Charles Strouse News

On Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 7:00 PM, Randie Levine-Miller will present Broadway Showstopper Divas --'A Swell Party' at the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) as an Actors Fund Benefit.*

Now in its 15th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook celebrates the best in American singing and songwriting with a new chapter in the Songbook story: 'American Songbook in the Penthouse,' a series of weekend-only performances by performers and composers presented in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, an intimate yet elegant venue that brings artists closer to the audience in a cabaret-style setting. The second weekend of Kaplan Penthouse performances, the sixth week of American Songbook 2013, runs April 5-6, 2013. April 5th belongs to Cristin Milioti, who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2012 for her lead role in the musical Once.

Now in its 15th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook celebrates the best in American singing and songwriting with a new chapter in the Songbook story: 'American Songbook in the Penthouse,' a series of weekend-only performances by performers and composers presented in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, an intimate yet elegant venue that brings artists closer to the audience in a cabaret-style setting. 'American Songbook in the Penthouse' embraces adventuresome performers and celebrates composers and lyricists, both newer and veteran. With a seating capacity of just 225, the Kaplan Penthouse allows acoustic performers to be heard the way they intend - near to the audience and without elaborate amplification. The size of the space also allows performers to interact with their audience to make them an integral part of their performance, something difficult to do in a larger, more formal venue.

As an undergraduate theater major in the early 1970s, I heard music everywhere. It seemed to pour out of every office and workspace around the department. (And in the LP era, if you wanted more than the radio, this meant schlepping a twenty pound record player and a dozen or so albums from your home to the campus, sometimes requiring back-and-forth trips from the car. If you go to that much trouble, you want to keep the music playing.) In the hushed costume shop with its quietly industrious all female staff, Broadway ruled, with Stephen Sondheim's recent Company and Follies in heavy rotation. It was 'men only' in the scene shop where I listened to male balladeers like James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot while unhappily working off assigned crew hours. Jazz classes (my favorites) in the dance department were conducted to the pre-disco sounds of Isaac Hayes and the Temptations. And late night cast parties were never complete without spins of Bette Midler's first two albums.

Just yesterday, Broadway's Annie, Lilla Crawford, celebrated her 12th birthday at Times Square's new Cake Boss Cafe, inspired by the hit TLC show, 'Cake Boss'. In attendance to celebrate Lilla's birthday were her fellow young Broadway stars Alex Drier (The Assembled Party, Billy Elliot), Lewis Grasso (Newsies, Ragtime), Jack Broderick (Billy Elliot, Matilda), Ava DiMary (Billy Elliot, Matilda), Emma Howard (Matilda), Sadie Sink (ANNIE, Tuck Everlasting), and many more. BroadwayWord brings you full coverage from the celebration below!

Today in 1997, Annie opened at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), where it ran for 239 performances. Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre). It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical's songs 'Tomorrow' and 'It's the Hard-Knock Life' are among its most popular musical numbers.

The shorthand response for why the original production of It's a Bird… It's a Plane… It's Superman only managed to eke out a three and a half month run on Broadway has traditionally been that the show opened during a newspaper strike.

Just yesterday, Broadway's Annie, Lilla Crawford, celebrated her 12th birthday at Times Square's new Cake Boss Cafe, inspired by the hit TLC show, 'Cake Boss'. In attendance to celebrate Lilla's birthday were her fellow young Broadway stars Alex Drier (The Assembled Party, Billy Elliot), Lewis Grasso (Newsies, Ragtime), Jack Broderick (Billy Elliot, Matilda), Ava DiMary (Billy Elliot, Matilda), Emma Howard (Matilda), Sadie Sink (ANNIE, Tuck Everlasting), and many more. BroadwayWord brings you photos from the celebration below!

The Broadway League has awarded coveted New York Education Grants to the Broadway productions of Annie by Martin Charnin, Charles Strouse and Thomas Meehan, and Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper. Each production receives a $5,000 grant towards its 2013 educational initiatives. The grants aid the growth and development of theatre education in the city as they encourage Broadway productions to create more opportunities for young people and to exchange ideas about education.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, who stars in the hit FOX television show 'Glee' as ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, will take on another great tyrannical role as evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in the new Broadway production of Annie at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). Lynch, a stage veteran of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Second City, will be making her Broadway debut. She will play Miss Hannigan for eight weeks only, from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, July 14. In the video below, Lynch chats with Howard Bragman on 'Gwissues' about her upcoming Broadway debut. Jump to the 9 minute mark to hear what she has to say!

Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman was Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Alli Mauzey, Adam Monley, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman played at City Center for seven performances only - check out photos from the closing night after party below!

Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman was Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Alli Mauzey, Adam Monley, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman played at City Center for seven performances only - see the final curtain call below!

A human ball of silver glitter hanging from a cord is lowered above what looks like a bungalow-sized muffin top.  (It's supposed to represent a turtle shell.)  Before the glitter ball makes its landing the cover is removed to reveal what looks like a tribe of humanish amphibians bouncing on trampolines and twirling on the muffin/turtle's frame.  Shortly after, a sleazy-looking clown in a tropical shirt tosses a condom to a woman in the front row and says, 'Call me!'  Yes, dear readers, Cirque du Soleil is back in town.

Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman is Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Alli Mauzey, Adam Monley, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman plays at City Center for seven performances through today, March 24, and is directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman. Bob Holiday, the original Broadway Superman visited today's matinee, and BroadwayWorld brings you photos of him at the performance below!

In his late 20s Charlie has already been in 9 Broadway shows and gotten a lot of attention for his physique.

Bethe Austin (Broadway's Sly Fox, Onward Victoria!) will join the Beautiful Soup Theater tonight, March 23rd, 2013 as they celebrate the songbook of Charles Strouse (Rags, Annie, Applause, Bye, Bye, Birdie!). All proceeds from this one-night-only concert will be Beautiful Soup's revival of the Strouse, Schwartz and Stein musical Rags.