Bob Fosse News

With less than a month to go until the Team GB Synchronised Swimming Team take the plunge in London 2012, its mentor and Olympic gold medallist, Robin Cousins, starts rehearsals for his own starring role as Billy Flynn in CHICAGO at the Garrick Theatre, which he'll be performing for a limited season from 17 July.

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

To top off the summer season, Lyric presents the Broadway legend herself, Chita Rivera, in CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY, August 7-11. This intimate night of music featuring Chita's best Broadway hits will leave you wanting more!

The Muny features CHICAGO as its second show of its 94th season, running through July 1- directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. Patti Murin and Natascia Diaz star as Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly, joined by Justin Guarini as Billy Flynn. Also appearing are Jackie Hoffman as Mama Morton, Patti Cohenour as Mary Sunshine and Dean Christopher as Amos Hart. Meet the cast of the show in the videos below!

Tonight, John Kander viewed The Muny's CHICAGO, and he was inducted into The Muny's Hall of Fame. Kander and Ebb now join the ranks of Rodgers & Hammerstein, the Gershwins, Lerner and Loewe, and many others; view photos below!

The Muny features CHICAGO as its second show of its 94th season, running June 25 through July 1, directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. Patti Murin and Natascia Diaz star as Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly, joined by Justin Guarini as Billy Flynn. Also appearing are Jackie Hoffman as Mama Morton, Patti Cohenour as Mary Sunshine and Dean Christopher as Amos Hart. View photos from the opening night performance and after party below!

If you've only seen the movie version of CHICAGO, and it's a pretty sexy and sleek story on the big screen, you have to do yourself a favor and check out the current production at the Muny. The Muny has such an expansive stage that some musicals can get lost, but not this one. In this case, CHICAGO seems larger than life, and that's appropriate since the story and characters are so bold and brazen. I highly recommend this show, especially if you haven't seen it on stage before, because it's a terrific production that pulls no punches.

Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premiere Equity theatre, is thrilled to welcome another Broadway legend into their ranks: Lee Roy Reams in Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance. On Monday, July 16th

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!

The Muny features CHICAGO as its second show of its 94th season, running June 25 through July 1- directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. Patti Murin and Natascia Diaz star as Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly, joined by Justin Guarini as Billy Flynn. Also appearing are Jackie Hoffman as Mama Morton, Patti Cohenour as Mary Sunshine and Dean Christopher as Amos Hart. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights from the show below!

The Muny will present its second show of its 94th season, Chicago (June 25 - July 1), directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. Click below to watch videos of Director Denis Jones in discussions with Executive Producer, Mike Isaacson.

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events in the theatre world? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

On Thursday, three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Richard Adler passed away at the ripe old age of 90. Responsible for two of the biggest Broadway smash hits of the 1950s, THE PAJAMA GAME and GAMN YANKEES, Adler never quite managed to equal his career-high double-hitter of that era, yet his earlier work with Tony Bennett ('Rags To Riches'), Doris Day ('Everybody Loves A Lover') and Marilyn Monroe (the iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President') surely shall solidify his place in the firmament of entertainment history along with his two classic musicals from the Golden Age. Winning both Best Score and Best Musical for both THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES, Adler's partnership with lyricist Jerry Ross - which began on Broadway in 1953 with JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON'S ALMANAC - was tragically cut short just months after the DAMN YANKEES premiere when Ross was diagnosed with lung disease and passed away soon thereafter. Yet, thanks to the beloved film versions of THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES and continued interest in the entities as expressed in the revivals and reappraisals of both onstage from Broadway to Biloxi to Bombay year after year, the snappy, snazzy tunes of Adler and Ross live on eight times a week all around the world - even now, more than fifty years after they premiered. Unfortunately, Adler's subsequent shows with other collaborators post-1955 failed to capture the early magic of his previous projects with Ross and his earlier musical and theatrical endeavors in the pop arena, with the racially charged KWAMINA flopping on Broadway in 1961 (though he took home a Best Composer Tony Award for his efforts anyway) and the awkwardly titled MUSIC IS failing to recreate the magic of its source material, Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, in 1976. A MOTER'S KISSES, starring Bea Arthur and a young Bernadette Peters, died on the road, as well. In the intervening years, Adler attempted musical adaptations taken from a number of intriguing sources - OF HUMAN BONDAGE and others among them - though only his ballet scores seemed to reach an audience; particularly his last, commissioned for a new production of Lorca's THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA in 1998. Of course, THE PAJAMA GAME has had two Broadway revivals - most recently the rapturously received Kathleen Marshall-directed production starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara; and DAMN YANKEES famously returned to the Great White Way with much ado in 1994 starring Victor Garber. Now seems particularly ripe for remounting YANKEES, as we approach twenty years in its absence - especially given the musical's seriously smashing showing at Encores! in 2007. Who knows, perhaps some risky producer will even take a chance on a new production of KWAMINA, MUSIC IS, A MOTHER'S KISSES or one of the bottom drawer shows someday soon to see if they possess any of the limitless potential shown by Adler's earlier work. Or maybe a stage treatment of his TV musical GIFT OF THE MAGI (originally composed for then-wife Sally Ann Howes)? Or, better yet, how about a revue? What a stupendous songstack Adler created over the course of his career - 'Whatever Lola Wants' to 'Hey There' to 'Hernando's Hideaway' to 'You Gotta Have Heart' to 'Steam Heat' to the aforementioned Bennett, Day and Monroe standards and so many more chestnuts.

Happy Birthday, Bob Fosse! Fosse won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. Amonst his many Broadway credits are The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Pippin, Chicago, Dancin' and many more.

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's original and longest-running professional theatre company, follows its successful run of Next to Normal with an imaginative take on the Stephen Schwartz/Bob Fosse extravaganza, Pippin. The production will run from July 6th through the 28th at the theatre's iconic namesake venue in the historic Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, in Franklin, Tenn.

The Latino spirit is alive in New Harlem Arts Theatre's upcoming production of 'Sweet Charity,' directed by Julio Agustin, to be presented July 26 to August 19 at CCNY's Aaron Davis Hall, 135th Street and Convent Ave. The characters of the classic sixties musical will be re-envisioned to reflect the changing roles of Latinos in our society while the traditional music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon will be preserved. The 1966 Broadway tuner was originally conceived, staged and choreographed by Bob Fosse. Director Julio Agustin has tapped choreographer Lainie Munro for the job of nestling his radical new concept into Fosse's formative jazz dances.

Boiler Room Theatre continues its 2012 season with an imaginative take on the Stephen Schwartz/Bob Fosse extravaganza, Pippin, running July 6-28 at the theater in the historic Factory at Franklin.

The Grimaldi Forum Monaco will be presenting CHICAGO, the musical, from tonight, 21 June to 24 June.

According to the New York Times, Diane Paulus' upcoming production of Pippin might be heading to Broadway after it plays Cambridge's American Repertory Theater in December. Patrick Healy writes that producers Barry and Fran Weissler are looking into backing the show for a Broadway run. A spokesman told NYT: "It's a project that Barry and Fran are very interested in. They're huge fans of Diane. Right now they're just supporting the project."

Charles Moeller and Claudio Botelho bring to Brazil the most expensive musical ever produced here. An amazing concept and strong production values, as well as a gifted cast and creative team, turn the Brazilian production of Wizard of Oz in a landmark of the contemporary musical theater in this Country. Based on the theatrical RSC aproach of the original work (book and motion picture),Moeller and Botelho move in astonishing parallel ways to find their own, unique yellow brick road. The Brazilian Oz is a show to be remembered for years to come.