Stephen Flaherty News

The evening will be co-hosted by two of the company's alumni actors: two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce (at PH in Richard Greenberg's The Maderati in 1987) and two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Obie Award winner and 2012 Special Drama Desk Award winner Mary Testa (at PH in William Finn's In Trousers in 1979, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Lucky Stiff in 1988, Tom Donaghy's From Above in 1998/Obie Award and Kathleen Tolan's The Wax in 2000).

ROCKY, beginning previews February 11 and officially opening on March 13, announces a day-of-performance lottery for Golden Circle seats in the first two rows of Broadway's historic Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway, New York, NY). Golden Circle ticketholders will be escorted onto the stage to watch the climatic fight during the final 20 minutes of the performance. Entry to the lottery will begin two hours prior to each performance and the winners will be announced 90 minutes prior to curtain. The seats will be priced at the special rate of $35 each, limit two tickets per person. All tickets are subject to availability. For further information, visit www.rockybroadway.com.

Playwrights Horizons presents the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl (Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production begins previews this evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Bailiwick Chicago will launch its 2013-14 season with the Chicago premiere of the thrilling musical drama DESSA ROSE by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning team behind Ragtime, Once on This Island and Seussical!, directed by Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown with music direction by Collective Member James Morehead. DESSA ROSE plays March 6 - April 5, 2014 at the Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.victorygardens.org, by calling (773) 871-3000 or in-person at the Victory Gardens Box Office. The press performance is Sunday, March 9 at 7 pm.

The new musical ROCKY begins previews February 11 at Broadway's historic Winter Garden Theatre ahead of an official bow on March 13. In the video below, a slew of celebrities and Broadway casts celebrate the start of ROCKY on Broadway by belting out the iconic theme song.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.)'s world premiere production of musical WITNESS UGANDA, which begins performances tonight, February 4, is the winner of the 2014 Richard Rodgers Production Award for Musical Theater. The award was announced yesterday by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which administers the Richard Rodgers Awards.

The new musical ROCKY begins previews February 11 at Broadway's historic Winter Garden Theatre ahead of an officialy bow on March 13. Below, check out just-released rehearsal photos with stars Andy Karl, Terence Archie and Margo Seibert!

The winner of the 2014 Richard Rodgers Production Award for Musical Theater was announced today by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which administers the Richard Rodgers Awards.

Therefore, Bob O'Hare's Recovery at Don't Tell Mama on the evening of November 17th may well be one of the greatest surprises beheld in many a moon....It's not simply the fact that O'Hare's truly-lovely voice emerges as never over-coached and with a really terrific natural sound. It's not simply that he's made truly impeccable choices in terms of material, both for not being terribly precocious but also very carefully selected. It is, in point of fact, that this really is what an act is supposed to represent both as what cabaret was in its heyday and what the art form is supposed to be from this point on....The evening's first true high-point rears its head with 'One Step' by Malby and Shire, featuring a spectacular patter sequence, followed shortly thereafter by 'Journey to the Past' by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Award-winning director Eric Michael Gillett once again proves himself as a master of the genre here...O'Hare emerges as triumphant at every turn. The guy has very simply been through hell and back, and it never shows. He couldn't be more quick with a smile or generosity of spirit, and it's truly one of the feel-good evenings of this or any other of the several last cabaret seasons. Should Bob O'Hare and Recovery return, please visit the process. It couldn't possibly be more worth visiting.' - Andrew Martin, NiteLifeExchange

ROCKY just revealed on its official Twitter page a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals for the show's Broadway debut. Scroll down for a photo of Margo Seibert and Andy Karl onstage!

The 2013-2014 Broadway season is particularly notable for its preponderance of screen-to-stage adaptations, ranging from ALADDIN to ROCKY to BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and more - not to mention this week's big announcement of KING KING: THE MUSICAL coming to Broadway soon, as well as BACK TO THE FUTURE hitting the West End - so today we are looking at some of the reasons why these properties in particular are perfect for the boards, and, hopefully, the box office.

