Lynn Ahrens News

Musical Theatre and Jazz Workshop members, friends and colleagues of Jean Banks, who managed BMI's jazz and musical theater department for more than a quarter century, will come together Thursday, March 8 at 5:30 PM at the Snapple Theater for a celebration of her life and her professional calling.

What happens once the Ugly Duckling comes out of her shell? She takes a show business journey to become a singing swan superstar! Kansas City audiences can catch the one-night-only performance of Lucky Duck by the Coterie Theatre at 7 p.m. March 8 at the Folly Theater, 1020 Central. The musical comedy with its Kansas City cast will then take flight for its debut at the New Victory Theater in New York March 16-25.

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is proud to present SEUSSICAL from March 9th to April 1st with performances Friday evenings at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4:00 PM. Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book by Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens, and based on the works of Dr. Seuss. SEUSSICAL is directed by TGS founder and executive Director Steve Fredericks with choreography by Jillian Petrie and musical direction by Laura Petrie.

The New Victory Theater presents the New York premiere of Lucky Duck, a musical from the Broadway team of Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls, Side Show), Bill Russell (Side Show)and Jeffrey Hatcher (Tuesdays with Morrie). With live musicians, clever lyrics and crisp choreography, this satirical, rags-to-runway musical created for young people puts a modern spin on classic musical theater. Lucky Duck will run at The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, from March 16 through March 25.

Almost-normal in association with The Landor Theatre present LUCKY STIFF from Wednesday 1st to Saturday 25th February 2012. It has a book and lyrics by LYNN AHRENS and music by STEPHEN FLAHERTY. LUCKY STIFF is based on "The Man Who Broke The Bank at Monte Carlo" by Michael Butterworth. It was first produced by Playwrights Horizons Inc. off-Broadway in 1988. It was the winner of the 1988 Richard Rodgers Production Award.

On Monday, April 30, The New York Pops marks its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled 'Journey On' honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia. The event begins at 7:00 PM with a concert at Carnegie Hall featuring a spectacular lineup of guest artists under the baton of Music Director Steven Reineke. Following the concert, a black tie dinner and dance will be held at the luxurious Plaza Hotel.

Casting is now complete for the European premiere of Lynn Ahrens' and Stephen Flaherty's multiple Drama Desk-nominated Off-Broadway musical, The Glorious Ones, which will play at the Landor Theatre, London, from Tuesday March 6 to Saturday April 7.

Journey back to turn-of-the-century America, where Scott Joplin's ragtime music fills the air with an infectious beat. Ragtime: the Musical, weaves a spellbinding story of three families whose lives collide against the backdrop of New York in 'the American Century'-a white family living the privileged life in New Rochelle, a disillusioned Jewish immigrant bent on achieving success, and a handsome young black piano man courting the woman he loves.

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced the Winter-Spring, 2012 Season of Children's Programming.

Cabaret with a View returns to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on Monday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. with singer/songwriter Paul Oakley Stovall and Brad Simmons in "The Next Best Thing to Love." Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, the series offers audiences a chance to sit on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion to experience music in an intimate setting and a climate controlled environment. The evening will include both pop favorites as well as a sampling of Stovall's original music.

After winning major critical acclaim with a revival of Lynn Ahrens' and Stephen Flaherty's Broadway musical, Ragtime - winning 3 Off West End Theatre?Awards and nominated Best?Musical Revival in the Whatsonstage Awards - the Landor Theatre is to present the European premiere of the composing duo's multiple Drama Desk-nominated Off-Broadway musical, The Glorious Ones.

According to the New York Times, Playwrights Horizons will present FAR FROM HEAVEN, a new musical with book by Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, The Grapes of Wrath), in Spring 2013. The show will also play Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. The musical was adapted from the acclaimed, award-winning 2002 Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture Far From Heaven, written and directed by Todd Haynes.

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG-the group that "charms audiences with programs that combine meticulous research with an infectious strain of vocal hedonism" (The New York Times)-continues its 2011-12 season with a sequel to a favorite NYFOS program, A MODERN PERSON'S GUIDE TO HOOKING UP AND BREAKING UP on Tuesday, February 14 and Thursday, February 16 at 8:00PM at Merkin Concert Hall.

From Nick Jonas and Michael Urie to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand to Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters to Susan Boyle, Colin Quinn to GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2012 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

The winner of the 2012 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater was announced today by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which administers the Rodgers Awards.