Brian J. Smith News

Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti ('The Sound of Music Live!', Gypsy, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) will host the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards tonight, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). BroadwayWorld will be updating you with winners throughout the night. Check back later for the full list!

Jesse Tyler Ferguson sat down with some of this year's Tony Award nominees in honor his second annual Tie the Knot Tony bow tie. In the video below, watch as Audra McDonald, James Monroe Iglehart, Tom Kitt, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Brian J. Smith, and Sutton Foster, share insider information about their nominations, receive some words of advice from Jesse, and offer a few surprises.

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/29 with just 0 days to go in voting!

Today we continue our Tonys coverage with Brian J. Smith, a nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Play for The Glass Menagerie, who chats about why the show was a group effort, why he wasn't expecting a nomination, and more. Check out what he had to say below!

On Sunday, 2014 Tony nominees Brian J. Smith (The Glass Menagerie) and Adriane Lenox (After Midnight), as well as American-Idol alum and one of After Midnight's Special Guest Stars Fantasia Barrino visited QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. Queen of the Night recently was extended to run through August 31st. Fantasia even had a moment with The Marchesa herself (played by Martha Graham principle ballet dancer Katherine Crockett)!

Schmackary's Cookies, The Official Cookie of Broadway, will hold its 2nd annual 'Broadway Bakes' fund raiser from May 26-31. Schmackary's is located in the heart of the Theatre District at 45th and 9th Ave. in Hell's Kitchen.

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/24 with just 5 days to go in voting!

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/23 with just 6 days to go in voting!

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, just honored five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. Among the Stroman collaborators offering tributes was Theatre World Award winning actor Jason Danieley (Next to Normal, Curtains, The Full Monty, Candide) and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck performing a selection from Little Dancer, Taylor Mac performing a selection from The Last Two People on Earth, Tony nominee Marin Mazzie performing from Bullets Over Broadway; and Contact collaborator John Weidman, Karen Ziemba performing a selection from Crazy For You, and cast members from The Scottsboro Boys: John Cullum, Brandon Victor Dixon, Shavey Brown, Max Kumangai, James T. Lane, Deandre Leatherbury, J.C. Montgomery, Justin Prescott, Clinton Roane, and David Bazemore. The event co-chairs are Letty Aronson, Roy Furman, and Julian Schlossberg.

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premiere playwright development workshop, just honored five-time Tony Award winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman with their 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 65th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. Among the Stroman collaborators offering tributes was Theatre World Award winning actor Jason Danieley (Next to Normal, Curtains, The Full Monty, Candide) and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck performing a selection from Little Dancer, Taylor Mac performing a selection from The Last Two People on Earth, Tony nominee Marin Mazzie performing from Bullets Over Broadway; and Contact collaborator John Weidman, Karen Ziemba performing a selection from Crazy For You, and cast members from The Scottsboro Boys: John Cullum, Brandon Victor Dixon, Shavey Brown, Max Kumangai, James T. Lane, Deandre Leatherbury, J.C. Montgomery, Justin Prescott, Clinton Roane, and David Bazemore. The event co-chairs are Letty Aronson, Roy Furman, and Julian Schlossberg.

Broadway stars Billy Porter, Victoria Clark, Terrence Mann, Andrea Martin and Shuler Hensley served as gala award presenters at the 64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony last night at the legendary Sardis Restaurant. In addition to being acclaimed stage performers, the stars are also former recipients of the esteemed Outer Critics Circle Award. Click here for the winners and check out photos of all the guests below!

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/22 with just 7 days to go in voting!

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/21 with just 8 days to go in voting!

Just last night, Manhattan Theatre Club presented its annual Spring Gala an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special evening highlighting some of Broadway's most exciting shows. The special night featured performances by Fantasia Barrino, Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart, Kelli O'Hara, Nick Cordero, Brooks Ashmanskas, Jefferson Mays, Bryce Pinkham, Lena Hall, Caissie Levy, Andy Karl and more. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night an you can check out photos from the star-studded red carpet below!

Just last night, May 19, Broadway stars turned out for a special performance of Terrence McNally's Tony-nominated new play Mothers and Sons, benefitting the Actors Fund. Theatre luminaries and current Broadway stars including Brian Dennehy, Sebastian Arcelus, Adriane Lenox, Tonya Pinkins, Orfeh & Andy Karl, Jessie Mueller, Laura Osnes, and more, helped cheer on Mothers and Sons stars Tyne Daly, Frederick Weller, Bobby Steggert, and Grayson Taylor as they supported the Actors Fund. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special night below!

Voting opened on April 30 and runs through May 30, 2014 for the 12th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/17 with just 12 days to go in voting!

The 80th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon is being held this afternoon, May 16, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, where winners will be announced for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. This year's event, which began at noon, is hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson. BroadwayWorld is updating the winners live! Check back in to find out who took home the big awards!

The 5th Avenue Theatre welcomes the National Tour of the Broadway sensation, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. This stunning musical plays June 11-29, 2014 (press opening June 12) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101). Tickets (starting at $39.25) may be purchased online at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900, or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling Group Sales Manager Niklaus Lopez at 1-888- 625-1418.

Below you can check out photos of Celia Keenan-Bolger, nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for The Glass Menagerie, in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In the Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride!