Betsy Wolfe News

Sierra Boggess and Caissie Levy join the previously announced Erin Davie, Lesli Margherita, Christiane Noll, Alice Ripley, Krysta Rodriguez, and Betsy Wolfe for Sparkification Productions presents An Evening Celebrating Emerging Female Composers: a concert to promote gender parity in musical theatre. The July 15th concert will feature the songs of Jennifer Lucy Cook, Shoshana Greenberg, Kathryn Hathaway, Janine McGuire, Julia Meinwald, Nicky Phillips and Sarah M. Underwood with contributions by Carmel Dean, Laura Kleinbaum, Tina Lear, Gordon Leary, Jeffery Dennis Smith, and Stephanie Smith. The evening features Musical Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

On July 15th Sparkification Productions presents An Evening Celebrating Emerging Female Composers: a concert to promote gender parity in musical theatre. The concert will feature the songs of Jennifer Lucy Cook, Shoshana Greenberg, Kathryn Hathaway, Janine McGuire, Julia Meinwald, Nicky Phillips and Sarah M. Underwood with contributions by Carmel Dean, Laura Kleinbaum, Tina Lear, Gordon Leary, Jeffery Dennis Smith, and Stephanie Smith. Performers include Erin Davie, Lesli Margherita, Christiane Noll, Alice Ripley, Krysta Rodriguez, Betsy Wolfe, and more to be announced. The evening features Musical Direction by Mary-­?Mitchell Campbell.

Renowned musical theatre composer and lyricist Scott Alan hosts a reading of HOME, written by Christy Hall and himself, today June 27, 2013 under the direction of Stafford Arima. 'For the first time in ten years of doing readings and workshops of HOME,' Alan writes, 'I am presenting the story I always set out to tell.'

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Broadway celebrates its biggest night, the Public brings back PENZANCE, CINDERELLA gets a cast album and so much more!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) last night presented its Gala performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The complete cast of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE featured Glenn Close as Ruth, Rocio Del Mar Valles as Isabel, Montego Glover as Kate, Jonathan Groff as Frederic, Eric Idle as The Sergeant, Kevin Kline as The Pirate King, Norm Lewis as Samuel, Anika Noni Rose as Mabel, Martin Short as Major-General Stanley, and Betsy Wolfe as Edith. BroadwayWorld was there for the special event and you can check out photos from the sta-studded arrivals below!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) last night presented its Gala performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The complete cast of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE featured Glenn Close as Ruth, Rocio Del Mar Valles as Isabel, Montego Glover as Kate, Jonathan Groff as Frederic, Eric Idle as The Sergeant, Kevin Kline as The Pirate King, Norm Lewis as Samuel, Anika Noni Rose as Mabel, Martin Short as Major-General Stanley, and Betsy Wolfe as Edith. BroadwayWorld wa sthere for the special event and you can check out photos from the curtain call below!

Cutting-Edge Composers in association with Hope Lights Partners will present A Lasting Impression, a contemporary new musical by up-and-coming songwriter Zoe Sarnak, in concert on June 29th at 7pm at Joe's Pub.

Renowned musical theatre composer and lyricist Scott Alan will soon host a reading of HOME, written by Christy Hall and himself, on June 27, 2013 directed by Stafford Arima. 'For the first time in ten years of doing readings and workshops of HOME,' Alan writes, 'I am presenting the story I always set out to tell.'

Rupert Holmes' Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Mystery of Edwin Drood closed on Broadway in March and was recently nominated for five 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical and nods for stars Stephanie J. Block and Will Chase. Watch the video below to see how Block and Chase are preparing for Tony night - coming up in just a few weeks on June 9!

For the past ten years, Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland has been the ultimate place for Broadway folks to mingle and celebrate each other, as evidenced by Monday night's jammed-to-the-walls open-mic-fest. Scroll down for photos from the starry evening!

For the past ten years, Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland has been the ultimate place for Broadway folks to mingle and celebrate each other, as evidenced by Monday night's jammed-to-the-walls open-mic-fest. The cast of The Mystery of Edwin Drood staged a reunion, with Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block,Bobby Creighton, Andy Karl, Jessie Mueller, and Betsy Wolfe all grabbing the mic separately and together with a live performance of their YouTube hit, 'Bustle Fluffah!' Drood composer/writer Rupert Holmes then surprised everyone by singing his #1 hit, 'The Pina Colada Song!' (Lucky audience members won the new Drood cast recording, too.) BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the festivities below!

Second Stage Theatre's Spring Gala celebration honored The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, which has been an ongoing supporter of New York City arts and Second Stage Theatre for many years, as well as playwright and filmmaker Paul Weitz, whose plays Privilege, Show People, Trust, and Lonely, I'm Nothave all premiered with the off-Broadway company. The evening will also celebrate the first ten years of Second Stage Uptown and its curator, Christopher Burney, which has become an incubator for many theatre artists in the past decade. The gala was held last night, May 20, 2013 at Best Buy Theatre, 1515 Broadway at 44th street.

Second Stage Theatre's Spring Gala celebration will honor The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, which has been an ongoing supporter of New York City arts and Second Stage Theatre for many years, as well as playwright and filmmaker Paul Weitz, whose plays Privilege, Show People, Trust, and Lonely, I'm Nothave all premiered with the off-Broadway company. The evening will also celebrate the first ten years of Second Stage Uptown and its curator, Christopher Burney, which has become an incubator for many theatre artists in the past decade. The gala will be held tonight, May 20, 2013 at Best Buy Theatre, 1515 Broadway at 44th street. The evening begins with cocktails at 6:00pm; dinner and the performance begin at 7:00pm.

In May, it was announced that Ghostlight Records will preserve the hit Second Stage Theatre production of The Last Five Years, created and directed by Jason Robert Brown. Second Stage Theatre has extended this production starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe three times. The Last Five Years is performed at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd street) through today, May 18, 2013. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a flashback of the musical's run off-Broadway!

THE LAST FIVE YEARS playing at Second Stage Theatre follows a five year relationship of Jamie and Cathy. This production was directed by creator Jason Robert Brown. Now playing at Second Stage Theater, 305 West 43rd Street, through May 18th.

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tonys Meet & Greet on May 1, 2013, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Scott Ellis, a nominee for Best Direction of a Musical for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Check out what he had to say below!