Donna McKechnie News

Today we are taking a look at the extended streak of genius exhibited by Stephen Sondheim, along with director/producer Hal Prince, following the resounding success of COMPANY in 1970. Throughout the rest of the 70s they would continue to change the form of theatre itself with four momentous musicals tackling every topic from aging showgirls singing one last tune to Ingmar Bergman sunsets and a topic for a concept musical no less epic than the westernization of Japan in the wake of Commodore Perry - plus, who could forget the remorseful Barber and his knife (or should that be “wife“?). Without question, these are four richly-encrusted crowning achievements of a legendary career and these musical jewels are still sparkling and shining, as glistening and beautiful as ever dazzling us and enticing us to inspect them closer...

In honor of Margaret Wise Brown's 100th Birthday, The InterSchool Orchestra of New York (ISO) (www.isorch.org) in association with GPR Records (Glen Roven, Peter Fitzgerald, Richard Cohen, artistic directors) have announced a live concert based on Brown's two best selling children's books Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny.

This week, in honor of the first Broadway revival of the Neil Simon/Hal David/Burt Bacharach musical PROMISES, PROMISES starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth, it seems to be a particularly apropos time to go all the way back to an early Spring day of nearly fifty years ago: April 21, 1968, and that year's Tony Award telecast...

This Stage Limited is delighted to announce three upcoming dates for its new piano bar event Show Off! Show Off!, which had its debut on 6 March 2010 at Cafe Koha, is inspired by the piano bars of New York City. The next three dates for Show Off! will be Saturday 27 March 2010, Friday 16 April 2010 and Saturday 29 May 2010, at Cafe Koha in Covent Garden. The doors will open at 8 p.m. each night, with the live music starting at 9 p.m. Food an drink will be available from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night.

S.T.A.G.E.-the annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event-marks its 26th presentation with a change in concept and a return to a familiar venue. Rather than its traditional salute to the music of a particular composer, this year's S.T.A.G.E. is entitled ORIGINAL CAST and will feature artists from theater, television and cabaret performing songs they originated in musical productions.

A decade of cabaret and there's more to come as the Adelaide Festival Centre and Artistic Director for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, David Campbell, announce the 2010 Adelaide Cabaret Festival program, 11 - 26 June, proudly supported by Principal Partner FOXTEL.

The American Theatre Network is proud to announce the launch of Great Entertainers on Broadway, a new summer series of live performances by some of today's most talented and well known stage, television and cabaret entertainers. The series will be presented in late July and early August at the Times Square Arts Center (TSAC) in the heart of New York City's world famous theatre district.

Kevin Crewell, who starred as Bob Crewe in the Chicago company of Jersey Boys, will be producing Sing For My Sister: A Benefit Concert on May 10.

Broadway's Kevin Crewell will be producing Sing For My Sister: A Benefit Concert on May 10. The event is to feature the talents of Donna McKechnie, Mary Beth Peil, Paige Davis, Will Chase, Aaron Lazar, Felicia Finley, Dan Reichard, Christiane Noll, Robert Petkoff, Steven Goldsmith, Shonn Wiley, Michael Cunio, and Michael Ingersoll.

Here, Donna McKechnie sings 'Where Am I Going?' from SWEET CHARITY.

Today, Saturday, April 10, Tony-winner Donna McKechnie will premiere her new one-woman show, My Musical Comedy Life, at the Springside Inn in Auburn New York. McKechnie, who won a Tony for her performance as Cassie in A Chorus Line, played the inn last night as well. Richard Jay-Alexander will direct the shows with musical direction by Eugene Gwozdz. The series, its inaugral year, is being produced by Barbara Walsh (Thommie's sister), Baayork Lee (who starred in A CHORUS LINE with Thommie) and Merete Muenter. Here, McKechnie and director Jay-Alexander chat with WCNY Connected.

Tomorrow, Friday, April 9, Tony-winner Donna McKechnie will premiere her new one-woman show, My Musical Comedy Life, at the Springside Inn in Auburn New York. McKechnie, who won a Tony for her performance as Cassie in A Chorus Line, will play the Inn through Saturday April 10. Richard Jay-Alexander will direct the shows with musical direction by Eugene Gwozdz.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Jerry Seinfeld Live! hosted by Jason Alexander, for one performance only on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 8:00 pm, at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills (formerly the Wilshire Theatre). This extraordinary event will feature the hilarious comedy of Jerry Seinfeld and will reunite him with Reprise's Artistic Director and the evening's host, Jason Alexander. Ticket sales support Reprise and its mission to produce musical theatre and provide arts education programs for underserved members of our community.

Prolific musical stage director David Galligan helms another S.T.A.G.E. benefit this year for one night only on Saturday, May 1 at the Luckman Theatre entitled Original Cast, featuring stars who originated their roles on Broadway or in LA. Galligan has been interviewed many times over during the past several years, so I was hard put to think of a question that has not been asked of him. Therefore, we got right to the bottom line of what makes this year's different from all the other S.T.A.G.E. shows.

This Stage Limited is delighted to announce three upcoming dates for its new piano bar event Show Off! Show Off!, which had its debut on 6 March 2010 at Cafe Koha, is inspired by the piano bars of New York City. The next three dates for Show Off! will be Saturday 27 March 2010, Friday 16 April 2010 and Saturday 29 May 2010, at Cafe Koha in Covent Garden. The doors will open at 8 p.m. each night, with the live music starting at 9 p.m. Food an drink will be available from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night.

Elaine Stritch and Donna McKechnie stopped in to see GOOD OL' GIRLS which only runs, as scheduled, through April 11th. They meet with the cast after the show.

Reprise Theatre Company's production of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, will play its final performance on March 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

The Springside Inn's new Broadway series will begin on March 36-27 with Keith Thompson's KOOKY TUNES, described as a 'special mélange of comic tales and tunes.' The cast for the production features Patrick DeGennaro, Vanessa A. Jones, Perry Payne, Jay Rogers and Thompson.

S.T.A.G.E.-the annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event-marks its 26th presentation with a change in concept and a return to a familiar venue. Rather than its traditional salute to the music of a particular composer, this year's S.T.A.G.E. is entitled ORIGINAL CAST and will feature artists from theater, television and cabaret performing songs they originated in musical productions.

The cast of Southland Theatre Artists' 26th Annual fundraiser, ORIGINAL CAST, has been announced. The event will take place at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex (5151 State University Drive) on Cal State LA's campus on Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 PM.