Cy Coleman News

RUBICON THEATRE continues the company's 14th season May 24 with August Wilson's powerful and poignant drama GEM OF THE OCEAN (first preview May 16).

For the very first time, two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera brings her concert, CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY, to The New Jersey Performing Arts Center in the intimate setting of The Chase Room and will perform songs from her legendary Broadway career. She will perform two shows only at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM. All tickets are $50 (general admission) and can be ordered by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC or at www.njpac.org. NJPAC is located at 1 Center Street in Newark, N.J.

This summer, New Haarlem Arts Theatre (NHAT), the professional theater company of City College of New York (CCNY), has expanded its programming and will present mainstage productions of 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' and 'Sweet Charity,' as well as a show for young audiences and a readings series. The theater, led by Eugene Nesmith, is entering its second season and will again be in residence at Aaron Davis Hall, located at W. 135th Street and Convent Avenue, Manhattan (Hamilton Heights).

The Boston Youth Moves' Producers' Circle's 2012 Swellegance Gala Benefit will present two-time Tony Award winner CHITA RIVERA performing songs from her legendary Broadway career in her own concert CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street, Boston tonight, May 4, 2012 (8pm).

Broadway favorite Cheyenne Jackson has announced on Twitter that the artwork for his first single and music video 'Drive' has just been released! The single will be available on iTunes and YouTube on May 10. Check out the artwork below!

Today in 2005, the second Broadway revival of Sweet Charity opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, where it ran for 279 performances. Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, and also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions. THe 2005 revival starred Christina Applegate in he title role.

Barbra Streisand may have just reached her 70th birthday, but her younger sister, Roslyn Kind, staged a celebration of her own, returning to the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts for a concert she called "Coming Home." Looking stylishly elegant in a black sequins top and matching pants, Kind commanded the stage with a veteran performer's poise and confidence. Unfortunately, microphone reverberation and sound echos caused frustration for Kind (as well as the audience) and got the show off to a rough start. It was only into about the sixth number that the sound problems were resolved and Roz was able to finally find her groove. In spite of the technical problems, however, she charmed her fans with her humor and personal stories, and wowed them with her pure, gorgeous voice.

Cheyenne Jackson has announced on Twitter that his first single and music video 'Drive' will be available on iTunes and YouTube on May 10.

Nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced at a news conference this morning by Drama Desk winners Donna Murphy and Brian d'Arcy James. The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will continue its Spring 2012 season with the return engagement of award winning vocalist, SHEERA BEN-DAVID.

Tonight, April 26 at 8pm Linda Eder & Tom Wopat will grace the Warner Theatre stage.

Best known for his role on 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' Tom Wopat has also appeared on Broadway in Sondheim on Sondheim, I Love My Wife, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, 42nd Street, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Catch Me If You Can. He received Tony nominations for his roles in A Catered Affair and the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Wopat's latest CD Consider it Swung is a swinging collection of standards.

Jenna gives a rundown of where she's been and what's coming up in the world of cabaret (and sometimes beyond!) Today's column features the marvelous Marilyn Maye and her new show 'The Happiest Sound In Town' at Feinstein's at Loews Regency.

Long time Hollywood Casting Director, Wendy Kurtzman, is stepping out from behind the camera to pursue what she loves most: singing. This spring, Kurtzman will release a debut CD, "Just for a Thrill". Ms. Kurtzman will celebrate with a pre-release performance at The Metropolitan Room on April 25th at 9:30pm.

The Montclair Operetta Club, one of the country's oldest continuously-operating community theatres celebrating its 87th season, will present Sweet Charity on April 27, & 28 at 8pm, and April 29 at 2pm at the Bloomfield College Westminster Arts Center, 449 Franklin St. Bloomfield, NJ 07003. The show, under the direction of Bob Cline and musical direction of Gonzalo Valencia, features Allie Foote of Middletown as Charity Hope Valentine, an eternal optimist in search of love.

The Montclair Operetta Club, one of the country's oldest continuously-operating community theatres celebrating its 87th season, will present Sweet Charity on April 20, 21, 27, & 28 at 8pm, and April 22 & 29 at 2pm at the Bloomfield College Westminster Arts Center, 449 Franklin St. Bloomfield, NJ 07003. The show, under the direction of Bob Cline and musical direction of Gonzalo Valencia, features Allie Foote of Middletown as Charity Hope Valentine, an eternal optimist in search of love. Check out the photoset of the production below.

Take a trip back to the 1970's with a vintage commerical from musical theatre favorite ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY! Check out the original TV spot below!

As part of its Jazz & Popular Song series, directed by five-time Grammy Award-nominated singer and pianist Michael Feinstein, Jazz at Lincoln Center will present Cy Coleman: Bringing Jazz to Broadway on Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday May 16 at 7:30pm. Feinstein, who featured Cy Coleman as a vocalist and jazz pianist in his nightclub the month before the famed composer died, leads a cast featuring Michele Lee (Coleman's Seesaw, Knots Landing), Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Broadway veteran Chuck Cooper, singer-songwriter Johnny Rodgers and, on May 16 only, James Naughton (The Devil Wears Prada) that illustrates Coleman's profound jazz influence on contemporary Broadway.