Brian Ray Norris News

This week's performers included: Chicago (Donna Marie Asbury, David Bushman, Jessica Ernest, Terra C. MacLeod, Barrett Martin, Katie Mitchell, Drew Nellessen, Beth Johnson Nicely, Brian O'Brien, Jermaine Rembert, and Michael Scirrotto), SpongeBob SquarePants (Danny Skinner, Jesse JP Johnson, Brian Ray Norris, and Jai'Len Christine Li Josey), Stomp (Alan Asuncion, Ivan Salazar, John Gavin, Josh Cruz, Kayla Cowart, Marivaldo Dos Santos, Simeon Weedall, and Taylor Lee), and Waitress (Katharine McPhee, Erich Bergen, Anastacia McCleskey, Brandon Kalm, Kayla Davion, Law Dunford, Molly Jobe, Tiffany Hobbs, and Tyrone Davis).

This week kicked off with a special performance from the cast of SpongeBob Squarepants, including Danny Skinner, Jesse JP Johnson, Brian Ray Norris and Jai'Len Christine Li Josey. Watch below as they perform 'BFF,' 'Daddy Knows Best,' and '(Just a) Simple Sponge.'

Broadway in Bryant Park will return this summer! The 2018 program will bring the best of Broadway together for free performances for six consecutive weeks from Thursday, July 12 to Thursday, August 16. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple are invited to come at 11 a.m. every Thursday with performances running from 12:30 p.m. EST - 1:30 p.m. EST on the Bryant Park Stage. Hosted by 106.7 LITE FM's on-air personalities, this year's annual presentation of open-air lunch hour performances featuring the best Broadway and Off-Broadway shows will be presented by your local Toyota Dealers, VISIT PHILADELPHIA and FUJIFILM Instax.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, the critically acclaimed, award-winning new musical will conclude its Broadway engagement at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway at West 47th Street) on Sunday, September 16, 2018, due to previously planned theatre renovations beginning mid-September. Early in 2019, school and youth group licensing rights will be available, with professional licensing to follow. Additionally, a North American tour will begin fall 2019 (cities, venue engagements and casting to be announced at a later date). The production, which began previews on November 6, 2017, and opened on December 4, 2017, will have played 327 regular performances and 29 previews.

Watch Ethan Slater and the cast of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS THE MUSICAL bring it in a live performance of '(Just A) Simple Sponge' on The View! Check out the appearance below!

We're in the midst of award season on Broadway, which means Stars in the Alley! The free Broadway concert was held yesterday, June 1, in Shubert Alley. BroadwayWorld was in attendance and you can check out photos from the performances, including Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, Come From Away, Spongebob Squarepants, Once on This Island and more!

We're in the midst of award season on Broadway, which means Stars in the Alley! The free Broadway concert was held yesterday, June 1, in Shubert Alley. BroadwayWorld was in attendance and you can check out photos from the red carpet below!

New Dramatists, Tony® Honor recipient and the nation's premier playwright development laboratory, just honored Tony®and Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington at its 69th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. Washington, currently starring on Broadway in The Iceman Cometh, directed by George C. Wolfe, received New Dramatists' 2018 Distinguished Achievement Award. Tributes to Mr. Washington and performances were presented by three-time Grammy Award-winner Branford Marsalis with bassist Noah Jackson, Tony®Award-winners George C. Wolfe and Stephen McKinley Henderson, Constanza Romero (August Wilson Estate), and Pulitzer Prize finalist and New Dramatists resident playwright Kristoffer Diaz (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity).

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, last night, May 14.

On Monday, May 11th, Feinstein's/54 Below celebrated the 2017-2018 season's amazing and landmark Broadway debuts with Another Opening, Another Debut! 

Today, Saturday, May 12th, BroadwayWorld is going behind the scenes of SPONGEBOB BROADWAY on our Instagram!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Another Opening, Another Debut! Broadway Debuts of the 2017-2018 Season tonight, May 7th, 2018, at 9:30pm.

Rounding out Today's Best of Broadway week, the 12 time Tony nominated cast of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS THE MUSICAL bring it in a live performance of HERO IS MY MIDDLE NAME. Check out the appearance below!

BroadwayWorld has been checking in with Tony Award nominees all morning! We caught up with the nominated cast and creative from SpongeBob Squarepants on Broadway to get their first reactions at being up for Tony Awards this season.

On Saturday, April 21st, BroadwayWorld went behind the scenes of SPONGEBOB BROADWAY on our Instagram!

Saturday, April 21st, BroadwayWorld is going behind the scenes of SPONGEBOB BROADWAY on our Instagram!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Another Opening, Another Debut! Broadway Debuts of the 2017-2018 Season on May 7th, 2018, at 9:30pm. Every year new faces join the Broadway community. Whether it took them 8 auditions or were picked out from a national casting call, getting that magical phone call is something they will never forget.

It's a beautiful Bikini Bottom day! Spongebob Squarepants the Musical celebrated 100 performances on Broadway on March 2. Check out photos from the celebrations below!

Bikini Bottom came to The Laurie Beechman Theatre recently as we welcomed the colorful cast of Spongebob Squarepants for our 2018 season kick off. The results were as delicious and hilarious as any pineapple under the sea. Enjoy these performances by Kelvin Moon Loh, Gaelen Gilliland, Abby C. Smith, Vasthy Mompoint, Curtis Holbrook, Alex Gibson, Jesse JP Johnson, Brian Ray Norris, Matt Wood, Kyle Matthew Hamilton as well as Spongebob wardrobe team members Patti Luther, Michelle Sesco, Jessi Selig and more.

It's a beautiful Bikini Bottom Day! The cast of Spongebob Squarepants came together for a panel at BroadwayCon today, January 27. Check out the full panel in the video below, featuring Ethan Slater (Spongebob Squarepants), Danny Skinner (Patrick Star), Gavin Lee (Squidward Tentacles), Wesley Taylor (Plankton), and Brian Ray Norris (Mr. Krabs)!