Antonio Banderas News

MANIPULATION, a world-premiere play by Victoria E. Calderon about one woman's struggle for freedom and self-discovery, is set to begin Off-Broadway previews May 14 prior to its official press opening June 16 at Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in Manhattan. Marilyn Fried directs.

Award-winning actor/playwright Bill Connington will coach well-known Mexican actor Jorge Urzua in the solo play ZOMBIE. Connington penned the play, based on the novella by famous American author Joyce Carol Oates. Urzua will perform the play in Spanish on Friday, May 6th at 8 pm at 353 Studios, 353 West 48th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, 2nd floor. Urzua translated the play into Spanish, and a production is planned for Mexico City. The performance is an hour long, with an audience discussion to follow. It is free to the public. For reservations contact: billconnington@gmail.com.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) is hosting its largest fundraising event of the year, The Center Stage Celebration on Friday, May 13th at the Hilton Short Hills. Tables and individual tickets are now on sale. For more information on Paper Mill Playhouse's Center Stage Celebration or to purchase tickets please contact Roberta Morton at 973-315-1663, rmorton@papermill.org or visit Paper Mill Playhouse's website, www.papermill.org.

Roundabout Theatre Company announced the full company of the new musical Death Takes A Holiday, with a book by Peter Stone & Thomas Meehan, music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, directed by Doug Hughes. The cast will include Linda Balgord (Contessa Danielli), Matt Cavenaugh (Eric Fenton), Mara Davi (Alice), Joy Hermalyn (Cora), Jay Jaski (Lorenzo), Simon Jones (Dr. Dario Albione), Rebecca Luker (Duchess Lamberti), Patricia Noonan (Sophia), Julian Ovenden (Prince Sirki / Death), Jill Paice (Grazia), Michael Siberry (Duke Lamberti), Alexandra Socha (Daisy Fenton), Don Stephenson (Fidele), Max Von Essen (Corrado Montelli).

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) is hosting its largest fundraising event of the year, The Center Stage Celebration on Friday, May 13th at the Hilton Short Hills. Tables and individual tickets are now on sale. For more information on Paper Mill Playhouse's Center Stage Celebration or to purchase tickets please contact Roberta Morton at 973-315-1663, rmorton@papermill.org or visit Paper Mill Playhouse's website, www.papermill.org.

The award-winning play ZOMBIE by Bill Connington, based on the novella by famous American author Joyce Carol Oates, will be presented as a free reading on Friday, May 6th at 8 pm.

Jane Krakowski, the Tony Award winning Broadway star of Nine and two-time Emmy nominee for NBC-TV's comedy sensation, 30 Rock, has welcomed a baby boy to her family: the actress gave birth to Bennett Robert Godley yesterday.

Based on Fellini's classic film, '8 1/2', NINE is a spectacular musical that first delighted Broadway theatergoers in 1982 winning five Tony Awards - including Best Musical. A hit Broadway revival starring Antonio Banderas was awarded two additional Tony Awards in 2003. The 2009 film of the same name featured a star-studded cast and a story loosely based on the original. If you haven't seen the stage version, however, you likely have not seen this story.

Jane Krakowski, the Tony Award winning Broadway star of Nine and two-time Emmy nominee for NBC-TV's comedy sensation, 30 Rock, has been added to the line-up of stars scheduled to perform in 'The Very, Very Best of Broadway' concert scheduled for Saturday, July 9 as part of the new, annual BlackCreek Summer Music Festival. She joins previously announced stars Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Martin Short for an evening of Broadway showstoppers led by pops conductor and BlackCreek Artistic Advisor, Marvin Hamlisch, and featuring the BlackCreek Orchestra and Chorus.

The newly formed Center City Theatre Works is set to produce its debut work later this spring. The company is pleased to bring Philadelphia audiences Michael Cristofer's award-winning The Shadow Box. This heartfelt drama begins previews on May 4, opens May 5, and will close May 21. The company is mounting its first production on the stage Upstairs at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street. Tickets cost $14-$22. Tickets are available online at www.centercitytheatreworks.org or by calling the box-office at 215-546-6718.

Two-Time Tony Award winner CHITA RIVERA will perform songs from her legendary Broadway career with an intimate evening of music in CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY coming to Sydney and playing the York Theatre at the Seymour Centre on the 22 June 2011 at 8pm. Accompanied by her longtime musical director Michael Croiter on percussion and guitar, Michael Patrick Walker on the piano, and Dave Ellis on the Double Bass. Ms. Rivera will perform selections from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story ('America'), Sweet Charity ('Where Am I Going?' and 'Big Spender'), Chicago ('All That Jazz' and 'Nowadays'), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink, and featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman among others.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, will continue its all-star Spring 2011 season with the return of Tony Award-winning Broadway star, LAURA BENANTI. Her new show 'Let Me Entertain You' will feature songs from her Broadway roles in Gypsy ('Let Me Entertain You'), Nine ('Unusual Way'), Into The Woods ('Children Will Listen') and Swing! ('Skylark' and 'Hit Me With A Hot Note'), in addition to classics such as 'Alright, Okay, You Win,' 'They All Laughed' and 'If I Were A Bell.' 'It's a relaxed, fun show,' says Laura. 'The evening should feel like you are in my living room where I am telling my favorite stories and singing my favorite songs.' Both performances are at the Loews Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street).

As previously reported by BroadwayWorld, Laura Benanti will star in NBC's drama pilot 'Playboy Club.' Benanti will star as Carol-Lynne, a 30-year-old Playboy star. Now Variety reports that the pilot's actors had to sign nudity clauses, which state: 'nudity as defined above and/or simulated sex acts may be required in connection with player's services in the pilot and/or series.'

Based on Fellini's classic film, '8 1/2', NINE is a spectacular musical that first delighted Broadway theatergoers in 1982 winning five Tony Awards - including Best Musical. A hit Broadway revival starring Antonio Banderas was awarded two additional Tony Awards in 2003. The 2009 film of the same name featured a star-studded cast and a story loosely based on the original. If you haven't seen the stage version, however, you likely have not seen this story.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Evita at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the last time on March 20.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced it will honor Grammy Award-winning singer Ricky Martin and Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth at the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by RÖKK Vodka.

Rehearsals are still just under a year away, but the casting work on the upcoming EVITA revival is heating up. Sources tell us that a number of Broadway's highest profile baritones will be auditioning for the show's creative team later this month, with a casting announcement expected shortly thereafter. We're told that almost every well-known baritone that you can think of (and then some!) have appointments to be seen by the creative team of the highly anticipated revival to potentially star opposite Ricky Martin and Elena Roger.

Based on Fellini's classic film, '8 1/2', NINE is a spectacular musical that first delighted Broadway theatergoers in 1982 winning five Tony Awards - including Best Musical. A hit Broadway revival starring Antonio Banderas was awarded two additional Tony Awards in 2003. The 2009 film of the same name featured a star-studded cast and a story loosely based on the original. If you haven't seen the stage version, however, you likely have not seen this story.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Evita at the Pittsburgh Playhouse March 4-6 and March 17-20.

Deadline.com is reporting that 'Laura Benanti is set to star in NBC's drama pilot Playboy. The project, from 20th TV/Imagine TV, is set at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1963. Benanti will play Carol-Lynne, a 30-year-old bombshell and an established star at the Playboy Club who knows that her days as a Bunny are numbered.'