Judy Garland News

Direct from the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's Leicester Square Theatre, Mickey & Judy, created by and starring Canadian actor/vocalist Michael Hughes, makes its New York City debut at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, tonight, September 10th and 15th, and 20th.

Before a grade-school backdrop depicting heathery hills, a pair of confused theatre-goers struggle with an outdated map of Broadway while an offstage chorus sings, “Brink of doom, Brink of do-om,” and before you can say “Come ye to the spoof,” the cast of Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking is promising that, “Just like Jesus and Judy Garland, we're resurrected again.”

OUTFEST, the world's leading organization dedicated to showcasing, protecting and nurturing LGBT film imagery and artistry, announced today that it will honor award winning producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron at the 8th annual Legacy Awards. This year's event will take place on Saturday, October 13th at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

In the opening song on Barbra Streisand's stunning new album, RELEASE ME (produced by Streisand and Jay Landers)- a career-spanning collection of rarities and recordings that have been heretofore hidden away in vast vaults and rarely even referenced, let alone ever heard - she powerfully imparts a lyric from the Betty Comden/Adolph Green/Jule Styne score of the Arthur Laurents-directed Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 1968, HALLELUJAH, BABY!, also acting as an oh-so-apt autobiographical summation: 'I'll be the best or nothing at all.' Indeed, so goes the legacy of Barbra Streisand - the voice of a generation; the greatest living recording artist, bar (or, if you prefer, Bar) none; who, now, today, is in the final stages of preparation before embarking on her new tour in conjunction with the release of this new album, directed by longtime creative collaborator and co-director, Richard Jay-Alexander with musical director and conductor William Ross.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the acclaimed gay comedy/variety show, will open their fourth season on September 20, 2012 at The Duplex in New York's West Village.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency presents the New York debut duet engagement of two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein, and acclaimed Grammy-nominated vocalist Marilyn Maye, today, September 4 - 22.

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, presents the return of three time MAC award winning singer and pianist, Mark Nadler, in his critically acclaimed one-man show "Crazy 1961: The Songs and Events of 1961." The show celebrates the extraordinary year that saw the first man orbiting the earth in outer space (not to mention the first monkey!), the first performance of The Beatles, the inauguration of President Kennedy, Barbra Streisand's first TV appearance and Judy Garland's big comeback concert at Carnegie Hall.

Written and directed by Jim Cartwright, the Olivier Award-winning THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE will begin a national tour at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre tonight, 31 August, with opening night on Tuesday 4 September. The show stars Beverley Callard as 'Mari Hoff', Ray Quinn as 'Billy', Joe McGann as 'Ray Say', Duggie Brown as 'Mr Boo' and Jess Robinson as 'Little Voice'.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents My Baby Just Cares For Me, a special fall benefit concert featuring the married musical theater duo Michael and Angela Ingersoll. The event will take place Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2 at 8:00pm at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd.

Direct from the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's Leicester Square Theatre, Mickey & Judy, created by and starring Canadian actor/vocalist Michael Hughes, makes its New York City debut at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, September 10th, 15th, and 20th.

Twelve entries from Pride Films and Plays' Great Gay Screenplay Contest have been named as semi-finalists and move on to the next round of judging in the contest.

This week at Joe's Pub, August 27 through September 2, look out for Sasha Allen, Ryan Raftery, Jared Evan, Veronica Klaus, Tori Scott, Annie and the Beekeepers, The Snow / C. Gibbs, Kate Douglas and the Imaginary Menagerie, Julia Haltigan / Rusty Belle and Saul Williams. More details below!

Daniel Nardicio will present a special show by Justin Sayre, host of The Meeting* at the Ice Palace as part of the Icon Series (also featured this summer have been Liza Minnelli, Sandra Bernhard, Margaret Cho and more) tonight, August 25 at 10:00 PM.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency presents the New York debut duet engagement of two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein, and acclaimed Grammy-nominated vocalist Marilyn Maye, September 4 - 22.

'Judy and Liza Together Again,' starring internationally acclaimed entertainers Rick Skye and Tommy Femia, named 'BEST DUO' this year by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC), has been extended through the Fall season at Don't Tell Mama's (343 West 46th Street). Teaming up for an evening of 'Just POW!', these MAC and Bistro Award winning performers pull out all the stops, singing classic solos, parodies, duets and just plain whooping and hollering by the greatest mother/daughter team in show biz history in 'a high energy evening with an abundance of laughs!' (Edge).

A day before the musical opened, Repertory Philippines' THE WIZARD OF OZ held a press preview at Greenbelt One's Onstage Theatre with Cara Barredo as Dorothy Gale, along with James Stacey as the Scarecrow, Hans Eckstein as the Tin Man, and Oliver Usison as the Lion.

The highly acclaimed Broadway production of End of the Rainbow, written by Peter Quilter and directed by Tony® Award winner Terry Johnson, played its final performance on Sunday, August 19, and BWW was there to capture the show's farewell curtain call.