Charles Busch News

Arena Stage in association with Tony Cacciotti and David Steiner presents Looped starring four-time Emmy Award winner Valerie Harper (Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) at the Lincoln Theatre.

As playwright Matthew Lombardo continues to develop the upcoming Arena Stage production of Looped starring four-time Emmy Award-winning Valerie Harper (Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as Tallulah Bankhead, a casting change has taken place. Jay Goede, known for his work on Broadway in Angels in America, A Year with Frog and Toad and Sex and Longing, will now play opposite Harper in the pre-Broadway staging, directed by Rob Ruggiero at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre May 29 through June 28, 2009. Full release to follow at a later date.

Actor, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director and drag legend Charles Busch will take on the role of the irrepressible Lady Bracknell in the L.A. Theatre Works recording of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.

THE 14th ANNUAL LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS will bring together under one roof in just three days over 100 performing arts organizations, local and international celebrities, independent artists, poets, puppeteers, film makers and many others -- all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse, willfully anarchistic Lower East Side -- for New York City's most diverse FREE 3-day festival, from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Sts.) in Manhattan.

PROJECT SHAW, now in its third of the four-year series, continues tackling every play George Bernard Shaw ever wrote. This will be its 37th presentation. Shaw's rarely performed comedies, THE MAN OF DESTINY and THE GLIMPSE OF REALITY will be performed on Monday, MAY 18th at 7pm at the Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. DAVID STALLER is producer and director.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to announce that Broadway and television personality JULIE HALSTON will make a triumphant return to Manhattan's premier entertainment room, Birdland (315 West 44th Street, NYC) on Tuesdays, May 12 & 19 at 7pm. These concerts are part of the Nightlife Award-winning concert series, Broadway at Birdland.

Theater for the New City presents THE 14th ANNUAL LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Friday-Sunday, May 22, 23 & 24 (Memorial Day Weekend) with FREE-Theatre, Music, Dance, Puppetry, Poetry, Film, Cultural Fair and more FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!

Arena Stage in association with Tony Cacciotti and David Steiner presents Looped starring four-time Emmy Award winner Valerie Harper (Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) at the Lincoln Theatre.

The Manhattan Theatre Club production of Samson Raphaelson's ACCENT ON YOUTH running at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) celebrated Opening Night yesterday evening Wednesday, April 29th. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there for the celebrity filled arrivals.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to announce that Broadway and television personality JULIE HALSTON will make a triumphant return to Manhattan's premier entertainment room, Birdland (315 West 44th Street, NYC) on Tuesdays, May 12 & 19 at 7pm. These concerts are part of the Nightlife Award-winning concert series, Broadway at Birdland.

PROJECT SHAW, now in its third of the four-year series, continues tackling every play George Bernard Shaw ever wrote. This will be its 37th presentation. Shaw's rarely performed comedies, THE MAN OF DESTINY and THE GLIMPSE OF REALITY will be performed on Monday, MAY 18th at 7pm at the Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. DAVID STALLER is producer and director.

THE 14th ANNUAL LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS will bring together under one roof in just three days over 100 performing arts organizations, local and international celebrities, independent artists, poets, puppeteers, film makers and many others -- all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse, willfully anarchistic Lower East Side -- for New York City's most diverse FREE 3-day festival, from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Sts.) in Manhattan.

BroadwayWorld has gotten the news that Rialto favorite Barrett Foa has been cast in the pilot of 'NCIS: Legend,' playing Tech Operator, Eric Beal. The two-part pilot for the new series will air as two episodes of the hit CBS show, 'NCIS: Navy Criminal Investigative Service.'

Ken Kleiber of 'That's Kentertainment!' will be welcoming Patricia Resnick (bookwriter of '9 to 5 The Musical') as a guest on 'The Kentertainment Report' segment of the 'Frank DeCaro Show' Thursday April 23rd at Noon on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Channel 109. Resnick, also the co-screenwriter of the film '9 to 5', will discuss the upcoming Broadway opening of '9 to 5' The Musical plus other projects inlcuding a Nick, Jr. series she recently wrote and Executive-Produced, plus a new memoir she is currently penning. And, as a happy coincidence, Ms. Resnick wrote the Dolly Parton/James Woods vehicle 'Straight Talk', a film which happens to contain the first on-screen appearance of Ken Kleiber! Tune in to Sirius/XM 109 Thursday Arpil 23rd at Noon.

Anthony Hollock, Mr. Hair, was crowned Mr. Broadway 2009 at the 3rd annual Broadway Beauty Pageant held Monday evening at Symphony Space. The popular event is the annual benefit of New York's Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter for homeless LGBT youth in New York City.

Anthony Hollock, Mr. Hair, was crowned Mr. Broadway 2009 at the 3rd annual Broadway Beauty Pageant held Monday evening at Symphony Space. The popular event is the annual benefit of New York's Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter for homeless LGBT youth in New York City.

Atlantic Theater Company announces complete casting for the world premiere of Leslie Ayvazian's new comedy MAKE ME, directed by Atlantic Associate Artistic Director Christian Parker. Broadway veterans Anthony Arkin (I'm Not Rappaport); Candy Buckley (After The Fall); Jessica Hecht (Julius Caesar); J.R. Horne (The Crucible); Richard Masur (Democracy) and Ellen Parker (The Heidi Chronicles) will star in Atlantic's final production of its 2008-2009 season, beginning previews at Atlantic Stage 2 on May 19 and opening May 31. Playwright and screenwriter Ayvazian's hit Off-Broadway play Nine Armenians won the Kennedy Center's Roger L. Stevens Award, the John Gassner Outer Critics Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

Four-time Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning actress Tovah Feldshuh, currently staring on Broadway in Irena's Vow, has been announced as host of The Broadway Beauty Pageant, Broadway's third annual beauty contest, set for Monday evening, April 20th, 8p.m., at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.). The popular event is the annual benefit of New York's Ali Forney Center.

PROJECT SHAW, now in its third of its four year series, continues tackling every play George Bernard Shaw ever wrote. This will be its 37th presentation. These rarely performed comedies by George Bernard Shaw will be performed on Monday, APRIL 20th at 7pm at the Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. David Staller is producer and director.

The 2009 Broadway Beauty Pageant contestants James Brown III (Mr. Little Mermaid), Adam Fleming (Mr. Wicked), Anthony Hollock (Mr. Hair), Tony James (Mr. Lion King) and David Larsen (Mr. Billy Elliot) are featured in the current issue of NEXT magazine.