David Chase News

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards are back with nominations open now! Plus the Jeff Awards on Monday night, three acclaimed recent openings, two shows proudly closing, three local shows that may never end, and NBC's live 'Peter Pan' is ready to fly!

NBC's PETER PAN LIVE, the network special from executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, will air on December 4. Preparing to sprinkle fairy dust across America, NBC presents a bold new LIVE television production of the classic Broadway musical that will gather friends, families and anyone who refuses to ever grow up. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the special will star Allison Williams, Christopher Walken, Christian Borle, Kelli O'Hara, Taylor Louderman and Alanna Saunders for the live production.

After 4 previews of Vincent Amelio's How Alfo Learned To Love Women, the cast, with actor/director Robert Fuanro at the helm is fine-tuning the production for a final run of shows beginning on October 9.

Currently appearing in Cinderella are Keke Palmer in the title role, Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Sherri Shepherd as Madame (until Nov. 23) , Judy Kaye as the Fairy Godmother, Ann Harada as stepsister Charlotte, Stephanie Gibson as stepsister Gabrielle, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian, Prince Topher's mentor and Lord Chancellor, Todd Buonopane as the rebel Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola as Lord Pinkleton.

The Kennedy Center presents the Washington, D.C. engagement of Evita which runs in the Kennedy Center Opera House from today, September 30 to October 19, 2014.

The world premiere of the musical FINDING NEVERLAND, with music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Elliot Kennedy, book by James Graham, directed by Diane Paulus with choreography by Mia Michaels, is presented at A.R.T. by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein. The production of the new musical began previews on July 23, opened on, August 13, and closes today, September 28.

Where have the 50 years gone? Academy Award® nominee Lesley Ann Warren - who was all of 18 years old when CBS-TV selected her as its CINDERELLA for the famed 1965 telecast of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA - joined the cast of the current Broadway company on stage to perform a number from the musical at the conclusion of the September 23rd performance. Miss Warren's CINDERELLA was such a success for CBS that the musical aired once each year for 8 years until 1974. Miss Warren's appearance coincides with the 50th anniversary release of the telecast. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a behind the scenes interview with Warren, as well as highlights from her special performance of 'It's Possible.'

This week, the stage veteran told EW's Clark Collis that while singing isn't his strong suit, he's not worried about his performance in the live musical broadcast.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, stage vets Taylor Louderman and Alanna Saunders most recently joined the cast as of NBC's upcoming PETER PAN LIVE! as Wendy Darling and Tiger Lily, respectively. The pair joins GIRLS' Allison Williams, Christopher Walken, Christian Borle and Kelli O'Hara for the live production. Below, we bring you a promotional image for the special television event, as shared by producer Neil Meron via Twitter!

First the star joined the cast of the current Broadway company on stage to perform a number from the musical at the conclusion of the September 23rd performance. Then she went backstage to talk to the press, meet the cast and more!

Where have the 50 years gone? Academy Award® nominee Lesley Ann Warren - who was all of 18 years old when CBS-TV selected her as its CINDERELLA for the famed 1965 telecast of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA - joined the cast of the current Broadway company on stage to perform a number from the musical at the conclusion of the September 23rd performance. Miss Warren's CINDERELLA was such a success for CBS that the musical aired once each year for 8 years until 1974. Miss Warren's appearance coincides with the 50th anniversary release of the DVD of the 1965 CBS telecast

The cast of NBC's PETER PAN LIVE! continues to grow.

Single-show tickets go on sale today, Sept. 19 for three hit musicals in the 2014-15 Broadway Sacramento season: Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, the high-energy musical based on the beloved 1987 movie; a new production of the ever-popular Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, featuring two stars from American Idol and Broadway fame; and the return of the audience favorite RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles, in a newly expanded version of the show

Academy Award® nominee Lesley Ann Warren, who starred in the 1965 television version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella will attend the Broadway production and join the cast during the curtain call for an encore performance of "Ten Minutes Ago" on September 23.

Single-show tickets go on sale Sept. 19 for three hit musicals in the 2014-15 Broadway Sacramento season: Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, the high-energy musical based on the beloved 1987 movie; a new production of the ever-popular Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, featuring two stars from American Idol and Broadway fame; and the return of the audience favorite RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles, in a newly expanded version of the show

Keke Palmer made her Broadway debut by stepping into the title role of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA earlier this week on, September 9, 2014, making history as the first African-American Cinderella on Broadway. Former co-host of THE VIEW, Sherri Shepherd, also joined the production as 'Madame.' Check out a first look at the pair in the production below!

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts announced today that it will welcome the first national tour of Nice Work If You Can Get It to the St. Paul stage Oct. 14-19, 2014. Tickets start at $36 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office.

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators ofSouth Pacific and The Sound of Music, will play the Academy of Music for a limited engagement over the Thanksgiving holidays from Nov. 25 - 30 as part of Broadway Philadelphia, presented collaboratively by The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and The Shubert Organization.

Five-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara, who has become the toast of Broadway musical theater with a startling string of hits that have wowed audiences and critics alike, has been cast in NBC's highly anticipated Dec. 4 telecast of 'Peter Pan Live!'

Following a smash-hit Edinburgh debut, US actress, comedian and writer Lucie Pohl takes her 5-star solo show 'Hi, Hitler', directed by Solo Nova's Jessi D. Hill, to the Leicester Square Theatre in London for one night only, after having made her Edinburgh Festival debut at the prestigious Gilded Balloon in August. Lucie's heil-arious autobiographical solo comedy unravels the life of a German-Jewish immigrant girl, fascinated by Der Fuhrer at age 4. 'Lucie Pohl: Hi, Hitler' will be performed at 9.30pm tonight, September 10, 2014.