Carol Burnett News

Today we are saluting one of the most beloved Broadway scores of all time, created by the formidable show business songwriting dynasty of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein - THE SOUND OF MUSIC. While the original 1959 Broadway production was well-received and won Mary Martin a Tony Award for her winsome Maria, the property has gone on to win over generations the world over thanks in no small part to the 1965 Robert Wise feature film version starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. On Monday, Carnegie Hall will be presenting a special concert version of the family- friendly show starring Laura Osnes, Tony Goldwyn and Brooke Shields. Be sure to check out my comprehensive conversation with Brooke Shields, who will be playing the Baroness, available here, and, also, stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for my upcoming InDepth InterView with the Maria of the concert presentation, rising Broadway superstar Laura Osnes. So, what exactly is it about THE SOUND OF MUSIC that has won over audiences of all ages for more than fifty years and set hearts aflutter and souls stirred? Is it the dramatic story of a family torn apart by death and war only to be brought back together again when least expected by a kindly maternal nun? Is it the slice of life depiction of the family dynamic and how we can all relate to one or many facets of it therein? Is it the ensuing romance between Maria and Captain Von Trapp and their delicately portrayed courtship (particularly when considering the ravishing duet added for the film, "Something Good")? Or, is it that classic Rodgers & Hammerstein score - containing a dizzying assortment of standards that have gone on to become ingrained in our ears, minds and hearts, as well as made a fixture of pop culture itself - "Do-Re-Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Edelweiss", "The Lonely Goatherd", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", the title song and beyond. AMC's hit series MAD MEN even featured one of the most beloved SOUND OF MUSIC duets on a recent broadcast as an ironic episode capper all too befitting of the moment (and, given the 60s setting of the series, era) - Betty Draper mischievously sneaking an extra bowl of ice cream set to the strains of "I Am Sixteen Going On Seventeen". Between the MAD MEN song reference, the ongoing SOUND OF MUSIC film singalongs occurring every week (with many patrons coming in costume and with props, ala ROCKY HORROR) around the world and the countless professional and amateur productions that crop up every year, as well as the glitzy Carnegie Hall concert on Monday, THE SOUND OF MUSIC has never gone out of style - it shall forever remain sixteen, even when the show itself is not too far away from hitting sixty.

Pioneer Theatre Company will present Man of La Mancha, the musical staging of the epic tale of Don Quixote, May 4 - May 19, 2012.

Aurora Theatre will end its season with The Fox on the Fairway opening May 3, 2012. The play is written by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) who 'hits a hole-in-one with his tribute to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s. Love and money are in the rough at the Quail Valley Country Club. Two rival country club owners waggle around mistaken identities and play through over-the-top romantic shenanigans in order to stay on the fairway and ace a happy ending. This uproarious golf comedy promises to hit the sweet spot.'

The long-running sketch comedy series THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW is being released by Time Life on DVD. The half hour comedy was composed of sketches and parodies starring Carol Burnett, Vicky Lawrence, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman among others.

Next week on GLEE, the glee club pays homage to a true icon when they cover Whitney Houston's greatest hits. Meanwhile, Emma and Will are one step closer to their dream wedding in the all-new 'Dance with Somebody' episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Check out a sneak peek of the episode beow!

A native San Antonion came to town this week. CAROL BURNETT, star of Broadway, television and film, returned to the Majestic Theatre where she has many fond memories. When she came onstage, it was like an old friend had come through the door for a visit. Carol's show was different than most shows. There wasn't any singing or dancing, but there was pure entertainment.

Tonight on GLEE, The New Directions pay homage to the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' by grooving to disco-infused dance numbers, and THE GLEE PROJECT's Alex Newell makes his first appearance as 'Wade.' Check out photos and full audio from the upcoming episode below!

Ray Jessel is set to make an appearance at The Arthur Newman Theatre in Palm Desert on Sunday, May 13th at 2 PM as part of the Life Is A Cabaret Sundays In Summer Series presented by Les Michaels.

