Diane Paulus News

BWW has now received offiial confirmation that while Jordan will not appear on Sunday night's broadcast, Jennifer Hudson will perform a song from the upcoming musical.

Earlier today, The New York Post's Michael Riedel reported that the highly anticipated new musical FINDING NEVERLAND, which tells the story of J.M. Barrie and the creation of 'Peter Pan,' has received a coveted performance slot in this Sunday's Tony Awards, to be broadcast live on CBS. Now, Jennifer Hudson has just announced via Twitter that she will sing from the new musical. She writes: 'So excited ! I'll be performing a song from the upcoming musical Finding Neverland @TheTonyAwards ! Tune in this Sun at 8/7c. #TonyAwards'

Popular stage and screen crossover stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Michelle Kelly were announced earlier today as the headliners of the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the hit PETER PAN-centric film FINDING NEVERLAND and the pair have been spotted on social media sharing a few selfies.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University announced today the first production of its 2014/15 Season: 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, presented at A.R.T. by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein. The production of the highly anticipated new musical begins previews on Wednesday, July 23 and runs through Sunday, September 28.

Just last night, Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti ('The Sound of Music Live!', Gypsy, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) hosted the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). Big winners for the night included Audra McDonald, Bryan Cranston, Jessie Mueller, and Neil Patrick Harris and Jefferson Mays- who tied for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Click here for a full list of winners. Also check out more photos of arrivals and photos of the winners.

Look, we get it, whether due to budget or geography, you didn't see every show of the Broadway season, but that doesn't mean you can't be fully up-to-date for this Sunday's Tony Awards. To help get you prepared for the theatre's biggest night, BroadwayWorld has put together the ultimate Tonys Crash Course. We've outlined all of the shows nominated in the Best Play and Best Revival of a Play categories, and provided you 'study materials' as only BWW can, by mining our one-of-a-kind archives.

It's BroadwayGirlNYC's FAVORITE day of the year! Follow along as she live blogs and live tweets the 2014 Tony Awards!

Presenters and musical performances have been announced for the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards, taking place Sunday, June 1st at The Town Hall. Presenters and performers for this year's Drama Desk Awards include: Christian Borle, Michael C. Hall, Toni Collette, Sutton Foster, Laura Osnes, Billy Porter, Julie Halston, Tracey Letts, Judy Kuhn, Marge Champion, Liz Larsen, Diane Paulus, John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask, Jane Greenwood, David Korins, Marin Ireland, Sam Gold, Oliver Butler, Joe Masteroff, David Byrne, Leigh Silverman, Joshua Henry, Rachael Bay Jones, Sydney Lucas, Jessie Mueller, Steven Pasquale, and Kyle Riabko.

This year the Lilly Awards will celebrate women of distinction in musical theater in a special cabaret at West Bank Cafe (407 W 42nd Street, NYC), following the awards ceremony, which is set for Monday, June 2, at Playwrights Horizons. The cabaret will feature Kelli O'Hara, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Rebecca Luker, Kate Baldwin, Kenita Miller, The Broadway Boys, Graham Rowat, Katie Thompson, Lauren Pritchard, Taylor Noble, Jay Armstrong Jonson, The Skivvies (Lauren Molina & Nick Cearley) and Jason Robert Brown.

Tony Award winner John Rubinstein, who made his Broadway debut and received a Theater World Award for creating the title role in the original 1972 production of Pippin, will join the all-new Tony Award winning production of Pippin in the role of 'Charles.' Mr. Rubinstein will play a limited engagement, Friday, June 20 - Sunday, July 27, 2014, filling in for Terrance Mann's leave of absence. Pippin is now playing at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street).

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play at Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a limited engagement from August 19 - 31.

JJJ Productions in Association with Culture Project and Aaron Grant Theatrical, Inc have announced that the world premiere of THE ANTHEM, an original musical lovingly inspired by the classic Ayn Rand Novella, 'Anthem', with a book by Gary Morgenstein, music by Jonnie Rockwell and lyrics by Erik Ransom will begin previews tonight, May 20, 2014, Off-Broadway at Culture Project's Lynn Redgrave Theatre on 45 Bleecker Street. This musical helmed by Rachel Klein officially opens on Thursday, May 29, 2014.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play The Smith Center for a limited engagement today, May 20-25.

Rising Broadway star and current PIPPIN revival headliner Kyle Dean Massey opens up about stepping into the acclaimed Diane Paulus-directed revival and more as part of a new interview.

The 2014 winners of the Lilly Awards, honoring women of distinction in American theater, were announced today by the Lilly Awards Foundation. The winners will be celebrated at the 5th Annual Lilly Awards Ceremony set for Monday, June 2, 2014 beginning at 5 p.m. at Playwrights Horizons (416 W 42nd Street, NYC).

Mandy Gonzalez, back by popular demand, returned to 54 Below last night, May 15 (9:30PM), in Love, All Ways- A Musical Retrospective of Triumph and Hilarity. Gonzalez, star of Broadway's Wicked, In the Heights, Lennon and more,performed an unforgettable evening of great music and hilarity, all revolving around love and its crazy themes and variations. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the special concert below!

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Diane Paulus, Artistic Director and William Russo, Managing Director; present the last production of its 2013/14 Season, THE TEMPEST, adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller from the play by William Shakespeare, with magic by Teller, music by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, and movement by Matt Kent of Pilobolus.

Celebrated theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, an artistic director of SITI Company and professor at Columbia University, will be discussing the future of theatre on May 19th at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center. Bogart, an award-winning theatre maker and co-founder of SITI Company will be reading from selections of her new book: What's the Story: Essays about art, theatre, and storytelling and discussing her work with playwright Charles Mee.

The 5th Avenue Theatre welcomes the National Tour of the Broadway sensation, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. This stunning musical plays June 11-29, 2014 (press opening June 12) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101). Tickets (starting at $39.25) may be purchased online at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900, or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling Group Sales Manager Niklaus Lopez at 1-888- 625-1418.