Lear deBessonet Videos

Into the Woods just opened at the St. James Theatre and BroadwayWorld was there for the big night. Check out video coverage from the festivities!

Into the Woods just celebrated its first Broadway preview at the St. James Theatre, starring Sara Bareilles, Patina Miller, Gavin Creel, Joshua Henry and more. Check out video footage from inside the big night!

On Friday afternoon, the best of Broadway gathered for the the 88th Annual Drama League Awards, honoring achievements on and off-broadway in the 2021-22 season, celebrated at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.

Watch video highlights from the New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods, which opened May 4.

Rehearsals are underway for New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods and we've got footage of the cast in rehearsals. Watch the full cast perform, Heather Headley sing 'Stay with Me' and watch interviews as well.

Taraji P. Henson and Celina Smith appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show yesterday to discuss starring in Annie LIVE! The live musical spectacular also stars Tituss Burgess, Nicole Scherzinger, Megan Hilty, and Harry Connick, Jr. Watch a clip of Smith describing the first time she met Henson now!

Celina Smith and Tituss Burgess will appear on a new episode of the Kids Tonight Show tomorrow on Peacock to discuss starring in Annie LIVE! on NBC. Smith stars in the title role of the musical with Burgess playing Rooster Hannigan. Watch an exclusive preview of their upcoming interview now!

NBC has released a new trailer for Annie LIVE! Check out Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr., Nicole Scherzinger, Tituss Burgess, Celina Smith, and more in action in this new ad, featuring classic songs like 'Hard Knock Life,' 'Tomorrow,' 'Easy Street,' and ''I Don't Need Anything But You!'

The new trailer features a first look at the musical's iconic numbers, including 'Hard Knock Life', 'Tomorrow', and 'Easy Street'. Check the new footage of Celina Smith as Annie, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace Farrell, and Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks now!

A new video of Celina Smith singing 'Tomorrow' in rehearsals for Annie LIVE! has been released. Watch Smith sing the song, discuss her interpretation, and the timelessness of the musical with Taraji P. Henson, who plays Miss Hannigan, in the new video now! The live musical will also feature Nicole Scherzinger, Megan Hilty, and Tituss Burgess.

NBC has released a look into the rehearsals for ANNIE Live! The musical event stars Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr, Celina Smith, Nicole Scherzinger, Megan Hilty, and Tituss Burgess. Watch the new video now!

NBC has released a new ad for Annie LIVE! featuring Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr, and Celina Smith. The new live musical will also feature Nicole Scherzinger, Jane Krakowski, and Tituss Burgess. Watch the new video now!

The final installment of Encores! Inside the Revival features a behind-the-scenes look at City Center’s upcoming production of Into the Woods with Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and Encores! Producing Creative Director Clint Ramos.

Today we rewind to 2017, for the Encores! presentation of Big River. Directed by Lear deBessonet and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, Big River starred Nicholas Barasch, Charlie Franklin, Annie Golden, David Pittu, Kyle Scatliffe, Christopher Sieber, Lauren Worsham, and more. 

The Public Theater's Public Works is putting the 'glad' in 'gladiator' with its glorious story of HERCULES! See footage from the show!

Take a walk on the wild side! Dressed to impress, Todd Almond steps back into the title role of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's season closer Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Written by John Cameron Mitchell with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, this award-winning rock musical is an innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny story of a gender-crossed glam rocker determined to become a superstar. The regional revival of ETC's 2001 and 2003 hit production is a rocking ride, entertaining, touching, and ultimately inspiring to anyone who has felt life gave them an inch when they deserved a mile. Playing June 5-July 1, 2018. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Presented by The Rosenthal Family Foundation and sponsored by LPK.

The Public Theater is currently presenting its Free Shakespeare in the Park production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by Lear deBessonet with choreography by Chase Brock. The show officially opens tonight, Monday, July 31 and runs through Sunday, August 13. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights from the show below!

First up in Encores! 2017 season is Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Tony Award-winning musical based on Mark Twain's classic American novel.

First up in Encores! 2017 season is Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Tony Award-winning musical based on Mark Twain's classic American novel. Big River will star Nicholas Barasch, Patrice Covington, Andrew Cristi, Wayne Duvall, Mike Evariste, Charlie Franklin, Annie Golden, Katherine A. Guy, Megan Masako Haley, Adrianna Hicks, Zachary Infante, Gizel Jimenez, Andrew Kruep, John-Michael Lyles, Cass Morgan, Tom Nelis, David Pittu, Tom Alan Robbins, Horace V. Rogers, Kyle Scatliffe, Christopher Sieber, and Lauren Worsham. 

La Jolla Playhouse presents the world-premiere production of Miss You Like Hell, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful), music and lyrics by acclaimed singer/songwriter Erin McKeown, directed by Lear deBessonet (Public Theatre's The Odyssey) and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Broadway's Fun Home). The musical features two-time Tony Award nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT, Anna in the Tropics) as 'Beatriz' - click below to watch her perform a song from the show in the studio!