Betty Comden News

The MGM movie musical Singin' in the Rain is considered the greatest movie musical of all time. In fact, it continues to top the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Musicals list.

Today we are taking a listen to the Original London Cast Recording of Jerry Mitchell's sexily studious stunner of a show, LEGALLY BLONDE, and the remarkable score by Laurence O'Keefe (of BAT BOY fame) along with his wife, an accomplished and gifted lyricist in her own right, Neil Benjamin. They are the strongest male/female composing team since Betty Comden and Adolph Green and LEGALLY BLONDE possesses one of the most sharply satirical, witty and effortlessly enjoyable and winning scores in decades, surely as good if not better than any score on Broadway right now. While critics and audiences were less than enraptured with it on Broadway, the MTV telecast and subsequent reality show casting the next Elle Woods - alongside the smash-hit national tours - bodes well for its future in the States. The West End production is ten times the success the show was on Broadway so Elle & Crew have finally arrived - and in style. It's the age of Elle! Plus, A BONUS: A review and link to a new song by another blonde bombshell in her own right, but a bit brainier one than Elle Woods: Nellie McKay! And a link to a download of her new single 'Caribbean Time'! Top hats off and a salutatory Dickensian 'ello' to Elle and Nellie!

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre's 38th season is filled with fabulous favorites and exciting new shows for a big and beautiful 2011! Amazing characters include lovely leading ladies like Hairspray's cheerful Tracy Turnblad, the spunky Annie Oakley, sentimental Cinderella and the always entertaining Church Basement Ladies. They keep the pace with Singin' In The Rain's dapper Don Lockwood and Wonderful Life's lovable George Bailey.

Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story will have its world premiere as part of the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival where it will play five performances at The Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street at 6th Avenue and Varick Street) from August 15 - August 28. Written and directed by Bob Sloan, Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story stars Marina Squerciati as Judy Holliday, fresh from a recent tour of 39 Steps and Broadway's To Be or Not to Be.

Stephanie J. Block, Broadway star of '9 to 5: The Musical,' 'Wicked,' 'The Pirate Queen,' and 'The Boy From Oz,' will star opposite Jason Alexander, Artistic Director of Reprise Theatre Company, in 'They're Playing Our Song,' the opening production of the company's 2010-2011 season, playing September 28 to October 10 (press opening September 29) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

The award winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will honor Tony Award winning librettist Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray, Elf) with the 19th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 22, 2010.

Legendary entertainer Carol Burnett comes to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines for an exclusive one-night-only engagement of her Q & A format, LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION WITH CAROL BURNETT: A CONVERSATION WITH CAROL WHERE THE AUDIENCE ASKS THE QUESTIONS on Wednesday, November 3, 2010.

This fall, the LPTW celebrates Oral History, a project made possible by generous grants from the Edith Meiser Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts.

After a career on Broadway and at Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey wardrobe & hair professional Vince Esoldi is retiring along with his unique Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures!

Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story will have its world premiere as part of the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival where it will play five performances at The Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street at 6th Avenue and Varick Street) from August 15 - August 28. Written and directed by Bob Sloan, Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story stars Marina Squerciati as Judy Holliday, fresh from a recent tour of 39 Steps and Broadway's To Be or Not to Be.

WESTCHESTER BROADWAY THEATRE Is Proud To Present The Family Theatre Production of PETER PAN runs July 8 - August 15, 2010. The show features Music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green, Directed by George Puello, is Produced by John Fanelli, with Musical Direction by Michelle DeAngelis, Choreography by: David Arzberger and Starring Christine DiTota as Peter Pan

Westchester Broadway Theatre ss Proud To Present The Family Theatre Production of PETER PAN from July 8 - August 15, 2010. The show will have music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green, Directed by George Puello, Produced by John Fanelli and Starring Christine DiTota as Peter Pan

After a career on Broadway and at Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey wardrobe & hair professional Vince Esoldi is retiring along with his unique Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures!

Reprise Theatre Company presents two one-night only special events: An Evening with Sutton Foster for one performance only on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 8:00 pm, and Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky on Monday, February 21,2011 at 8:00pm. Both events will be presented at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. An Evening with Sutton Foster Betty Buckley in Concert with Seth Rudetsky are the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The MGM movie musical Singin' in the Rain is considered the greatest movie musical of all time. In fact, it continues to top the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Musicals list.

Theatre A La Carte Presents ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY July 16 through 25.

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, The New York Philharmonic's SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert, which took place on March 15-16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall, will be broadcast on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances on PBS on Wednesday, November 24 (check local listings). WNET, Channel 13 in New York City, will air the concert at 9:30 p.m. that evening. The concert includes songs and orchestral pieces from Sondheim musical theater favorites such as Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George. Today, it has been announced that in addition to the PBS telecast, the concert will be released on DVD in November by Image Entertainment.

The MGM movie musical Singin' in the Rain is considered the greatest movie musical of all time. In fact, it continues to top the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Musicals list.

Jason Alexander, artistic director of Reprise Theatre Company, will star in 'They're Playing Our Song,' September 28 to October 10 (press opening September 29) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, to open the company's 2010-2011 season. Single tickets are available for 'They're Playing Our Song' at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101.

Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story will have its world premiere as part of the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival where it will play five performances at The Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street at 6th Avenue and Varick Street) from August 15 - August 28. Written and directed by Bob Sloan, Just in Time--The Judy Holliday Story stars Marina Squerciati as Judy Holliday, fresh from a recent tour of 39 Steps and Broadway's To Be or Not to Be.