Michael Bennett News

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical A CHORUS LINE leaps, turns and taps its way to center stage at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, previewing September 1, opening Sunday, September 12 at 5 p.m. and running through October 31. A CHORUS LINE is directed by Mark Lococo and choreographed by Rachel Rockwell. The iconic musical stars Broadway veteran Mara Davi as Cassie, who starred in the Broadway revival. She has also been seen on Broadway in WHITE CHRISTMAS as Judy and in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE as Janet, and boasts multiple Off-Broadway and regional credits. A CHORUS LINE is the longest running American musical in Broadway history, and is conceived and originally choreographed and directed by Michael Bennett, featuring a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban.

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) will offer a series of musical theater master classes in September 2010. A trio of Broadway dance luminaries, Charlotte d'Amboise, Mary Ann Lamb and Mary MacLeod, will focus on technique and choreography from Broadway masters for whom they have danced such as Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, and Michael Bennett.

The 2010 2011 Kravis On Broadway season boasts a powerful line up which includes The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein and straight from the great white way, a revival of West Side Story. Add to this, NETworks Presents Disney's Beauty & The Beast, Dreamgirls and The Color Purple, all making their West Palm Beach debut at the Kravis Center. 'The upcoming Kravis On Broadway season promises a world of excitement and escape for our audience,' said Lee Bell, the Kravis Center's Senior Director of Programming.

Today we are taking a listen to the Original London Cast Recording of Jerry Mitchell's sexily studious stunner of a show, LEGALLY BLONDE, and the remarkable score by Laurence O'Keefe (of BAT BOY fame) along with his wife, an accomplished and gifted lyricist in her own right, Neil Benjamin. They are the strongest male/female composing team since Betty Comden and Adolph Green and LEGALLY BLONDE possesses one of the most sharply satirical, witty and effortlessly enjoyable and winning scores in decades, surely as good if not better than any score on Broadway right now. While critics and audiences were less than enraptured with it on Broadway, the MTV telecast and subsequent reality show casting the next Elle Woods - alongside the smash-hit national tours - bodes well for its future in the States. The West End production is ten times the success the show was on Broadway so Elle & Crew have finally arrived - and in style. It's the age of Elle! Plus, A BONUS: A review and link to a new song by another blonde bombshell in her own right, but a bit brainier one than Elle Woods: Nellie McKay! And a link to a download of her new single 'Caribbean Time'! Top hats off and a salutatory Dickensian 'ello' to Elle and Nellie!

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical A CHORUS LINE leaps, turns and taps its way to center stage at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, previewing September 1, opening Sunday, September 12 at 5 p.m. and running through October 31.

Peter Glebo Gallery is pleased to present Longnecks, an exhibition of large-scale, acrylic-on-canvas portraits of giraffes by Broadway legend Tommy Tune. Opening on Thursday, June 3 and running through Sunday, August 29, the exhibition will serve as the new Chelsea gallery's inaugural exhibition. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generous support of Playbill.

Today we are taking a listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM starring Barbra Cook, Tom Wopat, Vanessa Williams, Leslie Kritzer, Euan Morton and Norm Lewis and also taking a critical look back at his incredible, incomparable career. While the show onstage at Studio 54 as directed by James Lapine failed to catch fire or leave a big impression on critics or audiences, PS Classics went to the trouble to record a cast album preserving most of the show as it was seen so they deserve praise if only for that. There are some obscurities here - some college ditties, cut COMPANY finales, an abandoned GYPSY number - plus brand new, candid interviews with Sondheim himself as well as a shiny new Sondheim patter song written expressly for this revue titled 'God'. Never a more applicable song title could have come from Sondheim's pen when discussing - and poking fun at - his own career as the Brains Behind Broadway. Let's see how Sondheim in general, as well as this show, stack up on (the) record!

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical A CHORUS LINE leaps, turns and taps its way to center stage at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, previewing September 1, opening Sunday, September 12 at 5 p.m. and running through October 31.

Six Degrees of Marvin Hamlisch - An All Star Celebration will be presented on Monday, October 4th at 7:30PM at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway @ 95th Street). Produced by Murphy Cross, Paul Kreppel and Bonnie Kole, the starry evening will benefit The Actors Fund and honor longtime Broadway Musical Director and keyboardist Fran Liebergall who is living with MS. Scheduled to appear with Mr. Hamlisch include Lucie Arnaz, Kelly Bishop, Liz Callaway, Victor Garber, Lesley Gore, Robert Klein, Priscilla Lopez, Robert LuPone, Donna McKechnie, Donna Murphy, Jack Noseworthy, Donald Pippin, Billy Stritch, Sammy Williams and many more! Ron Abel will serve as the evening's Musical Director. The evening will be directed by Ms. Cross & Mr. Kreppel.

The Broadway Rose will present the Tony-Award winning musical, 'A Chorus Line,' at the Deb Fennell Auditorium in Tigard featuring Lea Kohl as Val. The show runs August 4 through 22.

Producer John Breglio and Broadway Across America - Atlanta announced today that tickets for the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS will go on sale Sunday, August 29 at 12 p.m. Ticket prices start at $18.00 and will be available at the Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street N.E.), all Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000. The show will play the Fox Theatre from October 12-17 as part of the Broadway Across America - Atlanta 2010-2011 season.

After a career on Broadway and at Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey wardrobe & hair professional Vince Esoldi is retiring along with his unique Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures!

An all star cast of Broadway veterans will lead a tribute to Oscar, Emmy, Grammy & Tony winning composers Kander & Ebb at Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret AIDS Walk fundraiser on Monday August 16th at 8pm in Beverly Hills at Gonpachi Restaurant.

After a career on Broadway and at Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey wardrobe & hair professional Vince Esoldi is retiring along with his unique Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures!

The 2010 2011 Kravis On Broadway season boasts a powerful line up which includes The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein and straight from the great white way, a revival of West Side Story. Add to this, NETworks Presents Disney's Beauty & The Beast, Dreamgirls and The Color Purple, all making their West Palm Beach debut at the Kravis Center. 'The upcoming Kravis On Broadway season promises a world of excitement and escape for our audience,' said Lee Bell, the Kravis Center's Senior Director of Programming.

An all star cast of Broadway veterans will lead a tribute to Oscar, Emmy, Grammy & Tony winning composers Kander & Ebb at Ryan Black's 88's Cabaret AIDS Walk fundraiser on Monday August 16th at 8pm in Beverly Hills at Gonpachi Restaurant.

Producer John Breglio and The National Theatre announced casting today for the national tour of DREAMGIRLS, coming to Washington, D.C., July 28 through August 8.

Producer John Breglio and The National Theatre announced that tickets for the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS will go on sale Sunday, June 13. DREAMGIRLS will play The National Theatre for two weeks only, July 28 through August 8.

DREAMGIRLS, the story of an up-and-coming singing girl group and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune, will make it's Detroit premiere at the Fox Theatre opening December 21. Tickets for the smash hit musical will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 6 at 10:00 a.m.

NETworks Presentations, LLC has announced casting for the new national tour of the critically acclaimed production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical A CHORUS LINE. The tour begins October 1-3 at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut before visiting over 75 markets across the country. A full tour route is included below.