Jessica Lewis - Page 214

The New York Times reports today that the Kennedy Center will be doling out a series of $10,000 grants each year to 'inspirational teachers' courtesy of a grant from MTI's Freddie Gershon and his wife, Myrna.

Last week, BroadwayWorld reported that Gwyneth Paltrow was currently in negotiations to guest on an upcoming episode of GLEE. Today, US Weekly reveals that GLEE creator Ryan Murphy has confirmed the news, stating: 'Yes, it's true!...She is a fan of the show.'

Just in time for Halloween, Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show, hits stores on Tuesday October 19. Paying homage to Richard O'Brien's cult musical masterpiece, the Glee cast injects their distinctive style to such Rocky Horror Show classics as 'Time Warp,' 'Damn it, Janet' and 'Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me' (see below for full track listing). This special Rocky Horror Show themed episode airs Tuesday, October 26 at 8:00 pm et/pt on FOX.

Weekend movie box office update: September 24-September 26, 2010.

Image Entertainment is proud to share a celebration of the life and wondrous work of one of Broadway's greatest legends - the incomparable Stephen Sondheim. For the master composer and lyricist's 80th birthday, scores of the musical theater's brightest stars gathered to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim's unsurpassed canon. Many of these enduring songs are rarely heard and several are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Sondheim's longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic. Directed for the stage and television by Lonny Price and filmed live March 15-16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, this is a must-have addition for every musical theatre aficionado. SONDHEIM! The Birthday Concert will be available at an SRP of $24.98 for the DVD and $29.98 for the Blu-ray; the concert will also be available via digital download. Pre-book is October 19, 2010.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) in association with David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Cineworld is presenting Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, adapted and directed by Emma Rice.

The New York Times is reporting that on October 29, 2010, Oprah will host the cast of the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music. According to the report, the entire cast will appear on the program, which will feature a performance by the real-life von Trapp family singers. Andrews will not perform on the show.

Zach Grenier will reprise his Tony Award-nominated role in '33 Variations' at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, joining two-time Academy Award-winner Jane Fonda who stars in the compelling new play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman. The West Coast premiere of '33 Variations' will be presented January 30 through March 6, 2011. Opening is set for February 9. Both Grenier and Fonda will perform the roles they played in the 2009 Broadway run of '33 Variations.' The play was nominated for a total of five Tony Awards, including Best Actress for Fonda and Best Featured Actor for Grenier.

This fall, The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Executive Director) will launch The Public Forum, an exciting new series of lectures, debates and conversations that showcase leading voices in the arts, politics and the media. Curated by Jeremy McCarter, a senior writer at Newsweek, Public Forum events are open to the general public. Tickets for the inaugural event can be purchased for $25 beginning Tuesday, October 5. Member tickets are on sale Tuesday, September 28.

On September 29, 2010, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, presents the 2nd annual GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising presented by Omnicom Group, Publicis Groupe, & Rokk Vodka. Bryan Batt (Mad Men), Sunny Anderson and Anne Burrell (Food Network), Andy Cohen (Bravo), Bethenny Frankel (Bettheny Getting Married?, Real Housewives of New York City), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (RENT), Daniel Robinson and Anthony Wilkinson (My Big Gay Italian Wedding), and Chely Wright will be on hand for the event.

Broadway diva and current star of PROMISES, PROMISES, Kristin Chenoweth appeared on the Wendy Williams Show Friday. The multi-talented singer and actress revealed that she also participated in beauty pageants - she won the the title of 'Miss OCU' and was first runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant in 1991. Watch below as Chenoweth demonstrates her perfect 'pageant wave' below!

