Sutton Foster News

Alysha Umphress, currently starring in the new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, and Tony Award-nominated composer and performer Jeff Blumenkrantz will celebrate their new album, I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz with a concert at Birdland (315 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036) on January 5, 2015 at 7pm. Tickets are available now at www.birdlandjazz.com.

MARY TESTA -- the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress -- and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: CONSTELLATIONS begins on Broadway, WICKED welcomes two new witches, CITY OF ANGELS debuts in London and Jim Parsons lends his voice to ELF on NBC!

New York City Center's acclaimed Encores! Off-Center series announced its 2015 season today, featuring Jonathan Groff in A NEW BRAIN, original LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS cast member Ellen Greene, and Sutton Foster in THE WILD PARTY. Scroll down to prep for Encores! starry season with clips of the leads in action!

According to the New York Times, Encores! has just announced the upcoming 2015 season for its Off-Center series. Included in the line-up is William Finn's A New Brain (running June 24-27), starring Jonathan Groff; Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party (running July 15-18), starring Off-Center veteran Sutton Foster; and Little Shop of Horrors (running July 1), with original cast member Ellen Greene.

The art of singing is center stage in our country's popular culture: from Glee and 106 & Park to American Idol,The Voice, and Nashville, and even at sporting events and national ceremonies.

The art of singing is center stage in our country's popular culture: from Glee and 106 & Park to American Idol, The Voice, and Nashville, and even at sporting events and national ceremonies.

In a little town known as New York City, on a tiny street known as Broadway, the Roundabout Theatre Company took the 1930's Cole Porter classic Anything Goes and revived it on the Great White Way. Starring Tony Winner (soon to be two time Tony Winner) Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney, Broadway's sweetheart Laura Osnes in the role of Hope Harcourt, and the legendary Joel Grey as Moonface Martin. The show went on to win the 2011 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, awarded Foster her second Tony, and also took home the prize for Best Choreography before closing in July 2012. Two years later, the award-winning revival hit the road in the U.S. national tour, surprisingly (coming from someone who saw the revival on Broadway) rivaling its New York counterpart.

Hosted by Sirius XM Radio Star Seth Rudetsky whom the New York Times dubbed "The Mayor of Broadway," this unique series arrives this winter at The Nourse Theater with two concerts scheduled for Megan Hilty on February 7th and Cheyenne Jackson on March 14th.

TV Land is giving viewers a look into YOUNGER, the network's newest original series from 'Sex and the City' creator Darren Star, with an extended scene released today.

Megan McGinnis, standby for Side Show's twins on Broadway, appeared as 'Violet' in today's (December 3) matinee performance, in place of Erin Davie. Davie is, however, performing in this evening's show.

I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz will be released on Yellow Sound Label in January 2015, featuring the vocals of Alysha Umphress, currently starring in the new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, and original jazz songs and arrangements by Tony Award-nominated composer and performer Jeff Blumenkrantz. Produced by Jeff Blumenkrantz and Michael Croiter, the album will be available via Amazon and iTunes beginning January 6, 2015. It is now available for pre-order at ?Amazon.com.

Celebrate the festival of lights at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre with Fiddler on the Roof like you've never seen it before!

On Monday January 19th, 2015 acclaimed songwriter Scott Alan will make his concert debut at 54 Below in celebration of his sixth studio album, 'Greatest Hits: Volume One.' The evening is being billed as an 'intimate night of storytelling feature many guests from the Broadway stage.'

On the day BroadwayWorld.com was scheduled to sit down with Broadway actor Jacob Keith Watson ('Violet'), who is on tour with 'Chicago'--bound for Manila next--New Orleans' The Times-Picayune has just showered him with praises for his latest stage role: Amos Hart, Roxie Hart's gullible, negligible husband.

Friday's NSO Pops Evening with Sutton Foster brought a bounty of talent to the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall stage, and, wisely, paired it with a program that spanned styles, mediums, and musical genres. Some of the most appealing moments were brought to us care of the charming personalities of Sutton Foster, her guest performers Joshua Henry and Megan McGinnis, and the always entertaining NSO Pops conductor, Steven Reineke, who is a master at exuding personality even when facing away from the audience. It can be easy for the large scale of the Concert Hall to swallow up a performer, particularly when they must match the power of a symphony behind them. The truly impressive achievement of Ms. Foster, I think, is her success at making the audience feel as if they had joined her in an intimate cabaret setting for the show, in which she'd managed to fit an entire symphony.

Ben Rimalower's addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In BAD WITH MONEY he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem-or get rich trying.

Winner of three 2011 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, ANYTHING GOES sails into the McCallum just in time for the holiday weekend, November 28 through 30. Cole Porter's most popular musical comedy features one of Broadway's most memorable scores including such classics as 'I Get A Kick Out Of You', 'Friendship', 'It's De-Lovely' and the title song, 'Anything Goes'. The successful 2011 revival was produced by Roundabout Theatre, directed by Kathleen Marshall, and also garnered a Tony Award for lead actress Sutton Foster in the role of Reno Sweeney, originated in 1934 by Ethel Merman and played over the years by the likes of Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige. I had the opportunity to speak with the current Reno Sweeney, Emma Stratton, as she was winging her way to the Southern California for the West Coast leg of the national tour. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation:

Ebeneezer Scrooge and the memorable ghosts return in the Clarence Brown Theatre's long-running and most popular production. A magical tradition for the whole family and a great way to celebrate the season, 'A Christmas Carol,' Dickens' timeless classic, runs tonight, November 26 through December 21 on the mainstage with 7:30 pm and 2:00 pm performances.

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you 'Songs from My Living Room'- a new series that goes into the home of one of today's most acclaimed contemporary songwriters, as he explains the stories behind his songs. The monthly series will feature special guests from all corners of the entertainment industry to help bring to life the music and lyrics of Scott Alan straight from his living room into yours. The first episode, directed by television and Broadway star Nadia Quinn (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson; Smash; The Big C) features ANNIE and INTO THE WOODS star Lilla Crawford singing Alan's 'Never Neverland (Fly Away)' from his debut album 'Dreaming Wide Awake'.