Ben Davis News

ANNIE LIVE! is live now on NBC! Get a look inside the broadcast here as the cast of talented tots that make up the orphans open the show with their iconic number, 'It's A Hard Knock Life.'

Star of NBC's Annie Live, Celina Smith, is taking over our Instagram story today to share her favorite spots around New York City ahead of the musical's premiere tonight! Tune in to Annie Live tonight on NBC at 8pm ET.

Earlier this week, executive producer of Annie Live, Neil Meron, took over our Instagram to answering fan questions about putting together NBC's latest live TV musical. Wondering why the producers chose Annie for right now? How about the best part about filming in New York? Meron answers all of these questions and more here.

Wonder what it's like producing a live musical adaptation? Well we've got the takeover for you! Join executive producer Neil Meron as he takes our followers behind the scenes of creating NBC's Annie Live, premiering on Thursday, December 2.

It has been announced that the soundtrack for NBC's Annie Live! will be released on December 3rd! The musical event of the Holiday Season, 'Annie Live!' will air on Thursday, December 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Today's top stories include full casting announced for Annie Live! Plus, we're taking you inside Company's first performance back on Broadway with photos and videos from the big night. Additionally, check out photos from the Spring Awakening reunion concert, and the New York premiere of tick, tick...BOOM!

The full cast of the star-studded broadcast has now been revealed! The ensemble will feature Felice Kakaletris as Molly, Cate Elefante as Kate, Sophie Knapp as July, Tessa Frascogna as Tessie, Arwen Monzon-Sanders as Duffy and Audrey Cymone as Pepper as well as Wendi Bergamini, Jadaya Bivins, Brittany Conigatti, Ben Davis, Zachary Downer, and more.

Based on Colin Higgins' 1980 Academy Award nominated film of the same name, 9 to 5 follows three female coworkers in the late 1970s. Pushed to the boiling point, they team up to concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy, and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy - giving their boss the boot! While Franklin Hart remains 'otherwise engaged,' the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down.

From October 12th-17th, North Carolina Theatre will be presenting a production of 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which is located inside Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The show features a book penned by Patricia Resnick, who was one of the screenwriters behind the original movie, and an original score written by Dolly Parton. North Carolina Theatre's production stars Sara Jean Ford as Judy Bernly (the Jane Fonda role), Lauren Kennedy, the Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Raleigh, as Violet Newstead (the Lily Tomlin role), and Ryah Nixon as Doralee Rhodes (the Dolly Parton role). Not to mention that Raleigh's own Ira David Wood III, the Artistic and Executive Director of Theatre in the Park, will be making a special appearance in the show as the Chairman of the Board. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actor Ben Davis, who will be taking on the role of Franklin Hart, Jr. Ben has previously appeared on Broadway in LES MISÉRABLES, LA BOHÈME (which earned him along with his fellow cast members a special Tony Award in 2003), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, VIOLET, and DEAR EVAN HANSEN.

North Carolina Theatre, the region's premiere nonprofit professional regional theatre, is excited to announce the full cast for 9 to 5 with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, directed by Producing Artistic Director, Eric Woodall.

This week, WINMI's third annual Audition Stories has come to the podcast. The previous audition episodes were released just a month before the COVID-19 shut down. And there have been a lot of guests with a lot of great stories since then.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Miami, Florida, Damian Thompson (Toni Stone, Little Rock) is a performer of both stage and screen. From an early age he was his family's private entertainer, always dancing at family functions and reciting TV shows. Yet after moving to America and taking speech classes to control his Jamaican accent, he developed a chronic case of stuttering. It affected his self-confidence as well as interactions with others.

Rootstock Ciderworks is a company in Williamson, New York that captures the true spirit of crafting fine ciders.

Jackie Burns (If/Then) and Chad Jennings (Wicked) join the previously announced Ben Davis (Dear Evan Hansen) and Kenita Miller (Once On This Island) in Play Reading Fridays' production of Donald Margulies' dark comedy a?oeDinner With Friendsa??, benefiting The Actors Fund. It will be directed by Alison Tanney.

Ben Davis (Dear Evan Hansen), Ali Ewoldt (The Phantom of the Opera), and Kenita Miller (Once On This Island) will star in Play Reading Fridays' production of Donald Margulies' dark comedy a?oeDinner With Friendsa??, benefiting The Actors Fund. It will be directed by Alison Tanney. The role of Gabe will be cast shortly. 

Today (July 9) in live streaming: The Public Theater premieres The Line, Bernadette Peters visits Stars in the House, and so much more!

Today (July 6) in live streaming: the conclusion of Broadway's Next on Stage, a Stars in the House birthday and so much more!

The fourth installment of Muny Magic in Your Home will feature four of The Muny's most talented and beloved leading men from recent seasons.

The Muny announced today that it will offer 10 weeks of free online Muny entertainment for the summer of 2020. For 10 consecutive Monday nights, with a single repeat stream on the subsequent Thursday, audiences and fans can experience the magic of their Muny summer online at muny.org with both curated and newly created entertainment.