Michael Bennett News

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Children Will Listen On Monday night, the Obamas hosted a starry event at the White House that was streamed live on the White House Official Website and right here on Broadway World that featured the top talents of the Great White Way singing the very best songs by (mostly) American composers. Among the participants were Elaine Stritch, Nathan Lane, Tonya Pinkins, Brian D'Arcy James, Audra McDonald, Chad Kimball, Karen Olivo and Idina Menzel. Additionally, the concert featured Marvin Hamlisch, who accompanied Idina Menzel on his song from A CHORUS LINE, 'What I Did For Love', who I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing yesterday and whose InDepth InterView will be going live tomorrow. First, a review of the Washingtonian events that were online only until the concert premieres on PBS on October 20. Free

Yesterday, I had the exceptional privilege of conducting an InDepth InterView with legendary Oscar-winning Hollywood and Broadway legend Julie Andrews, star of films like MARY POPPINS, THE SOUND OF MUSIC; original TV musicals like Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA; and stage shows like the original productions of MY FAIR LADY, CAMELOT and VICTOR/VICTORIA. In our exclusive conversation we discussed everything from her favorite cast albums and theatre scores to working with Robert Wise on THE SOUND OF MUSIC and STAR! to ENCHANTED, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, SHREK and this summer's smash-hit Pharrell Williams/Neptunes-composed animated musical DESPICABLE ME. We also discuss plans for a US tour and the resounding success of her children's book series - even after all these years she still was at the top of the book charts and featured in the top movie of the week last week! Additionally, We also discuss her opinions on co-stars Russell Brand and Steve Carell, rock music in the theatre, GLEE, the Obamas, Sondheim, the Tony Awards and much more. Here is much more than a mere spoonful of the endless vat of sweetness - as well as generosity, beauty, elegance and class - that defines Ms. Julie Andrews.

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.

Camp Broadway®, Broadway's Original Summer Camp, is presenting three five-day musical theatre camps for children ages 6-9, 10-13 and 14-17 at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts during July and August 2010. New facility owner and producer, Bill Hanney invited Camp Broadway® to offer its acclaimed program at the theatre this summer as the first step in his long-range commitment to restore quality theatre arts programming for young audiences. Registration begins July 19 for more information and to register visit www.CampBroadway.com/NorthShore.

Casting has been announced for the new production of the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS which plays the Curran Theatre August 24 - September 26 as part of the 2009-2010 Citibank Best of Broadway series under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays. Tickets go on sale Sunday, July 11, 2010.

Casting has been announced for the new production of the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS which plays the Curran Theatre August 24 - September 26 as part of the 2009-2010 Citibank Best of Broadway series under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays. Tickets go on sale Sunday, July 11, 2010.

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.

Ramon Del Barrio has been in show business for some forty years. At the age of seven he became a Billy The Kid clothing model, officially entering this business we call show. Joining us as we travel through Ramon's life will be such names as JERSEY BOYS, GUYS & DOLLS, CHITA RIVERA, DONNA McKECHNIE, FRED ASTAIRE, GENE KELLY, BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL, DESI ARNAZ, JOSE FERRER, JUDITH JAMISON, DES McANUFF, BOB FOSSE, MICHAEL BENNETT, LUCIE ARNAZ, and a few others.

Today, in conjunction with Part II of the BWW Exclusive InDepth InterView: Donna McKechnie, we are taking a look at some clips from two productions of the masterpiece musical known as FOLLIES written by Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman and originally co-directed on Broadway by Hal Prince and Michael Bennett (who also choreographed). 'Who's That Woman' is one of the most legendary - and brilliant, and biting, and unique - dance numbers in Broadway history and in this clip the original choreography is recreated by the star-studded cast of the ‘98 Papermill Playhouse revival starring Donna McKechnie, Dee Hoty, Tony Roberts and Laurence Guittard, as well as Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecci, Phyllis Newman and Ann Miller under the supervision of Robert Longbottom and Jerry Mitchell. As a bonus, we also have the number as performed in the original Broadway production. This is something any tried and true Broadway baby surely can't miss!

Today, I am sharing with you Part II of my exclusive InDepth InterView with legendary Broadway star Donna McKechnie who is perhaps best known as the genius director-choreographer Michael Bennett's muse and primary interpreter as well as the originator and inspiration for the character of Cassie in A CHORUS LINE - for which she won Best Actress In A Musical at the 1976 Tony Awards - in addition to her many roles on Broadway and the West End, as well as all over the country on tours of every kind over the years. In Part II of this comprehensive chat we discuss her new show with Kaye Ballard and Liliane Montevecci that kicks off next year titled BROADWAY LADIES, working with choreographers Jerome Robbins and Ron Field, Bennett's thoughts on Leonard Bernstein, Robbins and ON THE TOWN, what Robbins work meant to Bennett growing up, what Gwen Verdon's work meant to her, her thoughts on punk rock and amplification in the theatre as well as working with Rock Hudson, Dick Van Dyke and, of course, Bennett himself.

Today, I am sharing with you Part I of my exclusive InDepth InterView with legendary Broadway star Donna McKechnie who is perhaps best known as the genius director- choreographer Michael Bennett's muse and primary interpreter as well as the originator and inspiration for the character of Cassie in A CHORUS LINE - for which she won Best Actress In A Musical at the 1976 Tony Awards - in addition to her many roles on Broadway and the West End, as well as all over the country on tours of every kind over the years. In Part I of this comprehensive chat we discuss her earliest featured roles on Broadway, working on the groundbreaking COMPANY and her thoughts on collaborators Bennett, Sondheim and Hal Prince; as well as her thoughts on the current state of Broadway, the out-of-town experience in the Golden Age and creating Cassie in A CHORUS LINE. Plus, of course, we discuss her fantastic new show and much, much more!

In celebration of the highly anticipated BROADWAY BARES: STRIP-OPOLY on Sunday, June 20, series creator Jerry Mitchell was the featured guest on Seth's Broadway Chatterbox on Thursday, June 17th, at 6:00 PM. While there, Mitchell talked about all of his current slate of projects. Among them, Mitchell has just redone the opening number of LOVE NEVER DIES, featuring bearded ladies and other 'freaks' with a new song while making other trims throughout the show. The highly-anticipated CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will have a reading next week with 'amazing' new material and the same leads that played the show from Seattle (Kerry Butler, Norbert Leo Butz, Aaoron Tveit and Tom Wopat). The chorus has been expanded from 4 girls to 10 amongst other changes. The show is prepping for January rehearsals for a Broadway bow. Mitchell also just directed a reading of BALLROOM with Tyne Daly that he is directing and developing for a hopeful 2011 production.

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.