Cy Coleman News

With an uneventful 6pm coming and going on the evening of May 21st, I rested comfortably that night secure in the knowledge that any predictions of the arrival of Judgment Day were, at the very least, miscalculations.  But the next evening, as I sat watching David Burnham, Sally Mayes, Howard McGillin, Billy Stritch, Lillias White and Rachel York perform eight-five minutes of songs composed by Broadway's heppist hepcat, Cy Coleman, you'd have a tough time convincing me I'd not been raptured into Heaven.

Unless the names 'Noel' and 'Coward' are involved, I tend to be a bit wary about musicals with the book, music, lyrics and direction all by the same person, but Willard Beckham makes a very entertaining go of it with his campy, country/western musical comedy, Lucky Guy.

Last night, May 25, 59E59 Theaters welcomed the Rubicon Theatre in California to Americas Off Broadway with their critically acclaimed production of THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF Cy Coleman, devised and directed by David Zippel. THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF Cy Coleman began previews on Tuesday, May 18 for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3. Broadway Beat was exclusively invited to film show highlights! Below, they bring you a look at the special presentation and also take you down the opening night red carpet!

Nicolas King returns to the New York scene in a new show 'Nicolas King - In Concert!' at Don't Tell Mama's from June 4-7th.

The dictionary gives others words for BEST. EXCELLENT, EFFECTIVE, PERFECT, UNSURPASSED, PREEMINENT, HIGHEST QUALITY etc. None of those are sufficient enough to describe the Songs, the Arrangements, the Performers, the Musicians, David Zippel and of course the great CY COLEMAN in a production at 59E59. From the moment a smiling Billy Stritch (performer, musical director and arranger of the show) entered the stage and went to the piano, it was obvious that a musical tour de force was about to begin and The Best Was Yet To Come!

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes the Rubicon Theatre in California to Americas Off Broadway with their critically acclaimed production of THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF Cy Coleman, devised and directed by David Zippel.

Not since Broadway vets Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley's Opposite You has there been such a romantically sizzling CD as Gonna Make You Love Me from Broadway babies Matt Cavenaugh and Jenny Powers. Also real-life marrieds, Cavenaugh and Powers have an exciting built-in chemistry that translates so beautifully and dynamically to disc. What makes them different? Offering traditional music that hardly sounds predictable, Gonna Make You Love Me is definitely NOW.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Barbara Cook in Concert. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Barbara Cook in Concert is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars and legendary entertainers in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Moira Danis returns to Don't Tell Mama with two additional performances of Some People's Lives, which gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of those around us - friends, lovers, relatives, and strangers. Each has a unique story to be told but using a delightful and emotional mix of songs by established writers like Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Tommy Wolf and Jimmy Webb and relatively new artists like Sara Bareilles, Susan Werner and Chely Wright, Moira shines a light on the connections that exist between us and the similarities shared by 'Anyone Who Loves'. Moira will be supported by, and singing with, a band featuring some of New York's finest musicians -- Wells Hanley on piano, Brian Griffin on percussion and Ben Mars on bass.

Moira Danis returns to Don't Tell Mama with two additional performances of Some People's Lives, which gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of those around us - friends, lovers, relatives, and strangers. Each has a unique story to be told but using a delightful and emotional mix of songs by established writers like Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Tommy Wolf and Jimmy Webb and relatively new artists like Sara Bareilles, Susan Werner and Chely Wright, Moira shines a light on the connections that exist between us and the similarities shared by 'Anyone Who Loves'. Moira will be supported by, and singing with, a band featuring some of New York's finest musicians -- Wells Hanley on piano, Brian Griffin on percussion and Ben Mars on bass.

Moira Danis returns to Don't Tell Mama with two additional performances of Some People's Lives, which gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of those around us - friends, lovers, relatives, and strangers. Each has a unique story to be told but using a delightful and emotional mix of songs by established writers like Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Tommy Wolf and Jimmy Webb and relatively new artists like Sara Bareilles, Susan Werner and Chely Wright, Moira shines a light on the connections that exist between us and the similarities shared by 'Anyone Who Loves'. Moira will be supported by, and singing with, a band featuring some of New York's finest musicians -- Wells Hanley on piano, Brian Griffin on percussion and Ben Mars on bass.

Bay Area Cabaret's season finale will star one of Broadway's greatest vocal talents, Lillias White. Returning this spring from Nigeria, where she will reprise her Tony-nominated role in FELA!, White is the winner of Broadway's 'Triple Crown' (a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award) for her role in Cy Coleman's The Life.

This Saturday night the San Francisco Bay Area will have the chance to experience the soulful sounds of multiple award-winning, multi-talented phenomenon Lillias White as she pays tribute to her friend and legendary songwriter Cy Coleman. For one night only she will occupy the center stage of the Venetian Room of the famed Fairmont hotel in her first solo concert here in nearly ten years.

Julie Budd makes her Metropolitan Room debut in the world premiere of "A Tribute to Dorothy Fields," her salute to one of the female pillars of American songwriting in the 20th century.

Julie Budd makes her Metropolitan Room debut in the world premiere of "A Tribute to Dorothy Fields," her salute to one of the female pillars of American songwriting in the 20th century.

Carina Morales (fresh off a two year stint starring in The Golden Mickeys at Disneyland, Hong Kong) and James LaRosa (who starred opposite Robert Cuccioli in Cy Coleman's Wildcat at the Julia Miles Theatre) will star in Inside Broadway's spring 2011 tour of THE MELODY LINGERS ON - The Songs of Irving Berlin, which will begin on Monday, March 14th and run thru May 6th, touring over thirty NYC public schools throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Nikki Gil, TV personality, actress and recording artist, seems to be fascinated playing off-beat characters in stage musicals. Gil made her theater debut as blonde sorority star Elle Woods last year. And she's set to grace the stage again starring as dancer-for-hire Charity Hope Valentine in 9 Works Theatrical's production of the Broadway musical comedy Sweet Charity in August.

Tyne Daly, Tom Wopat, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar, Tony DeSare, Michele Lee and Jamie Barton have joined the roster of guest artists to perform at The New York Pops' 28th Birthday Gala, Celebrate Hope, on May 2, 2011. A grand gala evening celebrating the legacy of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and honoring decades of support by Interpublic Group, the event begins at 7:00 PM with a concert at Carnegie Hall featuring a special lineup of concert artists, followed by a black tie dinner and dance held at the luxurious Plaza Hotel.

Once upon a time, right here in New York City, storied clubs - swanky hotel supper clubs, zebra-striped celebrity showcases, smoky after-hour boîtes - ruled the night. Places like The Stork Club, Copacabana, Persian Room and Latin Quarter (run by Lou Walters, father of Barbara ) were meccas where songwriters, singers and society mingled and fueled American popular music. Author and Lyrics & LyricistsTM series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer takes the helm as artistic director/writer/host for The Crowd's at El Morocco: The Heyday of the New York Nightclubs, on April 30 and May 1, 2. Joining her are vocalists Debby Boone, La Tanya Hall, James Naughton, Billy Stritch and Karen Ziemba.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Ray Romano Live for one performance only on Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. Ticket sales from Ray Romano Live support Reprise's mission to produce musical theatre of the highest artistic quality and to make this art form accessible to new audiences through education and outreach programs.