Randy Skinner News

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will welcome Patrick Boll, Alyse Alan Louis, David Andrew Macdonald and Eric William Morris to the Winter Garden Theatre on Tuesday, September 22, 2009.

The Broadway real estate game is in full swing with the news that the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway), current home to 9 to 5: The Musical, will soon be available. The big question now is what might be going into that theatre.

A Broadway revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's BABES IN ARMS is in the works, according to Variety. The production will be directed and choreographed by Randy Skinner (recently Tony nominated Choreographer of 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas') and will utilize a new book by Joe DiPietro ('I Love You, You're Perfect...Now Change!', 'The Toxic Avenger' and 'Memphis'). The production will star Rosie O'Donnell.

BroadwayWorld Congratulates Peter Darling, 2009 Tony Award Winner, 'Best Choreography'

BroadwayWorld brings you the 2009 Tony Award winners as part of our complete Tony Award coverage!

Nominations in 27 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced by Tony Award Winners Cynthia Nixon and Lin-Manuel Miranda from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

Fox Associates announces its stellar 2009-2010 U.S. Bank Broadway Series, featuring Broadway's latest sensation IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical. The new Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, a zany recreation of the classic film, will make its St. Louis debut. Also included in the series are: the recent Broadway smash hit production of IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS; the 2007 Broadway revival of GREASE starring 'American Idol' winner Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel and the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY starring Estelle Parsons.

BroadwayWorld Presents The 2009 Tony Award Nominees: 'Best Choreography'

Nominations in 27 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced today by Tony Award Winners Cynthia Nixon and Lin-Manuel Miranda from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club by Faith Prince and Jim Dale, multi-award winning stage stars. They were joined for the announcement by William Wolf, Drama Desk President, Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee, Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards ceremony, and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk.

Pasadena Playhouse announced today that LAUGHING MATTERS, a world premiere musical featuring a book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart (author of the international best-selling novel 'Beaches'), music by Mike Stoller (Smokey Joe's Café) and Artie Butler (Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker), and directed by Leonard Foglia (Broadway's Thurgood starring Laurence Fishburne), will be the final production of the 2009 Season.

The 92nd Street Y announces final casting for the 2009 season of Lyrics & LyricistsTM, the Y's legendary American Songbook series. Linda Purl, La Tanya Hall, Johnny Rodgers and Hilary Kole join Polly Bergen, Lucie Arnaz, Tom Wopat, Marilyn Maye and more who will sing the songs of Ira Gershwin, Mel Torm? and DeSylva, Brown & Henderson. Charles Osgood returns to L&L as host, for the latter show. This is the first season curated by new series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer.

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists with DAVID ZIPPEL as host and artistic director of It Started with a Dream, February 21-23. Subtitled David Zippel - Lyrics He Wrote, Lyrics He Wishes He Wrote, the Tony award-winning, Oscar-nominated lyricist of City of Angels and Disney's animated Hercules and Mulan, presents highlights from his own scores and shares his inspirations and personal favorites from the American Songbook. The show features an all-Broadway cast, including vocalists KATE BALDWIN (Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty), KEVIN EARLEY (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Mis?rables), Tony Award-winner DEBBIE GRAVITTE (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Chicago, Les Mis?rables), DANNY GURWIN (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty), and Tony Award-winner LILLIAS WHITE (The Life, Dreamgirls, and. the voice of 'Calliope' in Hercules). One of the most acclaimed and sought-after lyricists working today, David Zippel's other credits include the Broadway musical The Goodbye Girl (written with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon), The Woman in White (with Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which Zippel won another Tony nomination) and the musical stage version of Wendy Wasserstein's bestselling children's book, Pamela's First Musical, written with Wasserstein and City of Angels collaborator Cy Coleman. Series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer, in her first season at the helm, notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that L&L will devote an entire show to a contemporary Broadway songwriter at the height of his career--a return to the spirit in which L&L was founded, with the living lyricist as an active participant.

Stormy Weather has been extended at The Pasadena Playhouse through 3/8 Conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen Suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House By special arrangements with Stewart F. Lane, Bonnie Comley and Armica Productions Music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Jerome Kern, Billy Strayhorn and more Choreography by Randy Skinner Directed by Michael Bush

Stormy Weather is a powerhouse of an evening. If you?re like me, it will make you want to run out and get the DVD of Ms. Horne?s Tony Award winning, one woman Broadway show, Lena: The Lady and Her Music, so you can re-discover the magic of this courageous survivor...

Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director, Sheldon Epps; Interim Managing Director, Ken Novice; Producing Director, Tom Ware) announced on Friday, January 30 that Stormy Weather, starring Leslie Uggams as Lena Horne, is now the non-profit?s record-holder for advance single ticket sales prior to opening night.

Stormy Weather, starring Tony and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Uggams, celebrates The Life of the legendary Lena Horne. The Pasadena Playhouse West Coast premiere is conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, directed by Michael Bush and choreographed by Randy Skinner. The production features music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Billy Strayhorn, and more. Stormy Weather, is suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House. Uggams sat down with the Los Angeles Times to discuss a variety of subjects in relation to the production.

The 92nd Street Y continues the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists with DAVID ZIPPEL as host and artistic director of It Started with a Dream, February 21-23. Subtitled David Zippel - Lyrics He Wrote, Lyrics He Wishes He Wrote, the Tony award-winning, Oscar-nominated lyricist of City of Angels and Disney's animated Hercules and Mulan, presents highlights from his own scores and shares his inspirations and personal favorites from the American Songbook. The show features an all-Broadway cast, including vocalists KATE BALDWIN (Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty), KEVIN EARLEY (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Mis?rables), Tony Award-winner DEBBIE GRAVITTE (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Chicago, Les Mis?rables), DANNY GURWIN (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty), and Tony Award-winner LILLIAS WHITE (The Life, Dreamgirls, and. the voice of 'Calliope' in Hercules). One of the most acclaimed and sought-after lyricists working today, David Zippel's other credits include the Broadway musical The Goodbye Girl (written with Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon), The Woman in White (with Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which Zippel won another Tony nomination) and the musical stage version of Wendy Wasserstein's bestselling children's book, Pamela's First Musical, written with Wasserstein and City of Angels collaborator Cy Coleman. Series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer, in her first season at the helm, notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that L&L will devote an entire show to a contemporary Broadway songwriter at the height of his career--a return to the spirit in which L&L was founded, with the living lyricist as an active participant.

Stormy Weather, starring Tony and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Uggams, celebrates the life of the legendary Lena Horne. The West Coast premiere is conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, directed by Michael Bush and choreographed by Randy Skinner. The production features music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Billy Strayhorn, and more. Stormy Weather, is suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House.

The 92nd Street Y announces casting for the 2009 season of Lyrics & Lyricists, the Y's legendary American Songbook series. Polly Bergen, Lucie Arnaz, Tom Wopat and Marilyn Maye are among the storied cast members who will sing the songs of Richard Rodgers, Ira Gershwin, Mel Torm?, DeSylva, Brown & Henderson, David Zippel and others. This is the first season curated by new series artistic director DEBORAH GRACE WINER, and her inaugural line-up of guest artistic directors - MARTIN CHARNIN, DAVID ZIPPEL, ROBERT KIMBALL, REX REED, and BILLY STRITCH.