Bernie Telsey News

There has not been a TV show over the past decade that has consistently brought me more pleasure than SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. The sheer joy of the artistic creation and expression that has been displayed on that stage over the past 12 seasons has been unlike anything else that you can find anywhere on TV. While it might seem hyperbolic, no show, potentially ever, has done more to advance the public consciousness of the power of art, let alone dance, than SYTYCD. I know that there have been dance shows since the dawn of TV, and I know that ABC's DANCING WITH THE STARS still out-performs SYTYCD in the ratings, but not DWTS, not SOUL TRAIN, not SOLID GOLD, not AMERICAN BANDSTAND, no show has effectively brought the transformative power of dance (and in turn, the fine arts in general) to TV viewers more than SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company is proud to announce the appointment of Lauren Levitt as Managing Director. As of September 8, 2015, Ms. Levitt will be responsible for Fundraising Development and Financial Management.

The Broadway Dreams Foundation (BDF) will give aspiring Toronto-area performers a chance to make their "big break" when the program presents Generation: The 2015 Summer Intensive Tour. The national non-profit training program, making a stop in Toronto for the very first time, will present an incredible roster of Broadway directors, performers, and industry insiders who will offer highly personalized musical theatre training and mentoring through unique, week-long performing arts intensive workshops for students of all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic backgrounds.

The American Theatre Wing has just announced new appointments to its Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee, BroadwayWorld has learned.

Theatre Under The Stars' (TUTS) is proud to announce that the 2015 Tommy Tune Awards Best Leading Actor, Alec Michael Ryan, finished as one of the top three Best Leading Actors at the seventh annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards/Jimmy Awards in New York City on June 29.

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS- The seventh annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards were held on Monday, June 29, 2015, at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. This one-of-a-kind-event was hosted by two-time Tony Award®-winner Michael Cerveris, currently on Broadway in this year's Best Musical Fun Home at Circle in the Square.

The seventh annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards / Jimmy Awards were held tonight, June 29, 2015, at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. This one-of-a-kind-event was hosted by two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris, currently on Broadway in this year's Best Musical Fun Home at Circle in the Square.

The seventh annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards / Jimmy Awards were held last night, June 29, 2015, at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. This one-of-a-kind-event was hosted by two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris, currently on Broadway in this year's Best Musical Fun Home at Circle in the Square. The coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor on Monday, June 29 at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre, was presented to Marla Louissaint representing The Gershwin Awards and Anthony Skillman, representing the M.A.C.Y. Awards. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the red carpet!

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS just announced that two-time Tony Award-winner, celebrated actor MICHAEL CERVERIS will host the seventh annual awards ceremony tonight, Monday, June 29th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Fifty-two high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress.The talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances.

It's that time of year again! Later tonight dozens of kids from across the country will gather to compete for the ultimate prize- Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards. This year, the 52 nominees will be joined by 2015 Tony winner Michael Cerveris, who will serve as host of the seventh annual awards ceremony at the Minskoff Theatre. While the students are busy getting ready to sing on a Broadway stage, BroadwayWorld  has been preparing by bringing you blogs from the kids themselves, and it's not too late to catch up on what they've been up to this week.

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA)/Jimmy Awards welcomes stage and screen star Sutton Foster as host of the seventh annual awards ceremony tonight, June 29th, at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan.

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS is pleased to announce that stage and screen star SUTTON FOSTER will host the seventh annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 29th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Fifty-two high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. The talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances.

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS just announced that 52 high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the seventh annual awards ceremony. The presentation will take place on Monday, June 29th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased by visiting NHSMTA.COM or TICKETMASTER.COM and range from $39 to $79. Premium seats are $175.

MCC Theater's Permission, the new comedy from Hand to God playwright Robert Askins recently extended by a week through June 14th. Permission celebrates its Opening Night tonight, May 20th, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Permission stars Justin Bartha, of Broadway's Lend Me A Tenor, Off-Broadway's All New People and the blockbuster film The Hangover; Twilight Saga and 'Grey's Anatomy' Emmy-nominated star Elizabeth Reaser, returning to MCC following her critically acclaimed performance in this fall's The Money Shot; and theater regulars Nicole Lowrance, Talene Monahon, and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe. The company celebrated opening night early, and below, you can check out photos from the curtain call and after party!

MCC Theater's Permission, the new comedy from Hand to God playwright Robert Askins recently extended by a week through June 14th. Permission celebrates its Opening Night tonight, May 20th, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Permission stars Justin Bartha, of Broadway's Lend Me A Tenor, Off-Broadway's All New People and the blockbuster film The Hangover; Twilight Saga and 'Grey's Anatomy' Emmy-nominated star Elizabeth Reaser, returning to MCC following her critically acclaimed performance in this fall's The Money Shot; and theater regulars Nicole Lowrance, Talene Monahon, and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe. The company celebrated opening night early, and below, you can check out photos from the red carpet theatre arrivals!

The Broadway Dreams Foundation (BDF) will give aspiring performers across the country their "big break" when the program embarks on Generation: The 2015 Summer Intensive Tour. The national non-profit training program will present an incredible roster of Broadway directors, performers, and industry insiders who will offer highly personalized musical theatre training and mentoring through unique, week-long performing arts intensive workshops for students of all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic backgrounds.

MCC THEATER has announced the cast for the world premiere of Robert Askins' Permission: stage and screen starJustin Bartha, of Broadway's Lend Me A Tenor, Off-Broadway's All New People and the blockbuster film The Hangover; Twilight and 'Grey's Anatomy' Emmy-nominated star Elizabeth Reaser, returning to MCC following her critically acclaimed performance in this fall's The Money Shot; and theater regulars Nicole Lowrance, Talene Monahon, and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe. Permission is set for April 29 - June 7, 2015 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with an official opening night on Wednesday, May 20th. For more information, please visit www.mcctheater.org. The company just met the press and BroadwayWorld brings you complete photo coverage from the festivities below!

MCC Theater presents the New York premiere of Jennifer Haley's The Nether directed by Anne Kaufman and starring Ben Rosenfield, Sophia Anne Caruso, Merritt Wever, Peter Friedman and Frank Wood. The Nether runs now through March 15, 2015 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Check out photos from opening night below!

Today we remember the iconic 1960s pop superstar and occasional musical theatre star who passed away earlier this week at 68, the one and only 'It's My Party' crooner herself, Lesley Gore, who generously participated in my InDepth InterView column way back in 2010 with an expansive and fascinating conversation covering her pop heyday, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, CARRIE and much more.

With Thanksgiving now past, we are less than one week away from the television event of the season, at least for musical theatre fans, PETER PAN LIVE!. As anyone who reads BroadwayWorld or watches NBC knows, PETER PAN LIVE! is the follow up to last year's enormously successful THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE!. Allison Williams (GIRLS) will play the boy who wouldn't grow up, while legendary actor Christopher Walken will play the scourge of the seven seas, Captain Hook. Also in the company are Tony winner Christian Borle (Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee), five-time Tony nominee Kelly O'Hara, Broadway's Taylor Louderman, and an ensemble full of some of the theatre's best young talent.