Frank Loesser News

The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Patricia Miller and DiStar Productions/Diana Glazer are pleased to announce the world premiere production of THE GREAT UNKNOWN, choreographed by Liza Gennaro and directed by Don Stephenson.

Reprise Theatre Company presents two one-night only special events: An Evening with Sutton Foster for one performance only on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 8:00 pm, and Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky on Monday, February 21,2011 at 8:00pm. Both events will be presented at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. An Evening with Sutton Foster Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky are the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

One of Broadway's most hilarious shows, Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls has been described as the perfect musical comedy. It is based primarily on the Damon Runyone short story 'The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown,' which describes the unlikely romance between a pure-at-heart urban missionary and a slick Broadway gambler. The show's second romantic storyline involves Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide, who have been engaged for fourteen years! Guys and Dolls is chock full of some of the greatest showtunes in Broadway History such as; ' Sit Down Your Rockin'The Boat', 'If I were a Bell', Sue Me' and the hilarious 'Adelaide's Lament'. No one will want to be left out of the fun which overflows in Guys and Dolls.

Nestor Torres runs Friday, October 8th - 7pm. If a flute could sing, it would be in the voice of Nestor Torres.

Reprise Theatre Company presents A Party With Marty, an evening of comedy and song with Martin Short and featuring Jason Alexander for one performance only on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 8:00 pm, at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills (formerly the Wilshire Theatre). This world premiere event features old friends, and former cast mates from "The Producers," Martin Short and Reprise Theatre Company Artistic Director Jason Alexander doing what they do best - making people laugh! Ticket sales for this event support Reprise Theatre Company and their mission to produce great musical theatre as well as arts education programs that bring the magic of theatre to underserved members of our community. Reprise Theatre Company is headed by Artistic Director Jason Alexander, who is best known for his 9-year stint as George Costanza on "Seinfeld." Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise Theatre Company. Tickets are available for "A Party With Marty" and go on sale to the public on October 4 and are available online at www.reprise.org , ticketmaster.com, by calling the Saban Theatre box office at (323) 655-0111, and at all Ticketmaster Outlets. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Martin Short began his career in Canada's "SCTV Comedy Network" for which he received an Emmy Award. Short's proven ability as a comedic chameleon and his host of hilarious impressions brought him to the attention of "Saturday Night Live." From there, he made his big screen debut in "Three Amigos," Other films include "Inner Space", "Three Fugitives", "Clifford", "Mars Attacks", "The Big Picture", Father of the Bride 1 & 2 and "Jiminy Glick in LALAWOOD, among others Short has received 15 Emmy nominations for his work in television which includes "Merlin", "Alice in Wonderland," "The Martin Short Show", "Primetime Glick" and this season's "Damages", for which he was most recently nominated. A veteran of the theater in Canada and on Broadway, Short has received accolades for his varied work on stage including "The Goodbye Girl" (Tony nomination, Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), "Little Me" (Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), and "The Producers" (with Jason Alexander) and in 2006, his musical-comedy Broadway hit "Fame Becomes Me." In 1994, Short was awarded the "Order of Canada" and in 2000 was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. However, all of the above is a distant second to his love and respect for his wife Nancy and their three children Katherine, Oliver and Henry. About Reprise Theatre Company Since its inception in 1997, Reprise Theatre Company has been a focus of the Los Angeles musical theatre community, producing productions of great American musicals, and a wide variety of concerts, staged-readings, special events and outreach programs. In May 2007, Jason Alexander became Artistic Director. Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise. Since its inaugural production of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Promises, Promises," which starred Mr. Alexander, Reprise has brought to the stage vibrant productions from all eras of American musical theatre including the Gershwins' "Of Thee I Sing" and "Strike Up the Band," Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," and Rodgers and Hart's "The Boys from Syracuse" and "Babes in Arms," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," as well as Richard Rodgers' later "No Strings." The "Golden Era" has been well represented - Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg with "Finian's Rainbow," Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe with "Brigadoon," Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green with "On the Town" and "Wonderful Town," Irving Berlin with "Call Me Madam," Robert Wright and George Forrest with "Kismet," both of the Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musicals "The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees," Johnny Mercer and Gene dePaul with "Li'l Abner," Jule Styne with "Bells are Ringing," and Frank Loesser with "The Most Happy Fella" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Musical theatre reached a new peak of popularity in the sixties, along with new creative talents, and Reprise has presented shows by many of them including Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt with "The Fantasticks," Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick with "She Loves Me," Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot's "Hair," Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone with "1776," Charles Adams and Lee Strouse with "Applause," Stephen Schwartz with "Pippin," Cy Coleman with "On the Twentieth Century" (libretto by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), "City of Angels" (lyrics by David Zippel), and "I Love My Wife" (libretto by Michael Stewart), Jerry Herman with "Mack and Mabel," Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's "Once on This Island," and four Stephen Sondheim musicals - "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," and "Sunday in the Park with George." Many of the great stage performers working today, as well as those who make their residence primarily in Los Angeles, have appeared in Reprise shows including Scott Bakula, Christine Baranski, Brent Barrett, Orson Bean, Jodi Benson, Stephen Bogardus, Dan Butler, Len Cariou, Carolee Carmello, Vicki Carr, Patrick Cassidy, Anthony Crivello, Jason Danieley, Lea DeLaria, Cleavant Derricks, Manoel Feliciano, Rodney Gilfry, Kelsey Grammer, Josh Grisetti, Harry Groener, Bob Gunton, Sam Harris, Gregory Harrison, Simon Helberg, Mimi Hines, Judy Kaye, Jane Krakowski, Marc Kudish, Ledisi, Vicki Lewis, Judith Light, Rebecca Luker, Eric McCormack, Maureen McGovern, Joey McIntyre, Donna McKechnie, Andrea Marcovicci, Marin Mazzie, Julie Migenes, Karen Morrow, Burke Moses, Kelli O'Hara, John O'Hurley, Ken Page, Robert Picardo, David Hyde Pierce, Larry Raben, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Roger Rees, Charles Nelson Reilly, Cathy Rigby, Alexandra Silber, Douglas Sills, Rex Smith, Brent Spiner, Lea Thompson, Steven Weber, Lee Wilkof, Ruth Williamson, Marisa Jaret Winokur, Lillias White, Fred Willard, and Rachel York.

