Brenda Braxton News

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

On February 9, 54 Below will welcome the original company of Broadway's SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE for '54 Sings Smokey Joe's Cafe'.

Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford (Kinky Boots, Rent, Dogfight, Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Showtime's 'Masters of Sex.'), Tony nominee Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Chicago, Dreamgirls), Multi-million selling recording artist, actor, author Sam Harris (Grease!, The Life, author of the new book HAM: Slices of a Life), and Emmy and Tony nominee Michele Lee (Broadway's Seesaw, How to Succeed..., and TV's 'Knots Landing') recently gathered at 54 Below to preview their upcoming shows at the venue. Randy Rainbow was on the scene to chat with the performers and you can check out a sneak peek of their concerts below!

Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford (Kinky Boots, Rent, Dogfight, Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Showtime's 'Masters of Sex.'), Tony nominee Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Chicago, Dreamgirls), Multi-million selling recording artist, actor, author Sam Harris (Grease!, The Life, author of the new book HAM: Slices of a Life), and Emmy and Tony nominee Michele Lee (Broadway's Seesaw, How to Succeed..., and TV's 'Knots Landing') gathered at 54 Below today to preview their upcoming shows at the venue. BroadwayWorld was there for the special event and you can check out photo coverage below!

Last night, 92Y celebrated songwriting legend Mike Stoller on the occasion of his 80th year with An 80th Birthday Celebration, a one-night-only Lyrics & Lyricists Special Event hosted by Paul Shaffer and directed and written by Randy Johnson (director/writer of A Night withJanis Joplin). Performers included: legendary vocal group The Coasters, along with artists Karen Akers,Mary Bridget Davies, Corky Hale, Maria Elena Infantino,Sally Kellerman, Bettye Lavette, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Tommy Tune and Steve Tyrell. Backed by Tyrell's band, the artists performed some of the greatest songs written by Stoller with his longtime lyricist partner Jerry Leiber and others. Check out photos from the special event below!

The concert event tonight, November 14th is titled, 'Bright Stars of Broadway' and, because there are multiple blessings accounted for, the concert is dedicated to Zahava Furshpan, Bernie's mom, who died almost three years ago.

The concert event on November 14th is titled, "Bright Stars of Broadway" and, because there are multiple blessings accounted for, the concert is dedicated to Zahava Furshpan, Bernie's mom, who died almost three years ago.

54 Below celebrates some favorite musicals with the new series, 54 Sings. Re-live the hit songs from these groundbreaking shows, performed by some of the best in the biz and, occasionally, by the very voices for whom they were written. Kicking off the series will be 54 Sings Mame (December 8 at 9:30pm), starring: Leslie Uggams, Beth Leavel, Klea Blackhurst, Donna Lynne Champlin, Eric Michael Gillett, Annie Golden, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Dee Hoty, Pamela Myers, and Lee Roy Reams.

Tony Award nominated Broadway veteran Brenda Braxton's (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Chicago) gentlemen's grooming company BBRAXTON has been named the official barber for Broadway's smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL.

The new Billie Holiday musical Lady Day starring Tony and multiple Grammy Award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater, opened last night, October 3 at the Little Shubert Theatre (422 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues). Written and directed by Stephen Stahl, the musical makes its New York debut having been produced at the Theatre de Boulogne-Billancourt and Theatre du Gymnase Marie Bell in Paris as well as The Donmar Warehouse and The Piccadilly Theatre in London, where it received critical praise and garnered an Olivier 'Best Actress in a Musical' Award nomination for Ms. Bridgewater. Check out photos from opening night below!

Its first time ever at Music Circus, the sizzling, sexy Kander and Ebb smash hit Chicago is the final show of the 2013 Music Circus season, with an extended run at the Wells Fargo Pavilion from August 20 - 29. The 1996 revival of this hit musical, one of the cornerstones of the choreographic Broadway legacy of Bob Fosse, won 6 Tony Awards and is still running on Broadway. With a plot centered on murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, on death row together fighting for the fame that may keep them from the gallows, the show features a number of popular songs including 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Cell Block Tango.' BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights of the production below!

The Music Circus production of the musical 'Chicago' at the Wells Fargo Pavilion runs now through August 29, 2013. Directed by Ron Kellum, choreographed by Randy Slovacek, the show features Brenda Braxton (Velma Kelly), Lindsay Roginski (Roxie Hart), Tom Hewitt (Billy Flynn), Roz Ryan (Matron 'Mama' Morton) and Ric Stoneback (Amos Hart). Click below to watch highlights from the show!

