Doris Day News

This summer, audiences are invited to visit the Huron Country Playhouse to jump and jive withan original production that swings, scats, stomps, and soars through the most memorable tunes of the greatest crooners and songbirds. The Canadian premiere of Big Band Legends runs for three weeks beginning tonight, June 27th through July 14th.

On Thursday, three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Richard Adler passed away at the ripe old age of 90. Responsible for two of the biggest Broadway smash hits of the 1950s, THE PAJAMA GAME and GAMN YANKEES, Adler never quite managed to equal his career-high double-hitter of that era, yet his earlier work with Tony Bennett ('Rags To Riches'), Doris Day ('Everybody Loves A Lover') and Marilyn Monroe (the iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President') surely shall solidify his place in the firmament of entertainment history along with his two classic musicals from the Golden Age. Winning both Best Score and Best Musical for both THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES, Adler's partnership with lyricist Jerry Ross - which began on Broadway in 1953 with JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON'S ALMANAC - was tragically cut short just months after the DAMN YANKEES premiere when Ross was diagnosed with lung disease and passed away soon thereafter. Yet, thanks to the beloved film versions of THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES and continued interest in the entities as expressed in the revivals and reappraisals of both onstage from Broadway to Biloxi to Bombay year after year, the snappy, snazzy tunes of Adler and Ross live on eight times a week all around the world - even now, more than fifty years after they premiered. Unfortunately, Adler's subsequent shows with other collaborators post-1955 failed to capture the early magic of his previous projects with Ross and his earlier musical and theatrical endeavors in the pop arena, with the racially charged KWAMINA flopping on Broadway in 1961 (though he took home a Best Composer Tony Award for his efforts anyway) and the awkwardly titled MUSIC IS failing to recreate the magic of its source material, Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, in 1976. A MOTER'S KISSES, starring Bea Arthur and a young Bernadette Peters, died on the road, as well. In the intervening years, Adler attempted musical adaptations taken from a number of intriguing sources - OF HUMAN BONDAGE and others among them - though only his ballet scores seemed to reach an audience; particularly his last, commissioned for a new production of Lorca's THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA in 1998. Of course, THE PAJAMA GAME has had two Broadway revivals - most recently the rapturously received Kathleen Marshall-directed production starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara; and DAMN YANKEES famously returned to the Great White Way with much ado in 1994 starring Victor Garber. Now seems particularly ripe for remounting YANKEES, as we approach twenty years in its absence - especially given the musical's seriously smashing showing at Encores! in 2007. Who knows, perhaps some risky producer will even take a chance on a new production of KWAMINA, MUSIC IS, A MOTHER'S KISSES or one of the bottom drawer shows someday soon to see if they possess any of the limitless potential shown by Adler's earlier work. Or maybe a stage treatment of his TV musical GIFT OF THE MAGI (originally composed for then-wife Sally Ann Howes)? Or, better yet, how about a revue? What a stupendous songstack Adler created over the course of his career - 'Whatever Lola Wants' to 'Hey There' to 'Hernando's Hideaway' to 'You Gotta Have Heart' to 'Steam Heat' to the aforementioned Bennett, Day and Monroe standards and so many more chestnuts.

This summer, audiences are invited to visit the Huron Country Playhouse to jump and jive withan original production that swings, scats, stomps, and soars through the most memorable tunes of the greatest crooners and songbirds. The Canadian premiere of Big Band Legends runs for three weeks beginning June 27th through July 14th.

Acclaimed vocalist, recording artist and actress Karen Mason heads into Chicago to perform her new one-woman show The Secrets Of The Ancient Divas before heading to Broadway to star as Mrs. Danvers in the upcoming musical Rebecca. Mason will be appearing at Davenport's, 1383 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, the city's premier venue for intimate, live performances, will take place tonight, June 13 - Monday, June 18.

Acclaimed vocalist, recording artist and actress Karen Mason heads into Chicago to perform her new one-woman show The Secrets Of The Ancient Divas before heading to Broadway to star as Mrs. Danvers in the upcoming musical Rebecca. Mason will be appearing at Davenport's, 1383 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, the city's premier venue for intimate, live performances, will take place Wednesday, June 13 - Monday, June 18.

To close out the 2012 season of 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists, Rex Reed pays tribute to the studio that gave us such iconic movie musicals as 42nd Street, Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Star is Born and My Fair Lady.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of Broadway and Hollywood legend, Janis Paige for two nights only tonight May 20 and May 21.

