Bob Newhart News

Chicago entertainment icon Denise Tomasello pays tribute to another Chicago legend- Mister Kelly's.

The National Comedy Center was formally designated as the nation's official cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy on Tuesday, March 12. In a tremendous bi-partisan show of support, both the Senate and House of Representatives passed this bill in February, and the president signed it into law on Tuesday, recognizing the Center as the "Official National Comedy Center of the United States."

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts announces A Star is Born: The Concert, on Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm. The show features a number of Broadway' finest singers, from shows such as Cats, Crazy for You, Aida, and more. Bay Street audiences will remember director/performer Scott Coulter from Music Monday's Stephen Schwartz & Friends and the 8-Track Memories concert. 

The National Comedy Center, the nation's first museum and visitor experience dedicated to the comedic arts, announced today that Sebastian Maniscalco and John Mulaney will headline the 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, August 7th -11th. Tickets for their performances will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members only -- starting Wednesday, February 20th at Noon ET at www.ComedyCenter.org.  

Rehearsals have begun for 2 Across, Pigs Do Fly Productions' upcoming production of Jerry Mayer's 'comedy of crosswords and romance'. The show will run from March 7th through March 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

 An eclectic all-star lineup of artists, musicians, actors, and comedians will take the stage as presenters at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards®. This year's presenters include current GRAMMY®nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Leon Bridges, Luke Combs, and Charlie Wilson; GRAMMY winners Alessia Cara, Eve, John Mayer, Bob Newhart, Smokey Robinson, Swizz Beatz, and Meghan Trainor; recording artist Kane Brown, South Korean pop sensation BTS, past GRAMMY nominee Cedric The Entertainer, actress Nina Dobrev, professional football player Julian Edelman, actress Anna Kendrick, actress Jada Pinket Smith, and actor Wilmer Valderrama.

The National Comedy Center will celebrate the centennial year of legendary comedy innovator Ernie Kovacs with the acquisition and display of never-before-seen material and rare artifacts courtesy of the comedian's estate. The acquisition and exhibit were announced today – on Ernie Kovacs' 100th birthday – by the National Comedy Center and Kovacs estate executive Josh Mills.

The National Comedy Center will celebrate the centennial year of legendary comedy innovator Ernie Kovacs with the acquisition and display of never-before-seen material and rare artifacts courtesy of the comedian's estate. The acquisition and exhibit were announced today - on Ernie Kovacs' 100th birthday - by the National Comedy Center and Kovacs estate executive Josh Mills.

Actress/director Barbara Brownell has numerous credits as an actress. Broadway: Play it Again, Sam and The Ballad of Johnny Pot.  King Lear at the Actor's Studio, NY.  Touring: Oklahoma, On a Clear Day.  Regional: Zing!, Barefoot in the Park, Star Spangled Girl.  L.A.: Happy Birthday Wanda June, Dylan, A Case of Libel, Early Cabaret, Chicago, Dull Pain. She won the 2017 Broadway World award for Best Leading Actress in a play, LA . T.V. shows include Mad Men, Big Love, Night Court (3), Grey's Anatomy, Monk, L.A. Law, Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, and recurring on Webster and MASH.  Films include Behind the Candelabra, Going Home, Hearts of the West, Someone to Watch Over Me, Ants, Mark of the Witch, and The Master.  In this interview, Brownell discusses acting and directing Laundry and Bourbon and Lone Star at The Group Rep, set to open this Friday January 25.

EVERYBODY LOVES COUNTRY! Country music has been a staple of American entertainment for more than 60 years! Now imagine seeing six of the biggest country artists of all time in one great performance! We're talking about the Legends in Concert Tribute Artists: Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Shania Twain, and Johnny Cash! You can see these incredible tributes all together in one truly unique entertainment experience, LEGENDS OF COUNTRY, produced by the world-famous Legends in Concert!

As a salute to the late Penny Marshall and her iconic character Laverne, the Garry Marshall Theatre opens its doors and invites all ages to share in a 12-hour "Laverne & Shirley" marathon on Sunday, January 27, 2019 from 10:00 am-10:00 pm.   Information can be found by visiting www.garrymarshalltheatre.org.   

Legendary actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th Annual International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) Publicists Awards celebrating her prolific acting career spanning four decades and still going strong. The awards luncheon returns to the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, February 22, 2019.

Grab your candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup! Buddy the Elf is coming to New Orleans and he's bringing all of his friends and family with him! ELF THE MUSICAL, based off of the beloved Christmas movie Elf starring Will Ferrell, has been turned into a musical and it's headed to the Big Easy this week. ELF tells the story of Buddy, a human baby who sneaks into Santa's sack one night and is raised by the elves at the North Pole. When it becomes obvious to Buddy that he doesn't belong, Santa decides it's time for Buddy to journey to New York City to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs, and to get to know his family. Hilarity and Christmas cheer ensues, of course.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced today that Golden Globe winner and four-time nominee Jeff Bridges will be honored with the 2019 Cecil B. deMille Award at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 6, 2019. The highly-acclaimed actor of such legendary films as Crazy Heart, The Big Lebowski, True Grit and The Fabulous Baker Boys will accept the honor at the awards ceremony, hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, and airing LIVE coast to coast from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET on NBC.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces even more additions to the lineup for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27.  The 17-day festival features over 200 shows with  major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming comedians from around the world performing in venues across the city bringing non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more. Tickets for all shows now on sale at sfsketchfest.com.

In the Broadway musical ELF, one of the characters says, 'Lower your expectations and you won't be disappointed.' Perhaps audiences attending the touring production of ELF playing at The Durham Performing Arts Center this week should heed that advice. Based on the 2003 movie, ELF tells the story of Buddy, a human raised by elves in The North Pole. When Buddy learns he is not actually an elf, he sets off on a journey to New York to find his biological father, a surly book publisher who is on Santa's naughty list. The movie featured a stellar cast including Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, and Will Ferrell as Buddy. And according to 'Forbes,' 'Entertainment Weekly' and The British Film Institute, ELF is one of the best Christmas movies of all time. So you might expect that a stage adaptation of ELF would follow suit. Nope. Sadly, the staged version lacks the mojo that made its movie predecessor work.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces the initial line up for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27, 2019, featuring top comedic talent performing in venues across the city. Audiences can expect another outstanding year of programming and fun as SF Sketchfest will host major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming acts from around the world for non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more.