Bill Russell News

Carly Sakolove, of YouTube's "Broadway Divas Send in The Clowns," debuted her one woman show I HEAR VOICES this month. The show is written by Sakolove and Tony Award nominee Bill Russell. Following an entirely sold out engagement, Carly is staying in therapy, and I HEAR VOICES will now play additional dates at The Duplex on June 21st and June 29th.

As BroadwayWorld first reported in March, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will produce, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show.

The four member cast will feature Drama Desk Nominee Farah Alvin (The Marvelous Wonderettes) as Pam, Natalie Venetia Belcon (Avenue Q) as Phyllis, John Bolton (A Christmas Story, "Gossip Girl") as Ernie, and Jake Boyd (MCC's Carrie) as Jimmy. Performances begin Wednesday, July 11, 2012 upstairs at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street), with an official Opening Night set for Thursday, August 2, 2012.

Carly Sakolove, best known for her viral YouTube video "Broadway Divas Send in the Clowns," debuts her one-woman show this summer. I HEAR VOICES written by Sakolove and Tony Award nominee Bill Russell, will now play two encore performances on Thursday June 21st at 9:30pm and Friday June 29th at 7pm, after its debute June 4.

Carly Sakolove, best known for her viral YouTube video "Broadway Divas Send in the Clowns," debuts her one-woman show this summer. I HEAR VOICES written by Sakolove and Tony Award© nominee Bill Russell, will premiere at The Duplex in New York City on June 4th.

Tonight, May 31st, Broadway Sessions welcomes Lee Siegel, Carly Sakolove and Alexis Smith to The Laurie Beechman Theater.

This Thursday, May 31st, Broadway Sessions welcomes Lee Siegel, Carly Sakolove and Alexis Smith to The Laurie Beechman Theater.

The new musical comedy The Last Smoker in America will get its New York premiere this summer, it was announced today. The Last Smoker in America, with book and lyrics by Tony Award® Nominee Bill Russell (Side Show) and music by Drama Desk Nominee Peter Melnick (Adrift in Macao), will be directed by Tony Award-winning producer and director Andy Sandberg (Hair; Gore Vidal's The Best Man) and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee AC Ciulla (Footloose). Performances begin Wednesday, July 11, 2012 upstairs at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street), with an official Opening Night set for Thursday, August 2, 2012. Casting will be announced shortly.

Children's book illustrators, Broadway performers and composers come together to present selections from Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project, a two-CD set and children's book on May 21 at Barnes & Noble on 86th & Lexington Ave.

'I feel pretty damn good! I'm exhausted because it's six in the morning here in LA, but it still feels pretty damn good! My phone started buzzing and I ran to my computer because I wasn't sure. People were texting me and saying 'I'm crossing my fingers to you' and stuff like that. So, I ran to my computer and because we're in this housing, first you have to enter your log in information and I couldn't get it to work. I'm like 'Why now?!' I finally got it to work and it was only after a friend sent me a text saying 'CONGRATULATIONS' that I thought 'Thank God!' I'm in tech right now so I'll spend the rest of the day in tech until midnight, but for this I'll do it!'

Constantine Rousouli (Ghost) joins previously announced Tom Deckman (Spamalot), Jeff Hiller (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Silence!), Michael James Scott( Book of Mormon), Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Little Mermaid) , Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), David Turner(On a Clear Day, Arcadia, The Ritz) for the 'Pageant, the Musical' readings.

Central Square Theater and its resident companies, The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater, have announced their 2012-2013, and 5th anniversary, season.

Constantine Rousouli (Ghost) joins previously announced Tom Deckman (Spamalot), Jeff Hiller (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Silence!), Michael James Scott( Book of Mormon), Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Little Mermaid) , Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), David Turner(On a Clear Day, Arcadia, The Ritz) for the 'Pageant, the Musical' readings.

Pageant, the Musical will have industry readings presented by Shea Sullivan May 1st in New York under the direction of Christopher Gattelli. Conceived by Robert Longbottom, book and lyrics by Bill Russell and Frank Kelly, and music by Albert Evans, this musical is described as 'Miss America meets Priscilla Queen of the Desert.'

The producers of Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project have confirmed that the list of participating composers and lyricists now boasts Pulitzer Prize winners Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and Stephen Sondheim (Sunday in the Park With George).

Berkeley Playhouse will continue its 2011-12 season with LUCKY DUCK, a modern "Ugly Duckling" fairy tale hatched by the creative team behind the Broadway hits Dreamgirls and Side Show. Kimberly Dooley (Seussical, the Musical) directs this musical for all ages, with musical direction by Ben Prince. Featuring a madcap cast of fairy tale characters and a hot pop score filled with R&B, gospel, and plenty of Broadway-style showstoppers, LUCKY DUCK plays April 21 through May 13 at the Julia Morgan Theatre in Berkeley.

Once upon a time, there were disgruntled parents who were bored with their children's mindless entertainment. Whatever were they to do? How could they enrich their children's lives with the wonders of live theater without becoming grumpy, sleepy, or dopey? The answer: the toe-tapping, fluffy Lucky Duck at the New Victory Theater, which goes far beyond most children's shows to be, as the title character puts it, "an average simple mega superstar."

Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls, Side Show), Bill Russell (Side Show) and Jeffrey Hatcher (Tuesdays with Morrie), the team behind the new musical adapted for young people, LUCKY DUCK, will discuss the thrills and challenges of composing work for young audiences at Barnes & Noble on March 20. Also, the LUCKY DUCK cast will perform select numbers from the show.

Recently, noted DREAMGIRLS composer Henry Krieger was generous enough to take a comprehensive look back at his many accomplishments onstage and onscreen with me, turning back the pages of time and sharing memories of DREAMGIRLS, both on Broadway and in Hollywood, THE TAP DANCE KID, SIDE SHOW, KEPT, ROMANTIC POETRY and beyond, as well as discuss many aspects of his exciting new family-friendly musical opening next week at the New Victory Theater, LUCKY DUCK. Over the course of our compelling conversation, Krieger also revealed new details about the forthcoming 2014 production of SIDE SHOW, to be directed by DREAMGIRLS film director and TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN helmer Bill Condon - to premiere first at the La Jolla Playhouse and then at the Kennedy Center, as it makes its way towards Broadway - as well as first news on a musical collaboration with lyricist David Yazbek based on the life of television evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker set to star Tony and Emmy-winning Broadway and GLEE standout Kristin Chenoweth. DREAMGIRLS to LUCKY DUCK and much, much more awaits!

What happens once the Ugly Duckling comes out of her shell? She takes a show business journey to become a singing swan superstar! Kansas City audiences can catch the one-night-only performance of Lucky Duck by the Coterie Theatre at 7 p.m. March 8 at the Folly Theater, 1020 Central. The musical comedy with its Kansas City cast will then take flight for its debut at the New Victory Theater in New York March 16-25.