Russell Nype

The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s invitation predicted“A Swell Party” and last night certainly was!  KT Sullivan artistic director of the foundation hosted an elegant evening to celebrate the legacy of Charles S Bullock, Chairman Emeritus, Board of Trustees, and his favorite composer Cole Porter at the legendary Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.

Americans were listening to 'Goodnight, Irene' and Bing and Gary Crosby's interpretation of a 1914 song by Irving Berlin, 'Play a Simple Melody.' And Berlin's new musical, Call Me Madam, was opening at New York's Imperial Theater with an advance of over one million dollars, by far the largest in Broadway history.

Pianist and entertainer Joe Stilgoe has performed his new shed duet with West End star, Hadley Fraser. Together, they sing Irving Berlin's, 'You're Just In Love', which was first performed in Call Me Madam by Ethel Merman and Russell Nype.

Ray of Light's (ROL's) production of The Rocky Horror Show filled me with hope for the youth of America. Lest that sound a bit strange, allow me to explain. Yes, ROL's a?oeRockya?? delivers in spades on the sexy entertainment value of this transgressive, go-for-broke show. But a?" it is also grounded in layers and layers of queer showbiz history even though it is presented by performers and designers who are way too young to have been around for the real thing. Taking the written-in-the-1970s-but-set-in-the-1950s show as its starting point, this production adds loopy gay cultural references from the 1930s right up to the present day - as if concocted by some crazed drag queen and thrown into a blender to see if it will explode. Surprisingly, it never does and it somehow all works.

On an all-new THEATER TALK, actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson (2015 Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama) discuss their roles in the Broadway play Constellations and the close working relationship they have developed while starring in this unconventional and critically-acclaimed two-person drama by Nick Payne.

On an all-new THEATER TALK, actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson (2015 Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama) discuss their roles in the Broadway play Constellations and the close working relationship they have developed while starring in this unconventional and critically-acclaimed two-person drama by Nick Payne.

Conveniently scheduled to occur during the weeks of this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Paley Center For Media is presenting a series of theatrically-related programs and presentations throughout July featuring some particularly rarely-seen entities.

Completing the programming for the 10th annual New York Musical Theatre Festival, NYMF announced several additional concerts, a series of educational workshops, and a "Musicals on Television" screening series in partnership with the Paley Center for Media. This year's Festival will begin July 8th and continue through July 28th. Single tickets are currently on sale.

The Lost Treasures Collection, a series of rarely performed musical gems presented in concert/cabaret version on Lakewood Theatre Company's Side Door stage, presents the final offering in its third season, the 1950 musical Call Me Madam. Food, wine and other beverages will be available for purchase before and during the show.

The Lost Treasures Collection, a series of rarely performed musical gems presented in concert/cabaret version on Lakewood Theatre Company's Side Door stage, presents the final offering in its third season, the 1950 musical Call Me Madam. Food, wine and other beverages will be available for purchase before and during the show.

Masterworks Broadway continues to make good on its promise to open its vaults with more classic cast recordings previously unavailable in the CD era. Working (1978 Original Broadway Cast), Call Me Madam (Dinah Shore and the Original Broadway Company, 1950) and Desert Song (1959 Studio Cast) will be available as downloads through all major digital service providers and as disc-on-demand with the original cover art, via Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.