Liza Minnelli News

ANNIE, the new production of the classic Tony Award®-winning musical, goes on sale today to American Express cardholders. For tickets, call 877-250-2929 or visit Ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be available to the general public on Monday, June 25. ANNIE will star two-time Tony Award® winner Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan, Australian star Anthony Warlow making his Broadway debut as Daddy Warbucks and 11-year-old Lilla Crawford as Annie, with Brynn O'Malley (Wicked, Hairspray) as Grace Farrell, Daddy Warbucks' devoted personal secretary, Clarke Thorell (Hairspray, Mamma Mia!) as Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan's ne'er-do-well brother and J. Elaine Marcos (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line) as Lily St. Regis, Rooster's floozy girlfriend. The orphans are Madi Rae DiPietro as July, Georgi James as Pepper, Junah Jang as Tessie, Tyrah Skye Odoms as Kate, Taylor Richardson as Duffy, Emily Rosenfeld as Molly and Jaidyn Young as standby for the roles of Annie, Pepper, Duffy and July. The production also features Ashley Blanchet, Jane Blass, Jeremy Davis, Merwin Foard, Joel Hatch, Amanda Lea LaVergne, Gavin Lodge, Liz McCartney, Desi Oakley, David Rossetti, Sarah Solie, Dennis Stowe and Ryan VanDenBoom.

Ten Chimneys Foundation has announced the ten actors who will participate in the 2012 Lunt- Fontanne Fellowship Program, a widely acclaimed national program to serve the future of American theatre. July 22-29, the Lunt-Fontanne Fellows will join Broadway legend Joel Grey for an intensive, weeklong master class and immersion experience at Ten Chimneys, the National Historic Landmark estate of Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin.

Chita Rivera, Tony Danza, Susan Stroman, Albert Maysles, John Turturro, Tamara Tunie, Karen Ziemba, Melissa Errico, and more were among the star presenters at last night's 30th Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. The Astaire Awards are the only awards show to honor excellence in dance and choreography on Broadway and in film and were first started in 1982 by the late Fred Astaire and the late Douglas Watt (a critic and writer for the NY Daily News and The New Yorker). BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening and brings you photo coverage of the starry arrivals below.

Chita Rivera, Tony Danza, Susan Stroman, Albert Maysles, John Turturro, Tamara Tunie, Karen Ziemba, Melissa Errico, and more were among the star presenters at last night's 30th Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. The Astaire Awards are the only awards show to honor excellence in dance and choreography on Broadway and in film and were first started in 1982 by the late Fred Astaire and the late Douglas Watt (a critic and writer for the NY Daily News and The New Yorker). BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening and brings you photo coverage of the ceremony below!.

Ten Chimneys Foundation has announced that Washington, D.C. actors E. Faye Butler, Christopher Bloch, and Brad Oscar have been selected as 2012 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows.

High school vocalists from 11 states will arrive in Indianapolis on June 12 for the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy and Competition. The four-day academy and competition is sponsored by the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative. The annual endeavor is the only U.S. competition dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century.

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.

Producer Patricia Watt has announced that $25 Student Rush tickets will be available at the Skirball Center for the Performing at New York University tonight, June 4th at 7:00pm one half hour before curtain time of the 30th Fred & Adele Astaire Awards at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University.

Today, June 3, the Dramatists Guild Fund will host their 50th Anniversary Gala at the Mandarin Oriental New York. This year's event, hosted by Jon Cryer, will honor Chicago and Cabaret composer John Kander.

The cast and director Eric Schaeffer of the musical revue First You Dream, set to open this month at the Kennedy Center, discuss the work of their show's muses, John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriting team who created Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zorba, and many more Broadway hits. Watch video interviews, plus footage of the cast in reherasal, below!

The cast for Thursday, June 7th, in the ever-changing Broadway Ballyhoo concert series, has just been announced. The four stars kicking off the Ballyhoo's seventh smash month at Feinstein's will be the star who played Tony in the Broadway revival of West Side Story, Matt Cavenaugh, the beautiful young actress who played Meg in the Broadway production of Little Women, Jenny Powers, one of Broadway's great Elphaba's in Wicked, Julia Murney, and the acclaimed nightclub star who will be holding court during the dinner show at Feinstein's, Maude Maggart.

Welcome to Part 2 of BroadwayWorld's exclusive sit down with musical theater icon John Kander, maestro to some of the most important musicals of our time. Last time, John took us through his career from his first fateful meeting with later partner Fred Ebb to the movie musical phenomenon of Cabaret and upcoming Dramatists Guild Fund honor on June 3, 2012.

The Cabaret at The Columbia Club presents Carol Woods: Singin' the Blues on Broadway on August 10th and 11th.

Chita Rivera, Tony Danza, Susan Stroman, Albert Maysles, John Turturro, Tamara Tunie, Karen Ziemba, Melissa Errico, Lee Roy Reams, Joe Morton, Smash choreographer Josh Bergasse and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps are all set to be presenters at the 30th Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards on Monday, June 4th at 7:30pm at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

In this very rare sit down, we are honored to bring you an exclusive chat with musical theatre legend John Kander. In Part 1 of the interview below, John reminisces about the major milestones of his career, which will be honored by The Dramatists Guild Fund in a special ceremony on Sunday, June 3, in association with the organization's 50th Anniversary. Kander will be celebrated for contributing some of the most important works of musical theatre - along with his late partner Fred Ebb - to the canon including Cabaret and Chicago - also major motion pictures - Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Curtains, The Scottsboro Boys and more.

The 68th annual THEATRE WORLD AWARDS, which will take place on Tuesday, June 5th at 2 pm at The Belasco Theatre, 111 West 44th Street, NYC., will include special performances by Broadway favorites Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Cerveris, Howard McGillin and Stephanie Umoh. The by-invitation-only ceremony will present Theatre World Awards to 12 actors for their Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances during the 2011-2012 theatrical season. The event also includes presentation of the 4th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence. This year The Theatre World Awards will have ASL interpretation.

Cabaret chronicles author Jenna Esposito interviews rising star William Blake about his upcoming tribute to Etta James, his performance in the new Air Supply musical and more in a cabaret chronicles exclusive article!

Chris Isaacson has announced that Upright Cabaret's AMERICAN ICON Series ends another stunning season with VIVA LAS VEGAS - a presentation of personality and pop that honors the flashiest performers of all time: Elvis, Cher and Elton John. Joining the group of all-star performers will be Patrick Cassidy.

Bea Arthur would have turned 90 years old on May 27, 2012. To celebrate her birthday, actor D.J. Schaefer is transformed as Bea Arthur and will join Judy Garland played by rewound tribute artist, Peter Mac in a very special show Bea Arthur and Judy Garland: Tribute Artists Celebrate 90th Birthdays.