Gail Burns

Critics J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin once again hosted the ceremony, which saw top honors for Best Play go to the Berkshire Theatre Group's production of David Auburn's Lost Lake, and a tie between Barrington Stage Company's production of Stephen Sondheim's Company and the Mac-Haydn Theatre's production of Hello, Dolly! for Best Musical.

'The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County Musical' by Carl Ritchie (book, lyrics, director) and Wayne Moore (music) is a Coward-esque evening from the Taconic Stage Company upstate, which it took by storm in the summer of 2011. Thinly guised as the confessions of four 40-something women on reality TV, this four-character musical spotlights the culture-clash between spoiled, egocentric 'weekender' women and their working class 'townie' counterparts in a rural upstate community. The show has no reason but to delight, which it does with savvy performances, high-heeled lyrics and the poison of its cocktail-party chit-chat dialogue. To share it with a wider audience, Taconic Stage Company will present the piece in its NYC debut tonight, March 7 through March 28 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street.

'The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County Musical' by Carl Ritchie (book, lyrics, director) and Wayne Moore (music) is a Coward-esque evening from the Taconic Stage Company upstate, which it took by storm in the summer of 2011. Thinly guised as the confessions of four 40-something women on reality TV, this four-character musical spotlights the culture-clash between spoiled, egocentric 'weekender' women and their working class 'townie' counterparts in a rural upstate community. The show has no reason but to delight, which it does with savvy performances, high-heeled lyrics and the poison of its cocktail-party chit-chat dialogue. To share it with a wider audience, Taconic Stage Company will present the piece in its NYC debut March 7 to 28 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street.

In the town of Winchester in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, there is a gravestone that probably says it best: "Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies: Love." It is a tribute to the late, great singer Patsy Cline. Not many singers remain legends so long after their death, especially after a short career of slightly more than five years. Cline died tragically at age 30 on March 5, 1963, which was almost 49 years ago. Her music lives on partly through such wonderful stage tributes as Always… Patsy Cline, which opens the season at the Ivoryton Playhouse on March 14th.

Bakerloo Theatre Project's production of Hamlet, What Dreams May Come, created by award-winning playwright Adam Mathias (See Rock City & Other Destinations) and William Addis, will run at the West End Theater at 286 West 86th Street on February 6 at 3pm and February 7 and 8th at 8pm.

Joe Norton, Associate Director of Education and Outreach for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the recipient of the 2007 President's Award from the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and its student honorary division - the International Thespian Society (ITS)