Debbie Allen News

Woodie King, Jr., Founder and Producing Director of New Federal Theatre (NFT), will retire from leadership of the famed theater company on June 30, 2021, handing the baton to NFT's newly appointed Artistic Director, Elizabeth Van Dyke.

In the 2020-2021 season, “Grey’s Anatomy” ranks as the No. 1 entertainment series among Adults 18-49 and as ABC’s No. 1 show this season in both Total Viewers (8.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.0/12).

Guests include Debbie Allen, Sofia Carson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenna Dewan, Sheila E., Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Betsey Johnson, Billie Jean King, Tig Notaro, Raven-Symoné and Josie Totah.

The play centers on Brick, a former athlete turned alcoholic, his sexually frustrated wife Maggie, and Big Daddy, the ailing and wealthy family patriarch.

The “Spotlight on Plays” series has announced Emmy Award winner Eric McCormack and Brandon Burton will join previously announced star Mary-Louise Parker in Paula Vogel’s The Baltimore Waltz, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.  The Baltimore Waltz will premiere on Thursday, April 29 at 8PM EST/5PM PST and will be available for a limited time only.

Mercury Theater Chicago announces reopening with new leadership. Mercury Theater owners have restructured for the future and are preparing the theater for a reopening.

On Thursday, April 8 at 8pm ET,  'Spotlight on Plays' will continue with Pearl Cleage's Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous. Camille A. Brown (Choir Boy) directs Debbie Allen as 'Betty,' Phylicia Rashad as 'Anna,' Heather Alicia Simms as 'Kate' and Alicia Stith as 'Pete.' While we await the big night, study up on the company with BroadwayWorld's Stage Mag!

Broadway Backwards, the annual event where gender doesn't matter but love does, made its virtual premiere earlier this week with special appeals from Chasten Buttigieg, Ariana DeBose, Debra Messing, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tony Shalhoub and Ben Vereen. The stream will be available on demand through 11:59pm tonight, April 3.

The virtual edition of Broadway Backwards delivered an emotional and exuberant evening of performances and raised a record $749,555 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

“You Will Be Found” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul is performed by Jenn Colella, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Cast Amy Adams, James Monroe Iglehart, Cheyenne Jackson, L Morgan Lee, Raymond J. Lee, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Ruthie Ann Miles, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and many more!

BroadwayWorld rounds up the top performing arts schools in Washington, DC.

Broadway Backwards, the annual event where gender doesn’t matter but love does, is set to make its virtual premiere this Tuesday, March 30, 2021, with special appeals from Chasten Buttigieg, Ariana DeBose, Debra Messing, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tony Shalhoub and Ben Vereen.

Six of the most lauded and influential performing artists across the worlds of pop, hip-hop, jazz, musical theater, and classical music will receive honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee in virtual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 8.

The spring “Spotlight on Plays” series will soon welcome six celebrated, award-winning actresses. Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn & SAG nominee Carla Gugino will star in Watch on the Rhine, Emmy Award winner Kathryn Hahn will star in The Sisters Rosenweig, Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will star in Ohio State Murders, Tony Award winner Mary-Louise Parker will star in The Baltimore Waltz and Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will star in Dear Elizabeth.

A cavalcade of beloved Broadway, television and film stars have joined the roster of performers for the virtual edition of Broadway Backwards, the show where gender doesn’t matter but love does. The stream premieres at 8 pm Eastern on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.  

Watch the trailer and find out how to watch the first two plays in the spring “Spotlight on Plays” series which will premiere with Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play on Thursday, March 25 and Pearl Cleage’s Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous on Thursday, April 9.

Jeffrey Richards has just announced Broadway’s Best Shows, a home for entertaining, engaging content, long form features and exclusive access to Broadway’s Best, will continue its “Spotlight on Plays” series this spring on Thursday, March 25, 2021 to benefit The Actors Fund.

“My favorite part about releasing my own music is that it’s a bit of a time capsule into my emotions,” notes Parx. “When I listen to ‘Sad’ now it’s so funny that somebody could affect me so much so, that I wrote this quirky song about it. Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest reaction, but it was my own coping mechanism at the time.”

Whether art imitates life or life imitates art, Tislarm Bouie is using all the parts of himself in his dance film 'Thug'.

Today's top stories: Santino Fontana's concert with Seth Rudetsky re-airs today at 3pm, Jessica Lowndes and Jeremy Jordan collaborate on new song 'Alive', upcoming film adaptation of The Beast in the Jungle directed by Susan Stroman and starring Frank Langella, and more!