Patti LuPone News

One of Broadway's most celebrated performers, Max von Essen, steps into the role of Che for six performances, starting tonight, July 2 - July 7, in the new Broadway production of EVITA while Ricky Martin is on vacation. Daniel Torres will play the role of Che for both the matinee and evening performance on July 8. Max von Essen originated the role of Magaldi in the current production of EVITA and will return to that role when Martin returns from vacation. The performance schedule for this week is Monday at 8pm, Tuesday at 7pm, Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday at 2pm and 7:30pm.

4TH WALL THEATRE will host an end of season fundraiser entitled 'A JERSEY VOICE: Sinatra to Springsteen...and Everyone in Between" featuring John Michael Coppola, a former Bloomfield resident. The concert will be held on Monday, July 16 at 7:30 pm, at the Westminster Arts Center on the campus of Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, NJ. The concert is the final fundraising event of 4th Wall's 15th anniversary season.

Union Square, the Nancy Savoca film that premiered to critical acclaim at the 2011 Toronto film festival, will get a limited release in New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto beginning July 13, 2012 and later open in select theaters in Westhampton NY, San Diego, Palm Springs, Hartford, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Santa Fe, and Boca Raton throughout the summer.

John Davidson, the celebrated television, theater and film actor who starred as Matt in the 1964 Hallmark Hall of Fame version of THE FANTASTICKS and recently performed for a limited engagement in the Off-Broadway production as Henry, The Old Actor, will return to the cast on July 30 in that same role.

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!

The Drama Desk Award-winning Celebrity Autobiography returned with its new edition Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter, last night, June 25. Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter plays the Triad Theater. Headlining last night's event was Tony Danza, along with Autobiography regulars Rachel Dratch, Marsha Mason, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, and Alan Zweibel.

Yesterday, June 26, Kevin Kline and Dianne Wiest performed 'I take your hand in mine ... the love letters of Anton Chekhov to Olga Knipper', a play by Carol Rocamora, in a staged reading benefiting The Acting Company at The Kaye Playhouse. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the intimate curtain call and brings you photo coverage below.

Check out this behind-the-scenes look at Ricky Martin and Elena Roger recording 'High Flying Adored' for the complete New Broadway Cast Recording of EVITA. The video will be released everywhere tomorrow, June 26, where you will then be able to watch it below. But to view it now, visit the AOL Music Blog (http://blog.music.aol.com/2012/06/25/ricky-martin-high-flying-adored-video-premiere-exclusive/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed)!

The Drama Desk Award-winning Celebrity Autobiography returns with its new edition Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter, tonight, June 25 at 7pm. Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter performs at the Triad Theater, 158 West 72 Street. The cast is scheduled to include Tony Danza, Rachel Dratch, Marsha Mason, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, and Alan Zweibel.

The Hollywood Bowl officially launched its 91st season with the 13TH Annual Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and Opening Night Concert, last night, Friday, June 22, at 8 pm, which for the first time honored all women artists.

According to the 54 BELOW website, Patti LuPone, who had previously extended her run at the nightclub to take over for Andrea Martin, has now canceled the rest of the engagement due to illness.

After a three-year absence, Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway returns to the 47th Street Theatre with a brand new edition, Forbidden Broadway: ALIVE AND KICKING. The show, which opens Thursday, September 6, will run for a limited engagement through January 6, 2013. Previews begin on July 24th. BroadwayWorld has learned that Jenny Lee Stern, Natalie Charle Ellis, Scott Richard Foster and Marcus Stevens will all star in the show.

One of Broadway's most celebrated performers, Max von Essen, steps into the role of Che for six performances, July 2 - July 7, in the new Broadway production of EVITA while Ricky Martin is on vacation. Daniel Torres will play the role of Che for both the matinee and evening performance on July 8. Max Von Essen originated the role of Magaldi in the current production of EVITA and will return to that role when Martin returns from vacation. The performance schedule for the week beginning July 2 is Monday at 8pm, Tuesday at 7pm, Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday at 2pm and 7:30pm.

Masterworks Broadway continues to make good on its promise to open its vaults with more classic cast recordings previously unavailable in the CD era. Working (1978 Original Broadway Cast), Call Me Madam (Dinah Shore and the Original Broadway Company, 1950) and Desert Song (1959 Studio Cast) will be available as downloads through all major digital service providers and as disc-on-demand with the original cover art, via Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.

Masterworks Broadway will release the complete New Broadway Cast Recording of Evita, the first complete English language stage recording of the show since the original 1979 Broadway cast album. The two-CD set, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright, with Tim Rice as Executive Producer, is set for release June 26, 2012. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos of Ricky Martin, Elena Roger, Michael Cerveris, Michael Grandage and the cast of EVITA in the recording studio!

Harvey Schmidt, the celebrated composer of The Fantasticks, visited the show for the first time in more than twenty years on Saturday, June 16, 2012. After the performance, Schmidt met with the cast including television veteran John Davidson and triple platinum recording artist Aaron Carter. Check out photos of Schmidt with the cast below!

After a three-year absence, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY returns to the 47th Street Theatre with a brand new edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING. The show, which opens Thursday, September 6, will run for a limited engagement through January 6, 2013. Previews begin on July 24th. This production will mark FORBIDDEN BROADWAY's 30th Anniversary, as well as its 21st edition.