Phil Ramone News

Broadway veteran Melissa Errico announced early last month that she would be undergoing a surgery to repair a blood vessel on her vocal chord. In April Errico had to depart the Classic Stage Company production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion to go on vocal rest. Now, the singer has started a blog to document her experiences.

Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Tony-nominated actor Matthew Morrison is out with his second studio album, “Where It All Began.” He stopped by NBC's 'Today' show this morning to perform one of the classic standards featured on the album, “It Don't Mean a Thing.” Check out the appearance below!

EMMY, TONY, and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison previously announced that he is partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in support of LGBT equality. Partial proceeds from the pre-sale of his new studio album, Where It All Began, will benefit HRC. The album, which will be released today, June 4, 2013, features an assortment of classic standards, many of which were first made famous in Broadway musicals.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosheris the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more:

Today we are talking to an inordinately talented triple-threat performer who made his name on Broadway in some landmark productions, such as the original multi-Tony Award-winning HAIRSPRAY and THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, in addition to his peerless work in Lincoln Center's lauded SOUTH PACIFIC revival, who now is best known to audiences around the world for his headlining role on FOX's mega-hit musical dramedy series GLEE - the charismatic Matthew Morrison. Sharing stories from his Broadway days as well as looking ahead to the new season of GLEE airing in September, Morrison paints a vivid picture of his musical theatre career thus far and touches upon his experiences in the aforementioned musicals on the Great White Way as well as THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, A NAKED GIRL ON THE APPIAN WAY and more, detailing his ascent from chorus boy to superstar. More importantly, Morrison offers us the complete 411 on his new solo album, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, discussing its conception, recording, production, and, now, its release - as well as elaborating on working with legendary producer Phil Ramone on it and the song selection process itself. Furthermore, Morrison reveals the most influential artists and performers to him and how that inspiration formed the basis for WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, both the album itself as well as his current concert tour in promotion of it - arriving in NYC at 54 Below this weekend, as a matter of fact - and his PBS special, airing this month. Additionally, Morrison candidly comments on some characters he would enjoy essaying in the future (hint: a demon barber of Fleet Street), reflects on his favorite GLEE moments to date, recounts wild ROCKY HORROR antics involving rock star Sebastian Bach - and much, much more!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular 'Backstage' with Susie Mosher is the '54 Piano Bar,' a new vocal competition - 'The Callback,' and more:

Coming up at 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher is the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more, including: stage and television star Laura Benanti, High Fidelity in Concert, WGBO Jazz Series: Karrin Allyson Quartet, Tony winner Frances Ruffelle, Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band, Sondheim Unplugged and Simply Streisand.

EMMY, TONY, and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison is proud to announce that he is partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in support of LGBT equality. Partial proceeds from the pre-sale of his new studio album, Where It All Began, will benefit HRC. The album, which will be released on June 4, 2013, features an assortment of classic standards, many of which were first made famous in Broadway musicals. Morrison turned to legendary producer Phil Ramone, along with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Gregg Field, to create the 12 songs featured on Where It All Began. The record marks the first release from 222 Records, the newly formed label from Adam Levine. Place your pre-order of Where It All Began now, on Amazon.com, and 222 Records in partnership with Matthew Morrison will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.

According to her official Facebook page, Broadway veteran Melissa Errico will be soon be undergoing a surgery to repair a blood vessel on her vocal chord. Just last month, Errico had to depart the Classic Stage Company production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion to go on vocal rest.

Harbor Theatre to present an invite-only reading of The Mask of The Jaguar King, a project written by Stuart Warmflash and directed by Bram Lewis, with lighting by Dennis Parichy and original music by Peter Calo. For more details regarding this project please visit www.harbortheatre.org.

The first single from Matthew Morrison's upcoming theatre-themed solo album WHERE IT ALL BEGAN has just been released - a jazzy, syncopated cover of 'It Don't Mean A Thing'.

According to a new interview, noted Broadway/Hollywood crossover star and Glee headliner Matthew Morrison will be presenting his new solo concert special on PBS stations across the country on June 1.

According to DigitalSpy.com, GLEE's Matthew Morrison has hinted that he would have liked a part in Tom Hooper's Les Miserables film and that he might be returning to the stage soon.

Kat Edmonson has signed a worldwide deal with Sony Masterworks. The label will launch her album Way Down Low on the OKeh/Masterworks imprint, coinciding with dates this spring and summer in Europe.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, legendary music producer Phil Ramone passed away on March 30, 2013. He was 72. Ramone was hospitalized in New York City earlier this month after suffering an aortic aneurysm. Throughout his notable career, Ramone worked with talents such as Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and more.

Casts of Cabaret, A Chorus Line, Top Hat and The Bodyguard also to feature!

I Am Harvey Milk, the new oratorio with music and words by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Andrew Lippa, will have its world premiere at The Nourse Auditorium (201-299 Hayes Street, San Francisco) as part of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus 35th Anniversary Celebration concert, "Harvey Milk 2013." The special two-night engagement will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 27 and Friday, June 28. Starring Mr. Lippa as Harvey Milk and Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti as the Soprano soloist, I Am Harvey Milk is directed by Noah Himmelstein, conducted by Dr. Timothy Seelig, orchestrated by August Eriksmoen, and will feature the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus accompanied by the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony. I Am Harvey Milk is produced by Bruce Cohen, in association with Robb Nanus and Jessica Leventhal.

Legendary music producer Phil Ramone passed away this morning, March 30, 2013. He was 72. Ramone was hospitalized in New York City earlier this month after suffering an aortic aneurysm. Throughout his notable career, Ramone worked with talents such as Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and more.

As an undergraduate theater major in the early 1970s, I heard music everywhere. It seemed to pour out of every office and workspace around the department. (And in the LP era, if you wanted more than the radio, this meant schlepping a twenty pound record player and a dozen or so albums from your home to the campus, sometimes requiring back-and-forth trips from the car. If you go to that much trouble, you want to keep the music playing.) In the hushed costume shop with its quietly industrious all female staff, Broadway ruled, with Stephen Sondheim's recent Company and Follies in heavy rotation. It was 'men only' in the scene shop where I listened to male balladeers like James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot while unhappily working off assigned crew hours. Jazz classes (my favorites) in the dance department were conducted to the pre-disco sounds of Isaac Hayes and the Temptations. And late night cast parties were never complete without spins of Bette Midler's first two albums.

"Fun, Fun, Fun" is what DART always brings to its annual gala! Dana's Angels Research Trust (DART) is excited to announce its annual Gala Benefit and Concert on Saturday, June 1, 2013, with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icons The Beach Boys, at the Palace Theatre in Stamford. The Gala will kick off with an elegant cocktail reception, followed by World-Famous RAO's Italian Restaurant pasta bar, silent and live auctions hosted by Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford. VIP Gala tickets are $350 and up and will be available by invitation and online at www.DanasAngels.org. Concert tickets are $110, $85, $60 and $50 and are available to the public through the Stamford Center for the Arts Box Office at www.SCAlive.org or by calling 203-325-4466. All proceeds benefit DART.