Scott Wittman News

'New Mondays' at 54 BELOW continues tonight, Monday, June 25 at 7 p.m. with brand new tunes from Amanda Green (High Fidelity, Bring It On), Jeff Blumenkrantz (Urban Cowboy), Laurence O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Legally Blonde), and the vocal talents of Tom Compton, Michelle Duffy, Rachel Flynn, Ann Harada, Julia Murney, Kevin Pariseau, Alysha Umphress and Michael Winther.

Broadway In Chicago has just announced two Chicago premieres in their 2013 Spring season: Tony Award-winning PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT will play the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 East Congress Parkway) for two weeks only, March 19 - 31, 2013. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph Street) for a two-week engagement April 2 - 14, 2013.

According to the 54 BELOW website, Patti LuPone, who had previously extended her run at the nightclub to take over for Andrea Martin, has now canceled the rest of the engagement due to illness.

Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson ('Dreamgirls') will appear in a multi-episode arc on NBC's 'Smash' beginning with the second-season premiere when the musical drama returns to the NBC schedule.

Today we are talking to an iconic Tony Award-winning star who made her name as a teenager singing on TV variety shows - THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW and SING ALONG WITH MITCH included - and then went on to a multimedia career in film and theatre, conquering Broadway with her Tony-winning turn in the Jule Styne/Arthur Laurents musical HALLELUJAH, BABY! in 1967 and returning to the stage in the subsequent decades in a host of Broadway productions, such as BLUES IN THE NIGHT, JERRY'S GIRLS, ANYTHING GOES, August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II and her celebrated Muzzy in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE - a role she reprises in the new Muny production of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical beginning this week - the one and only Leslie Uggams. Taking a thorough look back at her career thus far, Uggams opens up about her many successes and how she has endured for fifty years in show business and shares recollections of many of her most noted co-stars and collaborators, all the way up to the recent 2012 Encores! PIPE DREAM. Additionally, Uggams comments on her film and TV appearances over the years, speaking about her work in INHERIT THE WIND, TWO WEEKS IN ANOTHER TOWN, ROOTS and beyond. Plus, she shares her candid opinions on GLEE, SMASH, Broadway then versus now, future plans for her Lena Horne solo show and thoughts on other roles she would enjoy pursuing - and much, much more!

Ivoryton is the new home for Hairspray -- the 'soultastic, hair hoppin', dance-til-you-drop musical! It's 1962 and big girl Tracy Turnblad has only one desire - to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin and integrate a TV network - all without denting her 'do!'

Debra Messing begins filming soon for the second season of NBC's SMASH, and according to a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, her love of Broadway existed long before she was cast as Julia. Check out what she had to say about how she came to love theatre by clicking below!

Following her opening run at Broadway's newest venue, 54 BELOW presents an encore week of Patti LuPone's cabaret act - FAR AWAY PLACES which will play seven additional performances from tonight, June 19 through Saturday, June 23. There will be a special late night performance on Thursday, June 21 at 11:00 p.m. This two-time Tony Award winner, backed by a five-piece band, has thrilled 54 BELOW audiences for the past two weeks.

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Kevin McCormick today announced that their production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will open at the London Palladium in June 2013 after a preview period. The new stage musical will be directed by Sam Mendes, with a book by David Greig and new songs from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Following her opening run at Broadway's newest venue, 54 BELOW presents an encore week of Patti LuPone's cabaret act - FAR AWAY PLACES which will play seven additional performances from Tuesday, June 19 through Saturday, June 23. There will be a special late night performance on Thursday, June 21 at 11:00 p.m. This two-time Tony Award winner, backed by a five-piece band, has thrilled 54 BELOW audiences for the past two weeks.

The stars came out to see two-time Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone perform at the opening week of 54 BELOW. Visitors included LuPone's Evita co-star Mandy Patinkin; from 'The View,' Joy Behar; from '30 Rock,' Jane Krakowski; Motown legend Darlene Love; playwright Douglas Carter Beane; Tony Award winning-director Jerry Zaks; Broadway composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa; nightclub performer Natalie Douglas and more. Check out photos of the guests below!

According to TVLine.com, NEWSIES' Jeremy Jordan will join SMASH Season 2 as a series regular.

