Alan Menken News

Van Hill Entertainment is proud to announce that the Off-Broadway premiere of ROOMS a rock romance, starring Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, will begin performances on Friday February 27th at New World Stages/Stage 2 (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday March 16th (7 PM). ROOMS a rock romance has music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City) and book by Goodman and Miriam Gordon, and will be directed by Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony, Bat Boy: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM!, Jane Eyre).

Whoopi Goldberg stars and executive produces the sci-fi miniseries 'STREAM' for FEARnet.com. Goldberg plays the lead character, Jodi, trying to come to terms with her lifelong fears. Here we bring you a clip from the very first episode of 'STREAM', courtesy of the kind folks over at FEARnet.com. Stay tuned for more exclusive clips from the series right here on BWW TV!

Whoopi Goldberg stars and executive produces the sci-fi miniseries 'STREAM' for FEARnet.com. Goldberg plays the lead character, Jodi, trying to come to terms with her lifelong fears. Here we bring you the trailer for 'STREAM', courtesy of the kind folks over at FEARnet.com. Stay tuned for exclusive clips from the series right here on BWW TV!

Disney Theatrical Productions recently celebrated the one-year Broadway anniversary of THE LITTLE MERMAID on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street, NYC). A new casting notice on Disney's web site states: 'Disney on Broadway is casting a new star for our sparkling new musical, THE LITTLE MERMAID...'

BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Thrives in Adverse Environment as promising playwrights sharpen their skills with expert tutoring and peer feedback. The Great White Way has encountered some challenges recently with celebrated shows closing and theatres running half-empty. Despite these trends, a well-respected workshop fully sponsored by Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) continues to nurture musical theatre scribes and showcase their works to the public.

Current GRAMMY Award nominees Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, and Katy Perry are the first performers announced for the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast. The music industry's premier event will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 8, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 - 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns in January for its eleventh season celebrating the diversity of American popular song. For 17 nights of pop, folk, cabaret, R&B, country, rock, show tunes, bluegrass and multimedia, the series will explore the best of the golden age of musical standards through to today's most dynamic contemporary songwriting. The 2009 season - January 14 through March 6 - will bring to the stage some of today's most gifted interpreters of song, including top vocalist Kurt Elling and country's winning Patty Loveless. It will feature the rare opportunity to hear Paulo Szot, star of Broadway's South Pacific, and film and stage star Alan Cumming, in intimate concert settings.

Disney Theatrical Productions proudly celebrates the one-year Broadway anniversary of THE LITTLE MERMAID on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street, NYC).

Disney Theatrical Productions proudly celebrates the one-year Broadway anniversary of THE LITTLE MERMAID on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street, NYC).

In a year when new musical theatre productions in London consisted of juke box transfers, classic revivals, whimsical adventure stories and majestic failures, one might be forgiven for thinking that the age of great new musicals exists merely in days of Auld Lang Syne. So let's pause and think back over the year's musical fayre.

Stephen Schwartz, composer-lyricist of the international blockbuster musical Wicked, will appear for an evening of conversation, song, and book signing at the Museum of Performance & Design (MPD) as Wicked returns home to San Francisco on January 27 for an open-ended engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. In conversation with host Carol de Giere, author of the new biography Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked, Schwartz will describe some of his songwriting methods, answer questions about his work and the making of Wicked, and perform several of his popular pieces at the piano. Following the presentation, he will join Ms. de Giere in autographing the book.

Sister Act Defies launches with record breaking ticket sales! When it was first announced news spread like wild fire around the globe. Stories appeared everywhere from Thailand to Brazil and from South Africa to Russia. Whoopi Goldberg said: Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Doloris and the girls to get such a resounding 'come on in'. The response has been amazing and I'm thrilled Doloris, the nuns, the cast, the producers and the audience are all going to have some fun!

Variety is reporting that Whoopi Goldberg is set to star and exec produce the sci-fi miniseries 'Strange' for FEARnet.com. Set to debut online and on video on demand beginning Jan. 15th, 'Strange' will air in six five-minute weekly segments. Goldberg will play the lead character, Jodi, trying to come to terms with her lifelong fears.

Bristol Riverside Theatre celebrates the holiday season with its Winter Musicale from December 11 - 21, 2008. Conceived and directed by Artistic Director Keith Baker, this BRT tradition for the entire family features an evening of traditional carols, popular classics, contemporary arrangements and even original songs, such as 'Do You Hear What I Hear,' 'Merry Christmas Baby,' 'Go Tell It On the Mountain,' 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' 'The Little Drummer Boy,' and '12 Days of Christmas.'

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) welcomes Tony Award-winning actor and singer Mandy Patinkin back to The Public for a two-week concert series in the Anspacher Theater in honor of the 20th Anniversary of his first concert at The Public. For the first time, Patinkin will present three of his most popular concerts, Mamaloshen, Celebrating Sondheim, and Dress Casual, in repertory with Paul Ford on piano, December 8 through December 21. All profits from Patinkin's concerts go to The Public Theater just as they did 20 years ago when he first performed here. Tickets for this limited engagement are available by calling (212) 967-7555 or visiting www.publictheater.org.

News from Broadway and theater in the Baltimore/Washington area

Veteran Broadway General Managers Richard Frankel and Laura Green have announced the formation of FRANKEL GREEN THEATRICAL MANAGEMENT.

The list of nominations has been announced for the 51st annual Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards will be presented on February 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Bristol Riverside Theatre celebrates the holiday season with its Winter Musicale from December 11 - 21, 2008. Conceived and directed by Artistic Director Keith Baker, this BRT tradition for the entire family features an evening of traditional carols, popular classics, contemporary arrangements and even original songs, such as 'Do You Hear What I Hear,' 'Merry Christmas Baby,' 'Go Tell It On the Mountain,' 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' 'The Little Drummer Boy,' and '12 Days of Christmas.'

On Monday, December 1, 2008, Be.the.Change (Uganda) presents The 3rd Annual YULEGANDA BALL at Revel at 8:00 PM. The special evening includes a raffle, drink specials, presentations on Be.the.Change, and exclusive performances by Patina Renea Miller (Hair), Nick Adams (A Chorus Line), Matt Gould (composer of Twilight in Mangchego), among others.