Bernadette Peters News

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents the 15th and grand finale edition of The Broadway Bears, the annual Broadway auction of teddy bears dressed in museum-quality outfits based on original costumes and created by well-known designers.

The 5th Avenue Theatre production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! has closed its doors, but the chant of "O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A" still rings through the theater's rehearsal space. Washington state teens are working on an all-state all-student production of this Golden Age staple as part of a brand new education program called The Oklahoma! Project.

First Night Award-winning actress-cabaret artist, music director, conductor, all-around theater personality-Ginger Newman tackles the role of "Mama Rose" in the musical theater classic Gypsy to highlight the 2012-13 season at The Keeton Theatre, which celebrates its tenth year with shows to appeal to both theater and movie aficionados alike, featuring several local premieres heretofore unproduced by Nashville area companies.

On Saturday evening March 3, consummate Broadway actress/singer Bernadette Peters performed an SRO concert at Valley Performing Arts Center on the campus of Cal State Northridge. Originally set for October 15, An Evening with Bernadette Peters was rescheduled to March 3 because of Peters' costarring role as Sally in the latest Follies revival on Broadway.

Packing more music per minute than any episode of the show since the pilot, last night's SMASH showed the ever-developing musical dramedy series finding its footing and delineating the many relationships and interrelationships of the onstage and backstage cast of characters that populate it - and, as always, the music made the night. Will Chase scored yet again with a soulful "Song For You"; McPhee emanated sultriness in her cover of James Brown's "It's A Man's Man's World"; and, in particular, Megan Hilty made the bawdiest and most big Broadway-sounding song from the Marilyn Monroe musical we have yet heard hit like Joe DiMaggio's bat when it met a meatball in the big 20th Century Fox production number we are sure to remember. When it comes to the musical numbers, SMASH is adult musical storytelling done exceptionally well with a precise, professional sheen. The story and characters have exhibited a lot of areas where they could go in future episodes, and, now, by the fifth episode, the style and music/drama formula is being perfected right before our eyes. What has resulted is that we are witnessing SMASH as a show finding its voice with all the world to hear - not an enviable position to be in, but that is the name of the game of a network TV gamble on the level of this. And, anyway, what sights and sounds we have to look forward to in the coming weeks as the Marilyn musical within the show begins to take a more tangible shape - and Bernadette Peters makes her SMASH debut in less than two weeks!

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Broadway legand Benadette Peters will guest star on the March 19 episode of SMASH, and the show has just released an official description that reveals some details on her appearance. As described by KSiteTV: 'Everything comes to a head as Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Derek (Jack Davenport) and the team present "Marilyn The Musical" to would-be investors. Ivy (Megan Hilty) is under pressure to perform, while her mother, Broadway star Leigh Conroy (special guest Bernadette Peters), undermines her at every turn. Karen (Katharine McPhee) must decide between the workshop and a meeting with a big-time music producer. Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (guest star Will Chase) must face up to the consequences of their actions.'

Sierra Repertory Theatre will open its 33rd season with its production of Gypsy, playing March 3 through April 22 at Sierra Rep's East Sonora stage. A burst of trumpet opens the musical classic Gypsy, pulling audiences into the world of vaudeville and Broadway's fable of a fierce and focused stage mom with a desperate dream.

George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit Evening takes place on Sunday, May 6 beginning at 5 pm at The Heldrich.

Returning to the Royal Room for the first time since 2007, Tom Wopat first came to public attention in the late-1970s as the freewheeling Luke Duke on the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in Cy Coleman's I Love My Wife. Wopat went on to perform in the Tony Award-winning City of Angels and Guys and Dolls. He received a Tony nomination for creating the role of Frank Butler in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun, opposite Bernadette Peters.

Broadway star Tom Wopat is enjoying the Florida sunshine this week as he takes to the stage at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. Returning to the Royal Room for the first time since 2007, Tom Wopat first came to public attention in the late-1970s as the freewheeling Luke Duke on the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in Cy Coleman's I Love My Wife. Wopat went on to perform in the Tony Award-winning City of Angels and Guys and Dolls. He received a Tony nomination for creating the role of Frank Butler in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun, opposite Bernadette Peters. In 2008, Wopat returned to Broadway as Tom Hurley in A Catered Affair with Faith Prince and Harvey Fierstein. 2011 saw him again on Broadway starring as Frank Abagnale Sr. in the new adaptation of Catch Me If You Can.

