Michael Bennett News

MusicalFare Theatre, Western New York's most awarded and only professional musical theatre company, presents the 2nd production of its 2011-2012 Season, the Regional Premiere of A CLASS ACT.

MusicalFare presents the Regional Premiere of A CLASS ACT from November 2 - December 11.

Patricia Watt, Producer, The Douglas Watt Family Fund for the Performing Arts & Julie Keyes along with 2012 Fred & Adele Astaire Awards 30th Anniversary Co-Chairs Carolyn Kendall Buchter and Alix Michel will host a kickoff cocktail reception for the committees and sponsors of this year's awards gala. The reception will also welcome the legendary Judith Jamison to the Awarding Committee. The event will be at Remi Restaurant, 145 West 53rd Street, New York 10019 on Monday, November 7 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

MusicalFare presents the Regional Premiere of A CLASS ACT from November 2 - December 11.

Pittsburgh CLO is to announce that the 2012 Summer Season will include the Pittsburgh premiere of Come Fly Away, the new Broadway musical that brings together the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra and the creative vision of Tony Award®-winner Twyla Tharp.

Adelaide's Debora Krizak will play the sexy, full of attitude character of Sheila Bryant in the stunning Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical A CHORUS LINE opening in Adelaide's Festival Theatre on 31 December.

Tony-Award Winning Star Donna McKechnie Returns to TheatreZone -- Takes on lead role as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical Broadway star and legendary entertainer Donna McKechnie returns to TheatreZone in Naples, cast as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical, announced artistic director Mark Danni. Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the musical follows the adventures of the four remarkable March sisters coming of age during the American Civil War era.

While Broadway fans know full well of Peter Filichia's prowess as a theatre columnist and critic, some may not be aware that he is one of those cliché-defying gents who can define both the infield fly rule and an 11 o'clock number. So in his terrific new book, Broadway Musical MVPs, he borrows a page from the sports section and picks a Most Valuable Player for the past 50 Broadway seasons.

Today we are featuring the luminescent and golden-voiced Melissa Errico and talking to her all about her sumptuous new album LEGRAND AFFAIR - featuring the music of famed Broadway and Hollywood composer Michel Legrand - and how the labor of love five years in the making has finally come to light with this week's highly-anticipated release of the romantic and moving album. In addition to analyzing the process of putting the project together alongside the legendary Legrand, Errico also shares her thoughtful and passionate insights into the many different worlds inherent in the evocative songs themselves - many with lyrics by Barbra Streisand's constant collaborators, Alan and Marilyn Bergman - and how closely Errico worked with album producers Phil Ramone and Richard Jay-Alexander on perfecting the sound, style, mood and final song list of LEGRAND AFFAIR. Additionally, Errico and I also travel back in time and touch upon her many notable stage appearances over the years - including illustrative comments on her Broadway debut in MY FAIR LADY, as well as starring in HIGH SOCIETY, FINIAN'S RAINBOW, DRACULA, Legrand's own AMOUR, and, most recently, WHITE CHRISTMAS - and she also shares her excitement for the upcoming tenth anniversary reunion concert of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at the Kennedy Center in 2012, co-starring Raul Esparza. Plus, news on her forthcoming appearance on Patrick Wilson's A GIFTED MAN on CBS and all the details on her charity organization, Bowery Babes, as well as much, much more!

MusicalFare Theatre, Western New York's most awarded and only professional musical theatre company, presents the 2nd production of its 2011-2012 Season, the Regional Premiere of A CLASS ACT.

Tony-Award Winning Star Donna McKechnie Returns to TheatreZone -- Takes on lead role as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical Broadway star and legendary entertainer Donna McKechnie returns to TheatreZone in Naples, cast as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical, announced artistic director Mark Danni. Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the musical follows the adventures of the four remarkable March sisters coming of age during the American Civil War era.

Last night's GLEE, titled "Asian F" (referring to an A-), was an A+ in almost every respect, managing to pack all the musical power, dramatic pathos, fabulous diva-tude and off-the-wall comedy that made GLEE the international sensation that it is and also push a few buttons over the course of an hour - and make a new star or two of its impossibly talented cast in the process, with that individual walking away - or, should I say, strutting away - with the night undoubtedly being Harry Shum, Jr., thanks in no small part to his premiere solo song sung on the show so far in his two seasons on the show. Indeed, Shum's "Cool" from WEST SIDE STORY was imbued with more choreographic tics and embellishments than even Jerome Robbins could have dreamed up in a week's time to get on film this swiftly and speedily. Besides the ultra-hip-swingin' awesomeness of Shum, last night's GLEE also set in motion a number of plots that will surely be a central focus of this fresh-faced and bold newly focused season - Santana/Brittany's relationship, the new Glee club member arriving next week and Idina Menzel's continuously ingratiating and increasingly impressive arc as Shelby, Rachel (Lea Michele)'s estranged mother, foremost among them. What will next week hold for New Directions? Plus, how did the famous recitative sequence from DREAMGIRLS - "It's All Over" - work outside of the classic r&b musical's context? Did Mercedes (Amber Riley) deliver in true Oscar-winning Effie fashion by taking on Jennifer Hudson's hit single "Spotlight" and making it her own? What about Heather Morris and Beyonce's "Run The World (Girls)"? And, most importantly, which semi-secondary lead stole the whole show? To see the answers to these pressing "Asian F" queries and some explanations of many of the reasons why GLEE continues its sterling winning streak with the third episode of the resoundingly successful Season Three, read on! Merely calling it "cool" doesn't even begin to cover it!

Last night, October 3, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), just honored acclaimed director George C. Wolfe with the 2011 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his incredible breadth and depth of work in the American Theatre. Broadway Beat was on hand for the event and takes you inside the ceremony below!

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), just honored acclaimed director George C. Wolfe with the 2011 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his incredible breadth and depth of work in the American Theatre.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) has announced that acclaimed director George C. Wolfe will be celebrated with the 2011 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his incredible breadth and depth of work in the American Theatre.

Bob Lappin & The Palm Beach Pops will kick-off opening night for their 20th concert season with the Great American Songbook Spectacular featuring, for the first time ever, television star Tom Wopat, direct from Broadway's hit, Catch Me If You Can, along with world-famous Big Bands songstress, Lynn Roberts. They will be performing your favorites from the Great American Songbook including songs by Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Judy Garland and more.

Tony-Award Winning Star Donna McKechnie Returns to TheatreZone -- Takes on lead role as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical Broadway star and legendary entertainer Donna McKechnie returns to TheatreZone in Naples, cast as Marmee in Little Women: The Broadway Musical, announced artistic director Mark Danni. Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the musical follows the adventures of the four remarkable March sisters coming of age during the American Civil War era.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) has announced that acclaimed director George C. Wolfe will be celebrated with the 2011 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his incredible breadth and depth of work in the American Theatre.