Elaine Stritch News

I just got back from Avery Fisher Hall, where Frank Rich was partaking in a fireside chat (sans fireside) with Stephen Sondheim. I scribbled down as much as I could from the 90 minute conversation. Some of the more interesting topics included the inability for most theatre critics to critique the music in a musical and the greater gratification Sondheim gets from composition than lyric writing because of the way language can restrict him from expressing exactly what he wants to say. ('There are very few lyrics that are perfect lyrics.') I wish there was more time to discuss his observation that Jerry Bock's music has the same edginess as Fred Ebb's lyrics and John Kander's outpouring of music matches Sheldon Harnick's elegant lyrics, giving great dramatic tension to the songs of both teams.

The daffy and delightful Christine Pedi's newest cabaret concoction, the Jolly Holly Christmas Folly is an inviting cocktail mixing old favorites with a few new routines; very merry, raucously funny and abundantly cheery.

As a disheartening number of shows are closing, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) opens up possibilities for tomorrow?s productions with an all-day intensive workshop about crucial aspects of raising money for theater on Saturday, January 24 from 10am?6pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street (below W. 3rd Street), NYC. It?s a tough economy, no doubt about it. All the more reason why people need support and the skills to go about the business of producing. Attendees will acquire basic tools and information that will help them to function effectively in these times and the better days that are surely ahead. From networking techniques to legal requirements and effective business planning, plus a wealth of first-hand experience from more than a half dozen producers who are currently active in the Broadway and off-Broadway worlds, TRU promises an informative, empowering and inspiring day.

Two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole returns to the legendary Caf? Carlyle for the first time since her critically acclaimed 2002 debut. She opened last night Tuesday, January 20, 2009 and BroadwayWorld was there to mix and mingle with the very starry crowd. The evening includes songs by Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac - and even a little bit of opera. John Oddo (Musical Director) leads a quintet. Tony Award-winner Scott Wittman directs. The Caf? Carlyle is located in The Carlyle Hotel - 35 East 76th Street at Madison Avenue. The performance schedule is: Tuesday-Saturday at 8:45 PM with additional shows at 10:45 PM on Saturday, January 23rd, Friday, January 30th & Saturday January 31st. There will no performance on Tuesday, January 27th. There is a $50 music charge for the Tuesday-Thursday performances and a $65 music charge for the Friday and Saturday performances. Dinner is served from 6:30PM. For reservations please call 212-744-1600.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, January 19, 2009.

As a disheartening number of shows are closing, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) opens up possibilities for tomorrow?s productions with an all-day intensive workshop about crucial aspects of raising money for theater on Saturday, January 24 from 10am?6pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street (below W. 3rd Street), NYC. It?s a tough economy, no doubt about it. All the more reason why people need support and the skills to go about the business of producing. Attendees will acquire basic tools and information that will help them to function effectively in these times and the better days that are surely ahead. From networking techniques to legal requirements and effective business planning, plus a wealth of first-hand experience from more than a half dozen producers who are currently active in the Broadway and off-Broadway worlds, TRU promises an informative, empowering and inspiring day.

Week three of Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook brings to The Allen Room a soulful tribute to black music, a bluegrass legend, a genre-busting singer and the concert debut of a gifted actor, all celebrating the diversity of American popular song. On February 4th Soul Deep, an ensemble of some of the top black singers from Broadway and beyond will perform music - black music - that is the basis for most of the popular music heard today. The next night, bluegrass reigns with The Del McCoury Band (top right), who started out in the 1960s and remain so on top of their game that their latest CD is nominated for a 2009 Grammy. A new voice on the scene, and one that is electrifying all within range, is Lizz Wright (bottom left), who performs two shows on February 6th. She will perform songs from The Orchard, her third CD, as well as other pieces that shine with her expressive treatment. Next up on February 7th is the concert debut of the always surprising actor Alan Cumming (bottom right). Equally at ease in film and on the stage, this classically-trained star has never sung a concert before, and he has selected Dolly Parton and Cindi Lauper tunes, among others, to celebrate this new dimension in his career. American Songbook is presented in the spectacular Allen Room of Frederick P. Rose Hall. The Allen Room possesses one of New York's greatest settings - a stunning vista of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline provides an evocative backdrop for the performers.