Reprise Theatre Company presents A Party With Marty, an evening of comedy and song with Martin Short and featuring Jason Alexander for one performance only on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 8:00 pm, at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills (formerly the Wilshire Theatre). This world premiere event features old friends, and former cast mates from "The Producers," Martin Short and Reprise Theatre Company Artistic Director Jason Alexander doing what they do best - making people laugh! Ticket sales for this event support Reprise Theatre Company and their mission to produce great musical theatre as well as arts education programs that bring the magic of theatre to underserved members of our community. Reprise Theatre Company is headed by Artistic Director Jason Alexander, who is best known for his 9-year stint as George Costanza on "Seinfeld." Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise Theatre Company. Tickets are available for "A Party With Marty" and go on sale to the public on October 4 and are available online at www.reprise.org <http://www.reprise.org> , ticketmaster.com, by calling the Saban Theatre box office at (323) 655-0111, and at all Ticketmaster Outlets. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Martin Short began his career in Canada's "SCTV Comedy Network" for which he received an Emmy Award. Short's proven ability as a comedic chameleon and his host of hilarious impressions brought him to the attention of "Saturday Night Live." From there, he made his big screen debut in "Three Amigos," Other films include "Inner Space", "Three Fugitives", "Clifford", "Mars Attacks", "The Big Picture", Father of the Bride 1 & 2 and "Jiminy Glick in LALAWOOD, among others Short has received 15 Emmy nominations for his work in television which includes "Merlin", "Alice in Wonderland," "The Martin Short Show", "Primetime Glick" and this season's "Damages", for which he was most recently nominated. A veteran of the theater in Canada and on Broadway, Short has received accolades for his varied work on stage including "The Goodbye Girl" (Tony nomination, Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), "Little Me" (Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), and "The Producers" (with Jason Alexander) and in 2006, his musical-comedy Broadway hit "Fame Becomes Me." In 1994, Short was awarded the "Order of Canada" and in 2000 was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. However, all of the above is a distant second to his love and respect for his wife Nancy and their three children Katherine, Oliver and Henry. About Reprise Theatre Company Since its inception in 1997, Reprise Theatre Company has been a focus of the Los Angeles musical theatre community, producing productions of great American musicals, and a wide variety of concerts, staged-readings, special events and outreach programs. In May 2007, Jason Alexander became Artistic Director. Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise. Since its inaugural production of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Promises, Promises," which starred Mr. Alexander, Reprise has brought to the stage vibrant productions from all eras of American musical theatre including the Gershwins' "Of Thee I Sing" and "Strike Up the Band," Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," and Rodgers and Hart's "The Boys from Syracuse" and "Babes in Arms," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," as well as Richard Rodgers' later "No Strings." The "Golden Era" has been well represented - Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg with "Finian's Rainbow," Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe with "Brigadoon," Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green with "On the Town" and "Wonderful Town," Irving Berlin with "Call Me Madam," Robert Wright and George Forrest with "Kismet," both of the Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musicals "The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees," Johnny Mercer and Gene dePaul with "Li'l Abner," Jule Styne with "Bells are Ringing," and Frank Loesser with "The Most Happy Fella" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Musical theatre reached a new peak of popularity in the sixties, along with new creative talents, and Reprise has presented shows by many of them including Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt with "The Fantasticks," Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick with "She Loves Me," Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot's "Hair," Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone with "1776," Charles Adams and Lee Strouse with "Applause," Stephen Schwartz with "Pippin," Cy Coleman with "On the Twentieth Century" (libretto by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), "City of Angels" (lyrics by David Zippel), and "I Love My Wife" (libretto by Michael Stewart), Jerry Herman with "Mack and Mabel," Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's "Once on This Island," and four Stephen Sondheim musicals - "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," and "Sunday in the Park with George." Many of the great stage performers working today, as well as those who make their residence primarily in Los Angeles, have appeared in Reprise shows including Scott Bakula, Christine Baranski, Brent Barrett, Orson Bean, Jodi Benson, Stephen Bogardus, Dan Butler, Len Cariou, Carolee Carmello, Vicki Carr, Patrick Cassidy, Anthony Crivello, Jason Danieley, Lea DeLaria, Cleavant Derricks, Manoel Feliciano, Rodney Gilfry, Kelsey Grammer, Josh Grisetti, Harry Groener, Bob Gunton, Sam Harris, Gregory Harrison, Simon Helberg, Mimi Hines, Judy Kaye, Jane Krakowski, Marc Kudish, Ledisi, Vicki Lewis, Judith Light, Rebecca Luker, Eric McCormack, Maureen McGovern, Joey McIntyre, Donna McKechnie, Andrea Marcovicci, Marin Mazzie, Julie Migenes, Karen Morrow, Burke Moses, Kelli O'Hara, John O'Hurley, Ken Page, Robert Picardo, David Hyde Pierce, Larry Raben, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Roger Rees, Charles Nelson Reilly, Cathy Rigby, Alexandra Silber, Douglas Sills, Rex Smith, Brent Spiner, Lea Thompson, Steven Weber, Lee Wilkof, Ruth Williamson, Marisa Jaret Winokur, Lillias White, Fred Willard, and Rachel York.

