Bart, d'Arcy James, Lopez & Scott on "Performing Musicals"

The newest edition of the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" will feature "Performing Musicals" on CUNY TV on Sunday, April 27 at 5 p.m. The program will repeat on Friday, May 2 at 9 a.m., 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 3 at 11 a.m.  The program becomes available as streaming audio and podcast from www.americantheatrewing.org, as well as iTunes, beginning Wednesday afternoon, April 30.

 

Actors Roger Bart, Brian d'Arcy James, Priscilla Lopez and Sherie Rene Scott - collectively veterans of more than 30 Broadway and off-Broadway musicals - talk about the differences between performing in musicals and straight plays; acting techniques and voice training; how they prepare for a performance; dealing with the "triple threat" of acting, singing and dancing; balancing their lives on and off stage and their opinions on today's new composers.

 

Roger Bart currently stars in Broadway's Young Frankenstein. Other Broadway credits include The Producers, where he originated the role of Carmen Ghia and went on to play Leo Bloom; You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown where he won a Tony in the role of Snoopy; The Frogs opposite Nathan Lane; Triumph of Love and Big River. Film credits include the big-screen adaptation of The Producers, The Stepford Wives, and the Disney animated features Hercules (singing voice of Hercules) and The Lady and the Tramp II (singing voice of Scamp).

 

Brian d'Arcy James will be starring in the title role of Shrek on Broadway this December. He will appear in Conor McPherson's Port Authority at the Atlantic Theater Company. He received a Tony nomination and Drama Desk nomination for his portrayal of Sidney Falco in the Broadway production of Sweet Smell of Success in which he co-starred with John Lithgow. Recently, James appeared in Next to Normal at Second Stage Theater.  His most current Broadway appearance was starring in the Roundabout Theater's Broadway production of The Apple Tree with Kristen Chenoweth.  Other Broadway credits include the starring role of Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; originating the role of Brendan in The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh; Titanic; Carousel; and Blood Brothers.

 

Priscilla Lopez is currently appearing on Broadway in In The Heights. She won a Tony Award for best featured actress in Hollywood/Ukraine portraying Harpo Marx.  Lopez also received a Tony Nomination and Obie Award for A Chorus Line.  Broadway credits include: Anna in the Tropics, The Sisters Ronsenswieg, Nine, Lysistrata, Pippin, Company, Her First Roman, Henry Sweet Henry, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Off-Broadway, she played in: In The Heights, Beauty of the Father, The Oldest Profession, Newyorkers, The Passion of Frida Khalo, Antigone in New York, Other People's Money, Extremities, Key Exchange, Buck, Non Pasquale, What's a Nice Country… and Your Own Thing.

 

Sherie Rene Scott currently stars as Ursula in The Little Mermaid. Previously, Scott has performed in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, Tommy, Rent, Landscape of the Body, The Last Five Years, Debbie Does Dallas, Faust, and Over and Over. Scott also has over 40 albums, five GRAMMY® nominations, a 2006 Drama Desk Award for excellence in theatre and co-founded Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records (sh-k-boom.com) with her husband Kurt Deutsch.

 

The program is moderated by Melissa Rose Bernardo, theatre editor of Entertainment Weekly.

 

The ATW "Working in the Theatre" panels bring together theatre's best-known performers, producers, playwrights, directors, choreographers, composers, agents and others for peer-to-peer conversation about the art, the craft and the business of theatre.

 

CUNY TV is a cable channel serving the five boroughs of New York City with educational, cultural and public affairs programs. As part of The City University of New York, CUNY TV operates as a non-commercial station. Its mission is to extend the academic and intellectual richness of the University beyond the campuses and to offer New York City residents a haven for life long learning experiences through television.

 
About The American Theatre Wing

The American Theatre Wing is best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League.  The Wing's other activities, dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre, include "Working in the Theatre," now in its 29th year of telecasts on CUNY TV in New York and on other national cable outlets; "Downstage Center," an hour-long weekly interview program on XM Satellite Radio; "Guides to Careers in the Theatre," a video series developed for schools and libraries; a grants and scholarship program to New York City schools and not-for-profit theatre companies, which has awarded more than $2.5 million since its inception; the Theatre Intern Group, a career development program for young professionals; and SpringboardNYC, a two-week college-to-career boot camp for young performers moving to NYC.  Visitors to www.americantheatrewing.org can view or download an archive of "Working in the Theatre" and the career guides and listen to "Downstage Center", all as free, on-demand streaming audio and podcast. Sondra Gilman is Chairman of the Board of the American Theatre Wing; Doug Leeds is President of the Board and Howard Sherman is Executive Director.

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