Craig Carnelia News

In light of this week's news of the passing of noted author, playwright, producer and director Nora Ephron, today we are highlighting some of the most memorable moments from her accomplished and versatile career onscreen and onstage. Ephron's artistic output consisted of collections of essays, memoirs, novels, screenplays, feature films, plays and producing duties on projects close to her heart, as well as a considerable amount of awareness raising for women's causes and general charitable work for the arts. While perhaps best known for her much-loved trio of romantic comedies WHEN HARRY MET SALLY…, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and YOU'VE GOT MAIL, Ephron also penned the screenplay for the Mike Nichols biopic SILKWOOD about whistleblower Karen Silkwood, as well as wrote and directed the recent hit comedy JULIE & JULIA, re-teaming with her friend and consistent collaborator, three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep. Incidentally, Streep actually played Ephron - or at least a thinly-veiled version of her - in the 1986 Mike Nichols film HEARTBURN, based on her novel of the same name. While BEWITCHED, LUCKY NUMBERS and HANGING UP may have failed to ignite, Ephron created fine films with the angelically-themed John Travolta starrer MICHAEL and the Julie Kavner vehicle THIS IS YOUR LIFE, as well as crafted indelible characters in screenplays such as COOKIE, MIXED NUTS and MY BLUE HEAVEN. Closing out her career, Ephron showcased Streep once again and rising star Amy Adams shone brightly in the fun and frothy JULIE & JULIA, ending Ephron's film output with a hit to go along with her successful early beginnings as an essayist, humorist and cultural commentator - having penned essay collections in the 1970s such as WALLFLOWER AT THE ORGY, CRAZY SALAD: SOME THINGS ABOUT WOMEN, SCRIBBLE, SCRIBBLE: NOTES ON THE MEDIA, and, more recently, I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK: AND OTHER THOUGHTS ON BEING A WOMAN and I REMEMBER NOTHING: AND OTHER REFLECTIONS - who famously parlayed those skills into TV writing, and, then, her Oscar-nominated work on SILKWOOD - arguably her finest dramatic work of all in film. As far as Ephron's stage ventures are concerned, besides the forthcoming musical adaptation of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE currently being developed under director Lonny Price and her writing of next season's purportedly Tom Hanks-headlining Broadway bow in LUCKY GUY, Ephron penned the 2002 Jack O'Brien play with music (by no less than Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia) IMAGINARY FRIENDS, starring Cherry Jones and Swoozie Kurtz, as well as the recently-closed Off Broadway smash, LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE, co-written with her sister, Delia Ephron. JFK White House intern to New York Post columnist to celebrated essayist to Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director and producer, Ephron left a significant mark on society and also crafted some heartwarming - or, should that be: heartburning - stories along the way.

The stars are out for an evening of musical enchantment, sharing songs by the writers who have most inspired them from George Gershwin to Paul McCartney. Featuring one of the leading champions of the Great American Songbook and "the singer who stills the room": Tony-nominated Broadway star Ann Hampton Callaway (SWING!), this one-night-only concert will also include performances from Tony-nominated composer and lyricist Craig Carnelia, Grammy-nominated composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Lari White, emerging songwriters from the 2012 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project and an appearance by the great Johnny Mercer himself through audio and video recollections where he reveals the writers who most inspired his prolific career.

Northwestern University Hosts Incubator for Emerging Songwriters Participants Will Work With Masters Teachers - Craig Carnelia, Andrew Lippa & Lari White.

Masterworks Broadway continues to make good on its promise to open its vaults with more classic cast recordings previously unavailable in the CD era. Working (1978 Original Broadway Cast), Call Me Madam (Dinah Shore and the Original Broadway Company, 1950) and Desert Song (1959 Studio Cast) will be available as downloads through all major digital service providers and as disc-on-demand with the original cover art, via Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The Sidetrack all-time Top Ten list, Make Music Chicago, Chicago concerts by Chenoweth, Callaway, Mason, Menzel and Eder, two puppet musicals, 'Next Stop,' 'The Hunchback Variations' and more!

BroadwayWorld Chicago contributor Paul W. Thompson, author of the popular weekly column, THE SHOWTUNE MOSH PIT, will be performing his 2012 solo show, SONGS I'VE NEVER SUNG BEFORE, on the afternoons of June 21 and June 28 (both Thursdays). Both concerts last about an hour, and both concerts are FREE!!

Featuring Tony-nominated Broadway star Ann Hampton Callaway (SWING!), this one-night-only concert will also include performances from Tony-nominated composer and lyricist Craig Carnelia, Grammy-nominated composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Lari White, emerging songwriters from the 2012 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project and an appearance by the great Johnny Mercer himself through audio and video recollections where he reveals the writers who most inspired his prolific career. The concert wraps the 2012 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project at Northwestern University.

