Broadway Beat - Page 6

Below, we bring you Patina Miller, Best Lead Actress in a Musical nominee for Sister Act. Miller is best known for originating the role of the disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End run, which she has now transferred to Broadway. She performed in a Central Park production of Hair in the summer of 2008 and was featured in the musical Romantic Poetry at the Manhattan Theatre Club that fall. In 2007, she was cast in All My Children and appeared in 30 episodes of the daytime soap opera.

Below, we bring you Bobby Cannavale, Best Lead Actor in a Play nominee for The Motherf**ker With the Hat. Previously nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Dennis in Mauritius in 2008, Cannavale is also known to New York theater audiences for his work with Labyrinth Theater Co. On screen, he is best known for his leading role as Bobby Caffey in the first two seasons of Third Watch. He also had a popular recurring role as Officer Vince D'Angelo on Will & Grace.

Last night, May 25, 59E59 Theaters welcomed the Rubicon Theatre in California to Americas Off Broadway with their critically acclaimed production of THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF Cy Coleman, devised and directed by David Zippel. THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF Cy Coleman began previews on Tuesday, May 18 for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3. Broadway Beat was exclusively invited to film show highlights! Below, they bring you a look at the special presentation and also take you down the opening night red carpet!

Cirque du Soleil's all-new acrobatic spectacle ZARKANA is currently in rehearsals for its debut at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The $50 million production has been created especially for the landmark theater, where it will begin previews June 9, prior to an official opening June 29. Directed by Francois Girard, ZARKANA will perform at Radio City through September 4, and return for the next several summers. Broadway Beat was on hand for the special performance preview on May 24, and brings you a first look at the production below!

Below, we bring you Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, nominated together for Best Orchestrations for The Book of Mormon. Larry Hochman is also a nominee for Best Orchestrations for The Scottsboro Boys. Hochman has additionally contributed orchestrations to The Addams Famiy, Spamalot (Tony nomination), A Class Act (Tony nomination), Fiddler on the Roof (Tony nomination), The Little Mermaid and more. Oremus' additional credits include 9 to 5, All Shook Up, Wicked, and Avenue Q.

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The next day, proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat was on hand, of course, to speak with all of the proud nominees. In anticipation of Tony night on June 12, 2011, BroadwayWorld will be bringing you new clips of the stars in conversation each week so be sure to check back! Below, we bring you Nikki M. James, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Book of Mormon. James has additionally appeared on Broadway in All Shook Up and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The next day, proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat was on hand, of course, to speak with all of the proud nominees. In anticipation of Tony night on June 12, 2011, BroadwayWorld will be bringing you new clips of the stars in conversation each week so be sure to check back! Below, we bring you Norbert Leo Butz, Best Actor in a Musical nominee for Catch Me If You Can. Butz made his Broadway debut as Adam Pascal's replacement as Roger Davis in Rent in 1996. Additional Broadway credits include Enron, Thou Shalt Not for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Wicked, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Freddy) for which he received the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, a Drama League Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Off-Broadway credits include The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World, Saved, and Juno and the Paycock (Jerry Devine), and he has toured as the Emcee in Cabaret and as Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The next day, proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat was on hand, of course, to speak with all of the proud nominees. In anticipation of Tony night on June 12, 2011, BroadwayWorld will be bringing you new clips of the stars in conversation each week so be sure to check back! Below, we bring you the legendary Patti LuPone, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. LuPone is best known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 musical Evita and as Rose in the 2008 revival of Gypsy, for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables and for originating the role or Normal Desmond in London's Sunset Boulevard.

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The next day, proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat was on hand, of course, to speak with all of the proud nominees. In anticipation of Tony night on June 12, 2011, BroadwayWorld will be bringing you new clips of the stars in conversation each week so be sure to check back! Below, we bring you George C. Wolfe, Best Director of a Play nominee for The Normal Heart. Wolfe gained national recognition with his 1991 musical Jelly's Last Jam, a musical about the life of jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton; after a Los Angeles opening, the play moved to Broadway, where it received 11 Tony nominations and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. Two years later, Wolfe famously directed Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Millennium Approaches to great critical acclaim, as well as a Tony award. Wolfe also directed the world premiere of the second part of Angels, Perestroika, the following year. Wolfe served as artistic director and producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater from 1993-2004. During his tenure, he created the musical Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, which won him a second Tony Award for direction. Additional credits include Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change, The Wild Party, Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning play Topdog/Underdog,and a new translation of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Austin Pendleton.

Winners of the 2010-11 Drama League Awards were presented at the 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. Broadway Beat was on hand to speak to all of the evening's winners, nominees and attendees and takes you inside the event here. Click below for Part 2 of their event coverage!

Winners of the 2010-11 Drama League Awards were presented at the 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. Broadway Beat was on hand to speak to all of the evening's winners, nominees and attendees and takes you inside the event here. Click below for Part 1 of their event coverage!

Yee Haw! Lucky Guy, a new musical comedy, written and directed by Willard Beckham, officially opened last night (May 19th) and plays a 12-week engagement through Sunday, July 24th at the Little Shubert Theatre (422 West 42nd Street, between 9th & Dyer Avenues). L. Glenn Poppleton produces. Broadway Beat was on hand for the opening coverage and exclusive performance footage below!

Below, we bring you John Kander and David Thompson, writers of The Scottsboro Boys, nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Kander, half of the famed Kander and Ebb duo that created such hits as Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zorba, Woman of the Year, Steel Pier and more, is a three-time Tony winner. David Thompson is the writer of Chicago, Steel Pier, Thou Shalt Not and the Look of Love on Broadway. He was previously nominated for Best Book of a Musical for Steel Pier.

Below, we bring you Andrew Rannells, Best Leading Actor in a Musical nominee for The Book of Mormon. Previous Broadway credits include Jersey Boys and Hairspray. This is the first nomination for Rannells. Rannells talks to host Richie Ridge about doing the show after finding out that he's been nominated for a theatre and about the creative process for THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Below, we bring you John Larroquette, Best Featured Actor in a Musical nominee for How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Best known for his roles on the small screen in Night Court, McBride, The John Larroquette Show and Boston Legal, Larroquette is making is Broadway debut in How to Suceed in Business Without Really Trying.

Below, we bring you Joe Mantello, Best Actor in a Play nominee for The Normal Heart. Both a director and performer, Mantello is perhaps best known for his acclaimed direction of Wicked, Assassins, 9 to 5, November, Three Days of Rain, and Glengarry Glen Ross among many others, and his performance as the original Louis Ironson in Angels in America.

Below, we bring you Laura Benanti, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Benanti is a previous winner in the category for Gypsy, and has also appeared on Broadway in In The Next Room (Vibrator Play), The Wedding Singer, Into the Woods, The Sound of Music and others.

Below, we bring you Sutton Foster, Best Leading Actress in a Musical nominee for Anything Goes. Foster is a previous Tony Award winner in the category for Thoroughly Modern Millie and has additionally appeared on Broadway in Shrek, Young Frankenstein, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Little Women, among others.

Below, we bring you Whoopi Goldberg, Producer of the Sister Act, the recipient of 5 Tony nomintions including Mest Musical. Goldberg starred in the original film of Sister Act, and has appeared on Broadway herself in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Xanadu, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and two self-titled solo shows.

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Yesterday, the proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat was on hand, of course, to speak with all of the proud nominees. In anticipation of Tony night on June 12, 2011, BroadwayWorld will be bringing you new clips of the stars in conversation each week so be sure to check back! Below, we bring you Edie Falco, Best Featured Actress in a Play nominee.