Derrick Baskin News

Tony Award winning Broadway composer and international rock star David Bryan has donated a 9 foot Steinway concert grand piano to the United States State Department Collection to be housed in the Benjamin Franklin Ballroom at the Harry S. Truman State Department Building in Washington, DC. As a founding member and keyboard player for Bon Jovi, Bryan has toured the world and shared his music with millions of people. The plaque that accompanies the State Department piano reflects Bryan's personal belief that "In the timeless celebration of music is that which brings us together, not separates us." That belief is also underscored in Bryan's Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS, playing through August 5th at Broadway's Shubert Theater and across America on a celebrated national tour.

BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive photos from last night at MEMPHIS. Tico Torres, the drummer for Bon Jovi, brought his family to the show to support his friend David Bryan. Check out photos of Torres with Montego Glover, Adam Pascal, Derrick Baskin, and James Monroe Iglehart below!

The producers of the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS announced tonight that the production will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, August 5, 2012 after 30 previews and 1,166 regular performances. MEMPHIS opened on October 19, 2009 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 W. 44th Street), having begun previews on September 23rd.

Broadway's Nick Adams is one of the newest additions to the Givenik.com Ambassador Program. In the video below, Adams talks about his support of the It Gets Better Project and how you can help the cause. Check it out below!

Givenik.com has announced eight more members of their Ambassador Program, it was announced by Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters. Nick Adams (Bette Midler's Priscilla Queen of the Desert) joins in support of It Gets Better, Tracie Bennett (Tony®Award Nominee for End of the Rainbow) joins in support of the Alzheimer's Association, Corbin Bleu (Godspell) joins in support of Starlight Children's Foundation NY*NY*CT, Stephanie J. Block (Anything Goes) joins in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter and the Starcatcher) joins in support of Broadway Impact, Celia Keenan-Bloger (Tony®Award Nominee for Peter and the Starcatcher) joins in support of Broadway Impact, Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park) joins in support of Clubbed Thumb, and Jefferson Mays (Gore Vidal's The Best Man) joins in support of Still Waters in a Storm.

Stage Entertainment, in cooperation with Disney Theatrical Productions, will present the Dutch premiere of The Little Mermaid, which premiered on Broadway in 2007. After presenting Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the Netherlands is the first country to scoop the European premiere of the Disney musical. Disney's The Little Mermaid opens on Saturday May 12, premiering at Martini Plaza in Groningen and then playing larger theaters in the Netherlands. Check out the trailer video below.

At last night's performance, April 4, the cast of MEMPHIS was treated to a special guest in Oprah Winfrey, along with students from her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. After taking in the show, Oprah and the group greeted stars Adam Pascal, Montego Glover, and more backstage. Check out photos from the visit below!

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS just celebrated 1,000 performances on Broadway yesterday, March 14th at the 2pm matinee performance. Memphis stars Montego Glover, Chad Kimball, Adam Pascal, Derrick Baskin, James Monroe Iglehart and John Jellison were in attendance, as well as Memphis book and music writers Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, Memphis choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and Rent's Anthony Rapp. BroadwayWorld has your coverage of the event with interviews with past and present stars of Memphis. Watch the video below!

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS just celebrated 1,000 performances on Broadway on Wednesday, March 14th at the 2pm matinee performance. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the celebration below!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Jesus is back on Broadway, Raul Esparza feels the spirit, Norm Lewis sings for the Public, and so much more!

The world-famous Rockettes and Knicks City Dancers along with Broadway stars Tony Vincent (American Idiot, NBC's 'The Voice'), Christina Sajous (Spiderman), Derrick Baskin (Memphis) and Justin Johnson (Rent) are serving as this year's guest artists mentoring for nearly 100 children partaking in the Garden of Dreams Talent Show. The group served as guest artists for rehearsal on Monday, March 5, and BroadwayWorld was there. Click below to go inside the event!

The world-famous Rockettes and Knicks City Dancers along with Broadway stars Tony Vincent (American Idiot, NBC's "The Voice"), Christina Sajous (Spiderman), Derrick Baskin (Memphis) and Justin Johnson (Rent) are serving as this year's guest artists mentoring for nearly 100 children partaking in the Garden of Dreams Talent Show. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the rehearsal yesterday, March 5, and brings you photo coverage below!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: CARRIE makes a bloody return to the stage, Broadway remembers the great Whitney Houston, Sardi's honors Shatner, and so much more!

Broadway Remembers Whitney, a benefit concert honoring one of the greatest icons and voices of our generation was held on February 27th at Joe's Pub. Check out concert highlights below!

Broadway Remembers Whitney, a benefit concert honoring one of the greatest icons and voices of our generation was held last night, February 27th at Joe's Pub.

Broadway Remembers Whitney, a benefit concert honoring one of the greatest icons and voices of our generation, will take place on Monday, February 27th at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th and Astor Place), performance begins at 9:30pm. Tickets are currently sold out. More information is available at www.tickets.joespub.com or by calling 212.967.7555.

Broadway's Memphis, winner of four Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book and Best Orchestrations, comes to THIRTEEN's Great Performances Friday, February 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Featuring the original Broadway cast, including Tony nominees Chad Kimball and Montego Glover, as well as Derrick Baskin, J. Bernard Calloway, James Monroe Iglehart, Michael McGrath and Cass Morgan. Memphis is the historic first Best Musical Tony Award winner to air on U.S. national television with its original principals while simultaneously continuing a successful Broadway run and national tour.

The Inspire Change Talkback Series celebrating Black History Month, minorities, and their impact on the entertainment industry, will begin on Thursday, February 9th. Immediately following 7pm performances of MEMPHIS on Thursdays in February, patrons will be invited to participate in a talkback about the role of minorities in various aspects of the performing arts including dance, music and theater. Each talkback will feature a guest moderator along with cast members from the show.

From Nick Jonas and Michael Urie to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand to Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters to Susan Boyle, Colin Quinn to GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2012 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

D. Watts' Spoken Word Preserves: The Jam, a "play on words" jam session, will take place on Monday, February 13th at the Clark Studio Theatre (located on the 7th floor of the Rose Building), 165 West 65th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam), performance begins at 8pm.