Chita Rivera News

Eddie Shapiro will discuss his latest book 'Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations With the Great Women of Musical Theater' at Barnes & Noble on Monday, February 10, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the 86th & Lexington location (150 East 86th Street, New York, NY).

Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man as part of its 30th Anniversary season. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir begins an Off-Broadway run at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street) February 28th, with opening night set for Wednesday March 5th. This limited run will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. Character Man will have scenic & video design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Meghan Santelli and sound design by Sean Hagerty.

Popular PBS broadcaster Tavis Smiley interviewed Chita Rivera on his program yesterday, January 29, and you can watch the full appearance below, in which Rivera reflects on her history-making career!

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced the 2014 Main Stage Season, the 60th Anniversary Season for the Tony Award-winning theatre company. The Main Stage Season will kick off on July 2, 2014 with a revival of Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman's June Moon, directed by WTF favorite Jessica Stone (July 2-13); the season will also include the World Premiere of Living on Love by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro and Garson Kanin (based on Kanin's play Peccadillo), with celebrated soprano Renee Fleming in her Festival debut, directed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall (July 16 - 26), and the highly anticipated revival of Kander and Ebb's The Visit, featuring Tony Award winner Chita Rivera, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle (July 31 - August 17).

Pittsburgh CLO presents the WORLD PREMIERE of the hysterical original musical comedy Judge Jackie Justice, which will run tonight, January 31 through April 27 at the CLO Cabaret.

The cast has been announced for Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, which happily returns to New York with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking on February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues). ERICA DORFLER (Book of Mormon, Memphis), CARTER CALVERT (Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Smokey Joe's Cafe) and join SCOTT RICHARD FOSTER and MARCUS STEVENS, who starred in last year's edition. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking features brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others. Over the course of the spring, Alessandrini will continue to add new material to reflect the season's openings, and unveil the new edition around the time of the Tony Awards.

Direct from its triumphant 2012 Broadway run, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD is coming to Riverdale! Riverdale Repertory Company presents the daffy Tony Award-winning musical comedy for six performances only, from February 22 to March 2, 2014.

Megan Mullally is a two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will & Grace, and star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein. On Saturday, February 22 she debuts Broadway@ The Broad: Megan Mullally, her live music and comedy concert special, in Santa Monica, CA's - for two shows only.

Bay Area Cabaret has announced that due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict, Stacey Kent, originally scheduled to perform on March 15, has been forced to postpone her appearance to next season. In her place, Bay Area Cabaret will present Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter JUDY COLLINS. With a crystalline voice that famously introduced generations to her own interpretations of songs by Joni Mitchell ('Both Sides Now'), The Beatles ('In My Life'), Bob Dylan ('Mr. Tambourine Man') and others in a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Ms. Collins holds a remarkable place in the music lexicon. Her repertoire encompasses folk music, show tunes, pop, and rock and roll. Ms. Collins will perform one-night-only, 8pm, Saturday, March 15, at the historic Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason Street. Subscriber tickets for Stacey Kent will be honored and additional tickets for non-subscribers ($65, plus a limited number of $100 premium seats) are now available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.

Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, a new book by Eddie Shapiro featuring interviews with 20 female musical theatre stars, launched earlier this week at the headquarters of Oxford University Press at 198 Madison Avenue. Attendees got to meet some of the dames of Dames including Laura Benanti, Judy Kaye, Debra Monk, Donna McKechnie, Donna Murphy, Lillias White and Karen Ziemba. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was there to chat with the ladies about their stories and you can check out what they had to say below!

Merman's Apprentice, a new musical fable with Book and Lyrics by Stephen Cole (Inventing Mary Martin, After the Fair, The Night of the Hunter, The Road to Qatar!) and Music by David Evans (Birds of Paradise, Children's Letters to God) has been chosen to be the opening show as part of London's Landor Theatre's 'From Page to Stage Festival' on February 11th and 12th at 7:30pm. There will be an additional presentation for industry professionals on Feb. 13th at 2:30pm at The Concert Artistes' Association at 20 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HP.

Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, a new book by Eddie Shapiro featuring interviews with 20 female musical theatre stars, launched last night at the headquarters of Oxford University Press at 198 Madison Avenue. Attendees got to meet some of the dames of Dames including Laura Benanti, Judy Kaye, Debra Monk, Donna McKechnie, Donna Murphy, Lillias White and Karen Ziemba. Check out photos from the special event below!

Dynamic talents, such as triple-threat Chita Rivera, rarely give up. They are having too much fun to retire. Passionate, warm, funny and forever loyal to her art, Miss Rivera has always captivated her audiences and is still very much doing so, based on her performance on Saturday January 25 at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. It was a stroll down memory lane, and a delicious one, as Rivera took the stage in Chita Rivera: A legendary Celebration with 'I've Got a Lot of Living To Do' from Bye Bye Birdie and sang, moved vibrantly with rhythm and grace and told terrific stories about Leonard Benstein, Cy Coleman, and Kander & Ebb, among others.

The Board of Directors and Executive Director/Producer/Founder of THE COLUMN Awards Organization, John Garcia, have announced that Tony Award nominee, Broadway sensation Orfeh will be their special guest star and Co-host for the 14th Annual COLUMN Awards Gala. The extrava When the 15th annual COLUMN Award nominations were announced Sunday evening history was being made as the organization has completely retooled and reorganized their voting process. Theatre Three leads the Equity field with 37 nominations while Mainstage-Las Colinas leads the Non-equity field with 31 nominations.

After a 10-month hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, happily returns to New York, beginning February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: Alive and STILL Kicking, featuring brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others.

Award-winning singer Natalie Douglas has performed several dozen concerts on the Birdland stage over the past ten years. Each time, she packs the room with an ever-growing fan base eager to cheer her inimitable voice, exquisitely-produced shows and passion-filled, hilarious conversation. This past Monday was no exception when Natalie, musical director Mark Hartman and their band of Broadway All-Stars brought 'The Birthday Show' to the historic music room. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Musical Theatre students at Marymount Manhattan College are thrilled to be performing two shows this January: a revival of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, and VOW, featuring writers from The Directory of Contemporary Musical Theatre Writers.

Happy Birthday, Chita Rivera! A two-time Tony Award winner, Rivera made her Broadway debut in 1953 in Can-Can, launching one of the most celebrated and long-lasting Broadway careers. Her electric performance as Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Storybrought her stardom. She most recently starred as Princess Puffer in the Roundabout Theatre Company's celebrated Broadway revival The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

The Drama League will honor Golden Globe Nominee and Emmy® Award winner Neil Patrick Harris at the 30th Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway on Monday evening, February 3, 2014 at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street). Tickets are available by calling (212) 244-9494.

Celebrated producer and cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will be hosting a special edition of her multi-MAC Award-winning Variety Show, Jamie deRoy & Friends, on Monday, January 27 at 7pm at Birdland. Jamie's special guests will be Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kevin Meaney (Hairspray), singer-songwriter Dee Snider, known worldwide as the frontman for Twisted Sister, and Lauren Worsham, who is currently starring in A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder.