Michael Bennett News

And this Monday, May 20th, John Bantay will do his farewell SPIN as he leaves to continue pursuing his career and becomes a stage manager at the long-running musical, Avenue Q. Speaking to John Bantay, I, of course, was curious as to what his favorite video clips have been over the years. He was reticent to put them in 'Top 10' format because, to him, he considers them all number 1's. So here's his hit list, in no particular order:

Acclaimed Tony Award winning Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, whose smash hit musical Kinky Boots just received a whopping 13 Tony Award-nominations, was just honored with the 2013 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career.

Acclaimed Tony Award winning Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, whose smash hit musical Kinky Boots just received a whopping 13 Tony Award-nominations, was just honored with the 2013 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career.

Acclaimed Tony Award winning Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, whose smash hit musical Kinky Boots just received a whopping 13 Tony Award-nominations, was just honored with the 2013 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career.

Acclaimed Tony Award winning Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, whose smash hit musical Kinky Boots just received a whopping 13 Tony Award-nominations, was just honored with the 2013 "Mr. Abbott" Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career.

The award was presented at a gala event at B.B. King on May 13 with four-time Tony Award-winning playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein, a frequent collaborator of Jerry Mitchell (and bookwriter of Kinky Boots), to emcee a tribute written by six-time Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch. Grammy Award-winner Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the music & lyrics for Kinky Boots, introduced a number from Kinky Boots included in the tribute. Director Jack O'Brien presented Mr. Mitchell with the award. Check out full photo coverage from the festivities below!

Acclaimed Tony Award winning Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, whose musical Kinky Boots just received 13 Tony Award-nominations, will be honored with the 2013 'Mr. Abbott' Award for his outstanding artistry and creativity and breadth of his thirty-year career.

I thought about many happy childhood musical theater memories last night while I attended the Dutch Treat Club's Annual Gold Medal Tribute Dinner and Show at the Harvard Club in honor of the legendary 'Fiddler of the Roof' lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who received the Club's Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Now through June 2, 2013, at the Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana (and not as far away as you might think) is a new play that gives us an interesting look into the making of one of the most enduring work of art produced by Hollywood in its Golden Age of Movie Musicals, the 1952 classic MGM film, "Singin' in the Rain."

The 2013 Honorees for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance, the 5th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater for an Outstanding Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production, and the newly established John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, were announced today. The winners will be celebrated at the 69th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony set for a new day and time, representing a change from past years, on Monday evening, June 3, 2013 beginning at 6:45 p.m. at the Music Box Theater (239 West 45th Street), home of the current Broadway revival of Pippin.

There are performers out there who say they love the rehearsal period more than they do the performances. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite.

As previously announced, John O'Hurley will star as King Arthur. Also starring will be Michelle Ragusa as The Lady of the Lake, Kevin Cahoon as Historian, John Scherer as Sir Robin, David Hibbard as Patsy, Chris Hoch as Sir Lancelot, Ben Davis as Sir Dennis Galahad, and Tally Sessions as Dennis' Mother/Sir Bedevere. Joining them will be broadcast legend Bob Costas as The Voice of God.

A flashy and splashy new promotional advertisement for the new West End revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A CHORUS LINE has just been released, showcasing the razzmatazz riches of the tremendously entertaining musical mainstay.

Legendary lyricist Sheldon Harnick will receive the Dutch Treat Club Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts on Monday, May 6th at The Harvard Club.

The power may have been lost at McKinley High on FOX's hit musical dramedy series Glee last night, but there was no shortage of mega-wattage musical magnificence to set the night alight anyway - particularly for the Broadway babies among us, given the major tributes to A CHORUS LINE and ANNIE. Yes, indeed, 'Lights Out' was Glee at its very best. Oh, yeah - and Frida Romero, too (you read that name right)!

Screenwriter John Brooks is getting 'typed' out. Hooray for ageism, racism, and homophobia. THE GRAY LIST by Allan Provost, directed by Laurie Rae Waugh, will run tonight, April 17 - 28, 2013 at American Theatre of Actors' Sargent Theatre, 314 West 54th Street, NYC.

Screenwriter John Brooks is getting 'typed' out. Hooray for ageism, racism, and homophobia. THE GRAY LIST by Allan Provost, directed by Laurie Rae Waugh, will run April 17 - 28, 2013 at American Theatre of Actors' Sargent Theatre, 314 West 54th Street, NYC.

Today we are talking to the originator of Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES onstage and a preeminent Phantom (and the first to actually play the role) in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA who has clearly made a major mark with his performances in the theatre - not to mention his work on the original concept albums of EVITA and JEKYLL & HYDE - who now makes the leap to the big screen in his featured role in the super-successful feature film iteration of the Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boublil musical based on the Victor Hugo novel - the titanically talented Colm Wilkinson. Opening up about his work in the original Royal Shakespeare Company production of LES MISERABLES and his collaboration with the creative team and cast of actors as well as his association with producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn and more, Wilkinson details the finer points of creating one of the modern musical theatre's most memorable characters, from his first audition through to the West End, Broadway and beyond. Additionally, Wilkinson reveals all about shooting the feature film version, with Broadway/Hollywood superstar Hugh Jackman taking over the leading role and whether he would consider taking on another character in the show after having essaying Jean Valjean onstage and the Monsignor onscreen - maybe Javert? Plus, Wilkinson shares backstage stories involving fellow theatrical luminaries like Trevor Nunn, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more in this career-spanning conversation with one of the mega-musical era's most major of stars - - all of that and much, much more awaits!

The revival of A Chorus Line at the world famous London Palladium has received nominations for Best Musical Revival and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Leigh Zimmerman (Sheila) in this year's Laurence Olivier Awards.