Nicole Rosky - Page 591

Today in 1960, Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre). Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Finian moves to the southern United States (the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky) from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock.

Happy Birthday, Laurence Olivier! Born in 1907, Olivier remains one of the most revered actors of the 20th century. He was the first artistic director of the National Theatre of Great Britain and its main stage is named in his honour. Olivier's career as a stage and film actor spanned more than six decades and included a wide variety of roles, from the title role in Shakespeare's Othello and Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night to the sadistic Nazi dentist Christian Szell in Marathon Man and the kindly but determined Nazi-hunter in The Boys from Brazil. Olivier played more than 120 stage roles: Richard III, Macbeth, Romeo, Hamlet, Othello, Uncle Vanya, and Archie Rice in The Entertainer. He appeared in nearly sixty films, including William Wyler's Wuthering Heights, Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus, Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake Is Missing, Richard Attenborough's Oh! What a Lovely War, and A Bridge Too Far, Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Sleuth, John Schlesinger's Marathon Man, Daniel Petrie's The Betsy, Desmond Davis' Clash of the Titans, and his own Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III.

The cast and creative team of the hit Off-Broadway musical Murder for Two are teaming up with some of New York's brightest up and coming composers and BroadwayWorld.com every Monday night for their spring concert series, Murderous Musical Mondays. Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham contined the series Monday night, May 19, 2014, immediately following the 7pm performance of Murder for Two at New World Stages (Stage 5 - 340 West 50th Street). BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive highlights from the special concert below!

BWW was on the scene to capture the excitement, including an appearance and brief performance preview from the sailors of the upcoming Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, Tony Yazbeck, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Clyde Alves!

STARS IN THE ALLEY, presented by United Airlines and hosted by Norm Lewis, brought the best of Broadway to Shubert Alley this morning, featuring numbers from nearly 25 shows, which were accompanied by a live 12-piece orchestra. BroadwayWorld was on the scene to capture the alley-shaking performances, including LaChanze and Jenn Colella's powerhouse rendition of IF/THEN's 'Love While You Can.' Check it out below!

Today in 1959, Gypsy opened at the Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 702 performances. Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The musical contains many songs that became popular standards, including 'Small World,' 'Everything's Coming up Roses', 'Some People', 'Let Me Entertain You', and 'Rose's Turn'.

HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, the new Broadway musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur, is written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Kenny Leon, and will begin previews on Monday, June 2 and open on Thursday, June 19. In anticipation of the big opening, check out a just-released TV spot for the new musical below!

Happy Birthday, Judy Kuhn! Kuhn made her Broadway debut was in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She then played Cosette in the 1987 multiple award winning Broadway production of Les Miserables brought her the first Tony Award nomination. The following year, Kuhn took on a transfer from London's West End, playing one of the main roles (Florence Vassy) in the Trevor Nunn-directed Chess, with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA) and lyrics by Tim Rice. Later in 1993, Kuhn played the role of Betty Schaefer in the U.S premier production of Sunset Boulevard at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Kuhn sang the title role in the 1995 Disney animated film, Pocahontas, the film included her rendition of the song Colors of the Wind, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for its composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. On October 23, 2007, Kuhn returned to the Broadway Production of Les Miserables after 20 years, but this time assuming the role of Fantine.

If/Then, now playing on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, is led by Broadway superstar Idina Menzel, who has earned yet another Tony nomination for her performance. Below, check out a just-released television spot of Menzel performing 'What If' in the new musical!

Under My Skin opened last night at The Little Shubert Theatre. The new comedy was written by Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser, the creative forces behind such television hits as Who's The Boss? and The Nanny. The cast includes Tony Award-nominee Kerry Butler, Matt Walton, Megan Sikora, Allison Strong, Ed Hyland, Dierdre Friel, Kate Loprest, and Andrew Polk. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge takes you behind the scenes of opening night below!

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Today in 1946, the second Broadway revival of Showboat opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre, and ran for 418 performances. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, from 1880 to 1927. The show's dominant themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love.

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Nick Cordero, a nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Bullets Over Broadway, who chats about how Broadway saved his life, why he's proud of his whole cast, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Sarah Greene, a nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Play for The Cripple of Inishmaan, who chats about how the New York theatre community differs from Dublin, why her cast is so tight, and more. Check out what she had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Warren Carlyle, a double nominee for Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical for After Midnight, who chats about how it took four years to put the show together, getting to reunite with HUgh Jackman to choreograph the 2014 Tonys ceremony, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Joe Benincasa a honoree for Excellence in the Theatre, who chats about how what being with the Actors Fund has meant to him, where he is going to keep his Tony, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Doug McGrath, a nominee for Best Book of a Musical for Beautiful, who chats about the joy of collaborating with the real life muscal legends, what it has been like working with Jessie Mueller, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Jarrod Spector, a nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Beautiful, who chats about why he wrote off ever being recognized, the thrill of learning that his castmates were also nominated, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Casey, a nominee for Best Choreography for Aladdin, who chats about the evolution of the musical, what it means to him to have two hit shows on Broadway, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Chad Beguelin, a double nominee for Best Score and Best Book of a Musical for Aladdin, who chats about how the show has evolved since its out-of-town tryout, why he shares his nominations with the whole team, and more. Check out what he had to say below!