Hal Luftig News

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for THE 67th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS were announced today by stage and screen actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement.

Here's the nominated producers!

Masterworks Broadway has just announced the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Kinky Boots. Produced by Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus, William Wittman and Sammy James, Jr., the album will be available on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013.

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY has announced the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Kinky Boots. Produced by Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus, William Wittman and Sammy James, Jr., the album will be available on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013.

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.

Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students of merit, honored Nigel Barker and The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. last night, April 15. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration and you can check out photos below!

The Old Globe will open its 2013-14 Season with The Last Goodbye, a new musical that marries Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and the incendiary songs of the legendary singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Conceived and adapted by Michael Kimmel, the rock musical is directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson). Choreography is by Sonya Tayeh ("So You Think You Can Dance"), and orchestrations, music direction and arrangements are by Kris Kukul. The complete creative team and casting, as well as the remainder of the Globe's new season, will be announced at a later date. The Last Goodbye will run on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, Sept. 20 - Nov. 3, 2013. Preview performances run Sept. 20 - Oct. 5. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 6. Tickets are currently available by subscription only. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

The company of Kinky Boots just celebrated their opening with the Gypsy Robe ritual with the company's recipient Charlie Sutton. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the event and brings you full photo coverage below!

BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the whole evening, including the show's star-studded theatre arrivals. Check out who was there for the big night below and CLICK HERE for Part 2!

In celebration of this cutting-edge and much needed expansion of health services for the LGBT community, the new Broadway musical Kinky Boots hosted a special one-night-only event at the show, featuring a pre-show cocktail reception with composer/lyricist Cyndi Lauper, book writer Harvey Fierstein, and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Check out photos from the festivities below!

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY has just announced the signing of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Kinky Boots. Produced by Cyndi Lauper, William Wittman and Stephen Oremus, the album will be recorded on March 14, 15 and 25 in anticipation of a May 2013 release.

Kinky Boots creators Harvey Fierstein (book) and Cyndi Lauper (music & lyrics) will sit down with New York Times theater reporter Patrick Healy as part of a New York Times TimesTalks on Monday, March 18th at 6:30 PM E.T. at TheTimesCenter (242 West 41st Street). The pair will discuss their collaborative experience on the hotly anticipated new musical; the evening will also include a performance by Kinky Boots stars Stark Sands and Billy Porter. For those not in the room, the conversation and performances will be streamed lived on the Web at www.Livestream.com/NYTimes.

Acclaimed Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell will be honored with the 2013 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career. The award will be presented at a gala event at B.B. King on Monday, May 13, 2013, from 7 - 10pm, with four-time Tony Award-winning playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein, a frequent collaborator of Jerry Mitchell, to emcee.

A few months ago, producers Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders announced that Grammy Award-winning international pop icon Ricky Martin as Che, Olivier Award-winning Argentinean actress Elena Roger as Eva Perón and Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón would play their final performance on Saturday, January 26, 2013. At that time, it was announced as well that the should would be announcing new stars and the production would be continuing its run. Later, they have revealed that the show will play its final performance on Saturday, January 26, tonight, after 26 previews and 337 regular performances.

New BroadwayWorld.com Poll - How should EVITA have handled the departure of its leads?

Now according to the New York Times, a slew of stars were being considered to fill the leading roles. Antonio Banderas, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Ramin Karimloo and Raul Esparza were all being considered to play Che, though they were not able to 'reach any deals.' Additionally, Lea Michele and Sierra Boggess were 'discussed for the title role of Eva Peron.'

Tony Award-winning producers Junkyard Dog Productions and Hal Luftig announced today that they will present a reading of the new musical FIRST DATE today, December 14, 2012. With a book by Austin Winsberg, music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner and direction by Bill Berry, the reading of FIRST DATE will feature Eric Ankrim, Sara Chase, Alli Mauzey, Brandon O'Neill, Brad Oscar, Nicole Parker and Andre Ward.

At that time, it was announced as well that the should would be announcing new stars and the production would be continuing its run. Now, they have revealed that the show will play its final performance on Saturday, January 26, 2013, after 26 previews and 337 regular performances.

The 24th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR Competition, the culminating celebration of six weeks of fundraising by 51 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies, raised $3,902,608 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.