Sutton Foster News

Fanny welcomes an old friend while Michelle makes a new one in 'Blank Up, It's Time,' an all-new episode of ABC Family's original series BUNHEADS, airing Monday, August 6th (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). Get a sneak peek below!

STAGES Performing Arts Academy expanded their teen performance workshop this Summer by moving to the state-of-the-art Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School. The three-week program features professional teachers, directors, and guest artists from around the country, resulting in a final full-scale production of Urinetown: The Musical. As STAGES Performing Arts Academy teens neared the end of the rehearsal process, they were greeted by a surprise audience member. On August 2nd, Hunter Foster, who originated the lead role of Bobby Strong in the first Broadway production of Urinetown, stopped in to catch the final dress rehearsal of the show, offering a very special "break a leg" to the young cast. Check out photos from his visit below!

This week's topics: Shows Re-Imagined, Gore Vidal, Jennifer Hudson in Wicked, Sutton Foster, 2013 Tony nominees, Great Cut Songs, Boyle's Olympic Opening

Michele Riggi, President of the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame announced that Broadway legend, dancer, singer and actor Ben Vereen will be honored on Saturday, August 11th with an induction ceremony and gala launching him into the National Museum of Dance's Hall of Fame.

In a recent interview with Deadline.com, BUNHEADS creator Amy Sherman-Palladino revealed that her aspirations for the future include plans to do a Broadway musical.

Tonight, July 30th, fans can participate in a live blog party and Twitter chat with Bailey Buntain, star of ABC Family's new original drama series, BUNHEADS.

On Monday, July 30th, fans can participate in a live blog party and Twitter chat with Bailey Buntain, star of ABC Family's new original drama series, BUNHEADS.

Ben Rimalower: PATTI ISSUES plays Thursdays at 9:30 PM at the Duplex, August 30th, September 6th, September 13th, September 27th and October 4th.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Oklahoma!' at Lyric Opera, 'Assassins,' Lake County shows like 'Sweeney Todd,' summer musical theater camps, summer show extensions, 'Bunheads' and more!

It's time for episode eight of BWW's newest exclusive TV series - CHEWING THE SCENERY WITH Randy Rainbow! In this week's episode, Randy 'chats' with Sutton Foster and Elaine Stritch, and covers Broadway's hottest stories from the Chewing the Scenery Newsdesk! Click below to watch episode 9!

Today we are talking to a terrifically talented triple-threat who has made appearances on Broadway in entities as diverse as David Merrick's original Gower Champion-directed production of 42nd STREET, her debut, to roles in Susan Stroman's CRAZY FOR YOU, Hal Prince's landmark revival of SHOW BOAT and the Mark Bramble revival of 42nd STREET to THE CIVIL WAR, MAMMA MIA!, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, ELF, and, most recently, as the star of BABY, IT'S YOU! - to say nothing of her Tony Award-winning turn in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE - the thoroughly delightful and dynamic dame herself, Beth Leavel. Discussing some of her career highlights thus far - such as the night of her Tony Award win - while generously sharing her caustic wit and giving us a glimpse into the life of a modern-day leading lady, Leavel also offers us some insights into her newest role - one originally essayed by no less than Broadway icon Ethel Merman - that of Irving Berlin's heroine, Mrs. Sally Adams, in the politically-themed musical comedy CALL ME MADAM, playing at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, July 24-28. In addition to all about CALL ME MADAM, Leavel also imparts her affection for past co-stars and collaborators - Sutton Foster, Christine Ebersole, Andrea Martin, Millicent Martin, Dolores Grey, Burt Bacharach and more included - and looks ahead to some parts that she would potentially consider pursuing in the future (MINSKY'S perhaps?). All of that and much, much more!

TEEN CHOICE 2012 will once again celebrate the hottest teen icons in television, music, film, sports, fashion, comedy and the web in the choicest, star-studded two-hour event airing live tonight, July 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Among the nominees are GLEE star Lea Michele and 'How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris.

Michelle tries to have a Vegas-style birthday in small-town Paradise in 'Movie Truck,' an all-new episode of ABC Family's original series BUNHEADS airing MONDAY, JULY 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT). Get a sneak peek below!