Next week on GLEE, The New Directions pay homage to the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' by grooving to disco-infused dance numbers, and THE GLEE PROJECT's Alex Newell makes his first appearance as 'Wade.' Check out full audio of 'Disco Inferno,' 'Stayin Alive,' 'Boogie Shoes' and more from the upcoming episode below!

Darren Criss sings Should Be Dancin' in a sneak peek of next week's episode of Glee. Check out the video below!

Next week on GLEE, The New Directions pay homage to the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' by grooving to disco-infused dance numbers, and THE GLEE PROJECT's Alex Newell makes his first appearance as 'Wade.' Check out a sneak peek of Amber Riley (Mercedes) singing 'Disco Inferno' from the upcoming episode below!

Last night on GLEE, the McKinley High seniors prepared for graduation, and Matt Bomer guest starred as Blaine's big brother (Cooper). In the video below, catch some bonus footage of Cooper's audition tape. Clcik beow to check it out!

Next week on GLEE, The New Directions pay homage to the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' by grooving to disco-infused dance numbers, and THE GLEE PROJECT's Alex Newell makes his first appearance as 'Wade.' Check out a sneak peek of the upcoming episode below!

The answer to the question we have been waiting eight weeks to be answered finally arrived last night on GLEE: Quinn is still standing - well, more or less. And, she's singing, too! Duetting on Elton John's ear-worm 80s up-tempo classic with similarly wheelchair bound Artie (Kevin McHale), Quinn (Dianna Agron) acted as last night's GLEE's moral figurehead of the hour, while guest star Matt Bomer provided some serious skills in the dramatic and musical fronts in the form of two tremendous duets with brother Blaine (Darren Criss). Besides Blaine's big brother and Quinn's quick recovery from her potentially fatal crash on the mid-season finale back in February, GLEE's "Big Brother" return showed GLEE back in fine form and remaining as outrageous, outlandish, hilarious, spontaneously brilliant and always invigorating as always and how we have come to expect it to be over the course of the uneven three seasons of the series so far. The winning streak continues, and the uniformly strong Season Three barrels on and cements its place as the show's strongest season overall so far. If this episode didn't have enough implicit excitement in evidence already, Bomer and Criss covered one of the biggest songs of 2012 by taking on Australian rising star Gotye's hypnotic pop anthem "Somebody That I Used To Know" in dual-bro mode - instantly becoming an of-the-moment GLEE cultural meta-musical mini-masterpiece to stand proudly with Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff's reinvention of Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" and Michele and Menzel's reworking of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" from previous seasons. GLEE tells stories in a wholly unique way, and, in moments like this, we are reminded why it will remain appointment TV for fans of musical storytelling as long as it remains as relevant, pertinent and surprisingly profound as it often is - more often than not, as we have seen throughout this season. While hot button, water cooler entertainment of the freshest and hottest manner it may not always be anymore, GLEE is a well-oiled machine that fans can rely on to deliver what they want - and, given the proposed revolutionary Season Four concept devised by series mastermind Ryan Murphy, GLEE may reclaim its place as the most must-see show on TV once again. As it is, roughly sixty episodes in, it remains consistently surprising and uniformly entertaining, anyway - perhaps not even halfway through what we can predict its eventual total episode tally may be. But, before Season Four in September, let's discuss the first of the back 8 episodes of GLEE Season Three.

Next week on GLEE, The New Directions pay homage to the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' by grooving to disco-infused dance numbers, and THE GLEE PROJECT's Alex Newell makes his first appearance as 'Wade.' Check out photos from the upcoming episode below!

Annie the Musical will officially roll out the red carpet and pull back the curtain when it opens in the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Thursday 12 April to a full house.

Tonight on GLEE, the McKinley High seniors will be preparing for graduation, and Matt Bomer will guest star as Blaine's big brother (Cooper). Check out photos and audio from the spring premiere below!