Vanessa Williams News

The Broadway production of Shakespeare's timeless love story ROMEO AND JULIET, starring international film star Orlando Bloom in his Broadway debut opposite two-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, closes today, December 8, 2013, after 27 previews and 93 regular performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Directed by five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux, Romeo and Juliet began previews on Saturday, August 24, 2013 and opened on Thursday, September 19, 2013.

Cabrillo Stage, the professional musical theatre company in residence at Cabrillo College, concludes their 32nd repertory season with the premiere of a re-imagined work, Lunch, playing January 3 through 19 at the Cabrillo Crocker Theater.

MotorCity Casino Hotel will welcome back "An Evening with Rachelle Ferrell" at Sound Board on Thursday, March 20th at 8:00 p.m.

It was announced today that the Broadway production of Shakespeare's timeless love story ROMEO AND JULIET, starring international film star Orlando Bloom in his Broadway debut opposite two-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, will play two weeks past its originally announced 14-week limited Broadway engagement - with a final performance set for Sunday, December 8, 2013, after 27 previews and 93 regular performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

Legendary Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and recording artist Leslie Uggams takes part in the First Grade Theatre Study program at P.S. 212 (Midtown West School at 328 W 48th Street) today, Monday, November 18 at 1 p.m. The Study, part of the school's social studies curriculum, was started by Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher BRyan Andes as a way to introduce students to the bustling theater community in which they live.

AOP (American Opera Projects), and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will co-present an evening of scenes from Nkeiru Okoye's folk opera Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom that tells of how a young girl born in slavery, becomes Harriet Tubman, the legendary Underground Railroad conductor. The musical excerpts will be followed by an artist Q&A moderated by WQXR's Terrance McKnight. The concert will be presented on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 6:30 PM at the Langston Hughes Auditorium: 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801.

The York Theatre Company has added Zachary Levi (First Date), and Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award nominee Vanessa Williams (Into the Woods) to the roster of celebrities who will be on hand to honor legendary Broadway and film composer Alan Menken with the Oscar Hammerstein Awardfor Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at the 22nd Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala to be held Monday, December 9, 2013 at The Hudson Theatre (145 West 44th Street).

Legendary Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and recording artist Leslie Uggams will take part in the First Grade Theatre Study program at P.S. 212 (Midtown West School at 328 W 48th Street) on Monday, November 18 at 1 p.m. The Study, part of the school's social studies curriculum, was started by Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher Bryan Andes as a way to introduce students to the bustling theater community in which they live.

Now in its 16th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook will continue to expand its scope celebrating the best in American singing and songwriting. New this year, the opening night concert will befree, in the David Rubenstein Atrium, on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. 'Live From Lincoln Center,' the Emmy Award-winning program broadcast nationally on PBS stations, will shoot four of the first week's American Songbook concerts in The Allen Room: by James Naughton, Lawrence Brownlee, Jason Isbell, and Patina Miller. These performances will be broadcast nationally beginning in Spring 2014. In addition, American Songbook concerts taking place in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center will be live-streamed via http://watch.lincolncenter.org.

Mario Frangoulis, the world-renowned powerhouse tenor, makes his San Francisco debut with his electrifying voice and stunning charisma, in a one-night-only performance at the Nourse Auditorium (275 Hayes Street, San Francisco) tonight, November 8, 2013.

N'Kenge, who has been busy with Motown eight shows a week will take a quick break from Broadway to perform as a soloist continuing the era of the 60's with Indianapolis Symphony. NY Post calls N'Kenge 'Electrifying' in the role of Mary Wells in Motown and she made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim alongside Vanessa Williams and Barbara Cook. Indianapolis Symphony will turn back the clock to the 1960's when the 'Fab Four' took the world by storm, the Beach Boys made summer 'endless,' and the Supremes put Motown on the map. Reminisce with music from television, movie themes, as well as popular hits from the airwaves, including music by Burt Bacharach, Simon & Garfunkel, Frankie Valli and more.

City Theatre will present a brand new production of the smash comedy 2 Pianos 4 Hands, a melodic adventure featuring music ranging from Bach to Billy Joel and Elton John. Co-written by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt and directed by Tom Frey, 2 Pianos 4 Hands is a City Events special presentation that will run on City Theatre's Mainstage from November 30 to December 22, 2013, with an Opening Night performance on Friday, December 6 at 8pm.

Now in its 16th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook will continue to expand its scope celebrating the best in American singing and songwriting. New this year, the opening night concert will befree, in the David Rubenstein Atrium, on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. 'Live From Lincoln Center,' the Emmy Award-winning program broadcast nationally on PBS stations, will shoot four of the first week's American Songbook concerts in The Allen Room: by James Naughton, Lawrence Brownlee, Jason Isbell, and Patina Miller. These performances will be broadcast nationally beginning in Spring 2014. In addition, American Songbook concerts taking place in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center will be live-streamed via http://watch.lincolncenter.org.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) will present three free staged readings of "FRIDA" a new musical by Michael Aman and Dana P. Rowe, directed by Maria Torres. The readings will take place on Friday, October 25th at 6:00pm, and Saturday, October 26th at 3:00pm and 7:00pm at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 314 East 14th Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling 212-563-2565.

Cynthia Stillwell Casting has put out a call on Backstage.com for the Lifetime film version of "The Trip to Bountiful," starring Vanessa Williams and Cicely Tyson. According to the project description, "A woman's determination to go home one last time restores hope and faith to her family."

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has become a staple of the holiday season. Over the years, there have been countless adaptations of the writer's classic story with a number of celebrities playing the miserly Scrooge (or a variation of the character) from Kelsey Grammer and Michael Caine to George C. Scott and Albert Finney to Vanessa Williams and Susan Lucci.

Archway Publishing, a strategic self-publishing alliance between leading global publisher Simon & Schuster and self-publishing world leader Author Solutions, LLC., announced today the iBooks StoreSM availability of celebrity talent executive Brian Edwards' autobiography, 'Enter Miss Thang.' The book will receive its official welcome tonight at a star-studded Malibu launch party hosted by model Cindy Crawford and sponsored by Casmigos and Caliche Rum.

Bay Area Cabaret presents Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis in his West Coast concert debut. A commanding yet affable presence, Lewis took Broadway by storm, starring opposite Audra McDonald in the highly-acclaimed The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. His performance brought the singer/actor critical praise, as well as Best Leading Actor nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Today we are spotlighting one of the most hotly anticipated theatrical happenings of 2013, the new musical event A BED AND A CHAIR: A NEW YORK LOVE AFFAIR, showcasing the spectacular songs of Stephen Sondheim in new arrangements by jazz great Wynton Marsalis, served up by some of Broadway's best - Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Jordan and Norm Lewis included.