Audra McDonald, Lea DeLaria, and More Join Seth Rudetsky at Parker Playhouse

Tickets go on sale November 13 for the Broadway Concert Series at Parker Playhouse, produced by Mark Cortale and curated by Sirius XM satellite radio Broadway channel host Seth Rudetsky, that will delight musical theater lovers with a format featuring evenings of witty banter, intimate behind-the-scenes stories and incredible singing.

The series begins with six-time Tony Award-winning Broadway leading lady Audra McDonald with Tony Award-nominated Broadway singer Will Swenson hosted by Rudetsky on January 2 at 8 p.m. Then comedic actress Lea DeLaria, famous for her standout role as "Big Boo" on Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, performs with special guest host drag superstar Varla Jean Merman on February 13 at 8 p.m.

Broadway legend McDonald has broken the record for the most Tony Award wins and became the first person to win in all four performance categories taking home Broadway's top honor for her performances in Lady Day and Emerson's Bar & Grill, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun, Ragtime, Master Class and Carousel. She will be joined by her husband and special guest Swenson, best known for his Tony-nominated performance in Broadway's Hair, and stellar performances in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and the revival of LES MISERABLES in the role of Javert. Rudetsky will host an unforgettable musical evening as they shoot the breeze, dish the dirt and raise the roof.

The series continues with the uproarious DeLaria, who holds the distinction of being the first openly gay comic on television in America. DeLaria's multi-faceted career covers three decades and includes everything from stage and screen to beyond, including singer, jazz musician and author. She's won Obie and Theater World Awards, along with a Drama Desk nomination for her portrayal as Hildy in On The Town, an Ovation nomination for The Boys From Syracuse, and she has played both Eddie and Dr. Scott in the gender-bending Broadway musical The Rocky Horror Show. Special host Merman (a.k.a. Jeffery Roberson) has filled concert halls and cabarets across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, New York Public Theater and London's Soho Theatre.

Rudetsky, the series curator, has hosted the Broadway Series at Parker Playhouse for the previous two seasons. He has played piano for over a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, LES MISERABLES, and Phantom of the Opera and is the man behind SethTV, his web-based entertainment network. As a comic, Rudetsky was awarded "Funniest Gay Male in NY" at Stand-Up NY and is a three-time Emmy nominee as a writer for The Rosie O'Donnell Show. He co-wrote and stars the new musical Disaster! which will open on Broadway this February.

Tickets are $46.50 - $126.50 and two-show subscriptions are available for $84-$228. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Parker Playhouse and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at www.BrowardCenter.org, www.ParkerPlayhouse.com, www.Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954-462-0222; in person at Ticketmaster outlets or the Broward Center's AutoNation Box Office. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Parker Playhouse box office Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Parker Playhouse, located in Holiday Park at 707 N.E. Eighth Street in Fort Lauderdale, is an affiliated venue of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, which provides programming and management of the facility. All dates, times, programs, artists and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.

Sun Sentinel is a proud sponsor of the Parker Playhouse.

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