Closing the summer season with its first production of the Kander and Ebb classic, 'Chicago,' Music Circus gives Sacramento the 'old razzle dazzle them' this week at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The production features Fosse's well-known jazz hands, which influenced so much of musical theatre, and it glitters under Randy Slovacek's choreography and David Neville's dramatic lighting. A flexible cast shows off its muscles with amazing flips and twists of the body, while the story unfolds in vaudeville-style, complete with sensual black costumes designed by Mark Koss.

Its first time ever at Music Circus, the sizzling, sexy Kander and Ebb smash hit Chicago is the final show of the 2013 Music Circus season, with an extended run at the Wells Fargo Pavilion from August 20 - 29. The 1996 revival of this hit musical, one of the cornerstones of the choreographic Broadway legacy of Bob Fosse, won 6 Tony Awards and is still running on Broadway. With a plot centered on murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, on death row together fighting for the fame that may keep them from the gallows, the show features a number of popular songs including 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Cell Block Tango.' BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!

Featured this week was the cast of Motown (Brandon Victor Dixon, Nicholas Christopher, Rebecca Covington, Ariana DeBose, Andrea Dora, Preston Dugger III, Dionne Figgins, Marva Hicks, Sasha Hutchings, Jawan Jackson, Darius Kaleb, Krisha Marcano, Sydney Morton, Jarran Muse, N'Kenge, Saycon Sengbloh, Eric LaJuan Summers, Julius Thomas III, Rickey Tripp), performing 'Stop In the Name of Love,' 'Can I Just Close the Door on Love,' 'Do You Love Me,' 'Jackson 5 Medley,' 'Get Ready' and 'Dancing in the Streets.' Check out highlights below!

Today we are talking a phenomenally talented performer known for his decades treading the boards in a number of featured and lead roles, most recently wowing crowds with his turn as one of the title characters in THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS - the engaging and golden-voiced Norm Lewis. Discussing many of his most celebrated roles as well as some more obscure, Lewis paints a vivid picture of his career trajectory thus far and shares compelling and candid stories of working on productions as varied and diverse as the original Broadway versions of THE WHO'S TOMMY, SIDE SHOW, THE WILD PARTY, AMOUR, THE LITTLE MERMAID and SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM as well as his sensational work regionally in projects such as his recent essaying of Javert in LES MISERABLES at The Muny (to say nothing of the 25th Anniversary live at the 02) as well as turns in SWEENEY TODD and THE WIZARD & I: THE MUSIC OF STEPHEN SCHWARTZ among many others. Additionally, Lewis sheds some light on his recent onscreen work, clueing us in on how he became involved with hit nighttime soap SCANDAL and how he enjoyeds working with co-stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on it - and if we will possibly see him in Season Three, perhaps. Plus, Lewis opens up about his upcoming solo gigs and performing plans - including first news on his starring part in the upcoming Public Theater musical version of THE TEMPEST - as well as touches upon a host of topics ranging from his appearances at spectacular special events - DREAMGIRLS: IN CONCERT, HAIR: IN CONCERT, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA in the Park - to his appearance in SEX & THE CITY 2 (opposite Liza Minnelli) to recording studio work, dream projects, future goals, favorite workshop/reading experiences and much, much more!

Its first time ever at Music Circus, the sizzling, sexy Kander and Ebb smash hit Chicago is the final show of the 2013 Music Circus season, with an extended run at the Wells Fargo Pavilion from August 20 - 29. The 1996 revival of this hit musical, one of the cornerstones of the choreographic Broadway legacy of Bob Fosse, won 6 Tony Awards and is still running on Broadway. With a plot centered on murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, on death row together fighting for the fame that may keep them from the gallows, the show features a number of popular songs including "All That Jazz," "Razzle Dazzle" and "Cell Block Tango." BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek of the production below!

To coincide with Cougar The Musical's one year anniversary this August, the original Cougar, creator and writer, Donna Moore will join the cast as Clarity for four performances only., taking over the role for Brenda Braxtonwho is out of town performing the role of Velma in Chicago at the California Music Circus. Moore is set to inherit the claws and scratch her way into audience's hearts on August 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th.