Ron Orbach News

If you like spooky ghost thrillers with lots of creepy sound and visual effects, Peter Colley's I'll Be Back Before Midnight is an old-fashioned treat. Think of Deathtrap, Sleuth and others in that genre, and it's a pretty darn good match with enough plot twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. Now at the Colony through March 3 ...Midnight boasts taut direction and a fine cast.

The Colony Theatre will present the fifth production of its 'Season of Premieres' with the Los Angeles Premiere of I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT, written and directed by Peter Colley. I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT will preview tonight, February 6; Thursday, February 7; and Friday, February 8 at 8:00pm. It will open on Saturday, February 9 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, March 3 at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

The Colony Theatre will present the fifth production of its 'Season of Premieres' with the Los Angeles Premiere of I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT, written and directed by Peter Colley. I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT will preview on Wednesday, February 6; Thursday, February 7; and Friday, February 8 at 8:00pm. It will open on Saturday, February 9 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, March 3 at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

= Christie Brinkley, who played this role twice on Broadway, gives it a professional effort (adopting a speaking voice that sounds a lot like original Roxie Gwen Verdon), and she looks terrific, but singing and dancing don't come naturally to the former supermodel.

The Jeff Awards Committee announced 197 nominations in 34 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions, which opened between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012. The Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 118 Equity productions offered by 55 producing organizations. From these openings, 96 productions were 'Jeff Recommended,' which made them eligible for award nominations.

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 197 nominations in 34 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions, which opened between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012. The Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 118 Equity productions offered by 55 producing organizations. From these openings, 96 productions were 'Jeff Recommended,' which made them eligible for award nominations.

Despite the countless stage renditions and award-winning film adaptation, CHICAGO is still able to jazz up audiences with that old "razzle-dazzle" sass, sharp-witted satire, and boudoir scandal. The musical, starring Tracy Shayne, Terra C. MacLeod, and John O'Hurley, debuted at the Ordway Theatre on August 7.

Tuesday night at DPAC was a good news/bad news situation. The bad news: the much-publicized Christie Brinkley was not able to perform her role of Roxie Hart in Chicago, due to illness. The good news: Bianca Marroquin was flown in from NYC, right from the Broadway production of Chicago to fill in for Brinkley. The best news: Marroquin is brilliant! She absolutely oozes star quality from every pore of her body, and the audience forgot, within seconds of Marroquin's entrance, that they were not seeing the person they thought they would see in the role.

The six-time Tony-winning 1996 Revival of CHICAGO is still earning cheers and packing in audiences both on Broadway (now in its 16th year!) and its still-running national tour--the latter of which has shimmied its way back to L.A. for a return engagement at the Pantages Theatre through May 27. This time, supermodel Christie Brinkley is on board as Roxie Hart. Though it's quite hard not to ignore our lead star's weaker chops, you will no doubt be floored by the incredible, top-notch talent that hovers all around her.

The critically acclaimed Kander & Ebb musical CHICAGO is back in San Diego with Christie Brinkley as Roxie Hart! CHICAGO is playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre through Sunday, May 13th.

Route 66 will present a a special night of music, poetry and story telling as they celebrate an early St. Patrick's Day with their friends at Mrs. Murphy's Irish Bistro on March 12th.

Route 66 will present a a special night of music, poetry and story telling as they celebrate an early St. Patrick's Day with their friends at Mrs. Murphy's Irish Bistro on March 12th.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) is now playing through April 8, 2012, and features a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) and featuring a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announced today casting for its 25th Anniversary Season production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin (CST's Follies, Broadway's The Color Purple) and featuring a celebrated company of artists that includes stage and screen actor Ron Orbach as Nick Bottom, former Saturday Night Live funnyman Tim Kazurinsky as Peter Quince, and veteran CST actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hippolyta/Titania and Timothy Edward Kane as Theseus/Oberon. Performing the role of Puck is Elizabeth Ledo.

Actors Annie Korzen, Ron Orbach, DeeDee Rescher, and Carol Ita White join stars Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht in the special three-week engagement of the comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon. Directed by Glenn Casale, the production close May 15, 2011 at El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

On the heels of his 1970 hit film The Out of Towners Neil Simon crafted The Prisoner of Second Avenue in 1971, which had a more than a healthy run on Broadway and filmed in 1975 with Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft. Towners has always been my favorite as it depicts how bright and enthusiastic small town people visit and view the living conditions of New York City as less than desirable. Anything that can go wrong does and the pair cannot wait to make a fast exit. In Avenue, it's a perspective from within as New York apartment dwellers Mel (Jason Alexander) and Edna (Gina Hecht) Edison must cope with high rent, noisy neighbors, unemployment, robbery, garbage strikes, the exorbitant cost of living and trying to keep one's sanity in the process. In this new production at the El Portal, Glenn Casale's fantastic pacing as director and a superb ensemble make The Prisoner of Second Avenue more topical than ever.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue revolves around the escalating problems of a middle-aged couple living on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York City. Mel Edison (portrayed by Alexander), has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age. The action occurs during an intense summer heat wave and a prolonged garbage strike, which just exacerbates Edison's plight to no end as he and his wife Edna (Hecht) deal with noisy neighbors, loud sounds emanating from Manhattan streets, and even a robbery of their apartment in broad daylight.

Actors Annie Korzen, Ron Orbach, DeeDee Rescher, and Carol Ita White will join stars Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht in the special three-week engagement of the comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon, it was announced today by producers Tom Brocato, Butterfield Road Productions in association with Charles A. Eisler, Producers Network.