Stephen Flaherty News

Dessa Rose, featuring Stacey Cabaj as Ruth, by Lynn Ahrens with music by Stephen Flaherty, is presented in a co-production with Firehouse Theatre Project and Richmond CenterStage. The show features music direction by Leilani Giles, choreography by Karen Getz and is directed by Richard M. Parison, Jr. It runs tonight, May 4 through June 3, 2012, Thurs.-Sat. at 8pm, Wed. May 23 at 2pm, and Sun. May 6, 13, 20, and June 3 at 4pm.

Amas Musical Theatre's Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) presents the musical "Seussical", book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, from tonight, May 4rd through Sunday May 13th the LABA Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 344 East 14thStreet (between 1st and 2nd Avenues).

Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell previously announced the casting and creative teams for the three plays featured next season on The Shaw's Festival Theatre stage. In making the announcement, Ms. Maxwell noted: 'I am so inspired by the range of talent we've assembled to make up our 2012 Ensemble. This extraordinary group of artists will bring to life the vivid contemporary ideas of each and every playwright whose work we are proudly presenting.'

The family hit musical production 'Seussical: The Musical' will continue the season for Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre (Theatre FMPAT) in their new space at the MCL Grand Black Box Theater - tonight, May 2 through May 6, 2012, as part of their 20th season.

Monday, April 30, The New York Pops marked its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled 'Journey On' honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia.

On Monday, April 30, The New York Pops marked its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled 'Journey On' honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia.

Over the course of five weeks, Paper Mill Playhouse will launch five short video interviews with Once on This Island composer Stephen Flaherty. Watch the fourth part of the interview series below!

Tonight, April 30, The New York Pops marks its 29th birthday with a grand gala evening titled 'Journey On' honoring Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia.

Today we are talking to one of the biggest new stars on Broadway who first burst onto the scene in HAIRSPRAY but has since carved out a place in the great pantheon of theatre history in creating the iconic lead role of Elder Price in the Broadway hit of the decade, THE BOOK OF MORMON, Andrew Rannells. One among many on the incredibly impressive list of performers at Monday night's NY Pops JOURNEY ON gala at Carnegie Hall celebrating the music and lyrics of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Rannells joins many of the other accomplished Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars of modern Broadway as well as those who predominantly tread the boards. Illustrating his journey with the edgy and ribald musical smash THE BOOK OF MORMOM from workshop to Broadway, the Tony Awards and beyond, Rannells paints the picture of the show's road to success and imparts his effervescent enthusiasm and all too apparent joy to be appearing in such a crowd-pleasing and joyous experience eight times a week. Additionally, Rannells shares his thoughts on the upcoming national tour starring Gavin Creel and whether or not there will be a MORMON film version sooner rather than later. Plus, Rannells gives also us the first look at his 21st century parenting and adoption-themed NBC pilot, THE NEW NORMAL, and outlines the finer points of the story, his character and the themes of the hotly anticipated new single-camera comedy series coming from the creator of GLEE, Ryan Murphy. That, his favorite Ahrens & Flaherty songs, favorite shows, future acting plans, what is currently on his iPod - all of that and much, much more!

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

The family hit musical production 'Seussical: The Musical' will continue the season for Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre (Theatre FMPAT) in their new space at the MCL Grand Black Box Theater - May 2-6, 2012, as part of their 20th season.

Paper Mill Playhouse just announced full casting for the Millburn, New Jersey, theater's production of Once On This Island (book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty). More than 20 years after its premiere, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens are re-inventing their first musical with Tony-nominated director Thomas Kail (In the Heights, Lombardi, Magic/Bird), choreographer Bradley Rapier (So You Think You Can Dance, Jesus Christ Superstar) and new orchestrations by music director Lynne Shankel (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Altar Boyz). Once On This Island begins performances on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2012. Once On This Island is proudly sponsored by Bank of America. The official press opening is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, 2012.

The Camp Broadway Kids, which is comprised of 58 theatre-loving kids, ages 12-16, are set to perform in the New York Pops 29th Birthday Gala titled 'Journey On' at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 30. Under the direction of Camp Broadway's Artistic Director,Tony Parise (Broadway credits include Me and My Girl and 42nd Street), the cast, which was selected from a nation-wide pool of over 500 auditionees, will perform alongside Broadway stars during musical numbers honoring the work of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of such renowned Broadway musicals as Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical, My Favorite Year, A Man of No Importance, The Glorious Ones and the feature film Anastasia.

Today we are talking to a Broadway superstar beloved from the time of her breakthrough performance in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's PASSION nearly twenty years ago all the way to two tremendous revivals in the early 00s - KISS ME, KATE and MAN OF LA MANCHA - to her most recent trio of roles on Broadway, first appearing in the straight drama ENRON, then as the troubled lead character of Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL, and, most recently, as the tortured Margaret White in the long-awaited New York return of CARRIE - the one and only Marin Mazzie. Recalling many memories of working on the original productions of such seminal musicals as INTO THE WOODS, PASSION, RAGTIME, SPAMALOT and NEXT TO NORMAL with some of Broadway's best and brightest talents, Mazzie expresses her sincere appreciation for the unforgettable shows she has been associated with and opens up about her experiences as both an originator of a role, as in the cases of PASSION and RAGTIME, and also as a replacement star and the challenges that that position poses for a performer. Additionally, Mazzie shares her enthusiasm for the words and music of the Tony Award-winning RAGTIME creators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whom she will be saluting alongside a starry assortment of notables on Monday at the NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala at Carnegie Hall. Plus, Mazzie clues us in on all aspects of her journey with the recent New York reworking and reappraisal of CARRIE and gives us first news on recording the cast album, which is set for a Fall release, as well as news on her second duets album with husband, Jason Danieley and solo album thoughts. All of that and much, much more!

Theatre IV announces the return of Seussical the musical, to the Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre, running tonight, April 27 through Sunday, May 20, 2012. Based on the work of Dr. Seuss with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, this production offers a new generation of kids the timeless story of friendship and community. Director, Chase Kniffen, calls Seussical, "the perfect family musical that will both touch and entertain all ages, from four to four hundred." Seussical is one of several Theatre IV offerings in the Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts initiative.

DESSA ROSE, featuring Stacey Cabaj as Ruth, by Lynn Ahrens with music by Stephen Flaherty, will be presented in a co-production with Firehouse Theatre Project and Richmond CenterStage. The show features music direction by Leilani Giles, choreography by Karen Getz and is directed by Richard M. Parison, Jr. It runs May 4 - June 3, 2012, Thurs.-Sat. at 8pm, Wed. May 23 at 2pm, and Sun. May 6, 13, 20, and June 3 at 4pm.

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's exclusive multi-part InDepth InterView series focusing on the New York Pops 29th Birthday Gala concert celebrating the music and musicals of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, JOURNEY ON, that will take place at Carnegie Hall on April 30 at 7 PM, by talking to the musical half of the Tony Award-winning songwriting team, Stephen Flaherty.

Over the next five weeks, Paper Mill Playhouse will launch five, short video interviews with Once on This Island composer, Stephen Flaherty. Watch the third part of the interview series below.