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

Producer Orin Wolf and Off the Aisle Productions have announced that It Must Be Him, a new comedy by Kenny Solms, co-creator and writer of the legendary, Emmy Award-winning 'Carol Burnett Show,' will premiere this summer at the Peter J. Sharp Theatre (416 West 42nd Street). Directed by Daniel Kutner, It Must Be Him began performances on Tuesday, August 24, and officially opened on Wednesday, September 1. The limited engagement ends Sunday, September 26.

Two time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals is delighted to announce the cast of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. The musical comedy will run from Sept 24 - Nov 28 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, sponsored by Liberty Bank, Connecticut Light and Power and Continental Airlines.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed "Best of New York" by New York Magazine, and "an invaluable New York institution" by The New York Post, continues its Fall 2010 season with the debut engagement of Broadway star and three-time Tony Award nominee KELLI O'HARA from October 19 - 30.

Based on Damon Runyon's short story The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, GUYS AND DOLLS tells the story of a group of small-time gamblers and the ladies in their lives. Nathan Detroit, the organizer of the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York, bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson that he can't make the next 'doll' he sees fall in love with him. The next 'doll' to enter happens to be the prim and proper neighborhood missionary, Miss Sarah Brown, and the stage is set for a heavy dose of high spirited entertainment set to the toe-tapping beat of Frank Loesser's superlative score.

Oh what a night, Ladies Night returns to The Metropolitan Room on September 22nd host by Broadway performer Doreen Montalvo.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced directors for the 2010-11 Encores! season: Kathleen Marshall will direct and choreograph the season opener, Bells Are Ringing, with music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opening on November 18, 2010. Gary Griffin will direct Lost in the Stars, with music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, opening on February 3, 2011. John Doyle will direct Where's Charley, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, with book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, opening on March 17, 2011. Music Director Rob Berman will conduct all three musicals.

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Sondheim shows at Stage 773, 'Evening Primrose,' Northlight Theatre, 'Wicked,' the Actors' Equity Building, Marriott Theatre, more....

The Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts (PPTOPA) presents GUYS AND DOLLS

The Marriott Theatre, Chicago's longest running musical theatre announces its 2011 season. The critically acclaimed theatre will present the high stakes musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS, previewing January 26, opening February 2, running through March 27; the song and tap extravaganza 42nd STREET, previewing March 30, opening April 6, running through May 29; a new twist on the 60s hit parade SHOUT! previews June 15, opens June 22, runs through August 14; a world premiere musical FOR THE BOYS, based on the 1991 Fox film starring Bette Midler, previewing August 17, opening August 24, and running through October 16; and the "brand-new, old-fashioned" Irving Berlin musical treasure WHITE CHRISTMAS, previewing October 16, opening October 26, and running through January 1, 2012.

Tomorrow, September 9, tickets go on sale to all Ordway Center for the Performing Arts' 2010-2011 Season events.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Patricia Miller and DiStar Productions/Diana Glazer are pleased to announce the world premiere production of THE GREAT UNKNOWN, choreographed by Liza Gennaro and directed by Don Stephenson.

92nd Street Y announces that the Tony Award-winning Broadway star Phyllis Newman will step in as artistic director and host for the Lyrics & LyricistsTM show 'Carried Away: Being Comden and Green' on May 21-23

September at The Metropolitan Room features...