Audra McDonald News

Jinkx Monsoon, the alter ego of Jerick Hoffer and season five winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, will star in Off-Broadway's hit production 'The Vaudevillians' at one of New England's most prestigious music and comedy venues summer of 2014. Hosted by Provincetown's Art House Theatre, the drag-comedy sensation will reprise her role as Kitty Witless, alongside co-star and co-writer Richard Andriessen, better known as Dr. Dan von Dandy. Extended for the fifth time in New York, the show will leap to this popular Cape Cod summer destination from June 27 through September 20, 2014. For tickets and information, please visit www.ptownarthouse.com, or call 1-800-838-3006.

Five-time Tony Award-winning stage and screen star Audra McDonald opens up about her new role in the NBC TV event THE SOUND OF MUSIC and reveals her insights into the process of performing live on TV as part of a new interview.

Audra McDonald is in the midst of promoting her latest album, 'Go Back Home', and concert tour, which is currently playing in Los Angeles, but she won't be in California for long. According to the LA Times the five-time Tony winner will be heading back to Broadway soon.

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) offers more opportunities to look inside its operas through its initiative, "Viewpoints." These collaborations with Chicago cultural institutions draw audiences even further into the passionate world of COT and offer new insight and perspective on the artistry and vision of upcoming productions.

In today's Billboard.com, country music star Carrie Underwood spoke about her upcoming starring role in NBC's live broadcast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

NBC has confirmed that it will submit the highly anticipated live TV presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic family-friendly musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC for Golden Globe and Screen Actor's Guild Award consideration for this calendar year, airing just four days shy of the nomination submission deadline.

Norm Lewis' amiable charm immediately makes him the best friend, next-door neighbor type. As he opened an evening of song at Sunday's Bay Area Cabaret concert, the Tony Award nominated performer endeared himself to his audience with appropriate selections of "The Best is Yet To Come" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Spotlight on Broadway-an interactive website and multi-media project featuring the history of Broadway-has officially launched with 40 videos that chart the evolution of Broadway's 40 official theaters and honor the thousands of men and women who have worked on Broadway. Developed by the City of New York Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, in partnership with The Broadway League, each video was filmed inside one of the Broadway theaters and features insightful interviews with some of Broadway's most legendary performers and creative professionals.

Bay Area Cabaret presents Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis in his West Coast concert debut. A commanding yet affable presence, Lewis took Broadway by storm, starring opposite Audra McDonald in the highly-acclaimed The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. His performance brought the singer/actor critical praise, as well as Best Leading Actor nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Tony Award-winner and vocalist Audra McDonald is coming to Houston tonight, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. in the Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center, presented by Society for the Performing Arts. Accompanying her on stage will be Houston native Andy Einhorn.

The stars of the upcoming NBC live TV presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's beloved family-friendly musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC have taken to social media to share photos from the rehearsal room as well as interact and comment on the iconic characters they are playing in the piece, as well - stars Carrie Underwood, Laura Benanti, Audra McDonald and executive producer Neil Meron among them.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year, when artist and artisan, newsman and newsmaker, singer and songwriter celebrate the holiday season with PBS. This year, Tony-winner Alfie Boe and veteran news anchor Tom Brokaw - along with 'Hal' Halvorsen, the 'candy bomber' who dropped chocolates into post-war Berlin in 1948 - join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for an inspirational concert at Temple Square. Harking back to WWI, PBS presents Silent Night, a poignant opera based on the Christmas Eve truce of 1914, when French, German and Scottish soldiers laid down their arms for one evening of peace.

In celebration of this extraordinary legacy on the occasion of the series' 40th anniversary on PBS, a stellar roster of diverse alumni gather to share their personal stories of what Great Performances has meant to them, with reminiscences and performances by Julie Andrews, Audra McDonald, Don Henley, David Hyde Pierce, Josh Groban, Itzhak Perlman, Peter Martins, Patti Austin and Take 6, Met Opera star El?na Garan?a and Michael Buble. The evening, taped at Lincoln Center last November, will be televised on Great Performances, Today, October 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Joseph W. Polisi, President of The Juilliard School, today announced the creation of the Kovner Fellowship Program at Juilliard that will be endowed with a gift of $60 million - the largest single one-time gift to the School - from Bruce and Suzie Kovner, long-time supporters of the School. Providing full tuition, and living expenses, the Fellowships recognize the excellence of Juilliard's classical music students and enhance the School's 100+ year tradition of attracting and developing the most talented musicians in the world.

To honor Verdi's 200th birthday, LA Opera will present a new production of the crowning glory of the composer's magnificent career, his comic masterpiece Falstaff. LA Opera Music Director James Conlon, praised internationally for his mastery of Verdi, conducts this unabashed celebration of Merrie Olde England's lusty days and bawdy nights, starring Italian baritone Roberto Frontali. When Shakespeare's portly knight of Windsor hatches a plot to improve his love life by courting two different married women, he launches a flood of comic chaos and romantic misadventure.

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre continues its 2013-2014 season of mystery and romance with "110 in the Shade" by N. Richard Nash, music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. Directed by Nancy McCullough Engle, the former Artistic Director of DMT, "110 in the Shade" features Melissa Reinertson as Lizzie Curry, Reg Clay as Starbuck, David Bauer as File, Avi Jacobson as H.C. Curry, Danny Martin as Noah Curry, James Koponen as Jimmie Curry and Emma Mercier as Snookie. Filled with achingly beautiful melodies and dynamic dance numbers, "110 in the Shade" is a heartfelt musical romance about one woman's learning to believe in herself. The show runs Nov. 14- Dec. 8, 2013.

The Collegiate Chorale announces the addition of two new members of the company's executive team. Ted Sperling and Edward Barnes join Music Director James Bagwell and Executive Director Jennifer Collins as Artistic Director and Producing Director, respectively, effective immediately.

On Twitter Watch, Neil Meron wrote 'first day of rehearsal for #soundofmusic with the amazing cast @carrieunderwood @AudraEqualityMc @LauraBenanti Production details discussion eavesdropping behind closed door listening to @carrieunderwood & @AudraEqualityMc sing MY FAVORITE THINGS for first time. #soundofmusic wow!

In an interview posted on today's Billboard.com, 5-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald spoke about her upcoming role on NBC's live broadcast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Mary J. Davis presents DISASTER!, written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, at St. Luke's Theatre beginning today, October 14, and opening Monday, November 4. DISASTER! is a musical based on 1970's disaster movies with a score consisting of 1970's pop, rock and disco hit songs. Directed by Jack Plotnick, choreographed by Denis Jones and music direction by Larry Pressgrove. Disaster! previously ran in 2012. For more information, visit www.disastermusical.com.