Today we are talking to Patricia Kelly, the widow of one of the most iconic and influential performers in entertainment history, Gene Kelly, all about her husband's incomparable career on Broadway and in Hollywood, in honor of his centennial. Tracing Gene Kelly's journey from his theatre roots starring in Cole Porter's LEAVE IT TO ME!, Rodgers & Hart's PAL JOEY and William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize-winning THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE on Broadway to his unforgettable screen appearances in many of the greatest movie musicals ever made - COVER GIRL, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, THE PIRATE, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and many more included - Mrs. Kelly gives us a look into the life of one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. In addition to behind-the-scenes stories involving Kelly's frequent collaborators - such as esteemed director Vincente Minnelli, songwriter and producer Arthur Freed, arranger Saul Chaplin and others - Mrs. Kelly also shares candid anecdotes involving her husband's involvement with directing Rodgers & Hammerstein's FLOWER DRUM SONG on Broadway, helming the feature film adaptation of HELLO, DOLLY! starring Barbra Streisand, as well as his appearing in two idiosyncratic movie musicals later in his life, LES DEMOISELLES DE ROCHEFORT (THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT) for Jacques Demy, as well as his au revoir to movie musicals in form of the Olivia Newton-John roller disco starrer XANADU. Additionally, Mrs. Kelly fills us in on all the details about this weekend's two-night Gene Kelly retrospective celebration, which she leads and narrates, as part of GENE KELLY @ 100 and her future plans for the multimedia presentation - each evening titled AN EVENING OF GENE KELLY and CHANGING THE LOOK OF DANCE ON FILM, respective - as she begins to tour the show across the country. Plus, reflections on SINGIN' IN THE RAIN's 60th anniversary and the recent Fathom HD premiere presentation in theaters, the impact of Kelly's work behind the camera, his choreographic legacy, what a legend is like at home, memories of attending the opening night of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (starring HELLO, DOLLY! lead Michael Crawford), what the master would say about GLEE, SMASH, BUNHEADS and today's movie musical renaissance, as well as much, much more!

Michelle finds out more about Fanny's financial troubles in 'Money For Nothing,' an all-new episode of ABC Family's original series BUNHEADS airing tonight, July 16th (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). Get a sneak peek below!

Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As With Your Favorite Broadway Stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on! In this next edition, we caught up with Joshua, who is starring as 'Jake' in THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS- currently playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre!

Michelle finds out more about Fanny's financial troubles in 'Money For Nothing,' an all-new episode of ABC Family's original series BUNHEADS airing Monday, July 16th (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). Get a sneak peek below!

Two-time Tony Award-winner and prolific costume designer Martin Pakledinaz died at home on July 8, 2012, after a long illness. He was 58. Below, BroadwayWorld remembers the great talent in photos.

Today we are talking to a terrifically talented triple-threat who has graced the silver screen in CHICAGO, as well as in the TV productions of THE MUSIC MAN, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS and in many stunt and dance double roles in his career thus far who has since become the protegee of dance extraordinaire Kenny Ortega and broken out on his own with a string of striking and memorable sequences in entities as diverse as TV's HELLCATS and the recent feature films THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, SUCKER PUNCH, MIRROR, MIRROR and TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 - gifted dancer/choreographer/director Paul Becker. Talking about many of his most memorable past projects and filling us in on his many current and future ones - TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, a Ben Vereen documentary, an original movie musical titled STAGE FRIGHT, a James Gray film featuring Jeremy Renner and Marion Cotillard, a Lifetime movie musical with Karen Olivo and even more - Becker brings us into his unique and idiosyncratic world and gives us a glimpse into how he achieves consistent excellence in all of his many endeavors as he attempts to define his anomalous career for us. Additionally, Becker takes a look back at acting onscreen in the Oscar-winning Best Picture CHICAGO, choreographing the ultimate vampire wedding, judging SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? Canada, producing CANADA'S GOT TALENT, giving two hundred dancers movement for a Michael Buble music video and he also shares some hopes and wishes for what he would like to take on in his blindingly bright future in show business - directing a feature film, perhaps? What about a Broadway show when time permits? The possibilities are multitude and seemingly endless and Becker is one of the most brightly shining behind-the-scenes talents on the rise, as is clear to qualify by all of the exquisitely exciting entities he is involved with on the horizon, both near and far. Plus, Becker shares his experiences choreographing various THE MUPPETS movies, working with Ortega on the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus concert tours, directing the first YouTube feature film, dancing with death in MASTERS OF HORROR, giving moves to monsters in THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, staging the spectacular finale of MIRROR, MIRROR showcasing Julia Roberts, choreographing the fairy tale characters of ONCE UPON A TIME, and he also offers opinions on GLEE and SMASH, reveals his early influences, favorite stars, formative films - and much, much more!