The stars are out for an evening of musical enchantment, sharing songs by the writers who have most inspired them from George Gershwin to Paul McCartney. Featuring one of the leading champions of the Great American Songbook and "the singer who stills the room": Tony-nominated Broadway star Ann Hampton Callaway (SWING!), this one-night-only concert will also include performances from Tony-nominated composer and lyricist Craig Carnelia, Grammy-nominated composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Lari White, emerging songwriters from the 2012 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project and an appearance by the great Johnny Mercer himself through audio and video recollections where he reveals the writers who most inspired his prolific career.

Northwestern University Hosts Incubator for Emerging Songwriters Participants Will Work With Masters Teachers - Craig Carnelia, Andrew Lippa & Lari White.

In a correlative column to this weekend's extensive and exclusive InDepth InterView, tonight we are shining a special solo spotlight on the vast multitude of talents possessed by one of Broadway's brightest stars - known best to theatre fans for his tremendous turns in Maury Yeston's TITANIC, Andrew Lippa's THE WILD PARTY, the original musicals SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, SHREK and NEXT TO NORMAL as well as original dramas such as TIME STANDS STILL - who now can now regularly be seen on NBC's hit music drama series SMASH, and, starting this Sunday in a three-episode arc on Showtime's THE BIG C with fellow Broadway notable Tammy Blanchard - the one and only Brian D'arcy James. While you will have to wait until tomorrow for the career-spanning conversation that covers his experiences working on those thrilling original musicals as well as reflections on collaborating with the starry array of cast members and creatives on the Steven Spielberg-produced SMASH and what lays ahead for Season Two, now is an absolutely ideal opportunuity to reacclimatize ourselves. Just what can't Brian d'Arcy James do? As this spell-binding collection of clips prove - everything; and then some.

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's ongoing interview series with the stars and creative team of NBC's hit musical drama series SMASH with a Broadway/Hollywood leading man who first made his mark on the stage creating a role in the Tony Award-winning TITANIC after having appeared in BLOOD BROTHERS and CAROUSEL and who has since starred in productions as diverse as SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, NEXT TO NORMAL, SHREK and many more - the jovial and multi-talented Brian d'Arcy James. Discussing all aspects of his role on SMASH as well as cluing us in on what we can expect from Monday's highly awaited season finale, d'Arcy James and I also take a look back at his career onstage thus far and he shares fond recollections of working on TITANIC, SWEET SMELL, SHREK, NEXT TO NORMAL, TIME STANDS STILL and THE WILD PARTY Off-Broadway as well as offers his observations of his collaborators and co-stars in each endeavor. Plus, Brian also reveals his other current TV project: his character arc on Showtime's dramedy THE BIG C, starring his TIME STANDS STILL co-star Laura Linney and previous John Benjamin Hickey, that begins this Sunday and continues through the rest of this month. Additionally, we also discuss his upcoming 54 Below concerts June 26-30 - as well as his thoughtful and candid opinions on some of his favorite songwriters and his own songs. Plus, comments on his film roles in HBO's GAME CHANGE, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, an upcoming short film - and much, much more!

The Bergen County Players (BCP), presents IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?, a funny and bittersweet musical with music and lyrics by Craig Carnelia and book by Jeffrey Kindley. Under the direction of Carol Fisher, Is There Life After High School? will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from today May 5th - June 3rd, 2012, with shows at 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays.

The Johnny Mercer Foundation and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University will once again produce a weeklong songwriting intensive for emerging songwriters and writing teams, 18-30 led by award-winning master teachers Andrew Lippa, Craig Carnelia and Lari White.

The Bergen County Players (BCP), presents IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?, a funny and bittersweet musical with music and lyrics by Craig Carnelia and book by Jeffrey Kindley. Under the direction of Carol Fisher, Is There Life After High School? will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from May 5th - June 3rd, 2012, with shows at 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays.

WORKING, the musical by Studs Terkel, Stephen Schwartz, and Nina Faso will open March 16, 2012 at The Production Company's The Lex Theatre in Hollywood's Theatre Row District.

Today in 2002, Sweet Smell of Success opened at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), where it ran for 109 performances. Created by Marvin Hamlisch (music), Craig Carnelia (lyrics), and John Guare (book), the show is based on the 1957 movie of the same name. It tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist named J. J. Hunsecker (based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems inappropriate. The show starred John Lithgow as J.J. Hunsecker, and Brian d'Arcy James as Sidney Falcone.

Stuart Landon is back with COURT STREET CABARET. The production features Landon, Alexis Dow Campbell and Allison Graham and will play March 16 & 17 at 8pm at the intimate Angino Family Theatre.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Kinky Boots' and 'The Jungle Book' try out, Sarah Siddons and Windy City host benefit concerts, new works from Josh Schmidt and more, the Leap Day connection plus 'Mansical!'

Broadway composer Andrew Lippa ("The Addams Family," "The Wild Party") is among three master teachers leading the 2012 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project at Northwestern University. Lippa will be joined by Tony Award-nominated composer and lyricist Craig Carnelia and three-time Grammy winning singer and songwriter Lari White to conduct the weeklong program for emerging songwriters.

Check out this special behind-the-scenes acoustic session of Brett Rigby singing 'The Mason', filmed at Pyramid Studios in NYC.