Kathy Fitzgerald News

The Muny announced principal casting for the third show of its fantastic 95th Season, Nunsense Muny Style!, directed by Matt Lenz, choreographed by Teri Gibson, and supervised by Dan Goggin.

Luminaries of stage and screen will come together on May 20th at LaGuardia Arts High School in Manhattan to pay tribute to treasured alumnus and show biz icon Ben Vereen (Pippin, Roots, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fosse, Jelly's Last Jam, Sweet Charity, Hair, Wicked). This evening of song and dance will include such notables as:

Irish Repertory Theatre announces a four-week extension of DONNYBROOK!-a musical based on the movie 'The Quiet Man,' with music and lyrics by Johnny Burke and book by Robert E. McEnroe-with Off-Broadway performances now set to run through April 28 on the company's Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage Theatre (132 West 22nd Street). Charlotte Moore (2012 Callaway Award finalist for DANCING AT LUGHNASA) directs.

John Ford's Oscar winning The Quiet Man is the inspiration behind its musical adaptation, Donnybrook!, now playing at Irish Repertory Theatre.

John Ford's Oscar winning, The Quiet Man, is one of the best loved and most popular films of all time. Its musical adaptation, Donnybrook!, begins with the haunting love theme, Richard Farrelly's 'The Isle of Innisfree' and marches jauntily through the misty hills of the west of Ireland with a cast of characters headed by the indomitable Mary Kate Danaher (Jenny Powers), and her counterpart, American prizefighter Sean Enright (James Barbour) who, against his strong wishes, has not yet fought his last battle.

Irish Repertory Theatre continues its 25th Anniversary Season with DONNYBROOK! -a musical based on the movie 'The Quiet Man,' with music and lyrics by Johnny Burke and book by Robert E. McEnroe-with previews set to begin February 7, prior to its official Off-Broadway opening on Sunday, February 17 on the company's Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage Theatre (132 West 22nd Street). Charlotte Moore (2012 Callaway Award finalist for DANCING AT LUGHNASA) directs.

Bernice Bobs Her Mullet: A New Musical Comedy with book, music and lyrics by Joe Major will be performed once again at an exclusive, New York City reading before an invited audience of industry professionals on Friday, November 2nd at 2:00pm. Slated to perform the musical's revamped script and score are Andrew Call (American Idiot, Glory Days), Kathy Fitzgerald (9 to 5, The Producers) and Joe Aaron Reid (Ghost, NBC's "Smash"), as well as Devon Buchanan, KC Comeaux, Natalie Hiatt, Dana Mierlak and Kassie Carroll as the show's title character, Bernice.

Part of the latest group of movies-turned-Broadway-musicals is Legally Blonde, which is now at the North Carolina Theatre, in the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

North Carolina Theatre's Legally Blonde The Musical is being presented at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium October 9-14, 2012. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

North Carolina Theatre's Legally Blonde opens this week at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Over the weekend, I had the chance to peek behind the scenes and into dress rehearsal to give you a taste of what's to come.

At BroadwayWorld we pride ourselves in showcasing theater content from all corners of the globe. Our regional contributors do an amazing job each day of bringing you the latest theater news in their cities and countries and to acknowledge this, we are launching a new weekly column called 'Around BWW: Regional Highlights of the Week'. Below you'll find a list of the most-read stories in our over 130 (and counting!) regional markets. Browse over to your favorite far-away city/country to see what's making news, see what productions are playing around the country and overseas and get to know new performers! Enjoy this virtual trek around the globe and stay tuned for next week's recap of regional not-to-be-missed news!

The latest extravaganza to grace the stage at The Muny in Forest Park is a hilarious re-working of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of the Penzance (although some of the tunes are lifted from other works by the pair). PIRATES! (or Gilbert and Sullivan Plundr'd) is a spirited romp with a storyline more akin to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers than the original plot, and lyrics (revised book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin) and rearranged musical arrangements (courtesy of John McDaniel) that will amuse even the staunchest purists among us. This is just plain goofy, pirate-laden fare that owes as much to the recent Pirates of the Caribbean film series as to it does to Gilbert and Sullivan. And that's a good thing, at least it is in this case.

The Muny presents the sixth show of its 94th season, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd), through August 5, directed by Gordon Greenberg and choreographed by Denis Jones. Conceived by Gordon Greenburg, Nell Benjamin and John McDaniel, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd) features lyrics by W.S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. Revised book and lyrics are by Nell Benjamin, and music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations are by John McDaniel. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights from the show below!

The Muny presents the sixth show of its 94th season, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd), through August 5, directed by Gordon Greenberg and choreographed by Denis Jones. Conceived by Gordon Greenburg, Nell Benjamin and John McDaniel, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd) features lyrics by W.S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. Revised book and lyrics are by Nell Benjamin, and music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations are by John McDaniel. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night below!

The Muny has announced principal casting for the sixth show of its 94th season, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd), July 30 - August 5, directed by Gordon Greenberg and choreographed by Denis Jones. Conceived by Gordon Greenburg, Nell Benjamin and John McDaniel, Pirates! (or, Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd) features lyrics by W.S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. Revised book and lyrics are by Nell Benjamin, and music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations are by John McDaniel.

Off-Broadway's Irish Repertory Theatre presented a concert performance of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! for its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala at The Shubert Theatre, helmed by Charlotte Moore. The all-star company was led by Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tony Award-winner for KISS ME, KATE, as Fagin; James Barbour (A TALE OF TWO CITIES) as Bil Sykes; and Tony-nominee Melissa Errico (AMOUR) as Nancy. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening and brings you photo coverage of the curtain call and post-celebration below!

Off-Broadway's acclaimed Irish Repertory Theatre presents its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala, a concert performance on Broadway of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! - a glorious, Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of 1850's London in the time of the Industrial Revolution - on Monday, June 11 at The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) in Manhattan. Charlotte Moore, who directed last year's concert staging of CAMELOT on Broadway and the Irish Repertory's recent revival of Brian Friel's DANCING AT LUGHNASA, will direct.

Off-Broadway's acclaimed Irish Repertory Theatre presents its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala, a concert performance on Broadway of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! - a glorious, Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of 1850's London in the time of the Industrial Revolution - on Monday, June 11 at The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) in Manhattan. Charlotte Moore, who directed last year's concert staging of CAMELOT on Broadway and the Irish Repertory's recent revival of Brian Friel's DANCING AT LUGHNASA, will direct.

Seth Rudetsky's DISASTER, A 1970's disaster movie musical; written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, directed/choreographed by Denis Jones with music direction by Steve Marzullo, will close tonight at The Triad (158 West 72nd Street). The show began on January 22.