Leslie McDonel News

William Blake (Echoes of Etta, The Who's Tommy, The Rocky Horror Show), John Duff (Bayside! The Musical!, Rent), Billboard recording artist and three-time Showtime at the Apollo winner Matt Cusson, Capathia Jenkins (Newsies, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Caroline, or Change, Godspell, The Civil War), Leslie McDonel (American Idiot, Hairspray), N'Kenge (Motown The Musical, The Michael Jackson World Tour Tribute), Sondheim on Sondheim), Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (A Time To Kill, Carole, or Change, Radio Golf, The Wild Party, Jelly's Last Jam, Play On!), two-time Grammy Award nominee Ryan Shaw(Motown The Musical), A. J. Shively (La Cage Aux Folles, Unlock'd, February House) Rachel Valdati (My Big Gay Italian Wedding) and American Idol Top 10 Finalist Erika Van Pelt will sing songs from the Michael Jackson catalog at The Pop Show Presents…Michael Jackson! on Monday, September 16, 2013 at Birdland Jazz Club.

The Skivvies (Lauren Molina & Nick Cearley) are joined by Miley Cyrus (played by Leslie McDonel of AMERICAN IDIOT, LEGALLY BLONDE, & HAIRSPRAY) to explain that twerking has been around for ages. In this parody video, they sing through the musical evolution of twerking from Gershwin's 'Nice Twerk if you Can Get It' to 'Twerking 9 to 5'. Check it out below!

'Legally Blonde: The Musical' opened at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse as part of the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival on June 26 in Auburn, N.Y. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights of the show below!

Check out the cast and crew of Merry-Go-Round Playhouse's LEGALLY BLONDE, THE MUSICAL, in Auburn, New York performing 'Good Lovin' sung by The Young Rascals. The video was Choreographed, Edited and Directed by: Roberto Araujo

'Legally Blonde: The Musical' opens at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse as part of the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival on June 26 in Auburn, N.Y. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production shots below!

'Legally Blonde: The Musical' opens at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse as part of the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festivalon June 26 in Auburn, N.Y.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular 'Backstage' with Susie Mosheris the '54 Piano Bar,' a new vocal competition - 'The Callback,' and more:

'The Pop Show,' an exciting new series that has found a home at Birdland, made a smashing debut on Monday night! Producer John Capo rounded up an inspiring cast to celebrate the songs of Elton John - including Tony winner Tonya Pinkins, who razzle-dazzled the crowd with 'Bennie And The Jets' and 'Your Song.' Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change, Play On!, Jelly's Last Jam, 'All My Children') has joined the lineup for tonight's May 27 edition of The Pop Show, part of the Broadway at Birdland series at Birdland Jazz Club. The 7pm concert will feature songs from the Elton John catalog.

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change, Play On!, Jelly's Last Jam, 'All My Children') has joined the lineup for the May 27 edition of The Pop Show, part of the Broadway at Birdland series at Birdland Jazz Club. The 7pm concert will feature songs from the Elton John catalog.

The Pop Show, a new concert series celebrating the nexus of Broadway and pop culture, will kick off on Monday, May 27, 2013 with a 7pm concert of songs from the Elton John catalog. A new concert with a different musical theme will be presented each month as part of the Broadway at Birdland series at Birdland Jazz Club.

PLAY IT AGAIN: THE MUSIC OF ZOE SARNAK, a musical anthology of Sarnak's work, will have a one-night-only concert at Joe's Pub tonight, April 8, 2013.

PLAY IT AGAIN: THE MUSIC OF ZOE SARNAK, a musical anthology of Sarnak's work, will have a one-night-only concert at Joe's Pub on Monday, April 8, 2013.

Backstage @ 54 Below returns Tuesday, September 18th with high energy host SUSIE MOSHER and Musical Director BRAD SIMMONS. Special Guests include VAN HUGHES (9 to 5, Hairspray & American Idiot), LESLIE McDONEL (Hairspray, American Idiot), JAY ROGERS (Howard Crabtree's "When Pig's Fly"), KIRSTEN SCOTT (Follies, Hairspray) & MATTHEW SCOTT (Jersey Boys, Sondheim on Sondeim). Featuring JESSICA VOSK (Encores!), MICHELLE DOWDY (Hairspray), JOHN PATRICK WALKER (High Fidelity, Young Frankenstein) and "LA's Next Great Stage Star" Winner JUDY MORA.

BroadwayWorld rounds up yesterday evening's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' below! The cast of Godspell and regular participants Nick Adams and Ellyn Marsh from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert take their farewell SIPs. Both shows close on Broadway today, June 24 (check out BWW's Priscilla and Godspell flashbacks). We wish them well!

It's Saturday, and that means its time for BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' round-up! See below for 'Tony Edition' SIPs from Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE BOOK OF MORMON's Jared Gertner in his first intermission picture as full-time Edler Cunningham, plus Andrew Rannells partying it up backstage with the cast, EVITA's Max von Essen, PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT's Ellyn Marsh, GHOST's Caissie Levy, the casts of NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, NEWSIES and MAMMA MIA!, the cast of Paper Mill Playhouse's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and more.

While watching the super-charged, though slightly frustrating Tony-nominated alt-rock musical AMERICAN IDIOT--whose national touring company recently spent a brief week at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, CA--one can't help but feel genuinely entertained by the spectacle of it all, yet many (myself among them) may find themselves wondering: well, we know we're watching something awesome... but WTF is actually happening? More rock concert than your typical Broadway musical, AMERICAN IDIOT succeeds not as a complete musical stage play but rather as a visually-enhanced showcase for its rousing Green Day score and the staggeringly talented cast tasked to perform it.

Rarely am I this surprised by a show, especially one I've already heard. But last night I had to completely change my tune over Green Day's "American Idiot", currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. Filled with stunning performances, inventive staging and poetic songs the show went from one I was mildly curious about to breathtaking evening.

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong made a surprise visit last night to the first national tour of Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT. Check out a snapshot below!