Brian Stokes Mitchell News

Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As With Your Favorite Broadway Stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on! In this next edition, we caught up with Adam Chanler-Berat, who is starring as 'Boy' in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER- currently playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre!

The Actors Fund's Auction of 1000 Stars this year offers Broadway and celebrity experiences, including walk-ons, celebrity meet and greets, autographed memorabilia from the stars, vacation packages and more, all in support of The Fund's free programs and services that help everyone in entertainment. Bidding is online through June 9, and ends June 10 via in-person and text bidding during The Fund's 16th Annual Tony Awards® Viewing Party in Los Angeles.

The 68th annual THEATRE WORLD AWARDS, which will take place on Tuesday, June 5th at 2 pm at The Belasco Theatre, 111 West 44th Street, NYC., will include special performances by Broadway favorites Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Cerveris, Howard McGillin and Stephanie Umoh. The by-invitation-only ceremony will present Theatre World Awards to 12 actors for their Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances during the 2011-2012 theatrical season. The event also includes presentation of the 4th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence. This year The Theatre World Awards will have ASL interpretation.

Yesterday, May 21, the Actor's Fund held its annual gala at the New York Marriott Marquis, honoring Tony and Emmy Award winning artist and activist Harry Belafonte, acting duo Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, and real estate developer David Steiner. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photo coverage below!

The 20th Anniversary season of New York City Center's Tony Award-winning Encores! series will open on January 30, 2013 with Fiorello!, the show that launched the series in 1994. The season will continue with It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, followed by On Your Toes. A Gala Encores! at 20 Celebration on November 12, 2012 will star Tony Award nominees and Encores! alumni Rauil Esparza and Kelli O'Hara.

Pittsburgh CLO has announced casting for its summer season, which includes six shows, featuring the national tours of Come Fly Away and The Addams Family, and CLO original productions of A Chorus Line, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof and Sunset Boulevard. Notably, A CHORUS LINE brings on board a slew of the show's national tour veterans, ANNIE stars Sally Struthers as Miss Hannigan, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF features Broadway's Lewis J. Stadlen, Susan Cella, Hunter Herdlicka, Joel Robertson, Emily Shoolin and Kay Walbye. Liz Callaway and Walter Charles are set to star in SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Off-Broadway's acclaimed Irish Repertory Theatre presents its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala, a concert performance on Broadway of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! - a glorious, Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of 1850's London in the time of the Industrial Revolution - on Monday, June 11 at The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) in Manhattan. Charlotte Moore, who directed last year's concert staging of CAMELOT on Broadway and the IrishRepertory's recent revival of Brian Friel's DANCING AT LUGHNASA, will direct.

On June 10, 2012, The Actor's Fund will present its 16th Annual Tony Awards party at the Skirball Center, this year honoring Jason Alexander with the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement.. Scott Bakula will host the gala and this year's Honorary Celebrity Committee includes: Julie Bowen, Nancy Dussault, Dann Florek, Elliott Gould, Steve Guttenberg, Garry Marshall, Chita Rivera, Susan Sarandon, Holland Taylor and Zachary Quinto. The event includes cocktails and a silent auction followed by ainner and a live telecast of a live feed of the Tony Awards as they happen in New York.

Starting May 29 through September 15, the PlayhouseSquare District will be bustling with activity outdoors on Star Plaza and inside the PlayhouseSquare theaters as PlayhouseSquare and the PlayhouseSquare District Development Corporation (PDDC) work to present "Summer Excitement 2012 at PlayhouseSquare." The program is the result of a combined effort of both organizations to build a thriving downtown neighborhood and present a variety of outdoor lunchtime and after work events for area workers plus theatrical engagements such as Mamma Mia! and a classic film series.

We'll be talking to nominees all day for their reactions! Click here for the complete list! Audra McDonald for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS 'I am honored and grateful and I'm super thrilled for the production as a whole to get so many nominations. I am so proud of this production and thankful to the Tony nominating committee for recognizing all aspects of the show. I got the news via text message. As usual, it was up at 6:15 for me to get the kids to school and I was back in bed by 8! Will was here though so it was nice to roll over when I got the news and say 'Hey I got a nomination!' Then we both conked out again. When we finally got up I asked him to be my date for the Tonys - he said yes! - so I guess that was our little celebration. Now it's back to being a mom for the day and get ready for the show tonight. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at the theater tonight to congratulate them.'

Brian Stokes Mitchell headlines Philadelphia Theatre Company's annual Gala tonight, April 30 at The Hyatt at the Bellevue. The event, which kicks off with a Silent Auction beginning at 6:00 PM, will honor Bala Cynwyd residents Marilyn and J. Robert Birnhak for their many years of support to both Philadelphia Theatre Company and its home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.

Last night, April 24, Carnegie Hall presented its gala benefit performance of The Sound of Music in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The cast was led by Laura Osnes (Maria Rainer), Tony Goldwyn (Captain von Trapp), Brooke Shields (Elsa Schraeder), Patrick Page (Max Detweiler), Stephanie Blythe (The Mother Abbess), Mary Michael Patterson (Liesl von Trapp), Nick Spangler (Rolf Gruber), Cotter Smith (Herr Zeller), and Reed Birney (Admiral von Schreiber). They were joined by and Joel Hatch (Franz, The Butler), Joy Hermalyn (Sister Berthe), Linda Mugleston (Sister Margaretta), Faith Sherman (Sister Sophia), and Veanne Cox (Frau Schmidt). BroaadwayWorld was on hand for the exciting evening and brings you photo coverage below!

Off-Broadway's Irish Repertory Theatre will present its 2012 Annual Benefit Gala, a concert performance on Broadway of Lionel Bart's OLIVER! - the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens tale of 1850's London - on Monday, June 11 at The Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) in Manhattan. Charlotte Moore, who directed last year's concert staging of CAMELOT on Broadway and the Irish Repertory's recent revival of Brian Friel's DANCING AT LUGHNASA, will direct.

Carnegie Hall will present The Sound of Music tonight, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. A gala benefit for Carnegie Hall, this one-night-only concert performance of the beloved musical with a timeless score by Rodgers & Hammerstein will provide support for the music education programs of Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute.

Brian Stokes Mitchell headlines Philadelphia Theatre Company's annual Gala on Monday, April 30 at The Hyatt at the Bellevue. Ticket holders will be admitted to mezzanine seating of the Grand Ballroom beginning at 8:30pm.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts announces an all-star summer line-up set to kick off in June. The summer will feature the legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, jazz songstress Diana Krall, instrumentalist Chris Botti, the multi-talented Steve Martin and many more. Tickets to all performances go on sale Friday, April 27. Season sponsors include Bank of Nevada and the Las Vegas Design Center.

We're pleased to bring you Seth's latest candid chat with Broadway favorite Melissa Errico. After a sold out previous appearance at JOE'S PUB, 'Melissa Errico Back for More!' returns to the famed venue on April 17th at 7pm, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and with musical direction by John Oddo.

Carnegie Hall today announced the complete cast for its gala benefit performance of The Sound of Music on Tuesday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. New to the cast are Mary Michael Patterson (Anything Goes) as Liesl von Trapp, Nick Spangler (The Book of Mormon) as Rolf Gruber, Cotter Smith (Next Fall) as Herr Zeller, Drama Desk and Obie Award recipient Reed Birney as Admiral von Schreiber, and Joel Hatch (Billy Elliot) as Franz, The Butler.