Harvey Fierstein News

Christian Slater has been announced to play Sir Galahad in the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of Monty Python's Spamalot, the parody of the Arthurian Legend which won the Tony for Best Musical in 2005.

...where the tough guys cater to their girls within

In 1962 most men went to the Catskills to escape the summer heat, but others went to an inconspicuous bungalow colony that catered to a very special clientele: heterosexual men whose favorite pastime was dressing and acting as women. Based on actual events, this moving, insightful and delightfully entertaining new work offers a glimpse into the lives of a group of unforgettable characters as they search for acceptance and happiness in their very own Garden of Eden.

The NEWSIES cast recently performed a special cover of Walk the Moon's hit song, 'Shut Up and Dance'- with a tap twist! Check out the video below!

The weekend is upon us and that means that tonight is opening night for a couple of new shows (with performances continuing through the weekend) and closing performances of several others, including Newsies (at TPAC), Circle Players' The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the farewell production of GroundWorks Theatre's Starlite Waltz. Meanwhile, John Chaffin's Cliffhanger continues at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre and Cumberland County Playhouse continues its 50th anniversary season with a whole slate of terrific shows.

STARS IN THE ALLEY, presented by United Airlines, was held earlier today, May 27th in Shubert Alley, between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets. Hosted by HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH's Darren Criss, Broadway's best turned out for the annual performance - including Kinky Boots' Mia Gentile, who performed 'The History of Wrong Guys'!

On TONY Awards Sunday (June 7), CUNY TV will present 8 hours of interviews related to this year's nominated musicals, plays, and individuals - from 12 noon right up till Tony time (8 p.m. on CBS). Included in the mix is the premiere at 7 p.m. of an all-new episode of THEATER TALK, Critics Review the Broadway Season, with Ben Brantley of The New York Times, Peter Marks of The Washington Post, John Simon of the Westchester Guardian, and Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal.

NBC is having an open casting call for the lead role of Dorothy in the network's upcoming holiday special “The Wiz Live!,” set for Thursday, Dec. 3.

It often seems today that life is fraught with apathy and complacency and Newsies becomes a great conversation starter for young and old alike. This musical essentially becomes what the original newsboys strike of 1899 was: a call to action.

Tom Viola, Executive Director of BC/EFA, recently joined the cast of KINKY BOOTS in presenting Cyndi Lauper with a "big check" representing the $150,000 donated to TRUE COLORS FUND by BC/EFA from over $1.2 million in resources raised by the show since opening in April 2013. Scroll down for photos!

Christopher Gattelli's superb choreography - spirited and athletic, amazingly theatrical and awe-inspiring - may be reason enough to see Disney's Newsies, the show now ensconced at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, where it's entertaining audiences and eliciting some of the loudest responses we've ever heard in that cavernous space.

A star-studded countdown to the 69th Annual Tony Awards® ceremony begins on CUNY TV with the all-new special, 2015 TONY AWARDS PREVIEW, co-hosted by entertainment reporter Pat Collins and four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein.  Collins and Fierstein team up at Sardi's in Times Square, and introduce segments consisting of clips and interviews in all of the leading categories, including Best Play, Best Musical and Best Revivals.  With exclusive interviews totaling 28 Tony nominees, the special debuts Friday, May 29 (2015) on CUNY TV* at 10am, 3pm and 8:30pm; is repeated Sunday 5/31 at noon and Friday 6/5 at 10am, 3pm and 8:30pm, and returns as part of a multi-show Tony Marathon on Sunday, June 7, leading right up to the Tony Awards telecast.  Beginning May 29, the program also may be viewed anytime on www.cuny.tv. 

Awards shows are catnip for entertainment enthusiasts around the world not only because they are a celebration of the best of the breed in whatever medium or genre the presentation recognizes but also because a live telecast with so many stars and so many categories allows for ample room for entertainment - and error. In Tony Awards history, there have been a few unmistakably unmissable moments that live on thanks to the magic of YouTube for a variety of reasons - thrilling battles to the finish in tight categories, chilling reactions from non-winners when the top prize is announced, and, of course, some very unusual albeit unforgettable ties and inconsistent category tweaks. Nevertheless, the Tony Awards is always the biggest night of the year for Broadway babies and this year should prove to be no exception with the hot competition and spectacular stars scheduled to appear on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and presented to the world, once again, via CBS at 8 PM.

Disney's Newsies will claim Nashville as their own hometown with a weeklong run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center beginning Tuesday, Osborne and Eppler's Southern Fried Nuptials takes the stage in Woodbury, and local favorite Geoff Davin unveils his latest theatrical creation - Adamenses Huckster…and there's plenty of theater continuing this week to keep you occupied all week long!

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening around us that it's difficult to keep track of it all. Thus, we are happy to present a new feature: The Nashville Theater Calendar, which is a comprehensive listing of theatrical openings,that will be updated each week, for the 2015/16 season.

Disney Theatrical Productions and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center announce that the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical, NEWSIES, will make its Nashville debut with a limited one-week engagement at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall, May 26-31.

Tim Firth and Geoff Deane first picked up the true story of W J Brooks and Co., a fifth generation Northamptonshire shoe factory that survived the 1990's by switching from classic brogues to footwear for drag queens after cheap imports flooded the market. The 2005 film Kinky Boots starred Joel Edgerton as factory owner Charlie Price.

It's the official kick-off to summer, what with the Memorial Day Weekend upon us already - seriously, where did the time go? - and while we're certain your calendar is filled with cookouts, fireworks (we don't save all the sparklers for July 4th do we?) and swimming (if it warms up enough here in frosty Tennessee, where it's in the 50s as I type). But being the theatrical fanatic that we (using either the editorial "we" or the royal "we"…just take your pick) are, we would like to humbly suggest you make your way to the theater in the next few days to get some artistic inspiration.

The public is invited to an Open House and Preview Event showcasing the Fabulous Fox Theatre's 2015-2016 U.S. Bank Broadway Series on Sunday, May 31 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd. Visitors will be treated to live previews of MATILDA THE MUSICAL and BEAUTIFUL-THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL along with video previews from the other season shows.  

BWW has confirmed today that NBC will host an open casting call for 'Dorothy' in THE WIZ LIVE in NYC next month.