The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Hold onto your hats! Shows beginning in late April include 'Avenue Q,' 'Ragtime,' 'Juno,' 'Hey! Dancin'! Hey! Musical!,' 'How To Succeed...,' 'Hair,' 'The Sound Of Music,' 'Motown' and 'The Wizard Of Oz!' AMAZING! Plus news from The Second City, the Goodman, that JCS arena tour, a 2015 'Little Shop' and the return of the Mormons! Whew!
As previously announced, Clifton Oliver and Allison Semmes will star in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross. Portraying groundbreaking Motown artists, Nicholas Christopher will play Smokey Robinson and Jarran Muse will play Marvin Gaye. Leon Outlaw, Jr. and Reed L. Shannon will portray Berry Gordy's boyhood counterpart and the roles of young stars Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have announced that Clifton Oliver and Allison Semmes have been cast in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross in MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. The First National Tour begins performances April 22, 2014 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago before continuing to cities across the country.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture just launched its first exhibition of 2014, MOTOWN: THE TRUTH IS A HIT. Featuring items that highlight Motown's inimitable founder Berry Gordy and the institution's most beloved musical acts, the multi-media showcase chronicles one of the most significant record labels in American music history. Earlier this week, the company of the show gathered to launch the exhibition with a special performance. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out photos below!
The producers of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL just announced that Krystal Joy Brown (Big Fish, Leap of Faith) will assume the role of “Diana Ross” beginning Thursday, January 23 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. Tonight, December 19th, Broadway Sessions will celebrate the holidays with an all-star concert event. Paige Davis (Chicago, Boeing Boeing, TLC's Trading Spaces) is set to co-host the event.
Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride. There will also be special speakers including a message of hope from Steven Guy and James Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. The night will be hosted by award winning host from the hit show 'truTV Presents: the World's Dumbest' Scott Nevins with staging by Rachele Rommes (Minnesota Timberwolves choreographer). A live auction will happen before the show.
Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride.
BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.
Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride. There will also be special speakers including a message of hope from Steven Guy and James Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. The night will be hosted by award winning host from the hit show 'truTV Presents: the World's Dumbest' Scott Nevins with staging by Rachele Rommes (Minnesota Timberwolves choreographer). A live auction will happen before the show.
Musicals Tonight! continues its ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of At This Performance… to be held on Monday, March 18th at 7:00 at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street.
BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. This Thursday, December 20th, Broadway Sessions will celebrate the season with it's annual all- star holiday concert spectacular!!! Past Broadway Sessions guests return to the weekly musical theater themed night to sing their favorite holiday tunes.
At Jim Caruso's Cast Party this past Monday, October 22nd, there was an autumnal cornucopia of talent, with impromptu performances by two original cast members of Sophisticated Ladies, Terri Klausner and Ty Stephens. Check out photos of them and more at the concert below!
What better way to kick off Sunday-and to celebrate Father's Day!-than with the latest installment of Music City Confidential! Here's where you'll find all the news that's fit to print (or not-depending on your perspective) from Nashville's ever-growing, ever-fascinating live theater industry. Amid the florid prose and flowery praise, you'll find all the stories that don't quite fit anywhere else, some of 'em kind of gossipy, some of 'em stone-cold serious, some of 'em just lists of names you need to know. You'll also find photos from our new "Intermission@" series, details about the latest cast parties and various and sundry minutiae-the veritable flotsam and jetsam-from backstage, onstage, offstage and beyond…
While critics and fans alike justifiably lament the paucity of female leads in Broadway musicals this season just past, you need look no further than the current tour of The Color Purple for a musical filled to overflowing with noteworthy women characters. The beautiful and moving reimagination of Alice Walker's extraordinary novel of faith, despair, horror, beauty, love and redemption, The Color Purple might best be described as a woman's story, but it is, in every possible way, a human story as universal and as affecting as any work of musical theater ever created.
The National Theatre is proud to announce that THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, will return to D.C. for an Easter engagement April 12 to 24, and will feature special guest star Lil' Mo as the Church Soloist.
Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation is proud to announce that the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, will play at San Diego Civic Theatre for five performances only December 3 - 5, 2010.
Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation is proud to announce that the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, will play at San Diego Civic Theatre for five performances only December 3 - 5, 2010.
