Sandra Church News

This week's Theater Stories features the Broadway Theatre! Learn about the shows to have graced the stage of the theatre, including Gypsy, The Color Purple, Evita and more; the show that broke the theatre's box office record, and much more!

NORMAN TWAIN, 85, a prominent theatrical producer in New York and California in the 1960's and 1970's who later became a successful and award-winning film producer, died Saturday morning, August 6th, after a brief illness.

With four Broadway revivals, two West End productions, a movie and an already existing television version, some may scoff that Gypsy is done too often, but really, you can't blame great actresses for wanting to take on one of the American musical theatre's greatest roles.

Professional writer, playwright and lyricist, Stephen B. Crowley has shared astounding footage of the original 1959 production of GYPSY in rehearsal.

Imelda Staunton, the actress who earned rave reviews for her work in the new West End production of SWEENEY TODD, may be headed back to the stage in another Stephen Sondheim show not long after SWEENEY TODD closes its doors on September 22.

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will give its second performance of the 2011-12 season on Sunday, November 20, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall, in a program featuring Jonathan Pieslak's Gray Fractures, Janá?ek's Mládí (Youth), and Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 2. The musicians on the program will be flutist Sandra Church; oboist Sherry Sylar; clarinetist Pascual Martinez Forteza; bass clarinetist Amy Zoloto (guest artist); bassoonist Kim Laskowski; horn player R. Allen Spanjer; violinist Lisa Kim; violist Rebecca Young; cellists Eric Bartlett, Maria Kitsopoulos, Sumire Kudo, Ru-Pei Yeh, and Wei Yu; and pianist William Wolfram (guest artist).

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will give its second performance of the 2011-12 season on Sunday, November 20, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall, in a program featuring Jonathan Pieslak's Gray Fractures, Janá?ek's Mládí (Youth), and Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 2. The musicians on the program will be flutist Sandra Church; oboist Sherry Sylar; clarinetist Pascual Martinez Forteza; bass clarinetist Amy Zoloto (guest artist); bassoonist Kim Laskowski; horn player R. Allen Spanjer; violinist Lisa Kim; violist Rebecca Young; cellists Eric Bartlett, Maria Kitsopoulos, Sumire Kudo, Ru-Pei Yeh, and Wei Yu; and pianist William Wolfram (guest artist).

25 recordings have been added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry including the original cast recording of GYPSY featuring Ethel Merman. Other titles include Patti Smith's debut album and Tupac's 'Dear Mama.'

This week, both in memory of the real-life Baby June, June Havoc, who passed away this week, as well as a precursory introduction to a multi-part series critiquing the entire canon of all major Sondheim cast albums available in anticipation of the late April opening of the new review SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM (currently in previews at Studio 54), we are taking a listen to the various cast recordings of the major productions on Broadway/West End of GYPSY over the last fifty years. GYPSY was, of course, one of the first scores on Broadway boasting lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and whether a leading lady the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters or Patti LuPone, it is a score unlike any other before or since and a true pinnacle of not only musical theatre, but all theatre, on Broadway and beyond. Some may even say the greatest musical of all...

Gypsy, starring Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone in the towering role of Rose, played from August 11th through August 13th at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago

Legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim will no longer appear before the Ravinia Festival in Chicago's August 11th performance of Gypsy, starring Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone as Rose.

Full casting has been announced for Ravinia's Gypsy, running August 11th through 13th; in addition, Sondheim will appear for a pre-show discussion on August 11th

According to The New York Post's Liz Smith, the Weinsteins do not hold the rights to Gypsy for a planned film version

Is a second film version of Gypsy on the way...with Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta Jones as ultimate stage mother Rose?

Jessica Boevers, last seen on Broadway in In My Life, is set to entertain audiences as Louise in the upcoming Ravinia Festival's staged concert production of Gypsy, while Jack Willis has been cast as Herbie

Stephen Sondheim follows his famous 'Songs I Wish I'd Written' with a look back at the songs he would have been happier without

Patti LuPone has been confirmed as Rose in the Ravinia Festival's production of Gypsy, which will run from August 11th through 13th in 2006

The Chicago Sun-Times has reported that director Lonny Price is mulling over the prospect of a Ravinia Festival production of Gypsy starring Patti LuPone