Donna Murphy News

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced additional casting today for the 2013 season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. This summer, all performances for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, A NEW MUSICAL will begin at 8:30 p.m. with running times of approximately 90 minutes, no intermission.

BroadwayWorld recently chatted with featured performer Liz Callaway about her upcoming appearance in the special celebration:

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) has announced the 2013 Drama League Awards Nominees for Distinguished Play, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced at a ceremony hosted by Patina Miller and Michael Urie this morning at Sardi's Restaurant which were streamed live online at www.BroadwayWorld.com.

BroadwayWorld recently chatted with featured performer Rob McClure about his upcoming appearance in the special celebration:

Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley, Karen Ziemba,New York City Ballet Principaldancer Joaquin De Luz and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenkowill star in Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, On Your Toes will have guest music direction by Encores! founding music director Rob Fisher and will play seven performances, from May 8 - 12 at New York City Center, W. 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, originally choreographed by George Balanchine, will be staged by Susan Pilarre, who served as a Ballet Mistress of the show's 1983 Broadway Revival.

The Little Orchestra Society announces its Spring Benefit, hosted by two-time Tony Award winning actress Donna Murphy, to follow the premiere of Disney Fantasia Live in Concert on Friday, April 26 at Avery Fisher Hall.

The Drama League has just announced that Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce will host The 79th Annual Drama League Awards. The Awards Luncheon will be held Friday afternoon, May 17th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) at noon.

Broadway star Donna Murphy guests on this week's theater-themed episode of THE MENTALIST, titled 'Behind the Red Curtain.' Check out a first look at Murphy and the rest of the show's cast below!

Superman finds his Lois Lane! Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman will be Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Erich Bergen, Alli Mauzey, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman will play at City Center for seven performances, tonight, March 20 - 24, and will be directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that the 2013 Public Theater annual gala will celebrate the company's acclaimed 1980 production of the musical, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, with a one-night-only concert performance on Monday, June 10 at the Delacorte Theater where The Public's production originally premiered more than three decades ago. Sir Howard Stringer, Arielle Tepper Madover, and Renee Beaumont will serve as Gala Co-Chairs for this unforgettable evening that will also honor the late Nora Ephron who was a longtime Public Theater board member and consummate lover of Shakespeare in the Park.

On Monday, April 29, The New York Pops marks its 30th birthday with a grand gala evening honoring the musical talents of songwriters Frank Loesser and Jule Styne, and the centennial of legendary entertainer Danny Kaye. Paula Zahn, host of NYC ARTS on PBS, will host the evening.

Happy Birthday, Donna Murphy! Murphy has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in Passion as Fosca and in The King and I as Anna Leonowens. She received three more Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in Wonderful Town as Ruth Sherwood, LoveMusik as Lotte Lenya and The People in the Picture as Raisel/Bubbie. She is known, most recently, for her role as Mother Gothel in the animated Disney film Tangled (2010), Anij, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's love interest, in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and her numerous stage roles in musical theatre.

Superman finds his Lois Lane! Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman will be Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Erich Bergen, Alli Mauzey, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman will play at City Center for seven performances, March 20 - 24, and will be directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman.

Broadway luminaries and Riverdale's most talented performers will join forces for a 25th Anniversary concert production of Stephen Sondheim's classic fairy tale musical INTO THE WOODS, to be performed at the Riverdale YM-YWHA on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at 8pm.

Edward Watts will star as Superman in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman, runningMarch 20- 24 at City Center. Stay tuned for the identities of the actors portraying Lois Lane, the evil Dr. Sedgwick and other inhabitants of the city of Metropolis.

As BroadwayWorld.com reported back in October exclusively, Meryl Streep will play the witch in the INTO THE WOODS film. In a new interview with the Litchfield County Times with arranger David Krane confirms, telling the paper that: ...

On Twitter Watch, Audra McDonald & Will Swenson wrote 'Happy Inauguration Weekend!'

The Encores! 20th Anniversary season opens on January 30, and Encores! alums have been sending in their best wishes. Below, check out a video of Stephen Wallem, Victoria Clark, Mylinda Hull, Chuck Cooper, Elizabeth Stanley, Judy Kaye, Mayor Bloomberg and more riffing on their Encores! experiences!

There has been buzz about the Public's starry INTO THE WOODS making the transition from Shakespeare in the Park to Broadway, as HAIR and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE did in recent seasons, but today producer Joey Parnes tells the New York Times that due to scheduling conflicts, the production will not transfer.