Charles Busch News

The Yale Institute For Music Theater (Mark Brokaw, Artistic Director) will select up to three original music theatre works to be developed in an intensive lab setting in New Haven today, June 4 through June 17, 2012.

Great theater is less than a tankful away from Boston this summer.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild's 2012-2013 season will begin with a comedy, and end with a classic. A.R. Gurney's Sylvia, and Kander & Ebb's Chicago will run in September and March at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series today announced the return of Broadway actress/comedienne JULIE HALSTON to the stage on Monday, July 23 at 7pm.

Philadelphia Theatre Company announces the world premiere of the new musical Stars of David to open its 2012-2013 season this fall.

Friday, June 1, Outlaugh 2012, an 8-night comedy festival featuring standup, sketches, short films, essays, improv and1-person shows, kicks off. America's first and continuing queer Comedy Festival, Outlaugh has previously presented such names as Lea DeLaria, Margaret Cho, and Bob Smith.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild's 2012-2013 season will begin with a comedy, and end with a classic. A.R. Gurney's Sylvia, and Kander & Ebb's Chicago will run in September and March at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

Manhattan Theatre Club will celebrate Artistic Director Lynne Meadow's 40th anniversary as the visionary and artistic leader of the organization with a special tribute on Monday, June 18. The event will begin at 6:30 PM with a VIP cocktail reception, followed by a 7:30 tribute event at the Samuel J. Friedman (261 West 47th Street). Immediately after the Friedman tribute event, a party will follow at Copacabana (268 West 47th Street).

Yesterday, May 21, the Actor's Fund held its annual gala at the New York Marriott Marquis, honoring Tony and Emmy Award winning artist and activist Harry Belafonte, acting duo Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, and real estate developer David Steiner. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photo coverage below!

Varla Jean Merman aka Jeffery Roberson plays the title role in Menotti's THE MEDIUM at The Art House directed by Donna Drake. Produced by Provincetown Counter Productions in association with Mark Cortale this production runs from tonight, May 18th - June 3rd. Elizabeth Hastings who has conducted for both New York City Opera and College Light Opera on Cape Cod will music direct. The cast also includes Stefanie Izzo as Monica, Edmund Bagnell as Toby, Shannon Carson as Mrs. Gobineau, Peter Kendall Clark as Mr. Gobineau and Maria Elena Armijo as Mrs. Nolan. This production is slated to transfer to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre in NY for a limited engagement in the fall. For Art House tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222.

In celebration of the LGBTQ community and its advocates, the NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS will perform a special, one-weekend-only version of their ongoing, award-winning show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind featuring 30 short plays in 60 minutes. This year's performance will feature 30 original LGBTQ-themed plays, including 15 world-premiers and 15 fan favorites from years past.

Following her holiday show in Provincetown last Christmas, and her debut at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York City this past February, David Drake's newest theatrical creation Tawny Heatherton will bring her blonde-swept brand of cheer back to the tip of the Cape for her very first summer-long engagement - with the premiere of TAWNY, TELL ME TRUE at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, MA. With onstage musical direction by John Thomas, TAWNY, TELL ME TRUE opens June 17th and performs every Sunday at 10PM thru Sept 2nd in the Crown Cabaret Room of the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street. Tickets are $25, and can be obtained in-person at the box office, or online at www.onlyatthecrown.com. (Note: *No performance on July 8th.)

The Peccadillo Theater Company presents a special industry reading of Sherri Heller's new comedy MY MOTHER, MY SISTER & ME starring Valerie Harper on tonight, May 14th at 7 pm at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street). The presentation will be directed by OBIE Award winner, Dan Wackerman. A full cast announcement will be forthcoming.

The Peccadillo Theater Company announced complete casting today for the sold out industry reading of Sherri Heller's new comedy MY MOTHER, MY SISTER & ME, starring Valerie Harper, this Monday, May 14th at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street). The presentation will be directed by OBIE Award winner, Dan Wackerman. Along with Valerie Harper, the cast will feature Marcelo Pereira, Anthony Reimer, Randy Schein, Barbara Walsh, Zoe Winters and Remy Zaken.

Patrons were treated to a classic trip down memory lane this week as four leading ladies of the legendary Persian Room New York came together for a book signing. Lainie Zazan, Michele Lee, Connie Stevens and Barbara Van Orden gathered at Barnes and Noble in California's The Grove to celebrate the release of Patty Farmer's new book "The Persian Room Presents." Anecdotes involving audience celebrity sightings included Barbara Streisand (by Stevens), Milton Berle (by Van Orden), Jack Jones and his thighs (by Lee) and a mob king who struck her while performing (by Kazan). See photos of the leading ladies at the event below!

Five years to the day after opening its doors to Detroit audiences, The Ringwald Theatre begins a four-week exclusive run of the holy comedy, The Divine Sister. Written by Charles Busch, author of the past Ringwald hits Die! Mommie! Die! and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, this outrageous comedy pays homage to Hollywood's most memorable nun movies and stars Ringwald's favorite "lady," Joe Bailey, and local radio personality Lisa Jesswein!

Lucas Papaelias, of Broadway's ONCE is set to join the line up of the previously announced 17th annual LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. Papaelias is also known as LPfunK and is an actor/guitarist/composer who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (Best Original Music in a Play) for his work in Adam Rapp's "Essential Self-Defense" at Playwrights Horizons. Most recently, he co-wrote the rock musical PYRAMIDICA: Songs of Freedom, which takes place live in a pyramid scheme company's "free" orientation, and was presented at the Vineyard Arts Project's New Writers / New Plays Festival. He also conceived of, and composed, the rock opera ITHACA: a Perpetual Shredfest, the story of a Lower East Side rock band performing their final concert, which had presentations at Joe's Pub and ARS Nova.