Arthur Laurents News

Today we are taking a look at one of the most exciting DVD/Blu-Ray releases of the year - perhaps ever, at least as far as Broadway connoisseurs are concerned. Taped back in mid-March of this year, a week before the actual central celebratory event itself occurred, comes SONDHEIM! The Birthday Concert, which will also be shown next Wednesday on PBS as part of this season's sensational series of GREAT PERFORMANCES at 9 PM on WNET in New York and across the country. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that has been ever-so-lovingly rendered on disc in high definition preserving a heavenly host of the very best Broadway talent one could ever possibly ask to be assembled. SONDHEIM! has it all.

Bells Are Ringing will open the Encores! 2010-11 season on November 18, 2010. With music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the production will run through 21, 2010 at New York City Center. Bells Are Ringing is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, features music direction by Rob Berman and stars Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, directed by James Bundy, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street, at York Street) October 22-November 13.

On Thursday, November 11, ELTC, itself, celebrates its now thirty-one years of entertaining audiences in Cape May and throughout the country, and the brave men and women who have served and are serving our country in the armed forces. Titled 'Stage Door Canteen,' ELTC's annual gala will once more take place at Aleathea's Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street, and the restaurant, once again, is graciously supporting the event.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the star-studded roster of performers for its 19th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. The award will be presented to Tony Award-winning librettist Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray, Elf) on Monday, November 22, 2010. As previously announced, the evening is directed by Tony-winning director/lyricist/librettist Richard Maltby and the award will be presented by Alice Hammerstein Mathias, daughter of Oscar Hammerstein II.

Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's new book 'Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes' was released today, October 26, 2010. The book debuted at #11 on the New York Times Book Review Bestseller list this week.

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. From the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time. The national tour of Broadway's current smash-hit revival kicked off to rave reviews at The Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Mich. on September 30; and this groundbreaking new production of WEST SIDE STORY will play San Diego CIVIC THEATRE in a Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation on January 4-9, 2011. Tickets go on sale to the general public Sunday November 7 at 10AM!

Tony Award winning star of A CHORUS LINE is regarded internationally as one of Broadway's foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. She began this summer performing in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and has just completed her first tour of Australia with MY MUSICAL COMEDY LIFE, before taking it to NY and a sold out crowd at the Laurie Beechman Theater.

PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh - presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Broadway Across America - today unveiled its 'practically perfect' 2010/2011 season. One of the city's premier entertainment series, PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh is generously sponsored by The PNC Foundation. The 2010/2011 season presents an array of must-see musical theater productions presented on the Cultural District's world-class stages.

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. From the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time. The national tour of Broadway's current smash-hit revival kicked off to rave reviews at The Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Mich. on September 30; and this groundbreaking new production of WEST SIDE STORY will play San Diego CIVIC THEATRE in a Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation on January 4-9, 2011. Tickets go on sale to the general public Sunday November 7 at 10AM!

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Tracy Aron, announced that two time Tony® Award-winner Donna Murphy will star in the new Broadway musical THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, directed by Leonard Foglia. THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE features book & lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart and music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler.

Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation, continues its 34th Season of great theatre with a variety of choices for all audiences. We offer the hottest ticket in town to ten of Broadway's best, from classic musicals to rock icons to beloved family fare - not to mention dance!

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, directed by James Bundy, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street, at York Street) through November 13.

The first national tour of the current Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Omaha. WEST SIDE STORY will be presented at the Orpheum Theater October 19 - 24, 2010 by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents' Broadway direction will be recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, directed by James Bundy, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street, at York Street) October 22-November 13.

On Monday July 24th, the Obamas hosted a starry event at the White House that was streamed live on the White House Official Website and right here on Broadway World that featured the top talents of the Great White Way singing the very best songs by (mostly) American composers. Among the participants were Elaine Stritch, Nathan Lane, Tonya Pinkins,Brian D'Arcy James, Audra McDonald, Chad Kimball, Karen Olivo and Idina Menzel. Additionally, the concert featured Marvin Hamlisch, who accompanied Idina Menzel on his iconic performing arts anthem from A CHORUS LINE, 'What I Did For Love', who I also had the distinct pleasure of interviewing for InDepth InterView in the intervening months in which we discuss this concert. Here is a review of the spectacular event as it was presented on PBS stations nationwide last night!

The first national tour of the current Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Omaha. WEST SIDE STORY will be presented at the Orpheum Theater October 19 - 24, 2010 by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents' Broadway direction will be recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

The touring production of the smash hit Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY, set to tour North America beginning this fall, will open at Detroit's Fisher Theatre, Sept. 30 - Oct. 16, 2010.

On Thursday, November 11, ELTC, itself, celebrates its now thirty-one years of entertaining audiences in Cape May and throughout the country, and the brave men and women who have served and are serving our country in the armed forces. Titled 'Stage Door Canteen,' ELTC's annual gala will once more take place at Aleathea's Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street, and the restaurant, once again, is graciously supporting the event.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, directed by James Bundy, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street, at York Street) October 22-November 13.