Broadway Across America News

Ghostlight Records will present the New Broadway Cast Recording for Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's beloved coming-of-age musical comedy PIPPIN with a digital release on June 4 and the CD in stores on July 9. Customers that purchase the album on the exclusiveiTunes pre-order will receive an immediate download of the 'Magic To Do' opening number. The special new 'Magic To Do' video is now available onYouTube. For a special sneak preview of the cast recording, visit EW.com. The album is co-produced by composer Stephen Schwartz and Kurt Deutsch withHoward and Janet Kagan serving as executive producers. To pre-order physical CD copies and listen to samples from the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/pippin.html.

Cortland Repertory Theatre kicks off their 42nd season at the Little York Pavilion in Preble with the theatre's premiere production of Agatha Christie's mystery, The Unexpected Guest. Performances will run from June 5th - 15th with evening performances at 7:30 PM. Matinees are available on June 7th, 9th and 12th at 2:00 PM. Tickets may be purchased by calling 800-427-6160 or at the CRT Box Office's new location at 24 Port Watson Street in Cortland. Tickets are also available for sale 24 hours a day through the CRT website at www.cortlandrep.org.

In all honesty, I was dreading seeing Broadway Across America - Houston's presentation of SISTER ACT's First National Tour at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts last night. As a fan of Alan Menken, I was elated to get my hands on a copy of the Original London Cast Recording in 2009. After giving the disc a whirl, I was anything but impressed. The musical ran at the London Palladium from June 2, 2009 to October 30, 2010. As it journeyed across the pond, the book was significantly reworked by Douglas Carter Beane for its rather successful April 20, 2011 to August 26, 2012 Broadway run at the Broadway Theatre. Between London, New York, and Houston, magic has definitely happened. The show, as it stands now, is a divinely delightful comedy that will leave audiences pumped and gushing about how truly fabulous it is.

The producers of the national tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and Lexus Broadway in Austin at Texas Performing Arts announced today that single tickets will go on sale Friday, June 7, 2013 at

The producers of the national tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, and Omaha Performing Arts announced today that single tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, June 14, at 10:00 a.m. An exclusive pre-sale for American Express Card members will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12.

The Tony-nominated new Broadway production of PIPPIN has broken the house record for the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street) for the third week in a row, grossing $934,760 over eight performances for the week ending May 26, 2013.

Direct from Broadway, SISTER ACT, the hilarious, five-time Tony-nominated musical smash, is coming to Houston. SISTER ACT opens at the Hobby Center on May 28 and runs through June 2. Tickets go on sale to the public Sunday, January 27.

SUMMERWORKS 2013 - the annual season of new plays presented by the four-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb, will be presented tonight, May 24 to June 29 at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd St.) in Manhattan.

On Thursday, May 23rd watch the entire Broadway cast of PIPPIN perform live on ABC's 'Good Morning America' between 8:30AM-9:00AMon ABC (check local listings). PIPPIN is now playing at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street).

Having grown up on Monty Python reruns and films, it doesn't take a lot to get me excited about seeing a production of Monty Python's SPAMALOT. The hilarious hit musical is making a gloriously triumphant return to Houston in its first locally produced performance at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). The First National Tour enjoyed a four week run in the summer of 2007 that was co-produced by Broadway Across America - Houston and TUTS, and because of popular demand TUTS decided to produce the show again.

The Drama League (Executive Director, Gabriel Shanks) announced today the winners for the 79th Annual Drama League Awards: Distinguished Production of a Musical, Kinky Boots; presented by Diane Paulus; Distinguished Play,Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, presented by Pam MacKinnon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Pippin, presented by Alex Timbers; Distinguished Revival of a Play,Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, presented by Rachel Chavkin; Distinguished Performance, Nathan Lane, presented by Debra Messing at a star-studded luncheon ceremony hosted by Ms. Messing and David Hyde Pierce at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

While SISTER ACT's First National Tour was playing in Durham, North Carolina, I got a chance to talk with Kingsley Leggs, who plays Curtis Jackson, Deloris Van Cartier's gangster boyfriend and the show's villain. Kingsley Legs, who originated the role of Curtis Jackson on Broadway, spoke with me about his career, SISTER ACT's rehearsal process, preparing the First National Tour, SISTER ACT itself, and life on the road.

War Horse, winner of five 2011 Tony Awards including Best Play, makes its Minnesota debut at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre, June 12-23, 2013. Hailed by the New York Times as "theatrical magic," this National Theatre of Great Britain production is the powerful story of young Albert's beloved horse, Joey, who was conscripted to fight for the English in World War I.Tickets are on sale now. War Horse is presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of its 2012/13 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2787.

On Tuesday, May 14th watch "The Late Show with David Letterman" to see a cast performance between 11:35PM-12:35AM on CBS (check local listings). PIPPIN leads the winners of the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards with 7 wins including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Diane Paulus), Outstanding Choreographer (Chet Walker), Outstanding Lighting Design (Kenneth Posner), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Patina Miller), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Terrence Mann), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Andrea Martin).

Omaha Performing Arts will again present Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing this summer. The free outdoor concert series will run six consecutive Thursdays, from July 11 to August 15, 2013, and is located in the idyllic Turner Park in the heart of Midtown Crossing. Starting this year, concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the new permanent stage of The Pavilion at Turner Park; the lawn is open beginning at 5 p.m.

New subscriptions to the 2013-2014 Broadway Across America - Arizona season at ASU Gammage in Tempe go on sale May 13. It will be a Broadway extravaganza with a seven-show series and three special engagements. The top touring market has done it again bringing some of the biggest Broadway hits to town including EVITA, THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, ONCE as well as the long awaited return of JERSEY BOYS and DISNEY'S THE LION KING.

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, who wrote this rock opera's lyrics, and his punk rock band that created its unstoppably vibrant music weren't going for "comfortable." They were aiming, along with co-creator and director Michael Mayer (who picked up a Tony for his direction of Spring Awakening), to offer a musical production that breaks ground for its in-your-face punk rock approach to storytelling and its entirely unapologetic tale of sex, drugs and (punk) rock n' roll. And while there's lots of all of the above-and all very well done-there's not so much in the way of a plot with any depth.

Casting has been announced for the Salt Lake City engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing the Capitol Theatre June 4-16. The cast of JERSEY BOYS will be led by Brandon Andrus (Nick Massi),Nick Cosgrove (Frankie Valli), Nicolas Dromard (Tommy DeVito) and Jason Kappus (Bob Gaudio) as The Four Seasons, with Barry Anderson and Thomas Fiscella.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical opens in the Ziff Ballet Opera House of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County tonight, May 7 for a limited engagement as part of the Broadway in Miami 2012-2013 subscription season presented by Bank of America. Scroll below for a sneak peek at the touring cast in action!

This week's feature is 'Seeing You There' by Adam Gwon. Tony-nominee Josh Young (Jesus Christ Superstar), who happens to be a co-founder of Cutting-Edge Composers, sang this at our first concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.