Desi Oakley News

Week Two's performances included Waitress, Come From Away, Beetlejuice, Chicago, and Jersey Boys!

Today's top stories: go behind the scenes of the upcoming Cats film, Beautiful will end its run in October, all new Moulin Rouge! photos, and more!

Broadway in Bryant Park is back! 106.7 LITE FM's popular series will bring the best of Broadway and Off-Broadway together for FREE performances, for six consecutive weeks, continuing today, July 18, to Thursday, August 15. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple are invited to come at 11 a.m. every Thursday, beginning July 11 through August 15, with performances running from 12:30 p.m. EST - 1:30 p.m. EST on the Bryant Park Stage.

This week's performances will feature the casts of WAITRESS (Shoshana Bean, Brandon Kalm, Charity Angel Dawson, Dayna Dantzler, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Max Kumangai, Tyrone Davis Jr.); CHICAGO (Lana Gordon, Desi Oakley, Eddie Bennett, Gary Cooper, Jessica Ernest, Dan Gutierrez, Mary Claire King, Barrett Martin, Pilar Millhollen, Drew Nellessen, Beth Nicely, Rachel Schur, Colt Weiss); BEETLEJUICE (Alex Brightman, Sophia Anne Caruso, Natalie Charle Ellis, Sean Montgomery); COME FROM AWAY (Josh Breckenridge, Petrina Bromley, Holly Ann Butler, De'Lon Grant, John Jellison, Tony LePage, Julie Reiber, Pearl Sun, Astrid Van Wieren, Jim Walton); JERSEY BOYS (Austin Colby, Aaron de Jesus, Mark Edwards, John Gardiner, Dianna Barger, Amanda Dela Cruz, Olivia Valli).

For the first time in the history of the legendary Diner en Blanc in the U.S., over 5,500 lucky guests will be treated to some heavyweight Broadway stars belting out theatre tunes when the hugely popular event returns to New York on July 17th.

On Monday night, 16 Broadway stars were featured in Broadway Sings Ariana Grande, the latest concert in the Broadway Sings concert series at Sony Hall. The tribute concerts take the music of well-known music icons and create new, unique arrangements and orchestrations by twisting the style to fit the strength of the performer. On July 29, the series will continue with its spinoff concert, Unplugged, in which Alanis Morissette will be honored at The Green Room 42.

This Month, FEINSTEIN'S54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.comFeinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

The Ensemblist, the online advocate for talented artists working in theatre ensembles, recently launched three new podcast mini-series: "College Prep," "My First Time," and "Let's Talk About Auditions."

Broadway talents including Desi Oakley (Chicago), Ryann Redmond (Frozen), and Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening) complete the lineup for the next installment of the acclaimed Broadway Sings concert series, honoring the pop superstar Ariana Grande. Cast members from Broadway shows including Moulin Rouge, Head Over Heels, and Summer will sing completely new arrangements of the hits of the Grammy Award winning singer, accompanied by a 14-piece orchestra playing original orchestrations of her music.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford in Sunday in the Park with George in London, Desi Oakley returns to Chicago, and more!

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway cast twice monthly. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida, Footloose, Dance Captain Dance Attack web series) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. This Thursday night, June 6th Broadway Sessions will offer up a sneak peek of the upcoming BROADWAY BUSKERS concert series in Times Square.

Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with its next edition of AT THIS PERFORMANCE… to be held on Monday, June 3rd at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM. Hosted by series Producing Artistic Director and Casting Director Stephen DeAngelis, the popular series allows performers to showcase their versatility and share anecdotes about their experiences.

Broadway star Desi Oakley (Chicago, Wicked, Waitress tour) makes her Feinstein's/54 Below solo debut!

This summer, Times Square will once again celebrate New York City's talent, culture, and creativity with concert series on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, ambient music at lunch and happy hour, and coloring and drawing activities for all ages on Wednesdays throughout the summer.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Kick off a new week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Happy Friday! Close out another week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

Chicago announced today that actress Desi Oakley will join the Broadway production in the role of "Roxie Hart" for six weeks of performances at the Ambassador Theatre

AT THIS PERFORMANCE… returns featuring Standbys and Understudies from BE MORE CHILL; HADESTOWN; DEAR EVAN HANSEN; MEAN GIRLS; CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and HOLIDAY INN on MONDAY, MAY 6TH at 7 PM.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, raised a record $1.4 million in support of the theater's artistic, community, and education programs at its annual fundraising gala held last Monday, April 1. More than 500 guests attended the event at the Boch Center Wang Theatre that celebrated Paulus' 10th anniversary season and honored Harvard President Emerita Drew Gilpin Faust with the theater's Angel Award.