Bill Nolte News

Name your musical The Road To Qatar! and in less than five words and an exclamation point you've communicated to your audience what to expect; a zany, lightweight, tuneful fish-out-of-water comedy set in an exotic locale featuring a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby-ish pair with a healthy dose of sex and romance provided by a Dorothy Lamour-ish babe.  And for a good deal of their pocket-sized ninety-minute musical, Stephen Cole (book and lyrics) and David Krane (music) deliver as promised.  At its best, The Road To Qatar! is a funny, breezy musical comedy hoot with some legitimately toe-tapping melodies.  But while enjoyable, the material isn't quite memorable, though the current production at The York has the feel of an early version of something that could be whipped into a pretty terrific show.

In April of 1949, Rodgers and Hammerstein shocked the Theatre World by writing a song for their new musical professing that humans developed racial prejudice by nurture and not by nature.  Later that same year, a scene in the new musical by Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill showed two racially different young boys innocently striking up a quick friendship, unaware of why anyone would object.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden). The five- member cast features James Beaman (Spamalot, National Tour) as Michael, Keith Gerchak (Finding Nemo, The Musical) as Jeffrey, Bill Nolte (La Cage aux Folles) as Mansour, Sarah Stiles (Avenue Q) as Nazirah, and Bruce Warren (The Wizard of Oz) as Farid.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden). The five- member cast features James Beaman (Spamalot, National Tour) as Michael, Keith Gerchak (Finding Nemo, The Musical) as Jeffrey, Bill Nolte (La Cage aux Folles) as Mansour, Sarah Stiles (Avenue Q) as Nazirah, and Bruce Warren (The Wizard of Oz) as Farid.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) has announced a Snow Day Special ticket offer of $29.50 for tonight's performance of the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) and Hilary A. Williams LLC, present the Off-Broadway premiere of the new musical, Tomorrow Morning, with book, lyrics and music by Laurence Mark Wythe. Tom Mullen will direct. Performances begin Friday, March 21, 2011 for a limited engagement through Saturday, April 23, 2011 at The Theatre at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street).

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is offering patrons at %40 discount on tickets for today's performances (2:30pm matinee and 8:00pm evening) due to the snow. Discounted tickets can be purchased at http://www.broadwayoffers.com/go.aspx?MD=2001&MC=Lcgna1117.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) presents the Off-Broadway premiere of the new true musical comedy, The Road to Qatar!, featuring book and lyrics by Stephen Cole and music by David Krane, with direction by Phillip George (Forbidden Broadway), choreography by Bob Richard (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) and musical direction by David Caldwell (Children of Eden).

It's just been announced that Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who famously created the drag queen role of Angel in the 1996 Off Broadway production of RENT before winning a Tony for the same role on Broadway will join LA CAGE AUX FOLLES on Broadway on February 15th. Heredia will replace Robin de Jesus in the part, and joins the production at the same time as new stars Harvey Fierstein and Jeffrey Tambor.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, the winner of three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, is offering a special friends and family 4-pack for seats for all performances from January 11 through February 13.

Multiple online reports are now stating that the NEWSIES readings went very well this week and that next up for the Disney show will be a full production at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey in the Fall of 2011. No dates or cast have naturally yet been announced for the production.

BroadwayWorld.com's scoopsters have found the cast list for this Friday's highly-anticipated reading of Disney's NEWSIES musical. Of course, participation in a reading is not a predictor of who will appear in any future productions and no announcement has been made regarding where or when a production will be mounted.

Six-time Emmy Award nominee Jeffrey Tambor ('Arrested Development,' 'The Larry Sanders Show') will make his Broadway musical debut as Georges opposite four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein as Albin in the Tony Award-winning revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Tambor and Fierstein will begin performances on Tuesday, February 15 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). Five-time Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer and 2010 Tony Award winner Douglas Hodge, the current stars of LA CAGE, will play their final performance on Sunday, February 13.

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post this morning that none other than Mike Myers (yes, Austin Powers) may step into Kelsey Grammer's role of Georges alongside Harvey Fierstein in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES after Grammer and Douglas Hodge depart the show in February. Writes Riedel: Hodge's co-star, the excellent Kelsey Grammer, is likely to leave the show in February as well, so the hunt is on for a new Georges...Mike Myers is said to be in the mix.'

Four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein is returning to Broadway, starring as Albin in the 2010 Tony Award-winning revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Fierstein won the 1984 Tony Award for writing LA CAGE, but this will be his first time appearing in the show. He will debut on Tuesday, February 15 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) for a limited run of 12 weeks only. Fierstein's co-star will be announced soon.

Yesterday, Pussy Cat Doll and Hollywood Bowl Rent star Nicole Scherzinger took in a performance of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES on Broadway. BroadwayWorld was exclusively invited backstage following the performance to snap Nicole with le Cagelles.

Five-time Emmy Award-winner Kelsey Grammer and Tony and Olivier Award-winner Douglas Hodge, the stars of the Tony Award-winning revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, will sign copies of the show's critically acclaimed new Broadway cast recording from PS Classics on Thursday, November 4 at Lord & Taylor.