The star-studded list of Broadway stars and A-list cabaret performers keeps growing for the 2013 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards Show, to be staged at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan) on February 23 from 6:30-8:40 pm. Added to a stellar group that includes Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Terri White, Jane Monheit and Jason Robert Brown, are Tony Award Winner (now also a cabaret performer) Alice Ripley (photo left), who will perform representing Sondheim Unplugged at 54 Below, which won the BWW Cabaret Award for Best Variety Show or Recurring Series. Broadway favorite Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray, Xanadu, Adams Family) will appear to perform and accept her BWW Award for Best Musical Comedy Performance for her show at 54 Below.

Looking towards 2014, Sell a Door Theatre Company has a very exciting line up of tours and revivals in store for you. A new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped kicks off the year with a forty eight-venue tour until June. Adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson, this whirlwind adventure has something for all the family. Come April, Sell a Door will be launching a UK Tour of the hit, Tony award winning musical Avenue Q by Jeff Marx, Robert Lopez and Jeff Whitty. Opening at Sell a Door's home, Greenwich Theatre, for three weeks before a twelve-week tour across the UK, don't miss this hilarious hit comedy when it comes to a theatre near you. In June the company will be producing a major new adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland at Greenwich Theatre.

Set deep in the heart of the French Antilles, Once On This Island is a love story for all ages. When the dark skinned Ti Moune falls in love with Daniel, a lighter-skinned upper-class man, the gods send her on a journey which tests the power of love against the fear of death. With a joyful Caribbean infused score, dazzling choreography, and stunning theatrical staging, this Olivier award-winning musical will whisk you away on a journey you will not soon forget.

I left the theatre relaxed, with a smile on my face, and a heart full of joy. More importantly, I left with a renewed sense of the inter-connectedness that we all share, and love's immense value in the world today. And if that doesn't warm your heart than maybe you don't have one. Don't miss this show. It's good for the heart. Once On This Island runs at Toronto's Daniels Spectrum Theatre, 585 Dundas St. East only until February 9, 2014.

Winter in Westchester heats up with the regional community theatre premiere of the contemporary, Caribbean-flavored musical, Once on This Island. With a book and score penned by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (the Broadway-bound ROCKY, Ragtime), Once on This Island is a highly original and theatrical adaptation of the popular fairy tale The Little Mermaid. In almost non-stop song and dance, the show tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of her island. Fun for the whole family!

Friends in Theater Company will soon present Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Once on this Island, one-night-only production benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York onMonday, January 20, 2014 at 7:30pm at the Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher Street New York, NY 10014). In the video below, Billy Porter, Stark Sands, Annaleigh Ashford, Ann Harada, Santino Fontana, Ryan Steele and more show their support for the cause!

Laura Benanti, Terri White, Jane Monheit, Jason Robert Brown, and the Callaway Sisters Among First Wave of Performers Slated for BroadwayWorld Awards NY Cabaret Show, 2/23

It's finally official. After more than a month of voting--following a month-long nomination process--approximately 7,000 voters have selected the winners of the BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards for 2013. Self-proclaimed cabaret “Diva” Ann Hampton Callaway and her Broadway baby sister Liz Callaway are either the principals or connected to four awards out of this year's 18 categories, including “Best Duo or Group Show” for the return after 18 years of their critically-acclaimed sister act Sibling Revelry, and “Best Tribute Show” to Ann for her exciting homage to Sarah Vaughan, From Sassy to Divine. Ann's musicians for her Sarah Vaughan show at Dizzy's Jazz Club at Lincoln Center took the Award for “Best Band or Orchestra,” and Alex Rybeck received the most votes as “Best Musical Director” for Sibling Revelry, which was staged in August at 54 Below.

Performers from the Musical Theatre and Classical communities will gather to raise funds and awareness for Broadway Impact (www.broadwayimpact.org), the organization of theatre artists and fans mobilized in support of marriage equality.