Baayork Lee News

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's big news: BANDSTAND, starring Laura Osnes and Corey Cott, opens tonight on Broadway!

BroadwayWorld is happy to report that Baayork Lee will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the 2017 Tony Awards.

The 2017 theatre awards season is quickly approaching, and keeping track of all of the important dates for the many ceremonies and their corresponding nomination announcements is no easy feat. Stay up to date on all the need-to-know facts with BroadwayWorld's Awards Season Calendar below!

Broadway historian and documentarian Rick McKay was among the lucky audience to attend the New York Public Library's most recent performance at their Bruno Walter Auditorium. Hear what he had to say about the event, then check out his video below!

Ali Ewoldt, currently starring as Christine in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera, was luminous and enchanting in her sold-out Feinstein's/54 Below solo debut, helmed by Alan Muraoka and featuring musical direction by Gary Adler on March 12th. Scroll down to see the photos!

The Off-Broadway Oral History Project was created to fill a gap in theater history by establishing a video archive featuring the innovative artists who transformed Off- and Off-Off-Broadway in the years after World War II.

Irish Repertory Theatre presents Eugene O'Neill's THE EMPEROR JONES, directed by Ciaran O'Reilly (Shining City), and starring Obi Abili (Ivo Van Hove's Antigone at BAM). THE EMPEROR JONES begins performances tonight, March 1, 2017 at Irish Rep Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage, opens on March 12, and runs through April 23, 2017.

The Broadway Experience musical theatre intensive will celebrate its 10th Anniversary season in summer 2017 in New York City.

Irish Repertory Theatre has announced full casting for Eugene O'Neill's THE EMPEROR JONES. Directed by Ciaran O'Reilly (Shining City), and starring Obi Abili (Ivo van Hove's Antigone at BAM), THE EMPEROR JONES begins performances on March 1, 2017 at Irish Rep Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage, opens on March 12, and runs through April 23, 2017. 

Tams-Witmark has announced that the groundbreaking musical A Chorus Line is now available for licensing in a brand-new high school edition.

After six dedicated weeks of fundraising, the brightest stars from Broadway and Off-Broadway's biggest hits will share one-of-a-kind performances at the 28th annual Gypsy of the Year competition on Monday, December 5 (4:30 pm) and Tuesday, December 8 (2 pm). The show is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) today, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) on Thursday, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

Off-Broadway singer-songwriters Anya Turner & Robert Grusecki have added two additional performances of their highly acclaimed show at Don't Tell Mama: 'Hello, West 46th Street', an evening of new cabaret songs. The dates for this special holiday edition are Sunday November 20 at 7:30pm and Friday December 16 at 7pm.  The show has been hailed as 'Astonishing…Gorgeous…a Triumph' (Robert Windeler, Bistro Awards) and 'Smart, stylish…Highly recommended' (Bart Greenberg, Nitelife Exchange).

Emily Goglia (TV's 'Grease Live!', Rent at La Mirada) will join nine other performers to help songwriter/pianist Brandon Sturiale celebrate the release of his album So Much More at the Beechman Theatre on Sunday night, Oct. 23rd at 7:30pm.

Wes Hart (West Side Story, Jersey Boys nat'l tour), Robby Haltiwanger (Ghost nat'l tour), and Marquis Johnson (Beauty and The Beast nat'l tour) will join previously announced singers Lored Allred ('The Voice'), Jessica Crouch (We Will Rock You nat'l tour), Bryan Fenkart (Memphis), Dionne Figgins (Motown), Desi Oakley (Les Miserables, Wicked), Sharone Sayegh (Mamma Mia!), and Ari Wilford (Once) in a celebration of songwriter/pianist Brandon Sturiale's new album So Much More.

Songwriter/pianist Brandon Sturiale will be joined onstage by Lored Allred ('The Voice'), Jessica Crouch (We Will Rock You nat'l tour), Bryan Fenkart (Memphis), Dionne Figgins (Motown), Desi Oakley (LES MISERABLES, Wicked), Sharone Sayegh (Mamma Mia!), Ari Wilford (Once), and more names soon to be announced, as he celebrates the release of his new album So Much More: The Songs of Brandon Sturiale.

Prospect Theater Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel and Managing Director Melissa Huber, and the National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), under the leadership of Executive Artistic Director Baayork Lee and Co-Founder Steven Eng, presents a concert performance of the new musical HONOR, with music and lyrics by Peter Mills, and book by Mills and Cara Reichel, adapted from William Shakespeare's As You Like It.

With the final performance of its critically acclaimed Off-Broadway musical 'The Golden Bride' on Sunday, The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene brought to a close its three-month performing arts festival KulturfestNYC. Scroll down for photos from the closing festivities!