John Kander News

Following a successful run of All Star Productions Flora The Red Menace at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, we are delighted to announce that Flora The Red Menace will be transferring to The Landor Theatre for a limited 3 week run from Tuesday 26th June - Saturday 14th July.

First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater opened at the Kennedy Center last night, June 13, where it plays in the Eisenhower Theater through July 1, 2012. The show stars Heidi Blickenstaff, James Clow, Alan H. Green, Leslie Kritzer, Patina Miller, and Matthew Scott. BroadwayWorld brings you a complete first look at the show below!

FREUD'S LAST SESSION will feature Love, Sex, the Meaning of Life and the Existence of God, a post-show talkback discussion with Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor of Christianity Today, Stanton L. Jones, Provost of Wheaton College, and W. Jay Wood, professor and chair in the department of philosophy at Wheaton College, following the 8 p.m. performance on Friday, June 29 at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport in Chicago

The musical revue First You Dream opened at the Kennedy Center, and we have a first look at the photos from the event. Check them out below!

Ben Schwartz ('House of Lies,' 'Parks and Recreation") Linus Roache (Batman Begins, Priest), Johanna Day (Tony nominee for Proof) and Pete Simpson (Blue Man Group) all descended on SILENCE! The Musical on May 31st to catch leading man David Garrison's last performance prior to his vacation. Tony Award winner Shuler Hensley is currently filling in as Dr. Hannibal Lecter through June 24th.

Continuing in its ongoing efforts of supporting new musical theater works, Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, announced today that the Tony Award®-winning theatre is commissioning two new musicals under Signature's American Musical Voices Project (AMVP): The Next Generation. Composers Joshua Rosenblum (Einstein's Dreams, Fermat's Last Tango) and Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine, A Minister's Wife) will be creating new musicals for future seasons at Signature. In December of 2011, Mr. Rosenblum and Mr. Schmidt were awarded "honoree grants" and shared selections from projects in development at a special performance held at Signature Theatre.

With only one day to go before the big day on CBS at 8 PM tomorrow, today we are shining a spotlight on a currently-running Broadway musical that has recently become the longest-running American musical in Broadway history - beating even the champ, A CHORUS LINE - John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's landmark 1920s vaudeville satire CHICAGO.

In the videos below, FIRST YOU DREAM cast members James Clow and Alan H. Green talk about their journey from hometown to Broadway and the excitement of performing in the Kander & Ebb First You Dream revue at The Kennedy Center, beginning performances tonight!

Webster University announces a new program in Theatre Studies & Dramaturgy in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts beginning in fall 2012.

Best Actress Tony nominee Linda Lavin will be joined by an array of notable playwrights, directors and actors -- Vineyard Theatre artists all -- when she hosts The Vineyard's 5th annual luncheon presentation of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Erika Sheffer (RUSSIAN TRANSPORT), on Thursday, June 21 (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.) at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will welcome legendary Broadway songwriter and lyricist John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman), five-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman (The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Contact) and book writer David Thompson (Steel Pier, Chicago) for a one-night only conversation with A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff on Monday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts previously announced casting for its production of First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb in the Eisenhower Theater tonight, June 8 to July 1, 2012.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild's 2012-2013 season will begin with a comedy, and end with a classic. A.R. Gurney's Sylvia, and Kander & Ebb's Chicago will run in September and March at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

On June 1st, Broadway favorite Shuler Hensley opened as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Off-Broadway's smash hit SILENCE! The Musical for four weeks only through June 24th, filling in for the vacationing David Garrison.

Two-time Tony Award winner Frances Sternhagenand Patricia Conolly (The Coast of Utopia) attended the Off-Broadway hit FREUD'S LAST SESSION on Friday, June 1st at New World Stages. Below, check out the pair in photos with the cast!

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.