Betty Comden News

Reprise Theatre Company has just announced additional casting for A Party With Marty, an evening of comedy and song with Martin Short and featuring Jason Alexander.

The Actors Fund is pleased to announce the complete roster of performers for the 16th annual 'Nothing Like A Dame: A Party for Comden and Green.'

The Actors Fund announced the complete roster of performers for the 16th annual 'Nothing Like A Dame: A Party for Comden and Green.' The all-star concert, presented each year as a benefit for the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, set for Monday, November 1, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at the Laura Pels Theater (111 W. 46th St.).

London Revival of 1950s CLASSIC MUSICAL BELLS ARE RINGING to open at the Union Theatre. Directed by Paul Foster, Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Jule Styne Starring Anna-Jane Casey

The League of Professional Theatre Women is pleased to announce that its 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors women exhibiting exemplary service to the theatre, will be presented to two-time Tony Award®-winning actress/singer/dancer Chita Rivera.

The annual Primary Stages Gala, a fundraiser benefiting the extensive artistic development programs offered by the company, will be held at the Edison Ballroom (240 west 47th Street, between Broadway & 8th Avenue) on Monday, November 1, 2010.

The Town Hall, New York City's landmark concert venue (123 West 43rd Street), will honor Tony ® and Emmy ® Award winning theatre legend Elaine Stritch, (who is currently starring in A Little Night Music) and Merryl H. Tisch, (Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents) with The Town Hall 'Friend of the Arts' Award on Sunday, October 17th, 2010.

Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase will star in Bells Are Ringing, the first Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running November 18-21 at City Center. The cast also features Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Kaye, Brad Oscar and David Pittu. Bells Are Ringing, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with music direction by Rob Berman, has music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

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 Lee Reynolds Award is given annually to a woman or women active in any aspect of theatre whose work for, in, about, or through the medium of theatre has helped to illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural, or political change. The 2010 Lee Reynolds Award will be presented to Lynn Nottage, an outstanding American dramatist. In 2009, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined, which dramatizes the horrific injuries inflicted on women during war, an issue about which Ms. Nottage has frequently spoken publicly. She has also received the MacArthur 'genius' award for the total body of her work, which includes the plays Intimate Apparel, Fabulation, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, and Las Meninas. Most recently she received the inaugural award of the Steinberg Prize for Playwriting. Her new play, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, will have its premier at Second Stage Theatre in 2011.

On Monday, October 4th, Broadway producer Elizabeth I. McCann will interview screen icon and celebrated stage actress Kathleen Turner. The event is free, and first come, first served. The program begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, entrance on 65th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

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.

Tickets are now on sale for Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre's 38th season, which 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.

The Actors Fund is pleased to announce preliminary details for "Nothing Like a Dame: A Party for Comden and Green," the annual all-star concert benefiting the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. "Nothing Like a Dame" is set for Monday, November 1, 2010 (7:30 p.m.) at The Laura Pels Theater in midtown Manhattan (111 W. 46th St.).

BELLS ARE RINGING, Directed by Paul Foster, with Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Jule Styne and Starring Anna-Jane Casey and Gary Milner announces complete casting.

London Revival of 1950s CLASSIC MUSICAL BELLS ARE RINGING to open at the Union Theatre. Directed by Paul Foster, Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Jule Styne Starring Anna-Jane Casey

