Harvey Fierstein News

The Drama League's 2013 Gala Online Auction opens today, January 13 at www.biddingforgood.com/thedramaleague, featuring over fifty once-in-a-lifetime prize packages, including exclusive celebrity experiences with Dame Angela Lansbury, Emma Thompson, Michelle Williams, opera star Bryn Terfel, guitarist Slash of Guns 'N' Roses, Norm Lewis and Cherry Jones; Broadway opening night tickets and after-parties for Casa Valentina, Violet, and All The Way; backstage visits with Marin Mazzie at Bullets Over Broadway, Jefferson Mays at A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder, Fran Drescher at Cinderella, and with cast members at Rocky; luxury vacations to Morocco, London, Las Vegas, West Palm Beach, and Los Angeles; and over forty additional elegant items and elegant experiences.

California Musical Theatre announced a varied lineup of musicals for the 2014 season of Sacramento Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for what has become a Northern California summer tradition. The five-show season will include the Music Circus premiere of the beloved Disney classic Mary Poppins, as well as other Tony Award-winning shows including the singular sensation A Chorus Line, Rodgers and Hammerstein's lush South Pacific, Lerner and Loewe's mystical Brigadoon, and Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's hilarious La Cage Aux Folles.

On Thursday, January 16th, 'The Chew's host Carla Hall takes viewers behind-the-scenes of her recent visit to Disney's "Newsies" where she had the chance to sing, dance and mingle backstage with the cast of the Tony award-winning hit Broadway musical.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are proud to welcome singer/songwriter John Bucchino to Feinstein's at the Nikko for one night only - Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m. Called "a new American pop master" by the Houston Chronicle, Bucchino's songs have been performed and recorded by renowned pop (Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins), theatre (Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald), cabaret (Barbara Cook, Michael Feinstein), and classical (Yo-Yo Ma, Deborah Voight, Nathan Gunn) artists as well as The Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, The Sydney Opera House, London's O2 Arena and The White House. San Francisco audiences will have a rare opportunity to hear Bucchino perform his songs in an intimate setting, and share stories of what inspired them. Buchhino will be joined by two guest singers: Nanci Zoppi and Maggie Hollinbeck. Tickets for John Bucchino range in price from $25-$35 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

CUNY TV's ARTS IN THE CITY, hosted by New York entertainment reporter Pat Collins, goes on location to Sardi's Restaurant in Times Square to assemble key principals responsible for the success of Broadway's 'Kinky Boots.' In Kinky Boots - The Road to Broadway, premiering Friday, January 10 (2014) on CUNY TV, the cast and creators recount the musical's genesis - from a 2005 indie film to a winner of six Tony Awards, including 'Best Musical.'

The celebrated, award-winning downtown film/theater cooperative The Paradise Factory will re-open following a 2-year, $4 million renovation with the world premiere of Tom Noonan's comedy the SHAPE of SOMETHING SQUASHED. Preview performances are February 17 and 18 prior to the official press opening February 26, 2014 at the new Paradise Factory venue, 64E4 (64 East 4th St.) in Manhattan. One of the highlights of the renovation is the addition of a new performance space, giving The Paradise Factory two performance spaces for the first time in its 30-year history.

The final day of 2013 brought with it yet another addition to the ever-growing collection of digital trading cards released in promotion of Disney's NEWSIES on Broadway.

According to The New York Times, South Korean Broadway producer Kim Byeong-seok of entertainment company CJ E&M, who helped produce the two productions on Broadway, is interested in bringing Tony winner 'KINKY' and the recently closed 'FISH' abroad.

Whether massive festivals, unique productions, or simply an amazing take on a classic we all know well, the DC arts community rose to the challenge this year and offered something pretty great for everyone.

Today, check out BWW's stage door shots from 2013, and catch up on anything that you might have missed within the last 12 months!

Today, check out part one of this year's curtain call highlights 2013, and catch up on anything that you might have missed within the last 12 months!

