William Finn News

Burlesque to Broadway begins the fall with standing ovations at The Historic Riviera Theatre. Frank Cannata, Executive Director of the theatre says, 'Burlesque to Broadway is a real crowd pleaser complete with a gorgeous talented cast, fabulous costumes, great songs and classic choreography. It is one of the most entertaining, sexy, 'herstory' accounts you will ever have the opportunity to see on stage.'

On Monday, October 10, five projects that offer innovative models for local arts journalism received funding and were named finalists of the Knight Foundation/National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Community Arts Journalism Challenge, founded this summer to find new ways to use technology to inform and engage people in the arts.

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Colin Donnell, Betsy Wolfe and Elizabeth Stanley have been cast in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of season. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, will be directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run, and will play for 15 performances, February 8-19, 2012 at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Message to Congress and Presidential hopefuls - go see Mark St. German's 'The Best of Enemies' before you start the political campaign rhetoric.

Like entering a Rolls Royce, taking your seat in Feinstein's at Loews Regency to see a headliner, is your start of an unparalleled ride. Betty Buckley is that kind of experience. Words cannot make you hear the voice, the musicality, or the presence this Tony Award winning singer actress displays in her new show 'AH MEN! THE BOYS OF BROADWAY!' now at Feinstein's. Her show consists of songs originally sung by men, and her superb voice presents them in a powerful and emotional new light. Being a William Finn fan, I was extremely moved by her rendition of VENICE (from Elegies). Just when she brings a tear to your eye with her ballads, she brings you back to a happy place with her great jazz ability in the up tempos. We all have our 'memories' of Betty Buckley from her triumphs' on Broadway and this show reinforces the justification for using the word Extraordinary when describing Betty Buckley.

Anglophiles and Broadway babies alike rejoice at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's 2011-12 Season.

For her October shows the title should have been Jamie deRoy & her very talented Songwriter friends. Jamie, as she always does, interacts with her guest artists in a way that stimulates them to give performances that are unique and hugely entertaining. As William Finn (who appeared in a prior Jamie deRoy & Friends) remarked, 'Jamie's interview of me was the best I've ever had'. The show was directed by Jamie's extremely creative friend Barry Kleinbort who also displayed his wonderful performance abilities. Music Director was Shelly Markham.

Theater Latte Da announced today a dynamic season of four productions that feature the wickedly funny musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Ordway Center's McKnight Theatre (October 6-30, 2011), the new holiday classic All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at the Pantages Theatre (December 15-18, 2011), the regional premiere of Beautiful Thing at The Lab Theater (February 24 - March 18, 2012), and the passionate rock musical Spring Awakening produced in partnership with the University of Minnesota at the Rarig Center's Stoll Thrust Theatre (April 12 - May 6, 2012).

Third Street Theatre today announced that its first production in L.A.'s newest 99-seat Equity Waiver house; their critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, LA Weekly GO!, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, Ovation Recommended!) smash-hit production of the Tony award-winning musical FALSETTOS, with book by James Lapine and William Finn, music and lyrics by William Finn, choreography by John Todd, musical direction by Greg Nabours and directed by Richard Israel is EXTENDING through Sunday, October 30 at the THIRD STREET THEATRE, 8115 W. Third Street in West Hollywood.

Cleveland Play House is thrilled to present the second production of their 2011-2012 inaugural season at PlayhouseSquare - a brand new musical event, Daddy Long Legs, with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, announces updates to the 2011 season in its Mainstage and Stage 2 venues.

The summer's most acclaimed new play, The Best of Enemies, by Mark St. Germain (author of Freud's Last Session), returns to Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, for a run from tonight through 16 at the BSC Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. The press opening is Saturday, October 8 at 8pm.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, begins its 2011 season in its Mainstage and Stage 2 venues.

Cabaret performer Jamie deRoy hosts two nights of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, today & Wednesday, October 5th (7PM) at the intimate cabaret hot-spot Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street ~ btw. 5th & 6th Avenues).

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) announces complete casting for the New York premiere of MAPLE AND VINE, a new play by Jordan Harrison (Doris to Darlene at Playwrights Horizons, Amazons and Their Men, Kid-Simple).

Cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will host two nights of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, on Tuesday, October 4th & Wednesday, October 5th (7PM) at the intimate cabaret hot-spot Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street ~ btw. 5th & 6th Avenues).

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which earlier this year had a production at La Jolla Playhouse, has taken further steps in development. The musical features Tony Award-winning creative team of composer/lyricist William Finn and playwright/director James Lapine.