Baltimore welcomes E. Faye Butler in her all-new act, 'What a Difference a Diva Makes'.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of British West End TV and singing star, MELANIE STACE on June 3-4 and September 16-17.

After 2011 seasons at Her Majesty's in Melbourne and Sydney's Lyric Theatre, Australia's own Melinda Schneider steps back into the shoes of American musical icon Doris Day for one special encore performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Friday 13 April at 8pm.

Supported by a superb 10-piece orchestra (including six horn players), Catherine Russell's set at the Allen Room for Jazz at Lincoln Center was a tribute to songs her dad Luis recorded or performed with the great Louis Armstrong from the late 1920s through the 1930s. By the end of her show, Russell had clearly proven that she has become one of the finest interpreters of jazz and blues on the contemporary music scene.

Despite its predictability The Man with the Pointed Toes is an endearingly frothy romantic comedy a lot like the ones that Doris Day used to make in the 60s with James Garner or Rock Hudson. That's because Lynn and Helen Root, two prolific Broadway and Hollywood screen writers from the golden age and before, penned The Man with the Pointed Toes originally as a TV special in the 60s. Afterwards it was mounted as a play for the first time at Glendale Centre Theatre. It has that unmistakable old style comedic flair that just isn't seen anymore. It involves a triangle with two women, one conniving, out to get what she wants and the other, tried and true to a fault and the man too gullible to see the forest from the trees, until the end of course. Now revived onstage at the Glendale Centre Theatre, Pointed Toes has a fab cast, razor sharp direction from Allan Dietlein, who also directed it originally, and comes up a blue-ribbon winner.

Janis Siegel, Laurel Masse, and Lauren Kinhan, who form the singing group JaLaLa, recently wowed a packed Joe's Pub with a tight 75-minute program that was short on patter but long on wonderful harmonic collaboration, reminiscent of the great girl groups from the Boswell Sisters in the 1930 to The Ronettes and The Chiffons in the '60s.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of Broadway and Hollywood star, JANIS PAIGE for two nights only on May 20 and May 21. For her one-woman show, Paige shares favorite songs and recounts tales from her lifetime in show business -- from achieving a dream of Hollywood stardom to her leading roles on Broadway, the famous people who influenced her life and career, her personal and professional triumphs, and the losses and laughs of a long and highly-successful career. Ms. Paige will appear for two shows only at the Loews Regency Hotel.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of Broadway and Hollywood legend, Janis Paige for two nights only on May 20 and May 21.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency continues its Winter / Spring 2012 season with Nellie McKay and her new show "Silent Spring - It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature" from March 20 to 31. Check out photos from her opening night engagement below!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Sony Masterworks and Warner Home Video (WHV) are teaming up on a multi-tiered celebration of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars: Doris Day. The celebration includes a new four-movie DVD package of memorable Day performance from WHV (releasing March 13); a brand new double CD set from Sony Masterworks (releasing April 3), with a collection of 31 songs curated by Day herself; and a five-night salute on TCM (April 2-6) This multi-pronged Doris Day tribute is timed to coincide with her birthday on April 3.

Hollywood and Broadway award-winners Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecchi, and Lee Roy Reams are to star in "Doin' It For Love," a Broadway-style tribute to the standards and the stories behind the music. Celebrating the finale of its Southwest Tour in Los Angeles on March 9 and 10, "Doin' It For Love" features a 10-piece orchestra conducted onstage by David Geist, the show's music director. Hilary Knight, the internationally renowned artist and illustrator, designed the poster art and collectables for the show. The profits from "Doin' It For Love" will go to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Investigation and Rescue Fund supporting undercover investigations and animal rescue efforts.

Actress/singer/comedienne Kaye Ballard remains one of the great living legends of stage, screen and television. She did comedy and sang with bandleader Spike Jones. She was the costar of TV's The Mothers-In-Law and The Doris Day Show, and the very funny film The Ritz among many others and too many Broadway musicals and road shows to mention. This lady brings mirth and goodwill wherever she appears. Animals are close to her heart, so it is no wonder that she, Lee Roy Reams and Liliane Montevecchi are mounting Doin' It For Love, for two nights only at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre March 9 and 10 to benefit PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In our chat she talks about PETA, her love of animals and offers choice bits about her accomplishments and costars.