Cyndi Lauper News

Broadway In Chicago's Concert moves to Millennium Park this summer. The FREE BROADWAY IN CHICAGO CONCERT will take place on Monday, August 6, 2012 at 6:15 p.m. at the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. Hosted by ABC-7's Janet Davies, star of 190 NORTH, the concert will feature performances by the iconic rock legend CYNDI LAUPER with members of the cast from the pre-Broadway world premiere of her new musical KINKY BOOTS, Joey from WAR HORSE and Cathy Rigby as PETER PAN.

The stars of the upcoming revival of JEKYLL & HYDE, Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) and Grammy Award Nominee Deborah Cox (Aida), will host the 4th annual National High School Musical Theater Awards tonight, June 25th at 7:30pm at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 W 45th St). The show will feature 60 of America's most talented young musical theater performers vying for the "Jimmy Award" for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor. Winners will be awarded college scholarships and other prizes will be announced live.

There are so many starmaking turns-and some wonderfully engaging and endearing antics-onstage at Clarksville's Roxy Regional Theater in the company's revival of The Wedding Singer, that you cannot help but become a fan of the show, even if you've never seen the movie that inspired the onstage musical comedy.

Kinky Boots, the new musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics), will have its pre-Broadway world premiere in Chicago this fall. Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots will play the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL) in October 2012. Entertainment Weekly has just released a track form the new musical, titled 'Sex Is in the First Heel,' and you can check it out HERE!

La MaMa presents the World Premiere of The Etiquette of Death, a Chris Tanner Production co-directed by Everett Quinton and Julie Atlas Muz, and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with contributions by a slew of New York's finest downtown artists. The Etiquette of Death, the final show of La MaMa's 50th Anniversary season, runs now through July 1, 2012 in a limited engagement at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & the Bowery in New York City. The show opens tonight, June 16. Check out photos from the production below!

On June 13 and 14, Broadway favorite Eden Espinosa took part in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, performing at the Dunstan Theatre. In this world premiere performance, Eden took on some of the biggest hits from Aida, Ghost, Rent, Sweeney Todd and Wicked along with a few of her signature re-imaginings of popular hits from such artists as Joni Mitchell, Sia, Beth Hart, Eva Cassidy, and even Cyndi Lauper. BroadwayWorld caught up with the Broadway starlet for a quick Q&A before her big Australian concerts:

La MaMa presents the World Premiere of The Etiquette of Death, a Chris Tanner Production co-directed by Everett Quinton and Julie Atlas Muz, and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with contributions by a slew of New York's finest downtown artists. The Etiquette of Death, the final show of La MaMa's 50th Anniversary season, runs from tonight, June 14 through July 1, 2012 in a limited engagement at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & the Bowery in New York City. Previews begin tonight, June 14 for a June 16 opening.

Ballet is finally letting its hair down and heading to Happy Hour with the upcoming performance of "Cocktail Hour" at New York City's most buzzed about new performance space - XL Cabaret - tonight, June 14th at 8:00pm. Conceived and choreographed by critically acclaimed dance-maker Marilyn Klaus, each piece is inspired by a well known cocktail and brings one of the highest art forms to the masses in a fresh and playful way. The irreverent dance suite gives life to a variety of iconic drinks-saluting the elegance of cocktail culture as the Martini, Mai Tai, Gimlet, Mint Julep and an aptly named 'Scotch on the Rachmaninoff' spring off the menu and onto the stage.

Only just heading into the first week of the 16-day Winter event, the 2012 Adelaide Cabaret Festival has reached 91 per cent of its box office target, smashing all previous Festivals' box office records.

ew York City is buzzing about the inventive new take on ballet in "Cocktail Hour" by Ballets with a Twist. Among the outlets praising the work of the company's choreographer, Marilyn Klaus, are The Wall Street Journal, which profiled the performance in yesterday's Arts & Entertainment section, and PIX11 Morning News, which will feature the dance company on Wednesday, June 13th during the 8:00am hour.

Broadway Rhythm and Booze, a cabaret series created as a platform to highlight the soulful talents of the Broadway community, will take place tonight, June 11, 2012 at Flute Bar in Gramercy at 40 E. 20th Street, New York, NY. Performance begins at 9:30pm. All proceeds of this installment of Broadway Rhythm and Booze are going to benefit the Billy Davis medical fund. Recently, Billy suffered life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle accident and is pulling through with the continued love and support from friends, family and fans alike. Living as a freelance personal trainer in New York City, Billy and his family need your assistance to start relieving the unrelenting pile of medical bills. A donation of any amount will receive admission. For more information please visit www.vallinsandmalotke.com.

Broadway Rhythm and Booze, a cabaret series created as a platform to highlight the soulful talents of the Broadway community, will take place on Monday, June 11, 2012 at Flute Bar in Gramercy at 40 E. 20th Street, New York, NY. Performance begins at 9:30pm. All proceeds of this installment of Broadway Rhythm and Booze are going to benefit the Billy Davis medical fund. Recently, Billy suffered life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle accident and is pulling through with the continued love and support from friends, family and fans alike. Living as a freelance personal trainer in New York City, Billy and his family need your assistance to start relieving the unrelenting pile of medical bills. A donation of any amount will receive admission. For more information please visit www.vallinsandmalotke.com.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater produces the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, directed by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe, who directed the show's sold-out Broadway engagement last season, mounts the professional D.C.-area premiere of this production, which features returning Broadway cast members Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, among others. Presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, The Normal Heart runs tonight, June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

The stars of the upcoming revival of JEKYLL & HYDE, Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) and Grammy Award Nominee Deborah Cox (Aida), will host the 4th annual National High School Musical Theater Awards on Monday, June 25th at 7:30pm at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 W 45th St). The show will feature 60 of America's most talented young musical theater performers vying for the "Jimmy Award" for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor. Winners will be awarded college scholarships and other prizes will be announced live.

In case you missed it in the "Showtune Mosh Pit" column last week, here is my full listing of musical theater shows (plus three special concert events) happening in Chicago this summer. Click on the name of each show for a link to more information. And enjoy!

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 non-Equity Jeff Awards are Monday night, and we've compiled our first ever Summer Musical Theatre Guide! Here are 35 listings for your viewing pleasure....