Al Blackstone News

A bevy of Broadway's best, including Kristin Chenoweth, Gavin Creel, Andrea Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Helen Mirren, Matthew Morrison and more than 200 of Broadway and Off-Broadway's most talented performers, will come together next week for the 29th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition.

McDonald/Selznick Associates presents the 2015 MSA Emerging Choreographers' Showcase today, February 27, 2015 in New York City featuring the work of choreographers Al Blackstone, Adam Cates, Sean McKnight, and Rachelle Rak. Two performances will take place at the Ailey Citigroup Theater for an invited audience of producers, industry professionals, and guests.

McDonald/Selznick Associates presents the 2015 MSA Emerging Choreographers' Showcase on February 27, 2015 in New York City featuring the work of choreographers Al Blackstone, Adam Cates, Sean McKnight, and Rachelle Rak. Two performances will take place at the Ailey Citigroup Theater for an invited audience of producers, industry professionals, and guests.

The National Music Theater Institute (NMTI) students have just returned to campus from two weeks training in New York City; scroll down for photos from the visit! NMTI is the newest credit-earning, semester-long intensive from the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Utilizing the O'Neill's 50-year experience in training young theater artists and history of developing new musicals (including Nine, Avenue Q, In The Heights, [title of show], and Violet), NMTI offers broad-based training in all areas of musical theater: acting, singing, directing, writing, dance, composition, and choreography. In addition to the semester's rigorous curriculum-classes 14 hours a day, 7 days a week with emphasis on collaboration and the creation of original work- two weeks of the semester are spent learning in the epicenter of American music theater.

Capezio A.C.E. Award Winners Festival, a competition dedicated to introducing the next generation of emerging and influential choreographers, announces its lineup for the winners performance festival, August 4 - August 7 at Ailey Citigroup Theater (405 West 55th Street at 9thAvenue).

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the 'Coachella' for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, including Mandy Moore and Travis Wall, who were both just nominated for 2014 Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Choreography for 'So You Think You Can Dance' on FOX.

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the "Coachella" for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, including Mandy Moore and Travis Wall, who were both just nominated for 2014 Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Choreography for "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX.

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the 'Coachella' for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, master teachers, professional dancers, dance students of all ages and dance fans under one roof for the first time ever for an exlusive week-long event from July 22 through 27, 2014 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Over 5,000 dancers and enthusiasts covering the wide spectrum of the field are expected to participate in this six-day festival.

The generosity of theatre fans during six weeks of fundraising by 57 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies helped push the 28th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition to another record high, raising $4,532,129 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway veterans will share the stage with celebrated newcomers as Bryan Cranston, Fran Drescher, James Franco, Idina Menzel,Denzel Washington and more than 200 of Broadway and off-Broadway's most talented performers come together for the 28th AnnualEaster Bonnet Competition. Presented by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this year's Easter Bonnet Competition(#bcefabonnets) will be held Monday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 22.

Broadway veterans will share the stage with celebrated newcomers as Bryan Cranston, Fran Drescher, James Franco, Idina Menzel,Denzel Washington and more than 200 of Broadway and off-Broadway's most talented performers come together for the 28th AnnualEaster Bonnet Competition. Presented by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this year's Easter Bonnet Competition(#bcefabonnets) will be held Monday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 22.

Broadway's most daring, curious, and talented artists gathered at Cielo for the Fall 2013 BC Beat on Monday, November 11th, the showcase and dance party with its own rules for sharing work and connecting artists. The evening's choreographers featured: Charlie Sutton, Cindy Salgado, Caleb Teicher, Kyle Mullins, Tricia Brouk, Josh Assor, Rickey Tripp, and Jennifer Jancuska, as well as performers Daniel Watts, Jennifer Locke, Ephraim Sykes, Aurelia Michael, Voltaire Wade-Greene, Masi Yahya James, Amber Jackson, Elizabeth Burke, Macy Sullivan, Ryan VanDenBoom, Matthew Steffens, Heather Hamilton, Shiloh Goodin, Liz Piccoli, Paul Romero, Borris York, Matty Oaks and Rachel Guest. Broadway veteran Justin Johnson curated the music. Scroll down for photos from the show!

Broadway's most daring, curious, and talented artists are preparing to gather at Cielo for the Fall 2013 BC Beat on Monday November 11th, the showcase and dance party with it's own rules for sharing work and connecting artists. Doors open at 7pm and guests are welcomed by the evening's choreographers, Charlie Sutton, Cindy Salgado, Caleb Teicher, Kyle Mullins, Tricia Brouk, Josh Assor, Rickey Tripp, Jennifer Jancuska, and performers including Daniel Watts, Jennifer Locke, Ephraim Sykes, Aurelia Michael, Voltaire Wade-Greene, Masi Yahya James, Amber Jackson, Elizabeth Burke, Macy Sullivan, Ryan VanDenBoom, Matthew Steffens, Heather Hamilton, Shiloh Goodin, Liz Piccoli, Paul Romero, Borris York, Rachel Guest, Matthew Oaks and Michael Williams as Broadway veteran Justin Johnson curates music.

The Old Globe presents The Last Goodbye, a new musical fusing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with the incendiary songs of the legendary singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Conceived and adapted by Michael Kimmel, the rock musical is directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody BloodyAndrew Jackson). Choreography is by Emmy Award nominee Sonya Tayeh ('So You Think You Can Dance'), and orchestrations, music direction and arrangements are by Kris Kukul. The Last Goodbye will run on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, now through Nov. 3, 2013. Check out the opening night photos below!

Nathan Lucrezio is a singer/songwriter, up and coming recording artist, and currently performing in the Broadway Production of Rogers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA as the Woodland Creature/Ensemble. Prior to joining CINDERELLA, Lucrezio filmed two music videos for his debut singles 'Crazy Girl' and 'Walk Out The Door'. Click below to watch both of the videos!

Internationally recognized dance companies and fast-rising choreographers shared the picturesque stage of the 19th annual edition of Fire Island Dance Festival on July 19-21, raising a record $393,647 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For the third year in a row the festival set a fundraising record, surpassing last year's all-time high of $374,260. In its 19 editions, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised $3.3 million for the most vulnerable among us, helping to ensure they receive life-saving medications and health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance.

Capezio A.C.E. Award Winners Festival, a competition dedicated to introducing the next generation of emerging and influential choreographers, announces its lineup for the winners performance festival, August 5 - August 8 at Ailey Citigroup Theater (405 West 55th Street at 9th Avenue).

BROADWAY BARES 23: UNITED STRIPS OF AMERICA, a randy road trip of modern-day burlesque featuring 220 of New York's sexiest dancers, raised an all-time record high for the fourth year in a row on Sunday, hitting $1,430,241 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Heather has grown up on Broadway, going from Baby June to Little Who to Ballet Girl to a partly adult role now.