Rita Gardner News

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals has announced the winners of the 9th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.

HB Studio, one of New York's oldest acting studios, will celebrate the legacy of Uta Hagen, long-time HB Studio master teacher, with the UTA HAGEN AT 100 GALA, on Monday, June 10 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street).  The evening will begin at 6pm with cocktails, followed by a dinner at 7pm. 

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, has announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.

Ghostlight Productions, kicks off its inaugural season with a new production of the world's longest-running musical, The Fantasticks, a captivating romantic comedy about a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall, with performances April 25 -28 at Richmond Town's County Courthouse.

HB Studio, one of New York's original acting studios, has announced UTA HAGEN at 100, a series of special events and workshops celebrating the centenary of its master teacher, the legendary actress and activist Uta Hagen. UTA HAGEN at 100, honoring the three-time Tony Award winning actress and her legacy as a pioneering theater artist, activist and master teacher of HB Studio, will kick off on Monday, February 25 with a series of centennial events. The celebration will culminate on Monday, June 10 with a centennial gala honoring the actress, whose 100th birthday is Wednesday, June 12.

Beth Fowler, who won two SAG Awards for her performance as Sister Jane Ingalls on the hit Netflix series "ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK", will play Grandma Kurnitz in this Sunday's benefit reading of LOST IN YONKERS.

Celebrated actress Erin Davie, who made her Broadway debut (and won a Theatre World Award) for her breakthrough performance as Young 'Edie' Beale in Broadway's GREY GARDENS opposite Christine Ebersole, has been cast in the lead role of Bella Kurnitz in Neil Simon's Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece LOST IN YONKERS (Ms. Davie will take on the role which won Mercedes Ruehl a Tony Award for Best Actress In 1991, a role she also recreated in the 1993 film version). 

Rita Gardner, the legendary New York actress who originated the role of Louisa in 1960 opposite Jerry Orbach in Off-Broadway's THE FANTASTICKS (the world's longest running musical) has joined the cast of the December 9th benefit performance of Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize winning play LOST IN YONKERS.

Last night was the Drama League's 35th Annual Benefit Gala: A Musical Celebration of Broadway honoring film, television, theater icon and three-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane. The black-tie evening also celebrated theater producer Fran Weissler for Visionary Leadership in American Theater. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out all the photos below!

The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud.

Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song at 7456 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046, Thursday, June 28 - Sunday, July 1, 2018.

Tony® award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, ALittle Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare &Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, previewing Wednesday, June 6 with a press opening Thursday, June 7 and closing Sunday, June 10, 2018.

Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, previewing Today, June 6 with a press opening Thursday, June 7 and closing Sunday, June 10, 2018.

Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.

The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud.

The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud.

Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, previewing Wednesday, June 6 with a press opening Thursday, June 7 and closing Sunday, June 10, 2018.

Tony® Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause) comes to the Bay Area this summer, starring in his acclaimed one-man show Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song, conceived by Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas, with direction by Kleinbort and musical direction by Janas.

Don't Tell Mama is thrilled to present the return engagement of West End & Broadway star and Olivier Award-nominee Liz Robertson in 'Lerner Without Loewe,' an affectionate musical tribute to her late husband, Alan Jay Lerner, the internationally acclaimed author of My Fair Lady, currently in previews at The Vivian Beaumont Theatre and opening on April 19. Having debuted the show in a one night engagement last April, she now returns for three (3) performances -  Friday, April 13 at 7pm, Saturday, April 14 at 8pm, and Sunday, April 15 at 6pm. The evening is directed by Barry Kleinbort with musical direction by Ron Abel.

As magical as the evening was, after Freddie Gershon gave an impassioned presentation to the duo, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones hit the stage and brought the house down at ages 88 and 89 respectively. They joined forces onstage to perform a song from their musical The Bone Room, described by Jones as being about 'the pleasures of dying and being embalmed in this great country of ours.' Below, watch as they perform together for the last time. BWW feels privileged to share with you a bit of highlights of these two legends together before a rapt and ecstatic audience who precded to shower them with a (well deserved) standing ovation... RIP Harvey Schmidt.