Beth Leavel News

Outer Critics Circle, the organization of writers and commentators for all media covering New York theatre announced today its award winners for the 2010-11 season in 23 categories.

Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, already extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre, and opened last night, May 9. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.

The new Broadway musical Baby It's You! tells the inspiring story of Florence Greenberg, the woman who changed the recording world forever when she discovered The Shirelles and created Scepter Records, becoming the music industry's first female powerhouse. Starring Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Greenberg (just nominated for a 2011 Tony for the role), conceived by Floyd Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutruxand Sheldon Epps, and written by Tony nominated book writers Mutrux and Colin Escott, the team behind Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet, Baby It's You! began performances at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street) Saturday, March 26, 2011, and opened on, April 27, 2011. Prior to Broadway, the production held an out-of-town try out at the Pasedena Playhouse in California. In celebration of the show's progress and success, friends of the Pasadena hosted a pre-Broadway opening reception at Angus McIndoe. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below!

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Yesterday, the proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. BroadwayWorld was on hand, of course, and brings you part 1 of the morning's photo coverage below!

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Yesterday, the proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. BroadwayWorld was on hand, of course, and brings you part 2 of the morning's photo coverage below!

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) congratulate SISTER ACT and BABY IT'S YOU! for receiving six 2011 Tony Award nominations. Both productions had their world premieres at The Pasadena Playhouse - SISTER ACT in October, 2006 and BABY IT'S YOU! in November, 2009.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Nominations for The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 9:30 AM at the New York Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, in Manhattan. Former Drama Desk Award winners Audra MacDonald and Liev Schreiber made the announcements. Other speakers included Isa Goldberg, President of the Drama Desk; Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards; Barbara Siegel, chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk, who has produced the nominations announcement ceremony at the NY Friars Club for the past 15 years.

'I am floating on air. I am delighted, thrilled, surprised and gleeful. I am having trouble just sitting still and even putting together full sentences! Florence Greenberg's story is so unknown, which is why it was so important to get right. She was such a pioneer and to have this musical bookend her life is amazing. It's an honor to be able to tell her story and work with these incredible people everyday. This recognition is just a thrill. Today, I am going to go shop for a dress and just enjoy every phone call I get to make and every person I get to talk to.'

Los ganadores de la pasada edición de los Premios Tony: Anika Noni Rose y Matthew Broderick, han anunciado los nominados para los Premios Tony 2011. Se trata de la edición número 65 de los premios y tendrá lugar en el Beacon Theatre el próximo 12 de junio.

Los ganadores de la pasada edición de los Premios Tony: Anika Noni Rose y Matthew Broderick, han anunciado los nominados para los Premios Tony 2011. Se trata de la edición número 65 de los premios y tendrá lugar en el Beacon Theatre el próximo 12 de junio.

Past Tony winners Anika Noni Rose and Matthew Broderick announced the 2011 Tony Awards nominees live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City. BroadwayWorld.com will be talking to all of the nominees to hear their exciting stories of how they heard, who they told and more!

Eagle-eyed watchers of the Tony rule book first noticed this weekend that due to the number of eligible performers for 'Best Actress in a Musical' being under 7, there will be only four nominees, rather than 5. You can watch the nominations LIVE tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM right here on BroadwayWorld.com!

Inspired by the true story of Florence Greenberg, the woman who in the late 1950's took the male-dominated music industry by storm, BABY IT'S YOU! is a new Broadway musical conceived by Floyd Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutrux and Sheldon Epps, and written by Tony nominated book writers Mutrux and Colin Escott, the team behind Broadway's MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. BABY IT'S YOU!, which began previews Saturday, March 26, at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street), opens Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at 6:30pm. The new playing schedule for the show is as follows:

With Annie returning to Broadway in 2012, Broadway Artists Alliance of New York City was pleased to present the first of several Annie-themed master classes on April 17th. 25 eager and very talented young ladies participated in a full day of triple threat training, including scene study, song interpretation, and learning choreography from a production number in the show.

Just in from TonyAwards.com is a list of shows and performers who are eligible for Tony nominations this season. The live webcast of the 2011 Tony Award® nominations will take place on May 3.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met today for the fourth and final time this season to decide the eligibility of 19 Broadway productions for the 2011 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards®, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The Tony Awards Administration Committee has met a total of four times throughout the 2010-2011 season to decide the eligibility for the 2011 Tony Awards.

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, will be held Monday, May 23, at 9:00 PM at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, 8th Avenue and 34th Street. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

The new Broadway musical Baby It's You! tells the inspiring story of Florence Greenberg, the woman who changed the recording world forever when she discovered The Shirelles and created Scepter Records, becoming the music industry's first female powerhouse. Starring Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Greenberg, conceived by Floyd Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutruxand Sheldon Epps, and written by Tony nominated book writers Mutrux and Colin Escott, the team behind Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet, Baby It's You! began performances at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street) Saturday, March 26, 2011, and opened last night, April 27, 2011, at 6:30pm.