Nicole Rosky - Page 1071

Performances for LEAP OF FAITH began on Tuesday, April 3, and the show officially opened tonight at The St. James Theatre. Four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza leads the company along with Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom, Jr., Krystal Joy Brown and Talon Ackerman. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Today in 1996, Rent opened at the Nederlander Theatre, where it ran for 5123 performances. Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical among other awards. The Broadway production closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run.

Today in 1988, Chess opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 68 performances. Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other; all in the context of a Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, during which both countries wanted to win international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes.

Today in 2000, the second Broadway revival of The Music Man openened at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it ran for 699 performances. The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. In 1957, the show became a hit on Broadway, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for 1,375 performances. The cast album won the first Grammy Award for 'Best Original Cast Album'. The show's success led to revivals and a popular 1962 film adaptation and a 2003 television remake.

Today in 1970, Company opened at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre), where it ran for 705 perfrmances. Company is a musical comedy based on a book by George Furth with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six. Originally entitled Threes, its plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby's 35th birthday.

Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre presents Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Damn Yankees- the story of an aging baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil so his beloved hometown team can beat the Yankees in the race for the pennant. From the songwriting team of The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees is filled with hit songs including 'Two Lost Souls' and the sultry favorite, 'Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.' The creative team includes direction by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director), music direction by Ben Whiteley, and choreography by Denis Michael Jones.

Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre (James Bundy, Dean/Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Deputy Dean/Managing Director) have received a transformational $18 million gift from the Robina Foundation that will permanently endow the creation of new plays and musicals for the American stage through the Binger Center for New Theatre.

Get ready for a heat wave of hot tunes at The Norma Terris Theatre this summer! Goodspeed Musicals, the first two-time Tony Award-winning theatre in the country, announced today on Facebook and Twitter that the fab new musical The Bikinis will round out their three-show season. Destined to be a summer smash, this fun-loving, finger-snappin' blast-from-the-past is chock-full of hit tunes from the 60s and 70s. Don't miss The Bikinis August 9 through September 2, 2012; it'll be a gas!

Thomas Sadoski will return to the role of Tripp Wyeth in Jon Robin Baitz's critically acclaimed new play OTHER DESERT CITIES, directed by Joe Mantello, beginning Tuesday, May 8 at 7 pm at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45 Street), joining co-stars Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Judith Light, and Elizabeth Marvel.

Atlantis Productions (In the Heights, Disney's The Little Mermaid) has just released the poster for its upcoming production of Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage, starring Lea Salonga (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (Next to Normal, Love, Loss, And What I Wore), Adrian Pang (The Full Monty, They're Playing Our Song), and Art Acuña (The Romance of Magno Rubio, Kitchen Musical). To be directed by Bobby Garcia (In the Heights, Disney's The Little Mermaid), God of Carnage will premiere in Manila in July, and in Singapore in November through a partnership with Singapore Repertory Theatre. Check it out below!

The Old Globe presents the West Coast Premiere of The Scottsboro Boys, the critically acclaimed musical about an infamous chapter in American history. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, The Scottsboro Boys features music and lyrics by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, libretto by David Thompson, musical direction by Eric Ebbenga and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. The Scottsboro Boys will run April 29 - June 10 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run April 29 - May 4.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, SMASH's Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty, whose characters specnt most of the season battling over Marilyn, will both be submitted in the 'Supporting Actress' category for the 2012 Emmy Awards. Debra Messing, who plays Julia, will be the only actor submitted in a 'Leading' catergory.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. The production will be led by Tony nominee Chad Kimball Kimball as Willie.

The new musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, opened last night, April 24 at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara and is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities, and we bring you interviews with the cast and creative team below!

Nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be announced at a news conference on Friday, April 27, 2011, at 9:30 AM at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency, 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street, in Manhattan. Drama Desk winners Donna Murphy and Brian d'Arcy James will announce the nominations in the various categories. Tune in to dramadeskawards.com to watch a live stream of the announcement!

Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Damian Arnold, presents the Broadway premiere of Marc Camoletti's classic farce Don't Dress For Dinner, starring Ben Daniels as 'Robert,' Patricia Kalember as 'Jacqueline,' Adam James as 'Bernard,' David Aron Damane as 'George' and Jennifer Tilly as 'Suzanne' with Spencer Kayden as 'Suzette.' Don't Dress For Dinner is adapted by Robin Hawdon and directed by John Tillinger. Don't Dress For Dinner will began previews on March 30 and opens officially tomorrow, April 26, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. This will be a limited engagement through June 17, 2012. BroadwayWorld brings you performance highlights below!

Leap of Faith, based on the 1992 film of the same name, began previews on April 3 and opens on Broadway on tonight at the St. James Theatre. It's been a long road to the Broadway stage, and we highlight key parts of the musical's journey below!

Today in 1991, The Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 709 performances.The Secret Garden is a musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical's book and lyrics are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon. Directed by Susan H. Schulman with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld, the cast featured Daisy Eagan, Mandy Patinkin, and Rebecca Luker. It won the 1991 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Daisy Eagan), and Best Scenic Design (Heidi Landesman).

Stage and screen star Julie Andrews recently stoppped by 'The Colbert Report,' where she chatted about her book series 'The Very Fairy Princess.'

The 26th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition raised $3,677,855, the result of six weeks of intensive fundraising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS by 51 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies.