City Center News

Led by Tony winner Sutton Foster, Encores! Off-Center's upcoming production of Andrew Lippa's THE WILD PARTY also features Steven Pasquale (who made his New York stage debut and understudied the role of Burrs in the MTC production of THE WILD PARTY), Brandon Victor Dixon, Foster's YOUNGER co-star Miriam Shor, Joaquina Kalukango and Talene Monahon, along with Renee Albulario, Ryan Andes, Penelope Armstead-Williams,James Brown III, Rachel DeBenedet, Raymond J. Lee, Kenita R. Miller, Sydney Morton, Clifton Oliver, Charlie Pollock,Britton Smith, Ryan Steele and Samantha Sturm. BroadwayWorld takes you inside the rehearsal room with the cast below!

The Old Globe's presentation of Kiss Me, Kate, the classic musical comedy featuring a book by Sam and Bella Spewackand an iconic score by Cole Porter, is a spectacular revival in collaboration with Hartford Stage, choreographed by Peggy Hickey and directed by Hartford Stage Artistic Director and former Old Globe Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak, who won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which made its world premiere at The Old Globe and Hartford Stage in 2013. The Old Globe engagement runs now through August 2, with opening night tonight, July 9, on the Donald and Darlene ShileyStage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Click below to watch highlights from the show!

Led by Tony winner Sutton Foster, Encores! Off-Center's upcoming production of Andrew Lippa's THE WILD PARTY also features Steven Pasquale (who made his New York stage debut and understudied the role of Burrs in the MTC production of THE WILD PARTY), Brandon Victor Dixon, Foster's YOUNGER co-star Miriam Shor, Joaquina Kalukango and Talene Monahon, along with Renee Albulario, Ryan Andes, Penelope Armstead-Williams,James Brown III, Rachel DeBenedet, Raymond J. Lee, Kenita R. Miller, Sydney Morton, Clifton Oliver, Charlie Pollock,Britton Smith, Ryan Steele and Samantha Sturm.

Programming for American Ballet Theatre's 2015 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Highlighting the season will be the New York City Premiere of a new work by Mark Morris and the Company Premieres of Frederick Ashton's Monotones I and II, George Balanchine's Valse-Fantaisie and AfterEffect by Marcelo Gomes. The 2015 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater, October 21 through November 1, marks the conclusion of ABT's 75th Anniversary celebration.

Minneapolis Musical Theatre's (MMT) Leap of Faith makes its area premiere April 29-May 22, 2016, at Hennepin Theatre Trust's New Century Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 10, 2015. To purchase and for more information, call 612.455.9501, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or buy in person (no service fees) at the New Century Theatre (615 Hennepin Ave., street level, City Center).

BroadwayWorld has learned John Ellison Conlee, Tony nominee for THE FULL MONTY, has had to depart Encores! Off-Center's upcoming production of Andrew Lippa's THE WILD PARTY due to a scheduling conflict. Ryan Andes, who last starred on TV in PETER PAN LIVE! and in Broadway's BIG FISH, steps in.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) welcomes Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) as the NYMF 2015 Honorary Chair. This year's event kicks off today, July 7.

The Muny presents Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, beginning tonight, July 6, and running through July 12, 2015.

It's a great year to be named Kelli/Kelley. At this year's Tonys ceremony, Broadway leading lady Kelli O'Hara won her long-awaited Tony Award, and almost exaclty a month later, U.S. Soccer player Kelley O'Hara will compete in the World Cup finals today, July 5.

Dear readers, it had been about a year since my previous trip back to the Mothership (a.k.a. New York) and I felt it was time for a recharge of my Broadway batteries, even if it could only be a quickie. Well let me tell you there is plenty of awesome happening out there to catch. Now I only caught five of them but they were all amazing. Granted, I did pick from the cream of the crop of recent award winners and high profile shows but that only means that I can give a collective WOW to them all with my three letter rating system. Let's take a look at my whirlwind journey.

The third annual summer season at Weill Hall + Lawn at the Green Music Center (GMC) begins tonight, July 4, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. with an all-American program featuring Broadway and television star Megan Hilty with the Santa Rosa Symphony, led by Principal Pops Conductor Michael Berkowitz.

Ellen Greene doesn't just reprise her iconic performances as Audrey, she deepens it.

White Plains Performing Arts Center STAGE 2 presents CHESS, the smash hit rock musical of the 1980s is back in a re-imaged production updated to today's explosive political climate between the United States and the Middle East.

Scrolling frantically through Little Shop of Horrors pictures? Getting ready to see some musicals for 4th of July? Didn't have time check in on all of the latest Broadway news? Well don't worry BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of the biggest stories from this week from Broadway and beyond with BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures.'

Jake Gyllenhaal, Ellen Greene, Taran Killam, Eddie Cooper, Joe Grifasi, Tracy Nicole Chapman, Marva Hicks and Ramona Keller star in the Encores! Off-Center concert production of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors, running for three performances, July 1-2, 2015 at New York City Center.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Ellen Greene, Taran Killam, Eddie Cooper, Joe Grifasi, Tracy Nicole Chapman,Marva Hicks and Ramona Keller star in the Encores! Off-Center concert production of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors, running for three performances, July 1-2, 2015 at New York City Center. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the openning night party below!

Jake Gyllenhaal, Ellen Greene, Taran Killam, Eddie Cooper, Joe Grifasi, Tracy Nicole Chapman,Marva Hicks and Ramona Keller star in the Encores! Off-Center concert production of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors, running for three performances, July 1-2, 2015 at New York City Center. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the first curtain call below!

The BroadwayWorld community is nothing if not vocal and yesterday's critical column revealing my top picks for the most important gay musicals of all time inspired many reactions in the feedback, on Facebook and on social media, ranging from 'I LOVE LOVE LOVE COCO' to 'No FUN HOME?' to 'Where's THE FAGGOT?' and far beyond. As with any list such as this, historical perspective is an essential element and a musical such as FUN HOME that has only been on Broadway mere months is obviously too new to truly assess insofar as its historical influence and impact on the overall legacy of gay musicals on Broadway in toto - going as far back as 1969's COCO and covering all the way up to 2013's KINKY BOOTS, as yesterday's list did. So, as a result, we are giving you more of what you asked for and sharing 10 more musicals that have been important to the gay movement, all of which cited in yesterday's column but not included on the actual top ten. What follows are my personal choices, so what are yours? Let us know and perhaps we will even need to do another list to shine a light on even more LGBT touchstones.

This week's column salutes tonight's special concert event showcasing the New York return of a fan-favorite cult musical.