Richard Jay-Alexander

The legend and Special TONY Winner Raises The Curtain on all things ACL, as Michael Bennett’s masterpiece celebrates its 50th Anniversary in New York City, which will reverberate and be recognized across the world, where hundreds, if not thousands, of productions have been performed in 22 countries, in multiple languages, and as far-reaching as Canada, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, France, Sweden, Japan, Argentia, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Hong Kong, among them, since 1975.

Ms. Kazan was on my radar for as long as I can remember when I started to get interested in theatre, music and show business and had “secret” subscriptions to magazines that focused on those passions.

It was a room full of love last night, at New York City’s Edison Ballroom, where decades worth of Broadway royalty, Industry professionals and multiple award winners came to honor the legacy of Tom Viola, as he prepares to retire at the end of this year from his 36 year run as Executive Director of BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS.

This Sunday finds the diminutive talent wearing yet another new hat, as Director for Sunday night’s airing of WICKED In Concert, celebrating the score of the iconic, long-running musical,

Last night was one of those special kind of evenings in Manhattan. Members of the Broadway Cast of MISS SAIGON gave up their night off, to perform and raise money for NAAP (National Asian Artists Project). The conceit was the cast sing 'whatever they want' … and it worked. The young, attractive company of the current revival are very talented and events like these are always a reminder of how deeply gifted each individual member of a  company must, in order be to be able to explode with such power together, nightly, on the stage of the Broadway Theatre.

As you know, Kristin Chenoweth's Broadway Bootcamp wrapped up its third year on Friday night, with a live show at The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, in her home state of Oklahoma. The show also gave birth to the first-ever KRISTI Awards (named for Kristi Dawn Chenoweth) … the star's name commonly used, while growing up.

I just returned from Kristin Chenoweth's Broadway Bootcamp, my first. How did this happen? Well, it all happened in Kristin's Dressing Room, at the Lunt-Fontanne, when we were doing MY LOVE LETTER TO BROADWAY. Her 'bootcamp' for young, aspiring performers had already had two seasons and she was looking to really 'change it up.' The rest is history, as they say, and 'I' can say, in all honesty, that it was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had and those 43 kids and a handful of young interns, are in our hearts... forever.

The Broadway Community worships at the altar of Michael McElroy and, pretty soon, so will the world. The Broadway veteran, with many shows under his belt, founded the Broadway Inspirational Voices in 1994 and, last night, photographer and friend Walter McBride and I were invited to a private home, where an awe-inspiring event transpired. We witnessed the birth of PARLOR NIGHT, something that ladies Di Ana Pisarri and Schele Williams had dreamed of for some time.

Today is Sunday and Sunday night is HOMELAND on Showtime, now in it's 4th season and as riveting as ever. It also informs my choice for Day 2 of BWW's 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Holiday Video picks. Over the years, I have done a number of benefits for BroadwayWorld. Rob Diamond has a wonderful relationship with Tom Viola and everyone at Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and the that has been the focus of the fundraising at these events. Now, when I do, pretty much, anything, I put alot of thought on the 'assignment' and am not a fan of, what I like to call, PARK & BARK events. I try to match talents and material in a very special way. This brings us to LAILA ROBINS.

Well, as promised ... we have a CHRISTMAS DAY (night) BONUS to our 12 Days of Christmas 'video' features series that ended yesterday. And SPECIAL it is. Once again, we dove into the VAULTS of BroadwayWorld.com on ICE, a benefit we did, back in 2006, with proceeds going to BC/EFA.

I'm thrilled to hear from so many of you, that you are really 'into' and enjoying BroadwayWorld's 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Feature 'videos.' Today is DAY 6 and I'm REALLY EXCITED to share this one with you. I think Christine Pedi is one of New York's best kept secrets. The girl is INSANELY talented and I would cast in her in just about anything.

We did it! Welcome to Day #12 of BroadwayWorld's 12 Days Of Christmas 'video' features. It has been really fun being your 'Guest Editor' for these 12 days and today, on this Christmas Eve, we, once again, have something really special for you, which had us, yet again, digging into the VAULTS.

Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury. I saw her in Mame, my first Broadway show seen ON BROADWAY at The Winter Garden Theatre from the front row of the mezzanine in seats my dad bought from a scalper because he knew I wanted to see it so badly. I would never recover from the splashy front of The Winter Garden Theatre.

Three-time Tony winning director Jack O'Brien's memoir 'Jack Be Nimble: The Accidental Education of an Unintentional Director' will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on June 18, 2013. For Jack O'Brien, there's nothing like a first encounter with a great performer, nothing like the sound of an audience bursting into applause. In short, there's nothing like the theater. In the special interview below, director Richard Jay-Alexander chats with his friend about what fans can expect from the new book. Check it out below!