Dolly Parton News

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, January 18 at 9:30 PM to open the Winter/Spring 2015 Season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The Fall 2014 shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran in September. The January show will include a tribute to Broadway legend Ethel Merman, with special guests Klea Blackhurst, Erin Markey, Nora Mae Lyng, Molly Pope and Ben Rimalower. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

Steep Theatre's upcoming production of Ross Dungan's The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle will feature an impressive collection of fourteen of Chicago's hottest actors.

Life is fragile and that's the f***ing way it is. So states Sandra Bernhard in her new one-woman show, Sandra Bernhard is #blessed, playing two shows a night this week at Joe's Pub (culminating in a set on New Year's Eve). Her end-of-the-year residency-a tradition for the past several years now-is this always-intriguing comic performer's opportunity to reflect on the past year, and offer us her unique perception of reality. And if you like your reality served straight up with a twist, as I do, this is a show for you.

This past year on CMT, country artists have been recognizing the most influential music across all genres that has helped shaped their lives in CMT ALL-TIME TOP 40: ARTIST'S CHOICE. Now, CMT will start at the beginning of the list and count down the selected top 40 artists in a five-hour marathon kicking-off today, December 27 at 9:00 a.m., ET/PT.

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

On January 8th at 9:30 PM,a star-studded cast honor's the Chairman of the Board with the world's first Frank Sinatra Centennial Celebration!

Following its 20th Anniversary Season during 2014, The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre will be kicking off its next season, the 2015 Season, with a classic murder mystery by the Grande Dame of mystery writers, Agatha Christie. The new season will begin on January 9th with And Then There Were None.

This January and February 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54thStreet. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

Atlantic Records recording group Straight No Chaser will perform "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" during the pre-race festivities for the 2015 Indianapolis 500 on May 24.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its performances this week, December 22-31, 2014. Details below!

Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce a special autism-friendly performance for its critically-acclaimed, holiday musical, Elf. Paper Mill Playhouse will offer this special autism-friendly performance of Elf today, December 23, at 1:30pm. This performance is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities.

Instead of the previously planned unannounced show, Sierra Repertory Theatre will present The Honky Tonk Angels as its second 2015 show, running April 24 - May 31 at Fallon House Theatre in Columbia State Historic park.

This February, Drama Desk Award nominee Ryan Silverman (Side Show, Chicago) will lead the cast in workshop presentations of the new Broadway-bound musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Paper Mill Playhouse released a block of great seats today for its holiday musical, Elf, for the week following Christmas. Expanded availability includes performances from December 27, 2014 through January 4, 2015. Based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, Elf has a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Elf is directed by Eric Ankrim and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. Elf runs eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater through January 4, 2015. Elf has been playing to many sold-out houses since November 26. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org.

Today's spotlight falls upon Chambers Stevens, who defines the word "multi-hyphenate." (Seriously, look in a dictionary-they still make dictionaries, don't they?-and you'll find his headshot next to the word.) He is an actor-director-playwright-acting coach-producer-consultant-husband-and-father. And in 2012, he was recognized as a First Night Honoree for the role he has played in the development of theater in Tennessee.

As 2014 draws to a close, Dolly Parton is far from resting on her laurels, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its upcoming performances over the holiday season, from December 17 to December 28, 2014. Scroll down for details!

Three-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch (9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) is set to co-star with two-time Tony nominee Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Bonnie & Clyde) in the upcoming workshop presentations of the new Broadway-bound musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.