SMASH is out for blood - wolf's blood, that is. So, go howl! In the climax of the series so far - at least since that thrilling finale to the pilot episode - the wildly talented cast of characters that inhabit SMASH were joined in purpose and performance for the first time onscreen all together, singing "I Never Met A Wolf That Didn't Like To Howl" - well, at least the current top choices for Marilyn Monroe (Megan Hilty) and Joe DiMaggio (Will Chase) by the songwriting duo (portrayed by Debra Messing and Christian Borle) behind the show-within-the-show; guest appearance by prospective investor portrayed by pop idol and current Broadway star Nick Jonas notwithstanding. Yet, Katharine McPhee shone bright in her secondary storyline, bringing defiant joie de vivre to a karaoke cover of Adele's soulful earworm "Rumor Has It" at the close of the show. Nick Jonas got a moment in the musical spotlight, as well, in a self-played piano accompanied cover of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet". On the dramatic side of SMASH, the twists and turns of the theatre-centric musical series are beginning to create intriguing complexities for the individuals caught in the tumult - none the least being the budding romances between Derek (Jack Davenport) and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), but also the secret liaison rekindled of one half of the songwriting duo (Messing) and Joltin' Joe (Chase) himself. Plus, the other half of the team behind the Marilyn musical, Tom (Christian Borle), finally got his own romantic plotline and sudsy, soap-ish moment. It seems to be a prerequisite that each cast member have a post-coital scene at some point, so, one supposes Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and her ex husband, Jerry (Michael Cristofer), may re-team behind the scenes - or, maybe not. Eileen was given finest material of the night as far as I'm concerned and Huston's delicate portrayal of a woman conflicted was artful in its attentiveness and believability. She imbues the material with a grace and gravitas that few stars can consistently achieve as she has done throughout her career and continues to do so here on SMASH. Episode Four cleanly and clearly displayed the attributes we came to love about the pilot - natural integration of fabulous Marilyn-themed musical numbers into the drama, as in "Howl"; superlative new renditions of modern-day pop hits, such as "Rumor Has It"; and a specialty song or two, too, like Nick Jonas and his Michael Buble party accompaniment. While it did not break new ground as far as where the show is heading as a series like last week's show, this episode gave us an inkling of the entertainment experience coming in the next few weeks as we anticipate the arrival of many new and exciting guest stars, such as Bernadette Peters and Uma Thurman, in addition to the pain, passion, ecstasy and As for the rest of the drama, music and comedy, read on!

Edmund Gaynes, in association with David Gersten, will present Loni Ackerman, Brad Bradley Gene Castle, and Karla Shook in TIN PAN ALLEY (The Original iTunes), which began an open-ended Off-Broadway engagement February 25th at Actors Temple Theater (339 West 47th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues). Opening Night is set for March 19th (7pm). TIN PAN ALLEY will run 75 minutes.

Kelrik presents the spoof of a classic fairy tale, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.

Tickets are now on sale for Kelrik Productions' presentation of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, playing February 25 - March 11 at Unity (1490 Southwood Drive in San Luis Obispo.)

Returning to the Royal Room for the first time since 2007, Tom Wopat first came to public attention in the late-1970s as the freewheeling Luke Duke on the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in Cy Coleman's I Love My Wife. Wopat went on to perform in the Tony Award-winning City of Angels and Guys and Dolls. He received a Tony nomination for creating the role of Frank Butler in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun, opposite Bernadette Peters.

Showcasing one of the greatest contemporary voices of our time, Linda Eder's diverse repertoire spans Broadway (Jekyll & Hyde),standards, pop, country and jazz. Tom Wopat first came to public attention in the late '70s as the freewheeling Luke Duke on the legendary TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, and has starred many times on Broadway including roles in City of Angels, Guys and Dolls and as Frank Butler in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. An Evening with Linda Eder and Tom Wopat is a delightful journey through some of our most beloved show tunes and standards, with two of the best, Fri. Feb. 24 at 8 PM.

Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig announced today that Kinky Boots, the new musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics), will have its pre-Broadway world premiere in Chicago this fall. Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots will play the Bank of America Theatre in October 2012.

Today in 1973, A Little Night Music opened at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 601 performances. A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Since its original 1973 Broadway production, the musical has enjoyed professional productions in the West End, by opera companies, in a 2009 Broadway revival, and elsewhere, and it is a popular choice for regional groups. It was adapted for film in 1977, with Harold Prince directing and Elizabeth Taylor, Len Cariou, Lesley-Anne Down and Diana Rigg starring.

Syndicated morning show 'LIVE! WITH KELLY' announced the lineup of co-hosts who will join host Kelly Ripa during the week of March 5-9, 2012. Among the week's co-hosts will be Broadway veteran Martin Short.

According to a report by Michael Riedel of nypost.com, The Public Theater is already considering a Broadway transfer for the revival of INTO THE WOODS which plays the Delacorte in Central Park this Summer.