Cyndi Lauper News

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....

The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.' BroadwayWorld has just received preview clips of tonight's broadcast and brings them to you below! Click to watch Mike Myers, Sheryl Crow, Smokie Robinson and more honor the musical greats at the White House presentation and be sure to tune into PBS tonight for the full show.

On May 8, The Library of Congress kicked off a series of events honoring Grammy- and Academy-Award-winning songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, recipients of the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, culminating a special tribute delivered by President Barack Obama. The prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive collection resides in the Library of Congress. The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.'

La MaMa will present 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 Champagne Set at Flute, a cabaret series created as a platform to highlight the vast array of vocal talents of the Broadway community, will take place tonight, May 21st at Flute Bar in Gramercy at 40 E. 20th Street, New York, NY. Performance begins at 8:00pm. This initial installation of The Champagne Set will feature smooth jazz standards. There is no cover charge.

Theater producer Daryl Roth, who produced last season's Tony Award-winning revival of The Normal Heart and has presented an unprecedented seven Pulitzer Prize-winning plays on the stage, will receive her second award of the month today. At its Stella by Starlight Gala tonight, May 20, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting will present Roth with The Harold Clurman Spirit Award "for courageous contribution to the culture of the city of New York and beyond." Her fellow honorees at the Stella by Starlight Gala include Harry Belafonte, James Earl Jones, Ed Schultz, and Masa Tanaka.

The Champagne Set at Flute, a cabaret series created as a platform to highlight the vast array of vocal talents of the Broadway community, will take place on Monday, May 21st at Flute Bar in Gramercy at 40 E. 20th Street, New York, NY. Performance begins at 8:00pm. This initial installation of The Champagne Set will feature smooth jazz standards. There is no cover charge.

TheatreWorks presents its 60th World Premiere, the GrooveLily musical WHEELHOUSE. The pop-rock trio GrooveLily, creators of the popular TheatreWorks/Off-Broadway hit Striking 12, stars in this irresistible autobiographical musical about traveling tunesmiths in desperate need of a tune-up as they rocket across the country in a worn-out Winnebago.

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 - on Thursday, 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.

Theater producer Daryl Roth, who produced last season's Tony Award-winning revival of The Normal Heart and has presented an unprecedented seven Pulitzer Prize-winning plays on the stage, is set to receive two prestigious honors next month. The Family Equality Council will present Roth with the Hostetter-Habib Family Award for her continued support of the LGBT community. The presentation will take place at the organizations Night at the Pier event tonight, May 8.

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 June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

The Town Hall presents Lea Salonga: The Journey Continues. The Tony and Olivier Award-winning actress and recording artist will perform in concert tonight, Friday, May 4, 2012 at 8pm. Tickets, priced at $55, $50 and $45, are now available via Ticketmaster.com (800-982-2787).

Emily Bergl's brand new show, 'NY I Love You' premiered at New York's historic Cafe Carlyle last night, May 1, and will play through May 12, 2012. View photos below!