Bette Midler News

Today we are talking to a terrifically talented twosome who are being touted as the next songwriting duo to take New York by storm - and, with DOGFIGHT appearing Off-Broadway at Second Stage last year and A CHRISTMAS STORY setting Broadway alight for a limited run this past holiday season, they are certainly on the fast-track to success - Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Revealing their reaction to last week's 2013 Tony Award nominations for their stupendous score for the screen-to-stage adaptation of A CHRISTMAS STORY as well as all about the creation and ultimate execution of the show itself, Pasek & Paul open up about their creative process and illustrate what makes their music work so well in a theatrical milieu. Most importantly, the songwriters discuss DOGFIGHT - the inspiration for it, writing of it, the recent Off-Broadway production directed by Joe Mantello, and, now, the absolutely spectacular cast album now available on Ghost light - to say nothing of next week's concert celebrating the album release. Additionally, Pasek & Paul share stories of the songs that make up their popular and frequently-produced EDGES, new and old, as well as their plans for future shows. Plus, all about the new material recently written by the duo for NBC's musical drama series SMASH, details about their stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's seminal children's book JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH as well as opinions on fellow songwriting teams and other influential musical theatre icons, as well as much, much more!

After its workshop production at the York Theatre in NYC in Nov. 2011, Chance - A Musical Play about Love, Risk & Getting it Right -will be having the its world premiere staging at The Alcove Theatre in SF. July 5 -28, 2013.

Voting opened on May 2, 2013 and runs through May 31, 2013 for the 11th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/9 with just 21 days to go in voting!

This weekend, WABC-7 airs a half-hour special covering highlights of the spring season on Broadway, including ANNIE, THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, I'LL EAT YOU LAST, JERSEY BOYS, LUCKY GUY, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, PIPPIN, and more. 'Broadway Backstage: Spring Preview' airs on Saturday, May 18 from 7:00-7:30PM.

Julien's Auctions returns to the Big Apple for the music memorabilia auction of the year at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square on May 18, 2013. Items will be available in person and online for an incomparable auction featuring items from Bette Midler, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Madonna, David Cassidy, and all of the icons of music past and present.

Producers Darren Bagert, Dan Shaheen, and Ted Snowdon have announced that the hit comedy Buyer & Cellar, starring Michael Urie ('Ugly Betty'), written by Jonathan Tolins, and directed by Stephen Brackett, will transfer to the Barrow Street Theatre for a ten-week engagement beginning Tuesday, June 18, at 7:30pm and opening Monday, June 24. Tickets go on sale today.

The 2013 Billboard Music Awards will be honoring Madonna with the Top Touring Artist Award for her 2012 MDNA tour. Madonna will take the stage to accept the prestigious award which recognizes the highest grossing concert touring act of the year.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and multi-platinum entertainer Michael Feinstein have announced the opening of Feinstein's at the Nikko. Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko will present a wide range of local, regional and national entertainers in an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting. Two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anything Goes, The Drowsy Chaperone) will take the stage tonight, May 8 - 12, 2013 for the inaugural performances.

To celebrate the acclaimed documentary The Girls in the Band coming to Lincoln Center, Mayor Bloomberg has proclaimed Friday, May 10 “Women in Jazz Day.” The date celebrates the legacies of female jazz musicians and marks the first in a weeklong series of screenings of The Girls in the Band at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center at Lincoln Center. Written, directed and produced by Judy Chaikin and produced and executive produced by Michael Greene, the film tells the stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists from the 1920s to the present day and chronicles their inspired journeys and struggles for recognition. Tickets for the screenings are on sale now at http://bit.ly/10tfvNn; please see below for complete screening schedule. More info on the film can be found at http://www.thegirlsintheband.com/home/.

Welcome to this week's edition of our new WEEKLY GROSSES ANALYSIS, part of our new Industry Insights section that will feature insider industry information, commentary and insights! Read on for all the weekly grosses statistics for the movers and shakers from the latest grosses, 5/5/2013.

Rain Pryor has had many television roles. Most notably, you might remember her on the ABC series 'Head of the Class.' She's now a mom and calls Baltimore home. Nevertheless, New York welcomes her with open arms. Her autobiographical one-woman show, Fried Chicken and Latkes is running now at the Actors Temple Theatre (339 W. 47th Street).

Voting opened on May 2, 2013 and runs through May 31, 2013 for the 11th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/4 with just 26 days to go in voting!

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 Andy Blankenbuehler, a nominee for Best Choreography for Bring It On. Check out what he had to say below!

The greatest songwriters revered him. And his songs-from 'All the Things You Are' to 'The Way You Look Tonight'-remain a vital part of our cultural conversation. It is no accident that Jerome Kern is also known as 'The Dean.' Author and Lyrics & Lyricists series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer takes the helm as artistic director/writer/host for The Song is You: Jerome Kern Coast to Coast, tonight, May 4 and May 5, 6. Winer is joined by vocalists Karrin Allyson, Debby Boone, Jeffry Denman, bassist Jay Leonhart, Howard McGillin, Paula West and Karen Ziemba, with special guest Barbara Carroll.

Today, May 3rd at 12 noon, Brave New World Enterprises, LLC will present a Special Pre-Broadway Workshop Table Reading of the new musical based on Aldous Huxley's novel, BRAVE NEW WORLD. The presentation, directed by SHERYL KALLER, with musical direction by JOHN McDANIEL, will take place at the Snapple Theatre Center (1627 Broadway) for invited industry audiences only.

2013 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS announce more star-studded acts to their already loaded performers list, including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Ne-Yo, Akon and Icona Pop.

HBO Documentary Films heats up the summer with compelling new films on Monday nights, kicking off a new ten-week anthology series Monday, June 10, exclusively on HBO.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, April 28, 2013 - Sunday, April 28, 2013.

CBS News re-released 60 Minutes' 1975 interview with Hollywood talent agent Sue Mengers in light of John Logan's new play I'LL EAT YOU LAST, which just opened on Broadway starring Bette Midler. Watch the interview below!

Today NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White joined NYS Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland, Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Edna Wells Handy, Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar, NYC Service's Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford, and more than 500 volunteers at Alley Pond Park in Queens to plant 7,405 trees and 1,950 shrubs at the MillionTreesNYC Spring Planting Day. Other parks hosting planting events today were: Idlewild Park in Queens; Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx; and Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Clove Lakes Park will host a planting event on Sunday. Over the course of the weekend, 20,000 trees will be planted citywide.