Rich Frank News

Bernadette Peters, one of the greatest living Broadway superstars, will headline the first opening gala, Once Upon a Dream, at ZACH's new Topfer Theatre tonight, Sept. 27. The illustrious actress, winner of two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, is known for iconic stage roles in Gypsy, Song and Dance, and Annie Get Your Gun among many others. Her performance at ZACH's gala will include a 30-piece orchestra of Austin musicians.

On the heels of an unprecedented seventh consecutive summer win as cable's #1 network across all key demos, USA signaled additional season pickups for three of its hit original drama series - ROYAL PAINS, WHITE COLLAR and COVERT AFFAIRS. The three series rank among the summer's top ten scripted hours overall in cable in 18-49. The announcement was made today by Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, co-presidents, USA Network.

On the heels of an unprecedented seventh consecutive summer win as cable's #1 network across all key demos, USA signaled additional season pickups for three of its hit original drama series - ROYAL PAINS, WHITE COLLAR and COVERT AFFAIRS.

The new short film ALBUM, written and directed by David Rimmer, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist long-running play, has been accepted into the NYC Independent Film Festival. The short will screen on Sunday, October 21st at 1pm at the Producer's Club, 358 West 44th Street in Manhattan.

September 25, 2012 is the launch of both the premiere cast recording and the licensing rights by R&H Theatricals of Carrie the Musical. On that Tuesday, the cast (along with the creators) will gather at Barnes and Noble on 86th Street in New York City at 5pm to perform songs from the musical and to autograph the album. Event details: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/77993

USA celebrates a 'Royal' holiday wedding - that is, the long planned nuptials of Evan (Paulo Costanzo) and Paige (Brooke D'Orsay) - in a special ROYAL PAINS two-hour movie event 'Off-Season Greetings,' featuring revealing flashbacks, an unexpected snowstorm and a reunion of old friends. ROYAL PAINS stars Mark Feuerstein as Dr. Hank Lawson, the go to 'doctor for hire' in the Hamptons, who finds that life in the exclusive community isn't always as perfect as it may seem. The ROYAL PAINS holiday special airs Sunday, December 16 at 9/8c. Read more at http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/09/19/evan-and-paige-are-headed-down-the-aisle-in-royal-pains-two-hour-movie-event-off-season-greetings-premieres-sunday-december-16-at-9-8c-76014/20120919usa03/#TC6vstRUBZZUc6Y5.99

Lancaster's Fulton Theatre opens its 160th season with a sparkling production of the classic show-biz musical.

According to Amazon.com, the book Broadway Musicals: From the Pages of The New York Times by Ben Brantley will be released on October 9, 2012. It is now available for pre-order here.

The musical version of Manual Puig's 1976 novel first saw life in 1990. Despite having been begotten by theater royalty, Kiss of the Spider Woman got off to a rocky start before becoming one of the big musical hits of the '90s. Four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally adapted the book. John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Master Class) wrote the music. The producer was Harold Prince (Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Sweeny Todd), who has won more Tony Awards than anyone in the history of mankind (that would be 21).

Former New York Times theatre critic Frank Rich recently answered a plethora of questions through a Reddit AMA, about which he tweeted: 'Fielded two hours' worth of smart questions in the AMA at Reddit today, dealing with everything from Paul Ryan to the opening night of '42nd Street.'

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts today announced its Fall 2012 Season. Tickets for all performances go on sale August 17 at 10 a.m. Prices for individual tickets for the fall season begin at $24.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company (Jonathan Silverstein, Artistic Director/Damon Chua, Executive Director) today announced that their 2012 - '13 season will begin with their first musical - Marry Me A Little, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, directed by Keen Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein. It will be followed by a newly revised version of the 1991 play, The Old Boy by A.R. Gurney.

HBO/Cinemax has released the 2012-13 programming overview.

Bernadette Peters, one of the greatest living Broadway superstars, will headline the first opening gala, Once Upon a Dream, at ZACH's new Topfer Theatre Sept. 27. The illustrious actress, winner of two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, is known for iconic stage roles in Gypsy, Song and Dance, and Annie Get Your Gun among many others. Her performance at ZACH's gala will include a 30-piece orchestra of Austin musicians.

David Geffen's far-reaching influence - as agent, manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades.

Academy-award winning actor and comedian Robin Williams has signed on for a guest-starring role in the season opener of the FX acclaimed hit comedy WILFRED, starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann. The season debut will air on June 28th at at 10:00 PM E/P.

The series premiere of FX's acquired comedy ANGER MANAGEMENT, starring Charlie Sheen kicks off June 28 with the first two episodes airing at 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM E/P.

Mandy Patinkin will narrate PBS's AMERICAN MASTERS JOFFREY BALLET on Friday December 28th at 9pm. The special will cover the story of the first quintessentially American dance company founded by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, who pioneered a new dance philosophy.

New Haarlem Arts Theatre (NHAT), the professional theater company of City College of New York (CCNY), will open its second season tonight, June 14 through July 8 with 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' by August Wilson, directed by Eugene Nesmith and starring Johnnie Mae as Ma.