The Tony Award-winning actress ELAINE STRITCH will honored for her 'achievements and humanity' at Theater for the New City's 6th annual LOVE 'N' COURAGE benefit for the theater's Emerging Playwrights Program, it has been announced by Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director of Theater for the New City. Co-hosted by playwright and actor CHARLES BUSCH and actress JULIE HALSTON, this year's benefit will take place at the beautiful National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South), on Monday, February 9, with cocktails beginning at 6:30pm, followed by dinner and performances.

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns in January for its eleventh season celebrating the diversity of American popular song. For 17 nights of pop, folk, cabaret, R&B, country, rock, show tunes, bluegrass and multimedia, the series will explore the best of the golden age of musical standards through to today's most dynamic contemporary songwriting. The 2009 season - January 14 through March 6 - will bring to the stage some of today's most gifted interpreters of song, including top vocalist Kurt Elling and country's winning Patty Loveless. It will feature the rare opportunity to hear Paulo Szot, star of Broadway's South Pacific, and film and stage star Alan Cumming, in intimate concert settings.

As a disheartening number of shows are closing, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) opens up possibilities for tomorrow's productions with an all-day intensive workshop about crucial aspects of raising money for theater on Saturday, January 24 from 10am-6pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street (below W. 3rd Street), NYC.

The second week of Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook brings to the Allen Room stage a jazz great, a new singer/songwriter, a country music classic and Broadway's newest heartthrob, all celebrating the diversity of American popular song. Singer Kurt Elling will re-create the standout recording that singer Johnny Hartman made in 1963 of the music of John Coltrane. Saxophonist Ernie Watts, The Laurence Hobgood Trio and the string quartet ETHEL will join Elling for this show, entitled Dedicated to You.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) seeks submissions for the 11th Annual TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series (deadline December 29, 2008). The TRU VOICES New Plays Reading Series is a unique series geared towards producers who have an interest in developing new plays. Shows selected will receive staged readings to be presented in the spring of 2009. Each reading will be followed by a 'Dollars and Sense' panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the work. The series was created to help develop new plays and to help producers develop the skills needed to produce new works.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Saturday, December 27, 2008.

Broadway, film, and television stars including - Alec Baldwin '94 (30 Rock), Broadway legend Elaine Stritch (At Liberty), Rainn Wilson '89 (The Office) and Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) - were all on hand at Tisch on Stage, the annual gala benefiting NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Baldwin, along with philanthropist and patron of the arts Iris Cantor; inventor, philanthropist, and patron of Tisch's Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Maurice Kanbar; and 'architect of American regional theater' Zelda Fichandler were honored at the gala on November 17th at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The Cardinal Group (D.H. Johnson & Richard Pepenella) present 'Avow' by Bill C. Davis, Off Broadway at the 45th Street Theatre, 354 West 45 Street. Previews begin on Thursday, February 19, 2009 and the opening is Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00 pm for the limited Off Broadway engagement which takes a timely and poignant look at contemporary religion's role in shaping social issues.

On Monday, January 26 at 7 PM, the 7th Annual Nightlife Awards Concert, hailed as 'The Nightclub World's Equivalent of the Tony's' by Stephen Holden of the New York Times, returns once again with the most -- and the best -- entertainment of any awards show in the world. The reason is simple: there are no acceptance speeches at The Nightlife Awards.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) is thrilled to host the NYC premiere of Simon Green Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noel. Simon Green Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noel began performances on Sunday, December 14 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 4. There was a special Noel Coward Birthday Celebration Performance on Tuesday, December 16 at 8:30 PM, which included a champagne toast, birthday cake and special guest theatre icon Elaine Stritch.

Producer Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and co-producers Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory announced the complete cast and design team for the new Broadway production of the greatest musical comedy GUYS AND DOLLS. The first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, GUYS AND DOLLS will begin previews on February 3, 2009 at Broadway's newly refurbished Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Opening Night is March 1, 2009.

59E59 Theaters' Holiday E:Café toasts the Festive season with SIMON GREEN Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noël

The Stella Adler Studio welcomes Louis Jenkins for a poetry reading on Friday, December 12 at 1:00 pm. The reading is presented by The Harold Clurman Center for Poetry, Poetic Drama and the Spoken Word and is free and open to the public. Jenkins will read from his latest book, European Shoes (Will o' the Wisp Books), which was released this month. Jenkins will also be available to sign copies of the book.