Brian Stokes Mitchell News

The Actors Fund, the nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment, last night presented the 2013 edition of Nothing Like a Dame: Lorna's Pink Party, a benefit for the Phyllis NewmanWomen's Health Initiative and the Dr. Philomena McAndrew Fund of Tower Cancer Research Foundation. This highly anticipated event, starring entertainment legend Lorna Luft with her special guest Liza Minnelli will continue on Monday, October 21st at 7 pm, at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, New York City. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the concert below!

Acclaimed for presenting hundreds of exciting, world-class cultural experiences for free to hundreds of thousands of people each year worldwide, Arts Brookfield is celebrating its 25th Anniversary by launching Art Set Free, an unprecedented global art showcase that offers the opportunity for established, emerging and amateur artists anywhere to have their work presented to an international audience on ArtsBrookfield25.com and at Brookfield's premier office properties in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its line-up of talent for October 21-27, featuring: Lorna's Pink Party; Peter Eldridge with Jane Monheit; Kurt Elling; Barbara Carroll; Jim Caruso's Cast Party; The Birdland Jazz Party featuring Hilary Gardner, and more!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Charles Randolph-Wright's world premiere drama Love in Afghanistan. Randolph-Wright, a Resident Playwright through Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute and director of Motown the Musical currently on Broadway, joins forces with director Lucie Tiberghien (MCC Theater's Don't Go Gentle) to bring to life the tale of two fantastically different people discovering love in the most unlikely of places: war-torn Afghanistan. One, an emerging hip-hop artist, the other, a high-level Afghan interpreter, both fight to navigate the pitfalls of romance, religious differences and political unrest. Love in Afghanistan runs tonight, October 11-November 17, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Symphony Space opens its 2013-14 Music season with 'Kurt Weill on Broadway,' tonight, October 7 (8 pm) at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Weill's One Touch of Venus. Ted Chapin hosts a stellar cast featuring Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines, plus winners of the international Lotte Lenya Competition.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone the show runs thru November 3, 2013, starring Jeannie Shubitz as KATE /LILLI. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Shubitz onstage below!

Take a trip to the Great White Way with Broadway superstar Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in "Broadway and Beyond with Brian Stokes Mitchell" on Oct. 17-20 at Heinz Hall.

Susan Graham - winner of a Grammy, an Opera News Award, Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, and hailed by the New York Times as 'an artist to treasure' - returns for another compelling season, highlighted by three role debuts. As Houston Grand Opera's 2013-14 Lynn Wyatt Great Artist, she undertakes Prince Orlofsky in the company's first staging of Die Fledermaus in 30 years.

Myrna and Freddie Gershon hosted a full house at 54 Below on Thursday the 26th of September for the 30th Anniversary Celebration of songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

Last night, Thursday, September 26, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, launched its first of six performances celebrating the extraordinary 30-year collaboration of Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, My Favorite Year, Seussical, Lucky Stiff, the upcoming Rocky, and more). In 'Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration,' September 26 - 28, Ahrens and Flaherty offer six very special concerts featuring their best known songs, rare gems and even some never-before-heard material, performed by a rotating cast of Broadway stars. Last night's opening night concert featured Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes), Tony nominee Liz Callaway (Baby, Anastasia), Tony Award winner LaChanze (Dessa Rose, Once on This Island), Kecia Lewis (Dessa Rose, Once on This Island), Sean McCourt (Wicked, A Man of No Importance), Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate) Tony Award nominee Mary Testa (42nd Street, Lucky Stiff), and musical direction by Tony Award Winner Ted Sperling (South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza, and The Other Josh Cohen). The evening features musical arrangements by Neil Douglas Reilly.

According to The New York Times, Broadway favorite Howard McGillin and his longtime parter Richard Samson tied the knot last week in Manhattan. The couple announced their engagement in July. BroadwayWorld sends our congratulations to the happy couple!

The Morrison Center announces a Celebration of Velma V. Morrison's life today, September 22, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. at the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Boise State University (2201 Cesar Chavez Lane).

The Lincoln Square Business Improvement District (BID) hosts the 14th annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, New York's largest outdoor holiday festival on Monday, December 2nd from 5:30PM-9:00PM to kick-off the holiday season! This year's highly-anticipated event is expected to attract thousands of people to the Lincoln Square area and light up the entire Upper West Side. There will be over 20 live performance areas, more than 30 restaurants offering tastings and many great performers including Tony Award Winning, renowned Broadway stars, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth headlining the festival. Other performances include: the sultry songstress and rising jazz star Brianna Thomas Quartet, world renowned DJ David Chang, Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Indie Flamenco and Folk Rock band City of the Sun,GRAMMY nominated Brooklyn-based children's band The Pop Ups, the talentedLaGuardia High School Show Choir, ice sculpting, Alice Farley Dance Theater, Bond Street Theatre's Shinbone Alley Stilt Band, Asphalt Orchestra, and Jazz at Lincoln Center just to name a few. The Parks Department will run a free trolley up and down Broadway during the event. Winter's Eve will take place rain, snow or shine. For details visit: www.winterseve.org

Celebrating a season entitled 'From Page to Stage' and inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' 17th century masterpiece Don Quixote, Bergen County Players (BCP) opens its 81st season with the Tony Award-winning musical Man of La Mancha. Performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell, now through October 12, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the cocktail party below! Click here to check out photos from the red carpet!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their brilliant line-up of marvelous talent for the month of October 2013. Birdland will kick-off their electrifying month of programming with the following acts:

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone, the show runs now through November 3, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone, the show will run tonight, September 12 - November 3, 2013.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Charles Randolph-Wright's world premiere drama Love in Afghanistan. Randolph-Wright, a Resident Playwright through Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute and director of Motown the Musical currently on Broadway, joins forces with director Lucie Tiberghien (MCC Theater's Don't Go Gentle) to bring to life the tale of two fantastically different people discovering love in the most unlikely of places: war-torn Afghanistan. One, an emerging hip-hop artist, the other, a high-level Afghan interpreter, both fight to navigate the pitfalls of romance, religious differences and political unrest. Love in Afghanistan runs October 11-November 17, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Munster, Indiana's Theatre at the Center will be the first professional company to stage a regional production of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, which is set to play September 11- October 19, 2014. The musical, which played only 69 performances on Broadway in 2010, will feature a revised the script by creators Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek.