Brian Stokes Mitchell News

Beautiful-The Carole King Musical, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter, just gave an added performance to benefit The Actors Fund last night, April 27 at 8:00 PM. The company of Beautiful donated their time and talent for the performance, for an audience which included cast members from current Broadway shows and other areas of the entertainment community. All proceeds will go to The Actors Fund, which helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special night below!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: the Drama Desk nominees will be announced, the Tonys committee is making its final decisions, and everyone across the country can see Matthew Bourne's reimagining of SLEEPING BEAUTY!

The Public Theater announced additional casting today for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, the first show of The Public's 2014 season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Directed by Jack O'Brien, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING begins previews on Tuesday, June 3 and runs through Sunday, July 6, with an official press opening on Monday, June 16.

Ahrens and Flaherty's 'Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration Live At 54 BELOW' will be released on June 3rd, 2014. The double CD set is now available for pre-order at http://amzn.com/B00JPWSJOI. This star-studded double album features performances by (in alphabetical order): Lynn Ahrens, Annaleigh Ashford, Stephanie J. Block, Liz Callaway, Kevin Chamberlin, Quentin Earl Darrington, Stephen Flaherty, Lewis Grosso, Julie Halston, Jeremy Jordan, LaChanze, Kecia Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Marin Mazzie, Sean McCourt, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jessica Molaskey, Bobby Steggert and Mary Testa.

Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat and GRAMMY Award-winning Broadway songwriter Stephen Schwartz are joining the festivities in Broadway at Moorland, the 14th annual summer concert and fireworks display at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, NJ, a partnership between New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and Far Hills Race Meeting Association. Wopat (Annie Get Your Gun, A Catered Affair) will join previously announced Tony-nominated and Emmy Award-winner Liz Callaway, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, five-time MAC-winning cabaret star Scott Coulter, Jessica Hendy (Broadway's Cats and Aida), and Kelli Rabke (Broadway's LES MISERABLES and in the Broadway revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). Due to a scheduling conflict, Brian Stokes Mitchell will no longer perform on the bill.

Broadway's biggest stars gathered at the Circle in the Square Theatre yesterday for opening night of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, starring five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and directed by Lonny Price. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on the red carpet to chat with the evening's guests before the curtain went up, and below, you can check out interviews with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Norm Lewis, Will Swenson, Nikki M. James, Jason Robert Brown, Billy Porter and more!

Broadway's biggest stars gathered at the Circle in the Square Theatre yesterday for opening night of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, starring five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and directed by Lonny Price. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the star-studded red carpet below!

Richard Jay-Alexander, known for helming concerts for Broadway superstars Barbra Streisand and Kristin Chenoweth among others, will be honored tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9 with a Legends Honor arts award from Unity Coalition, at the LGBT group's annual Leaders, Legends & Lovelies Ball, according to the Miami Herald.

Carnegie Hall's gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls is set for tonight, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.

Kelly Lester, stay at home wife and mother to three daughters, has become a million dollar 'do it yourself' business owner, grossing over $1.6 million dollars last year with her company EasyLunchboxes (www.EasyLunchboxes.com). With no MBA or formal background in business, Kelly is self-taught, having learned design and marketing via Google. Between carpooling and cooking, from the comfort of her home, she harnesses the power of social media to attract customers and grow her loyal fan base. Her products are top-sellers on Amazon.com, and Amazon often features her as one of their 'seller-success' stories. Kelly is the author of 'Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Easy Lunch Boxes'.

Urban Stages Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director and producer Peter Napolitano, announced the final week of the World Premiere engagement of Character Man. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). This limited run will continue through April 6th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. The Final Post-Show Talk will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd with Special Guest Karen Mason (Mamma Mia, Sunset Boulevard, Hairspray), moderated by Peter Filichia.

The New York Philharmonic will return to Bravo! Vail in Colorado for the Orchestra's 12th- annual summer residency there, performing six concerts July 18-25, 2014. Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct three programs, July 18-20, featuring works by composers for whom he has advocated during his tenure, ranging from Nielsen to The Marie-Jose?e Kravis Composer-in- Residence Christopher Rouse. The other Philharmonic concerts will be conducted by Bramwell Tovey (July 23 and 25) and Ted Sperling (July 24), and will feature works by Copland, Gershwin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Loesser, among others.

We speak with Tony Award Winner Christian Hoff on the brotherhood of the Midtown Men, his love of Jersey Boys, dream roles, vineyards and so much more!

NJTV, New Jersey's public television network, has launched The Arts Project with Maddie Orton, a new monthly series

The company of the current Man Of La Mancha National Tour, which opens in Elmira NY tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18, mourns the loss of its beloved composer and spiritual leader, Mitch Leigh, who passed away over the weekend.

Early in February, I got my hands on the FROM BROADWAY WITH LOVE: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR SANDY HOOK album. I was moved and impressed with how heartfelt the concert was. The outpouring of love from the Broadway community to the town of Sandy Hook, Connecticut was and still is monumental. In addition to releasing the CD and digital albums of the concert, Broadway Records released a DVD and Blu-Ray of the performance. Like the CD and digital albums, 100% of its profits from the DVD and Blu-Ray are going to support the Newtown-Sandy Hook community via the Newton-Sandy Hook Community Foundation.

The Public Theater will begin previews for the world premiere of THE LIBRARY on Tuesday, March 25, written by award-winning writer Scott Z. Burns. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh, THE LIBRARY will run through Sunday, April 27, in The Public's Newman Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, April 15.

Carnegie Hall today announced that two-time Tony Award winner Judy Kaye will now play the role of General Matilda B. Cartwright, replacing previously announced actress Jayne Houdyshell, for its gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. Kaye's career highlights include Tony Awards for her performances as Best Featured Actress in a Musical in The Phantom of the Opera and Nice Work If You Can Get It and Tony Award nominations for her roles in Mamma Mia! and Souvenir.

Urban Stages Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir now at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street), with opening night set for Today March 5th. This limited run will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan.

Arts For All has announced this year's annual benefit concert at Joe's Pub on April 28th, hosted by Aaron Lazar, star of Sting's upcoming, new musical, The Last Ship, and directed by Alexander Gemignani, currently appearing in Violet on Broadway. The evening will feature performances by other Broadway performers, donating their time and talents to raise money and awareness for Arts For All's free arts programming with in-need children in all five boroughs of New York City. Tickets are available now through Joe's Pub.