Newsies, the Tony Award-winning “critics' pick” Broadway musical smash announces a new campaign called “NEWSIES: Get Up and Go,” in support of Disney Magic of Healthy Living. The campaign will promote fun ways that kids can lead healthier lifestyles through dance, inspired by the show's Tony Award-winning choreography and music.

Just in time for very last-minute gift-giving, 2013 Best Musical Tony Award-winner KINKY BOOTS is offering two stylish and sexy holiday ornaments befitting the themes of the hit feel-good musical.

Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig have announced new leads for their smash hit musical Kinky Boots; Andy Kelso, who currently plays 'Harry', will take over the role of 'Charlie Price' on January 28, 2014 following Stark Sands' January 26 departure. Jeanna de Waal will join the cast as 'Lauren,' beginning March 4, 2014 (replacing Annaleigh Ashford, who leaves to join the cast of Showtime's 'Masters of Sex'), and Jake Odmark joins the ensemble in the roles previously played by Andy Kelso. As previously announced, Billy Porter, this year's Tony Award-winner for Best Actor in a Musical, will remain with Kinky Boots.

Gloria Steinem, acclaimed feminist author and activist, took her family to see the Tony Award®-winning smash-hit musical Newsies at the Nederlander Theatre (208 W 41st St.) on Friday night. Following the performance, Ms. Steinem went backstage and enthusiastically greeted actress Kara Lindsay, who plays trailblazing journalist Katherine Plumber, exclaiming, 'a fellow organizer!' The two chatted at length about the 1899 newsboy strike on which the musical is based and the real-life journalist, Nellie Bly, who inspired Lindsay's character.

2014 is upon us, which means that it's time to look back on all of the highs and lows that this past theatre season has brought. BroadwayWorld is wrapping up the year by tributing our favorite moments of 2013, and in this series, we're highlighting 13 of our favorite musical moments on stage in just 30 seconds. Below, check out a 30 second clip from one of our favorite musicals of the year- Kinky Boots.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party, Birdland's 'extreme' open mic, is proud to announce the upcoming MENTOR MONDAYS segment, which takes place on the last Monday of every month. MENTOR MONDAYS pairs up-and-coming singers and composers with established artists to create a featured performance for the historic Birdland stage. MENTOR MONDAYS gives emerging young performers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with some of New York's most talented musical theater songsmiths, including Adam Guettel, Lisa Lambert, Frank Wildhorn, Amanda Green, John Bucchino and Georgia Stitt, as well as singers Jane Monheit and Billy Porter.

On Sunday, December 15, the Broadway at Birdland concert series presented multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn in his "2nd Annual Frank & Friends Holiday Concert." Joining Wildhorn onstage were Broadway performers Jeremy Jordan, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Laura Osnes, Christiane Noll, Michael Lanning, Teal Wicks and award-winning jazz vocalist Jane Monheit. Check out a look back below!

Cast members from Newsies, the Tony Award® winning new American musical, will appear with Neil Patrick Harris in the opening number of the 2013 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. The original song, 'Are You Ready For Christmas?,' is staged by Newsies' Tony Award winning choreographer, Christopher Gattelli and written by David Javerbaum ('The Daily Show,' Cry-Baby) and Adam Schlesinger ('Fountains of Wayne,'Cry-Baby), who have previously penned tunes for Neil Patrick Harris' hosting turns on The Tony Awards and The Emmy Awards. The parade airs on ABC, beginning at 10:00am EST/ 9:00am C/P, on Christmas morning, Wednesday, December 25, 2013.

From newcomer Zachary Levi on his FIRST DATE with Broadway to veteran, half-masked opera instructor Hugh Panaro as the 'PHANTOM', this season on the Great White Way is filled with men who know how to reign onstage. Below, BWW brings you the cream of the crop currently on Broadway -- and be sure to let us know your favorite in this week's poll!