Marvin Hamlisch News

Matthew Broderick (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Tony Danza ("Who's The Boss"), Kathleen Marshall (Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Pajama Game), Greg Naughton (Founder: Blue Light Theater Company), James Naughton (Chicago), Anthony Rapp (Rent), Tom Kitt (Next To Normal), Peter Cincotti (How Deep Is The Ocean) Eric Leviton (How Deep Is The Ocean), Lorinda Lisitza (Triumphant Baby!), and Michael Ogborn (Baby Case) and others to be announced will appear at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) 2012 Annual Gala honoring Broadway star and multiple time Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee Kelli O'Hara on Sunday, November 11th at The Hudson Theatre (145 W. 44th Street) beginning at 6:00pm. Kelli is currently starring on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It, and was seen on Broadway in South Pacific, The Pajama Game, The Light In The Piazza and many others.

Natalie Cortez chatted with BWW about the exciting new American musical GIANT, beginning previews Friday, October 26 at The Public's Newman Theater.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will welcome Linda Eder to the Music Center at Strathmore on November 8 at 8 p.m., who will perform "Songbirds," a program featuring the music of Lena Horne, Etta James, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Eva Cassidy and more. Note: The BSO does not perform on this program. Please see below for complete program details.

Celebrating the American Spirit, performed by Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) and conducted by Judith Clurman along with guest artists, Broadway stars Kelli O'Hara and Ron Raines and composer-arranger Larry Hochman, represents an American songbook for the 21st century.

There may have been 40 cabaret performers strutting their stuff this past week at the 23rd New York Cabaret Convention at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center, but the true star of the three-night extravaganza (October 17-19) was the late Donald Smith, the cabaret impresario and guru to the genre's luminaries, who died this past March at 79. Sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, which Smith founded in 1985, this year's Convention featured numerous homages to Smith from the performers, many of whom had their career's supported and advanced with the help of the colorful and beloved cabaret producer and promoter. Early in Wednesday's Gala Opening Night show, the 'first lady of the American keyboard' Barbara Carroll called her friend Donald Smith 'the quintessential New Yorker,' and when Mark Nadler closed night one with George and Ira Gershwin's 'Our Love Is Here to Stay,' he said, 'Everybody who cares about the myths of these songs are in this room tonight.' Well, it was clear that anyone who cared about Donald Smith was at the Rose Theater for at least one of the three shows.

Today, Nancy Rhodes, Artistic Director announced that the Honorary Chairs, Sheldon Harnick and Maury Yeston join Encompass New Opera Theatre in celebrating Alan Menken's life in the American theatre, film and recording world tonight, October 21, 2012 at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York City.

Straight from 'Ghost', Mike returns to NJ's Paper Mill Playhouse in a role he also played on Broadway.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) Broadway production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood begins previews tonight, Friday, October 19th at 8:00PM. The Mystery of Edwin Drood stars Stephanie J. Block, Will Chase, Gregg Edelman, Jim Norton, and Chita Rivera with Andy Karl, Jessie Mueller, Betsy Wolfe, Nicholas Barasch, Peter Benson, and Robert Creighton. Check out the just-released commercial for the show below and meet the cast with videos of them from past productions!

In this week's edition of 'Regional Highlights of the Week', we bring you the most-read stories for the week of October 15 so sit back, catch up and enjoy all the latest regional features, reviews, interviews and more!

Following its celebrated opening at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pullman Porter Blues travels across the country to sweep D.C. audiences along for a ride in its world-premiere co-production at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Inspired by her grandfather's work on the postal trains, playwright Cheryl L. West, whose work at Arena Stage includes Jar the Floor and Play On!, returns with the tale of three Pullman train porters whose journey is underscored by Midwest blues songs, including "Sweet Home Chicago" and "This Train." Directed by Lisa Peterson (Arena's The Rainmaker and The Quality of Life), Pullman Porter Blues runs November 23, 2012 - January 6, 2013 in the Kreeger Theater.

The Paley Center for Media in New York City has an extensive lineup for the upcoming months - including exclusive premieres, tribute concerts, Q&As, and more! The full, detailed listings are below.

Ted Sod, Education Dramaturg, interviewed Rupert Holmes to talk to him about his work on The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Philadelphia Theatre Company opens its 2012-2013 season with the world premiere of the new musical song cycle Stars of David tonight, October 17 - November 18 at Philadelphia Theatre Company's home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ presented a tribute to A Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch at the official opening of the show on Sunday, October 7th 2012. Kelly Bishop joined director Mitzi Hamilton and over 50 of A Chorus Line cast members from Broadway. Directly following the curtain call, A Chorus Line Broadway alumni joined the Paper Mill Playhouse cast on stage as they reprised a section of the 'Finale' in tribute to Mr. Hamlisch. Watch the full event below!

The Path Fund, Inc. has announced that Tony Award nominees John Tartaglia (Avenue Q) and Chad Kimball (Memphis) and Tony Award winner Alice Ripley (Next to Normal) along with Jeremy Kushnier (Jersey Boys) and Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid) will appear in the upcoming "ROCKERS ON BROADWAY - BEHIND THE MUSIC" concert scheduled to take place tonight, October 15th at the newly re-designed Cutting Room reopened at its new location (44 East 32nd Street, NYC) at 8:00PM.

Twenty-five years after passing on, Michael Bennett still gets entrance applause in A Chorus Line.

In a reprise of her highly-praised March 2012 run of her cabaret show, 'Illusions,' at the Metropolitan Room that served as a launch party for her new CD of the same name, Marissa Mulder proved again that her rise as a New York cabaret princess is no illusion.

Anything Barbra Streisand-related is well worth attending (are you kidding?!), and on Friday, October 5, there was an invited dress rehearsal on the Temple University campus in the Liacouras Center as Barbra Streisand: BACK TO BROOKLYN got its feet wet for the first time in front of about a thousand people.