Ira Gershwin News

The cast and creative team met the press today and BroadwayWorld was there for the big event. Check out a performance preview below and check back tomorrow for full coverage and interviews!

Two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, will begin performances on Broadway on Thursday, March 29, 2012 and officially open on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). The production is directed & choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall and features a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro. The cast and creative team met the press today and BroadwayWorld was there for the big event. Check out a photo preview below and be sure to check back later for full coverage!

Producers of The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS just announced that thanks to a generous donation from the families of George and Ira Gershwin, 2,250 high school students from New York City Public Schools will be coming to see the show on Wednesday matinees from March through May. The event kicked off yesterday, March 13, with a special event that involved both cast members and teachers and city officials. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities, and we bring you full photo coverage below!

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche,Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo above) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche, Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo left) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is now on Broadway with a cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice') as Bess, Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) as Porgy and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color') as Sporting Life. Last night, McDonald was a guest on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. The four-time Tony Award-winner chatted with Stephen Colbert about her return to Broadway and performed 'Summertime.' Click below to check it out!

Two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, will begin performances on Broadway on Thursday, March 29, 2012 and officially open on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). The production is directed & choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall and features a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT is featured in the April 2012 issue of Vanity Fair in a story written by Jim Kelly. In the video below, go behind-the-scenes at the photo shoot with photographer Annie Leibovitz!

Goodspeed Musicals just announced that Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth, who appeared as Annie Draper in Goodspeed's production of Strike Up The Band, will be the latest recipient of The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre at its Gala on August 11, 2012. Previous honorees include Julie Andrews, Martin Charnin, Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, William Ivey Long, Thomas Meehan, Michael P. Price, Gerald Schoenfeld, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Stroman, Charles Strouse, Tommy Tune and Paul Williams.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is now on Broadway with a cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice') as Bess, Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) as Porgy and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color') as Sporting Life. McDonlad will be a guest on The Colbert Report tonight at 11:30pm EST on Comedy Central. The four-time Tony Award-winner will chat with Stephen Colbert about her return to Broadway in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess nd perform a number from the show.

Kritzerland at Sterling's presents The Ira Gershwin Album with Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents ‘S WONDERFUL the new Gershwin Musical through March 25th , 2012.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents ‘S WONDERFUL, The New Gershwin Musical, Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin, Conceived and Written by Ray Roderick, Directed by Ray Roderick, Musical Direction by Ken Lundie, Choreography by Vince Pesce, playing March 1st through March 25th, 2012.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is now on Broadway with a cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice') as Bess, Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) as Porgy and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color') as Sporting Life. McDonlad and Lewis will appear on 'The Rosie Show' tomorrow March 2, and BroadwayWorld brings you previews of their performances of 'Summertime,' 'I Got PLenty O' Nuttin,' and 'I Loves You, Porgy' below! Check your local listings to tune in live!

The producers of the new Broadway musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT hosted a "'S Wonderful" box office on yesterday, March 1st at the Imperial Theatre. From 10 a.m. to noon, NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT fans had the chance to win tickets to preview performances, gift certificates, signed items, and other treats through surprise giveaways and by answering trivia questions about the show's stars and songs.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents ‘S WONDERFUL, The New Gershwin Musical, Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin, Conceived and Written by Ray Roderick, Directed by Ray Roderick, Musical Direction by Ken Lundie, Choreography by Vince Pesce, playing March 1st through March 25th, 2012.

'S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical, is an all-singing, all-dancing celebration of the brilliant music and lyrics of brothers, George and Ira Gershwin.

Granted, Babes in Hollywood isn't for all theater audiences-although, frankly, it should be…what's with you people?-and you'll certainly love it more if you're at least somewhat informed about the Garland/Rooney film oeuvre or the legendarily close relationship the two young stars forged as children and continued throughout their lives. Although that friendship was abruptly ended in 1969 when Garland died in London (I remember reading the news in the Memphis Press-Scimitar as a sixth grader), I've no doubt Mickey Rooney still has conversations with his old pal, somewhere within the recesses of his memory and his heart.