Jennifer Hudson News

Producers Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Oprah Winfrey, David Babani, and Tom Siracusa just announced complete casting for this fall's highly anticipated production of THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle.

The box office for the highly anticipated production of THE COLOR PURPLE will open on Tuesday, October 6 at 10:00am at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th street). 

The People Movers presented their final installment of their inaugural season of CRAWL, a multi-disciplinary arts series. CRAWL's mission is to provide a platform for a diverse range of creative emerging artists to 'radically change the way that contemporary art is seen and experienced.' Set in a warehouse in Brooklyn and featuring works by Dante Brown (Warehouse Dance) and Gregory Dolbashian (The Dash Ensemble), as well as music and poetry by E. Oks (Evan Okun), CRAWL: Chapter 4 did exactly that.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, in partnership with Mark Cortale, has added two new leading ladies to the line-up of Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Concert Series, for the 2015-16 season. Performances by Tony-Award winners Kelli O'Hara and Sutton Foster have been added due to popular demand, completing the roster of Broadway powerhouses to perform with Sirius XM star Seth Rudetsky. The series kicks off with Tony-Award winner Audra McDonald on Wednesday, October 7. Additional performances in the series will take place on Friday, January 29 (Kelli O'Hara), Thursday, March 3 (Sutton Foster), and as previously announced, Thursday, May 5 (Megan Hilty). All performances will be held at the Merriam Theater at 8:00 p.m. In this unique series, Rudetsky will serve as pianist and host, engaging in intimate and witty conversations with the Broadway stars, all while presenting an evening of stellar performances of musical theater favorites.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the celebrated pop/jazz vocalist and songwriter called an "outstanding singer" by The Wall Street Journal and "hotter than the equator" by The Village Voice - has released the new single that is currently available on iTunes here, a passionate reworking of the Cole Porter classic "Dream Dancing." The track, a selection from her upcoming album If Only Love, has an arrangement by Pat O'Leary and features Art Hirahara on piano, Pat O'Leary on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums. "Dream Dancing" is produced by David Cook (Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Marianne Faithfull) with cover photography by Shervin Lainez (St. Vincent, Cat Power, Ellie Goulding).

Mark Cortale's acclaimed Broadway @ The Nourse concert series returns to San Francisco this season with stars Darren Criss and Sutton Foster.  Hosted by Sirius XM Radio Star Seth Rudetsky whom the New York Times dubbed "The Mayor of Broadway," the popular series will return for the 2015/16 season at The Nourse Theater with two concerts. First up will be the red-hot star of TV's "Glee" and Broadway's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Darren Criss on October 30, followed by two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster on January 16. 

BroadwayWorld is pleased to exclusively announce that Dan and Laura Curtis, who previously made headlines with their Ratatouille musical concept video, are back in the studio in New York City working with Broadway talents Adam Pascal, Katie Rose Clarke, and Chris McCarrell. Proceeds from the singles will benefit Broadway Cares and UNICEF. BroadwayWorld has exclusive photos from inside the recording studio below. The Curtis' also spoke exclusively to BroadwayWorld about being back in NYC and their new projects. Read the interview and check out the photos below!

The Pope sure can command a crowd. Before Pope Francis' Mass at Madison Square Garden today, Broadway stars, pop singers and other celebrities will populate a two-hour pre-show featuring prayer and devotional music.

After a sold out two week residency at London's famed Hippodrome Casino, acclaimed songwriter Scott Alan will release his seventh album, 'Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Tompsett sing Scott Alan.'

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: The Pope visits NYC, BWW, slews of fans and stars come to the Broadway Flea Market, and SPRING AWAKENING bows on Broadway!

After a fast sell out at the Hippodrome Casino Club 11 London are delighted to be able to offer LIVE STREAMING of Cynthia Erivo: Farewell London TONIGHT at 11pm, (21st September 2015), which you can watch LIVE anywhere in the world for only £10!

FOX and its smash hit EMPIRE is about to return for Season Two. Were you like me and hopelessly drawn into the Lyons' family drama? A delicious primetime soap opera taking us into the world of hip hop, EMPIRE is back this week!

Some of Broadway's biggest names will come to Philadelphia's Kimmel Center this season in a series produced by Mark Cortale and hosted by the man The New York Times called the 'Mayor of Broadway,' Sirius XM star Seth Rudetsky.  First up will be Audra McDonald - the historic 6-time Tony-winner and star of Broadway's "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," "Porgy and Bess," "Ragtime," "Master Class" and TV's "Private Practice" -  for one show only on Wednesday, October 7 at 8:00 PM.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the celebrated pop/jazz vocalist and songwriter called an "outstanding singer" by The Wall Street Journal and "hotter than the equator" by The Village Voice, will celebrate her upcoming self-titled CD with her debut solo engagement at 54 Below for four concerts directed by Grammy Award nominated nightlife legend Marilyn Maye, starting on Tuesday, September 29. The new album, produced by David Cook (Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Marianne Faithfull), will be released later this season. The recording's first single - a passionate reworking of the Cole Porter classic "Dream Dancing" - will be available on iTunes on Friday, September 25. The show's centerpiece is a selection of Gabrielle's sophisticated original songs, in addition to classic standards and numbers by Bob Dorough ("Where Is the Song?"), Brian Wilson ("Busy Doin' Nothin'") and The Indigo Girls ("The Power of Two"). For the engagement, Stravelli will be joined by Joshua Richman on piano, Pat O'Leary on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: FOOL FOR LOVE begins on Broadway, WICKED gets new leads, KINKY BOOTS struts into London and NPH premieres his new show!

According to Reuters, 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin and acclaimed Irish tenor Anthony Kearns are slated for Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia later this month. The two singers will appear on Saturday, September 26, at the World Meeting of Families festival, and before the Pope's Mass on Sunday, September 27, 2015.

The Pope sure can command a crowd. Before Pope Francis' Mass at Madison Square Garden next week, Broadway stars, pop singers and other celebrities will populate a two-hour pre-show featuring prayer and devotional music.

Become a part of the phenomenon that captivated the nation when 'TV's biggest smash of the past decade,' (Robert Rorke, New York Post) arrives on Blu-ray and DVD today, September 15th from Twentieth Century FOX Home Entertainment.