Cy Coleman News

Cincinnati Landmark Productions knows how to put on great summer shows! We've been serving up hilarious comedies, beloved musicals, belly laughs, dazzling dances, stirring songs and onstage fireworks for over 30 years! For the Summer of 2014, we've put together a hot four-show package at the cool Covedale Center for the Performing Arts.

Broadway Close Up takes you behind the scenes of musicals old and new with eye-opening interviews and inspiring performances by some of Broadway's greatest talents. The 2013 performances kick off with the annual Bound for Broadway show hosted by Liz Callaway and continues with Tony-nominated lyricist Amanda Green, an evening with the fascinating women from the musicals of Cy Coleman, and an enchanting exploration of duets, trios, quartets and ensemble numbers by Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein and Irving Berlin among others.

Over the last 20 or so years, there have been three nightclubs in New York that have been considered the venue Holy Grail for cabaret singers. Two of them--the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel and Feinstein's at the Loews Regency--have in the past year or so sadly died a corporate death, leaving the upper east side Cafe Carlyle as the Carnegie Hall of cabaret haunts. When she first came to New York from California 24 years ago, Natalie Douglas would save her pennies to see the legendary Bobby Short perform at the Carlyle and dream that she would some day star in a show from that stage. Last Thursday and Friday night, after almost a quarter century performing in every New York venue on the cabaret map and many prestigious clubs around the world, and after winning numerous MAC, Bistro and Nightlife Awards, Douglas finally soloed at the venerable venue and the audiences who saw her shows probably wondered why it took so long.

Tony Yazbeck will join the previously announced Christian Borle in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's Little Me, the opening production of New York City Center Encores! series, running for seven performances, February 5 - 9, 2014. Joshua Bergasse will choreograph the production, along with the previously announced Director John Rando and Music Director Rob Berman.

All Star Productions has announced full casting and creatives for DAYS OF HOPE, with Music and Lyrics by Howard Goodall and Book by Renata Allen.

Performances are set for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. at Hartke Theatre.

BIG FISH's Ryan Andes spoke exclusively to BWW about dancing on stilts, family traditions and why he counts himself 'one of the luckiest people' he knows.

75 - year old singer Tonia Tecce has made her long-delayed New York City cabaret debut last night at The Metropolitan Room. Previously, Tecce has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Academy of Music, and sung with Peter Nero and many orchestras . Her show, A Cockeyed Optimist, Why We Believe, The Songs of Richard Rodgers, was written and directed by Michael Bush.

The season includes Hello Dolly, The Sunshine Boys, Footloose and The Will Rogers Follies.

DAYS OF HOPE is set in Spain in 1939, in the dying moments of the Spanish Civil War. The story begins with a family celebrating the marriage of the daughter, Sofia, to an English volunteer, but the wedding meal is tinged with anger at Franco and his fascists. They plan to escape that night to England with Sofia's groom, Stanley, but before the plan is executed, various visitors over the course of the evening bring different perspectives upon their condemnation of Franco, of Mussolini and Hitler for their intervention, and of Britain's non-intervention… The family ends up being torn apart, trying to decide whether to flee or stay and fight.

The Crazy Coqs October schedule begins with Steven Brinberg, who returns following his sell-out show earlier this year with Simply Barbra (October 1- 5), followed by Les Miserables actress and singer Frances Ruffelle and her show Paris Original (October 8 - 12). New York singer-pianist Billy Stritch performs his show I've Got Your Number - The Jazz of Cy Coleman (October 15- 19). As part of the London Festival of Cabaret, Karen Kohler and KT Sullivan will duet together in their show Vienna to Weimar (October 22- 26) followed by KT Sullivan with Rhyme, Women and Song (October 29 - November 2).

THE COLUMN Awards Board of Directors and Executive Director/Producer/Founder John Garcia have the esteemed honor to announce today that one of Broadway's biggest and most sought after stars, Rachel York will serve as Co-Host for the 15th Annual Column Awards Gala. The gala will be held Monday February 24, 2014 at the Patty Granville Performing Arts Complex with a cocktail reception at 7:00pm, curtain at 8:00pm. For all info and tix info go towww.thecolumnawards.org

Marlene Ver Planck sings a story the way the rest of us wishes we could tell one: with polish and panache, convincing listeners that each and every lyric is her own. She has backed-up Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme and has been out front of the Beneke, Miller and Dorsey orchestras, singing those stories like no one else. A long list of recordings documents her talent, many featuring the arrangements of her gifted late husband, Billy. Seven of his takes on Cy Coleman, some Harry Warren and Marlene's favorites from Ivan Lins, Paul Williams and Ronny White make up her new CD, Ballads...mostly (Audiophile).

The Anaheim Performing Arts Center Foundation (APACF) (http://www.apacf.org) has announced that Broadway star David Burnham ('Wicked,' 'The Light in the Piazza') will join the lineup of stellar entertainment at the third annual GREAT GATSBY WEEKEND which is to be held tonight and tomorrow, August 24 & 25 at Fox Pointe Manor and the Lost World Estate, the magnificent estate residences of Dr. Howard and Linda Knohl and Patrick and Jolynn Mahoney in Anaheim Hills.

The noted musical director, currently taking on BIG FISH, also takes on the issues of children, poverty, and education with her arts organization, ASTEP

Joseph Wise, a performer who portrayed the original part of a Porter - of the famed Four Porters, that is - in the 1978 Broadway premiere production of ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY has released a new dance remix of a favorite track from the glorious Cy Coleman/Betty Comdon/Adolph Green score he once sang on the Great White Way.

Marlene Ver Planck sings a story the way the rest of us wishes we could tell one: with polish and panache, convincing listeners that each and every lyric is her own. She has backed-up Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme and has been out front of the Beneke, Miller and Dorsey orchestras, singing those stories like no one else. A long list of recordings documents her talent, many featuring the arrangements of her gifted late husband, Billy. Seven of his takes on Cy Coleman, some Harry Warren and Marlene's favorites from Ivan Lins, Paul Williams and Ronny White make up her new CD, Ballads...mostly (Audiophile).