Comedy Tonight 1994 - Articles Page 19.4

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Joan Rivers 'made the rounds' in New York during the '50s, appearing in a few off-off Broadway plays (including one where she played a lesbian opposite an equally unknown Barbra Streisand), surviving sleazy agents, tawdry clubs, and hostile audiences. A 1965 booking on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson' led to her hosting one of the first syndicated talk shows on daytime TV, 'That Show with Joan Rivers' in 1968. In the '70s Joan wrote the TV-movie The Girl Most Likely To (starring Stockard Channing) and then wrote and directed her first feature film Rabbit Test, casting Billy Crystal in the lead. In 1983 Joan became the permanent guest host on 'The Tonight Show.' Later, she headlined in Las Vegas, sold out Carnegie Hall, produced a Grammy nominated comedy album, and wrote two best-selling books. In 1989 the Tribune Corporation launched Joan in her own syndicated daytime talk show. She won an Emmy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1994 she wrote and starred on Broadway in Sally Marr and Her Escorts, for which she received a Best Actress Tony nomination. Since then, Joan has written three more best-selling books, maintains her own jewelry line on QVC, provided fashion commentaries for E! and The TV Guide Channel, and filmed a special for Bravo. Currently, she has two new books on sale (Men Are Stupid . . . And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery and Murder at the Academy Awards). She will be a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice 2 beginning March 1st. Later this year, she will also host the new reality TV series How'd You Get So Rich? on TV Land.

Cameron Mackintosh presents Rowan Atkinson as 'Fagin' in Lionel Bart's musical masterpiece 'OLIVER!' at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with performances officially beginning tonight, 14 January 2009.

Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: On Stage plays the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 6-16, 2008. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, at 404-817-8700 and online at www.ticketmaster.com Ticket prices range from $20-$68. Special group rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. at 404-881-2000. The musical begins performances tonight, November 6th.

The New Group's U.S. premiere of Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth directed by Mark Brokaw, officially opens tonight, November 6th on Theatre Row.

Magician Lance Burton and comedian Bobby Slayton entertain in Las Vegas

The producers of JERSEY BOYS, winner of this year's Tony® Award for Best Musical, have announced the cast that will launch the National Tour in San Francisco.

Full casting has been announced for the upcoming national tour of The Light in the Piazza, which will circle the country for 50 weeks beginning in August

The hit Broadway musical, JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, which has taken Broadway by storm, will launch a National Tour in San Francisco beginning in December, 2006. JERSEY BOYS, which opened to rave reviews on November 6, 2005, continues to set new weekly box office records at the August Wilson Theatre and has been among the top grossing shows on Broadway ever since.