Ron Abel News

HAZELDrury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy HAZEL, A MUSICAL MAID IN AMERICA, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post cartoon by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. HAZEL features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. HAZEL opened this week and runs through May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre. BroadwayWorld has highlights from the show in the video below!

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post cartoon by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel through May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. BroadwayWorld was on hand for opening night - check out more photos below!

Drury Lane Theatre opened its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post cartoon by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel through May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post cartoon by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel through May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. BroadwayWorld was on hand for opening night - check out photos below!

The Broadway at Birdland Concert Series welcomes Jamie deRoy & friends for a star-studded cabaret show, Sunday, April 17, at 6 p.m. The iconic Birdland is at 315 W. 44th Street in New York's theatre district.

Drury Lane Theatre kicks off the 2016 - 2017 Season with the world-premiere production of HAZEL, a musical maid in America.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post comic strip by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel runs March 31 - May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Wednesday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. Check out a first look below!

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post comic strip by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel runs March 31 - May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Wednesday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m.  Check out a look at the first day of rehearsal below!

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post comic strip by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel runs March 31 - May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Wednesday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m.

Drury Lane Theatre kicks off the 2016 - 2017 Season with the world-premiere production of HAZEL, a musical maid in America. 

Like THE ADDAMS FAMILY before it, the new musical HAZEL is based on a one-panel comic strip, though audiences are bound to be far more familiar with the character's hit TV series.

Klea Blackhurst stars in a new musical inspired by Ted Key's comic and the hit 1960s sitcom.

Drury Lane Theatre kicks off the 2016 - 2017 Season with the world-premiere production of HAZEL, a musical maid in America. BroadwayWorld is excited to confirm the full cast for the production!

On January 21, guests gathered at Drury Lane Theatre for the Opening Night of their newest production, Bye Bye Birdie, directed and choreographed by Tammy Mader. With a cast led by Michelle Aravena as Rosie, Matt Crowle as Conrad's agent, Albert, and Jason Michael Evans as Conrad Birdie, audiences were treated to a throwback of the classic 1950's musical, brought to life again by this energetic and lively ensemble of 31. Check out photos from opening night, below!

On April 6th 2016 The Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre will present the World Premiere of Hazel, a new musical based on the popular comic strip character and 1960's TV show. With music by Ron Abel, Lyrics by Chuck Steffan, book by Lissa Levin, and directed by Joshua Bergasse, it stars Klea Blackhurst in the title role. Recently Klea and the creative team were making some finishing touches on the show and BroadwayWorld was there to capture the moment. Check out the photos below!

On Monday, December 20, Birdland regulars Klea Blackhurst, Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso premiered the sixth season of their yearly SWINGING BIRDLAND CHRISTMAS run to a packed house at the historic music room. Scroll down for photos!

Bye Bye Birdie, the four-time Tony Award-winning musical, begins performances at Drury Lane on January 14 to conclude the 2015 - 2016 Season. The funny, irreverent musical takes audiences back to 1959 in quiet Sweet Apple, OH, where rock star Conrad Birdie shakes things up when he arrives to give one lucky teenage girl a special goodbye kiss. With a cast led by 2015 Jeff Award Best Supporting Actor winners Michelle Aravena as Rosie and Matt Crowle as Conrad's agent, Albert, Bye Bye Birdie is directed and choreographed by multiple Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader. Featuring musical theater classics such as "Kids," "Put on a Happy Face," and "A Lot of Livin' to Do," the inspired cast and creative team promise to bring a decidedly fresh touch to the timeless story. 

Nicole Henry will play the Royal Room at the Colony in Palm Beach through tonight, and BroadwayWorld has photos from her performance below!

If this Jamie deRoy 25th Anniversary Show was competing against some of those great Ed Sullivan variety episodes it would have been no contest.  First of all, Jamie knows how to give an introduction, is an entertainer herself, and the best in entertainment business sign up to be in a Jamie deRoy & friends show . The Actors Fund presented this 40th annual 30th Jamie Birthday show and it was truly a spectacular event with some of the most talented performers on the stage at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at the john Jay College of Criminal Justice.  The only crime last night was that the event wasn't televised live but I'm sure excerpts will be available on Jamie's cable TV show and through the facilities of The Actors Fund.  

Acclaimed New York City cabaret singer and actress Klea Blackhurst will bring her signature show 'An Evening with Klea Blackhurst' to the Milford Center for the Arts as part of it's Nite Spot Nights series produced in conjunction with Pantochino Productions Inc. tonight, November 7th at 8 p.m.