Judy Garland News

The Pasadena Playhouse presents SUMMER AT THE PLAYHOUSE - Music, Mayhem and Madness, three exciting productions playing this July.

Spend an evening with Judy Garland, America's Sweetheart, as she tells of the TV show she'd preferred to have done. Get to know again the Judy everyone loves, without all the booze and drugs. Share songs, laughs, and tears with Judy as portrayed by Kimberly Roberts, a Vanity Fair featured Garland doppelganger and featuring the directorial debut of Toronto stage star, Sarah Strange.

Johanna Allen makes another very welcome trip home to Adelaide to present the marvellous music of Harold Arlen, and her many fans were out in force to see her latest cabaret show,

AFTERLOVE: LOVE LIFE IN THE AFTERLIFE, written by and performed by Ron Hanks and Betsy Reisz is one of the most brilliant and inventive shows I have seen at this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival. In the dating pool of the afterlife, there are a LOT of choices, and this show presents 8 couples of public figures across time and space as they attempt to create new and continued love with each other in Heaven.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will offer audience talkbacks after the following performances of Chip Deffaa's new musical play 'Irving Berlin's America': Sunday, June 22nd at 8 p.m.; Thursday, June 26th at 8 p.m.; Sunday, June 29th at 8 p.m.; Monday, June 30th at 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 6th at 8 p.m.; and Thursday, July 10th at 8 p.m.

The art of the dance movie poster is celebrated at Jacob's Pillow this summer with GOTTA DANCE!, an extraordinary exhibit of vintage posters from throughout the world. The posters, which feature stars such as Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, Eleanor Powell, and Astaire & Rogers, were selected from the personal collection of one of the genre's foremost experts, award-winning campaign designer and producer Mike Kaplan. GOTTA DANCE! includes a special six-poster salute to Marge and Gower Champion on the occasion of Marge Champion's 95th birthday.

In the TV musical comedy-drama, Glee, the award-winning actress Jane Lynch plays the deliciously evil high school cheerleading coach-turned-principal Sue Sylvester, who is constantly trying to sabotage the efforts of the school's glee club to compete in singing competitions or even exist. It's a good thing nobody tried to prevent Lynch from taking a real-life crack at nightclub singing, as her debut show this past week at 54 Below (the last show is tonight at 8pm) was a delightful breath of cabaret fresh air.

The fourth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' -- presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre -- welcomed stars including Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera), Austin Scarlett ('Project Runway'), Karen Wyman (celebrated 60s pop singer), Alison Fraser (two-time Tony Award nominee), Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray) and Aaron Weinstein (acclaimed jazz violinist), as well as Jane Monheit (Grammy Award nominated jazz star), Sarah Dash (R&B/Disco legend of LaBelle), Rory O'Malley (Tony Award nominee, The Book of Mormon,) Julia Murney (Wicked, The Wild Party), Erin McKeown (folk-rock singer/songwriter) and Gabrielle Stravelli (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). Scroll down for photos from the event!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their amazing line-up of talent for June 30 through July 6, featuring: Our Sinatra "A Musical Celebration" with Eric Comstock, Christopher Gines, Harmony Keeney, Jane Monheit, Arturo O'Farrill, Frank Wildhorn, and Introducing A New Segment: Mentor Mondays!

The East End of Long Island's own singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright, who released a 'Best Of' compilation earlier this year titled Vibrate, will perform his most popular hits in a solo show at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center tonight, June 20 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $60, $100, $140 and are available online at www.whbpac.org.

Upon her return to Davenport's in Chicago, the theater & cabaret star talks about her voice and how she almost lost it.

Bucks County Playhouse has announced Marsha Mason has joined the cast of its new production of Ira Levin's Deathtrap, directed by Evan Cabnet. Mason, who is currently directing the Playhouse production of Neil Simon's Chapter Two that begins performances tonight, will play the role of the mysterious Helga Ten Dorp. The comedy thriller begins performances tonight, June 19.

Harold Arlen wrote over 400 songs from 1926 - 1974. His music was made famous by Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and the iconic Judy Garland. Vocal powerhouse Johanna Allen showcases a catalogue of his most well known music: The Man that got Away, Blues in the Night, Get Happy, One for my baby, The Old Black Magic, Down With Love, Paper Moon, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and entwines stories from the women who loved him and the words of his other great musical work 'The Wizard of Oz'.

Spend an evening with Judy Garland, America's Sweetheart, as she tells of the TV show she'd preferred to have done. Get to know again the Judy everyone loves, without all the booze and drugs. Share songs, laughs, and tears with Judy as portrayed by Kimberly Roberts, a Vanity Fair featured Garland doppelganger and featuring the directorial debut of Toronto stage star, Sarah Strange.

Now on stage at the beautiful Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak is Stagecrafters' current production, The Wizard of Oz. This mega musical finishes out a highly successful season for the amazingly talented group. If you are looking for something different from Judy Garland's version, this one has just the right amount of difference to make it interesting without losing the magic of the L. Frank Baum story.

Bucks County Playhouse Producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis, and Josh Fiedler announce complete casting for the remaining 2014 75th anniversary summer seaso

Next Show: THE (pre) FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL - CLASSIC AMERICANA

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its July 2014 schedule, featuring Arturo O'Farrill, Loston Harris, Ben Allison Group, John Pizzarelli, Barbara Carroll, Rolando Morales-Matos, Linda Lavin, Jane Monheit, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and MORE!

The Broadway at Birdland concert series takes place every Monday at 7pm, followed by the always-extreme open mic, Jim Caruso's Cast Party. Birdland is at 315 West 44 Street in the heart of the Theater District. See www.BirdlandJazz.com for details.