Company presents Brian Stokes Mitchell Sings Broadway, a program especially created for Reprise. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 11 at 8 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

The 92nd Street Y continues its 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists, the Y's legendary American Songbook series, with It Started with a Dream, an evening with David Zippel (Shows: City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White, Pamela's First Musical. Films: Mulan, Hercules). The 92nd Street Y has made a block of tickets available for BC/EFA supporters. Each ticket purchased through BC/EFA will include an exclusive and intimate post-performance wine and cheese reception with Mr. Zippel and the evening's performers.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner, written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production will be directed by Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Cout.

The 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season continues with the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' starring Brent Spiner as Cervantes/Quixote. Julia Migenes, the renowned opera and theatre performer, will play Aldonza/Dulcinea; Valerie Perri will play the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea at matinee performances; and Tony nominee Lee Wilkof will play Sancho Panza.

BILL KRAKAUER will be singing popular songs from the 20's to the 2000's - famous or forgotten - written by women or sung by great women performers at THE CELL PERFORMANCE SALON for just two nights only. JONATHAN CERULLO directs, PAUL TRUEBLOOD is the accompanist and music director, and JERED EGAN performs on double bass. The production plays two nights only, Monday, February 16th and Monday, March 2nd at 8:00 pm. All Tickets are $25.00 (no minimum) and can be reserved by calling 212-724-7933. THE CELL is located at 338 West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

Opening Doors Theatre Company announces the first two productions in their 3rd season of Closing Notice productions for 2009: FADE OUT, FADE IN (1964) - First ever NYC revival! Music by Jule Styne Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Directed by Suzanne Adams Choreographed by Christine Schwalenberg Stage Manager: Billie Di Stefano Musical Direction by Jessica Stewart. Cast - Sarah Cooney, Hector Coris, Brian DeCaluwe*, Sarah Lilley, Jean McCormick*, Patrick John Moran*, Michael Vitaly Sazonov*, Lawrence Street* (Broadway's Urinetown), Rob Ventre*, Lexi Windsor*

New York critics and theatre audiences fell under the spell of Liza Minnelli's unmatchable magic when she returned to Broadway's legendary Palace Theatre and played a recent sell-out engagement. Now, music lovers around the world will get the same chance when 'Liza's at the Palace....' the new original cast recording of her incomparable show will be released on February 3rd (Hybrid Recordings).