WAKE UP with BroadwayWorld - Friday, May 2, 2014 - BEAUTIFUL, Kristin Chenoweth at Carnegie, Lucille Lortel and More!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? For your most important theatre meal of the day, we've rounded up the big news you missed yesterday, what's on the agenda today, and a few extras to start your day off right.

The Bacon: See what's on the griddle this weekend...

• The company of HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME meets the press today, and the cast of BEAUTIFUL will appear at Lord & Taylor for a CD signing, so be sure to check back later for our coverage!
• The 2014 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards ceremony is tonight, honoring the top costume designers in the nation! And in New Jersey, Paper Mill Playhouse recognizes Tony Danza and Linda Bowden at its 2014 gala...
• Megan Hilty performs in concert at the Kennedy Center this evening as part of Barbara Cook's Spotlight series!
• It's a starry Saturday with Kristin Chenoweth's Carnegie Hall "Evolution of a Soprano" concert, and the White House Correspondents' Dinner, featuring a bunch of stage vets!
• And finally, the 2014 Lucille Lortel Awards will honor this season's best off-Broadway productions on Sunday evening!

Cup of Joe: Perk up and revisit yesterday's big stories...

• OK, we're going to rip off the bandage with the bad news first -- THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY announced last night it will be shuttering on Sunday, May 18...
• But there's GREAT news, too! Stage buds Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane are set to reunite on Broadway in IT'S ONLY A PLAY in the fall!
• We got a first listen and an inside look at the track "I'm in Pain" from Scott Alan's new solo album, ANYTHING WORTH HOLDING ON TO...
• And BWW kicked off our "Meet the Nominees" coverage with ROCKY's Andy Karl! Plus, we got wind that Carole King will join the cast of BEAUTIFUL in performance at the Tonys...
• Ghostlight will release a cast recording for The Public Theater's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST in June.
• Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood will join Cicely Tyson in THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL when the show makes its LA debut in the autumn!
• Showtime will air the Green Day/AMERICAN IDIOT documentary BROADWAY IDIOT next Thursday, and next week's TODAY SHOW lineup is packed with Broadway talent, including the casts of VIOLET, GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE and CABARET!
• The 2014 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards will be announced on Monday...
• The one and only Kristin Chenoweth will play 'Maleficent' in the Disney Channel movie DESCENDANTS, which follows the children of Disney villains.
• Sorry to end on a sad note, but Nicholas Martin, the Tony nominated director of 'VANYA AND SONIA' and many other wonderful productions, passed away on April 30. He was 75.

Broadway Weather Forecast: The light at the end of the rainy tunnel is here! Mostly sunny with a high of 66 for both today and tomorrow. Yay!

Quote of the Day: A funny observation from a French philosopher for your Friday enjoyment...

For the theatre one needs long arms; it is better to have them too long than too short. An artiste with short arms can never, never make a fine gesture.
-- Roland Barthes (via BrainyQuote)

What we're listening to: The BEAUTIFUL cast album, of course! Get your signed copy at Lord & Taylor today..

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Video of the Day: To prep for Kristin Chenoweth's concert this Saturday at Carnegie Hall, revisit BWW's exclusive highlights from her evening at the Hollywood Bowl last year!