On Saturday, October 2, the Sundance Channel's acclaimed documentary series, Iconoclasts premieres at 9pm et/pt. The third episode of the six-part series (premiering Saturday, Oct 16th at 9pm et/pt), features Tony Award®-winning actor Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Australia, The Boy from Oz) and world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten as the neighbors and friends talk about their professions and passions while Jackman prepares for an upcoming role and they cook a dinner together for charity at Vongerichten's new restaurant.

Pop icon Deborah Cox will headline a star-studded cast featuring performances and presentations by Sandra Thurman, former AIDS Czar under President Bill Clinton and current President and CEO of International AIDS Trust, the cast of FELA!, Dancing With The Stars finalist and N'SYNC star Lance Bass, Tony Award winners Alice Ripley, Chuck Cooper, and Melba Moore, and TV stars Graham Phillips (The Good Wife) and Ariana Grande (Nickelodeon's Victorious), for the third annual Broadway in South Africa (BSA) benefit concert. Nearly the entire show will feature world-premiere songs, created for the evening, by such composers as Grammy Award winners Desmond Child and Julie Gold. This year's honoree is producer Michael Butler. He is one of the most successful theatrical producers, lauded for bringing HAIR to Broadway in 1968, and an active proponent of youth creating positive global social change. The concert will take place on Monday, October 4, 2010, at 7:30 pm in the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom, located at 311 West 34th Street.

Tickets for Broadway's ELLING are on sale for the general public today, Monday, September 27. ELLING stars Brendan Fraser (Crash, Gods and Monsters, and critically hailed in the West End's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out -Tony Award-winner, HBO's 'True Blood') with Jennifer Coolidge (Broadway's The Women, American Pie, Best in Show) Richard Easton (The Invention of Love - Tony Award-winner, The Coast of Utopia, Noises Off) and, just joining the cast, Jeremy Shamos (The Rivals, Reckless). The critically acclaimed new comedy from London, directed by Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes (Doubt, Mrs. Warren's Profession), ELLING will begin performances Tuesday, November 2, open Sunday, November 21 on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) and will play a strictly limited engagement through March 20, 2011.

Theatre de L'Odeon will present Fyodor Dostoyevsky's I DEMONI, directed by Peter Stein at the Ateliers Berthier from September 18, September 26 2010.

Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Tony Award winner Lee Hall's THE PITMEN PAINTERS began previews on September 14 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The play will celebrate a September 30 opening night. Today, the first production shots have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below.

Click below to see the just-released short documentary following Leslie Kritzer as the legendary Liza Minnelli as she prepares to take over for Barbara Cook in the Broadway production of SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Studio 54!

New Directions performs Britney Spears' most iconic and memorable songs, including 'Toxic,' '...Baby One More Time' and 'Me Against The Music,' and the pop princess herself makes a special cameo appearance on an all-new, sure-to-be-fan-favorite episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Click below for the just-released full versions of 'Me Against the Music,' 'Baby One More Time,' 'Stronger,' and 'I'm A Slave For You!'

New Directions performs Britney Spears' most iconic and memorable songs, including 'Toxic,' '...Baby One More Time' and 'Me Against The Music,' and the pop princess herself makes a special cameo appearance on an all-new, sure-to-be-fan-favorite episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Click below for the just-released full version of the Gleeks performing 'Toxic!'