Joel Grey News

Yesterday, June 3, the Dramatists Guild Fund hosted their 50th Anniversary Gala at the Mandarin Oriental New York. This year's event, hosted by Jon Cryer, honored Chicago and Cabaret composer John Kander. Performances and tributes were given by well-known members of the theater community including Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth, Christie Brinkley, Stockard Channing, Joel Grey, Rob Marshall, Susan Stroman, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and Joshua Henry.

The DVD collectors set that fans of classic TV have been waiting for is finally coming out as Time Life will now start taking pre-orders for THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. The 22-DVD set contains 50 episodes from the award-winning and influential TV series, featuring the funniest and most beloved characters and sketches, including:

Roundabout Theatre Company has just announced that Tony® Award winner Douglas Hodge will star in a new Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, with a translation by Ranjit Bolt and directed by Jamie Lloyd. Cyrano de Bergerac will begin previews on September 14, 2012 and open officially on October 11, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). This will be a limited engagement through November 25, 2012. The full cast & design team will be announced soon.

Today, June 3, the Dramatists Guild Fund will host their 50th Anniversary Gala at the Mandarin Oriental New York. This year's event, hosted by Jon Cryer, will honor Chicago and Cabaret composer John Kander.

Today we are continuing our analysis of the best Tony Awards clips of all time with an entertainment behemoth that defied the odds - and defied critics and even gravity in the process - to become the biggest hit of the new millennium: the Oz-ian meta-musical by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, WICKED.

Welcome to Part 2 of BroadwayWorld's exclusive sit down with musical theater icon John Kander, maestro to some of the most important musicals of our time. Last time, John took us through his career from his first fateful meeting with later partner Fred Ebb to the movie musical phenomenon of Cabaret and upcoming Dramatists Guild Fund honor on June 3, 2012.

Broadway's Nick Adams is one of the newest additions to the Givenik.com Ambassador Program. In the video below, Adams talks about his support of the It Gets Better Project and how you can help the cause. Check it out below!

Givenik.com has announced eight more members of their Ambassador Program, it was announced by Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters. Nick Adams (Bette Midler's Priscilla Queen of the Desert) joins in support of It Gets Better, Tracie Bennett (Tony®Award Nominee for End of the Rainbow) joins in support of the Alzheimer's Association, Corbin Bleu (Godspell) joins in support of Starlight Children's Foundation NY*NY*CT, Stephanie J. Block (Anything Goes) joins in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter and the Starcatcher) joins in support of Broadway Impact, Celia Keenan-Bloger (Tony®Award Nominee for Peter and the Starcatcher) joins in support of Broadway Impact, Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park) joins in support of Clubbed Thumb, and Jefferson Mays (Gore Vidal's The Best Man) joins in support of Still Waters in a Storm.

In this very rare sit down, we are honored to bring you an exclusive chat with musical theatre legend John Kander. In Part 1 of the interview below, John reminisces about the major milestones of his career, which will be honored by The Dramatists Guild Fund in a special ceremony on Sunday, June 3, in association with the organization's 50th Anniversary. Kander will be celebrated for contributing some of the most important works of musical theatre - along with his late partner Fred Ebb - to the canon including Cabaret and Chicago - also major motion pictures - Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Curtains, The Scottsboro Boys and more.

Cristina Fontanelli, the renowned soprano who recently made her fourth annual performance at the prestigious Feinstein's at The Loews Regency and served as host for PBS television specials starring Andrea Bocelli ( "Live From Central Park"), Il Volo, the Vienna Boys Choir and the Qi ong specials, will perform a benefit concert for the Enrico Caruso Museum on Tuesday, June 5, at 8 PM at the Enrico Caruso Room at Grotta Azzurra Ristorante, 177 Mulberry Street, in historic Little Italy.

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: GODSPELL sings Schwartz, Paper Mill preps ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, New Dramtists honor Bernadette, and so much more!

Yesterday, May 24, New Dramatists honored two-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters with their 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 63rd Annual Spring Luncheon tribute at the New York Marriott Marquis. Among those who offered tributes were Emmy Award-winner Mary Tyler Moore, Peters' Tony Award-winning A Little Night Music co-star Elaine Stritch, and New Dramatists Artistic Director Todd London. Tony and Academy Award-winner Joel Grey and Peters' Tony-nominated Gypsy co-star John Dossett offered musical tributes. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the event and brings you photo coverage below!

The Daily Mail reports that director Rufus Norris, fresh off the debut of his film Broken at Cannes, has cast Michelle Ryan as Sally in the upcoming West End revival of Cabaret.

Rubicon Theatre Company kicked off its 2012 Annual Fund Drive on May 16 at the first preview performance of their latest production Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. As a non-profit organization, ticket sales from productions like Gem of the Ocean cover only 45-50 percent of Rubicon's annual operating budget. The balance must come from community contributions. Leading Rubicon's 2012 Annual Fund Drive as Honorary Chairs are three respected members of the Ventura community: Trudy Arriaga, Doug Halter and Jim Monahan. During the Annual Fund Drive, titled Gem by the Ocean, those who are able to support Rubicon with a donation of $250 or more will be entered to win a one-of-a-kind, ocean-inspired piece of fine art created by local glass artist Frances Elson.

The world premiere of the beautifully crafted musical "Los Otros" begins previews tonight, May 23 at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. With book and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and music by Michael John LaChiusa, "Los Otros" opens on June 3, 2012; performances continue through July 1. Tony Award-winner Michele Pawk has been cast to play the role of Woman and Julio Monge will play the role of Man.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced today that The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer's landmark play focusing on the early days of the AIDS crisis in New York City in the 1980s, will open the 2012-13 season this fall, playing Sep 13-Oct 7.

GEORGE M! tells the life story of George M. Cohan, a giant of the American Musical Theater who gave us such songs asYankee Doodle Dandy, Over There, You're A Grand Old Flag, and Give My Regards to Broadway. The show follows him over a 60-year period period from the late 1880s until 1937. Beginning with his childhood in Rhode Island on the vaudeville circuit with his parents and sister as 'The Four Cohans,' to New York, where he starts his 25-year absolute reign of the Broadway stage.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, Pop Idol star Will Young has been cast in the West End revival of Cabaret, directed by Rufus Norris.

The world premiere of the beautifully crafted musical "Los Otros" begins previews Wednesday, May 23 at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. With book and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and music by Michael John LaChiusa, "Los Otros" opens on June 3, 2012; performances continue through July 1. Tony Award-winner Michele Pawk has been cast to play the role of Woman and Julio Monge will play the role of Man.