Reprise Theatre Company presents A Party With Marty, an evening of comedy and song with Martin Short and featuring Jason Alexander for one performance only on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 8:00 pm, at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills (formerly the Wilshire Theatre). This world premiere event features old friends, and former cast mates from "The Producers," Martin Short and Reprise Theatre Company Artistic Director Jason Alexander doing what they do best - making people laugh! Ticket sales for this event support Reprise Theatre Company and their mission to produce great musical theatre as well as arts education programs that bring the magic of theatre to underserved members of our community. Reprise Theatre Company is headed by Artistic Director Jason Alexander, who is best known for his 9-year stint as George Costanza on "Seinfeld." Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise Theatre Company. Tickets are available for "A Party With Marty" and go on sale to the public on October 4 and are available online at www.reprise.org , ticketmaster.com, by calling the Saban Theatre box office at (323) 655-0111, and at all Ticketmaster Outlets. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Martin Short began his career in Canada's "SCTV Comedy Network" for which he received an Emmy Award. Short's proven ability as a comedic chameleon and his host of hilarious impressions brought him to the attention of "Saturday Night Live." From there, he made his big screen debut in "Three Amigos," Other films include "Inner Space", "Three Fugitives", "Clifford", "Mars Attacks", "The Big Picture", Father of the Bride 1 & 2 and "Jiminy Glick in LALAWOOD, among others Short has received 15 Emmy nominations for his work in television which includes "Merlin", "Alice in Wonderland," "The Martin Short Show", "Primetime Glick" and this season's "Damages", for which he was most recently nominated. A veteran of the theater in Canada and on Broadway, Short has received accolades for his varied work on stage including "The Goodbye Girl" (Tony nomination, Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), "Little Me" (Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), and "The Producers" (with Jason Alexander) and in 2006, his musical-comedy Broadway hit "Fame Becomes Me." In 1994, Short was awarded the "Order of Canada" and in 2000 was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. However, all of the above is a distant second to his love and respect for his wife Nancy and their three children Katherine, Oliver and Henry. About Reprise Theatre Company Since its inception in 1997, Reprise Theatre Company has been a focus of the Los Angeles musical theatre community, producing productions of great American musicals, and a wide variety of concerts, staged-readings, special events and outreach programs. In May 2007, Jason Alexander became Artistic Director. Christine Bernardi is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise. Since its inaugural production of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Promises, Promises," which starred Mr. Alexander, Reprise has brought to the stage vibrant productions from all eras of American musical theatre including the Gershwins' "Of Thee I Sing" and "Strike Up the Band," Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," and Rodgers and Hart's "The Boys from Syracuse" and "Babes in Arms," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," as well as Richard Rodgers' later "No Strings." The "Golden Era" has been well represented - Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg with "Finian's Rainbow," Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe with "Brigadoon," Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green with "On the Town" and "Wonderful Town," Irving Berlin with "Call Me Madam," Robert Wright and George Forrest with "Kismet," both of the Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musicals "The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees," Johnny Mercer and Gene dePaul with "Li'l Abner," Jule Styne with "Bells are Ringing," and Frank Loesser with "The Most Happy Fella" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Musical theatre reached a new peak of popularity in the sixties, along with new creative talents, and Reprise has presented shows by many of them including Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt with "The Fantasticks," Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick with "She Loves Me," Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot's "Hair," Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone with "1776," Charles Adams and Lee Strouse with "Applause," Stephen Schwartz with "Pippin," Cy Coleman with "On the Twentieth Century" (libretto by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), "City of Angels" (lyrics by David Zippel), and "I Love My Wife" (libretto by Michael Stewart), Jerry Herman with "Mack and Mabel," Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's "Once on This Island," and four Stephen Sondheim musicals - "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," and "Sunday in the Park with George." Many of the great stage performers working today, as well as those who make their residence primarily in Los Angeles, have appeared in Reprise shows including Scott Bakula, Christine Baranski, Brent Barrett, Orson Bean, Jodi Benson, Stephen Bogardus, Dan Butler, Len Cariou, Carolee Carmello, Vicki Carr, Patrick Cassidy, Anthony Crivello, Jason Danieley, Lea DeLaria, Cleavant Derricks, Manoel Feliciano, Rodney Gilfry, Kelsey Grammer, Josh Grisetti, Harry Groener, Bob Gunton, Sam Harris, Gregory Harrison, Simon Helberg, Mimi Hines, Judy Kaye, Jane Krakowski, Marc Kudish, Ledisi, Vicki Lewis, Judith Light, Rebecca Luker, Eric McCormack, Maureen McGovern, Joey McIntyre, Donna McKechnie, Andrea Marcovicci, Marin Mazzie, Julie Migenes, Karen Morrow, Burke Moses, Kelli O'Hara, John O'Hurley, Ken Page, Robert Picardo, David Hyde Pierce, Larry Raben, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Roger Rees, Charles Nelson Reilly, Cathy Rigby, Alexandra Silber, Douglas Sills, Rex Smith, Brent Spiner, Lea Thompson, Steven Weber, Lee Wilkof, Ruth Williamson, Marisa Jaret Winokur, Lillias White, Fred Willard, and Rachel York.

On Monday, October 4th, Broadway producer Elizabeth I. McCann will interview screen icon and celebrated stage actress Kathleen Turner. The event is free, and first come, first served. The program begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, entrance on 65th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced directors for the 2010-11 Encores! season: Kathleen Marshall will direct and choreograph the season opener, Bells Are Ringing, with music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opening on November 18, 2010. Gary Griffin will direct Lost in the Stars, with music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, opening on February 3, 2011. John Doyle will direct Where's Charley, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, with book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, opening on March 17, 2011. Music Director Rob Berman will conduct all three musicals.

On Monday, October 4th, Broadway producer Elizabeth I. McCann will interview screen icon and celebrated stage actress Kathleen Turner.