Earlier today I had the extreme privilege of speaking to one of the biggest Broadway stars of the new millennium all about her new ABC Family original series BUNHEADS - two-time Tony Award-winning triple-threat dynamo Sutton Foster. Candidly recalling her professional beginnings, auditioning for the national tour of THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES at only 17 for director/choreographer Jeff Calhoun - our recent 2012 Tony Awards special chat available here - and starring in GREASE on Broadway under his direction shortly thereafter, Foster also shares her post-Tony Awards night memories from ten years ago today, when she first won a trophy for her star-making turn in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Clearly, Foster has remained busy since her Tony-winning Reno Sweeney in the hit revival of ANYTHING GOES last season, as well, with the fantastic new Amy Sherman-Palladino-penned BUNHEADS proving to be the ideal opportunity for her to bring her considerable stage chops to the small screen and show off her serious skills as a comedienne, dancer, singer and actress to a whole new audience in a major way. Of course, Broadway babies have known for over a decade that Sutton Foster is the rare star that comes along once a generation and BUNHEADS now gives her the national stage so that she may give the world everything she's got to give - and that's a whole lot. In addition to an analysis of the central character on BUNHEADS, Michelle, and a look ahead to what we can expect in the ensuing season that kicks off tonight at 9 PM on ABC Family with the enchanting and hilarious pilot episode, Sutton and I also shine a light on the many musical theatre associations in the BUNHEADS universe, current and future - such as the razzle dazzle Las Vegas opening number of the pilot, penned by songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, which was originally performed on Broadway in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN; BUNHEADS series regular and A CHORUS LINE original cast standout Kelly Bishop as Michelle's domineering ballet instructor mother-in-law; Michelle's determination to land a lead role in CHICAGO someday; and, we even discuss some possibilities for musical numbers and song sequences on BUNHEADS in the future ("At The Ballet", perhaps?). Plus, Sutton shares her thoughts on SMASH, expresses her interest in exploring a revival of THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN onstage soon and much, much more!

Yesterday, June 5, theatre legend Patti LuPone opened the new nightclub and restaurant, 54 Below, with a two-week engagement of a new act that will run through June 16. Before the star took the stage for the evening performance, she treated the press to a special sneak peek of the show and BroadwayWorld was there to talk to the star and capture her memorable performance!

Today we are talking to the noted director of one of the most successful stage-to-screen adaptations of the new century, HAIRSPRAY, about his brand new feature film adaptation of Broadway's currently running 80s stadium rock smash hit ROCK OF AGES - the eminently talented Adam Shankman. Discussing the starry cast of ROCK OF AGES - Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige included - as well as the expanded songstack of the reconceived film version - which now includes Joan Jett's 'I Love Rock N Roll' and Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On me', among others - Shankman imparts his infectious enthusiasm for the movie musical format and expresses his relishing of the exciting possibilities afforded by the heavy metal jukebox property. Additionally, Shankman reminisces on his experiences filming HAIRSPRAY and confirms his future re-teaming with HAIRSPRAY and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL superstar Zac Efron on an upcoming film comedy which begins shooting next month, titled THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU, co-starring Jason Bateman and Goldie Hawn. Plus, memories of choreographing Paul Thomas Anderson's BOOGIE NIGHTS, directing two episodes of GLEE, working with Carrie Ann Inaba on ROCKULA more than twenty years ago (his film debut), anecdotes about SMASH - and much, much more!

Yesterday, June 5, theatre legend Patti Lupone opened the new nightclub and restaurant, 54 Below, with a two-week engagement of a new act that will run through June 16. LuPone will play the venue Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm and Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm. In honor of the grand opening, LuPone treated the press to a special sneak peek of the show and BroadwayWorld was there!

Theatre legend Patti LuPone opens the new nightclub and restaurant 54 BELOW (254 West 54th Street) with a two-week engagement from tonight, June 5 through June 16. The June entertainment line-up also includes Jackie Hoffman, Mx Justin VivIan Bond and Brian d'Arcy James, as well as late-night lounge entertainment Tuesday - Thursday, a Monday night new composers series, and an informal cocktail hour on Sunday evenings.