Ethel Merman News

Broadway actress Michele Ragusa (Young Frankenstein, Urinetown, Ragtime) is no stranger to taking on major roles in the world of musical theater as she did when she took over for Megan Mullally in Young Frankenstein or when she was a replacement in Urinetown covering the roles of Penny and Hope. But now, Ragusa has taken on an iconic role that not only seems to suit her, but one that critics are raving about. The role, made famous by the legendary Ethel Merman is of course Mama Rose in Gypsy. Ragusa is currently playing the 'ultimate show business mother' at The Hangar Theater (which took home 9 awards at the 2012 Broadway World Awards) through this weekend. Scroll down for a first look at her in action!

NiCori Studios and Productions in association with Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center announces a new installment of the monthly concert series, 'Music at the Mansion', on Sunday,July 28, at 3 p.m. Performers include Gerardo 'Gerry' Mastrolia, Members of Opera Theatre of Montclair under the Direction of Mia Riker Norrie, and Lisa Viggiano. The featured performer in the 'Young Musician Moment' will be Amber Smith.

Klea Blackhurst talks about her career, Jerry Herman and starring in HELLO, DOLLY! at the Goodspeed Opera House

Classic musicals, comedy and drama are all on the lineup for the 2014 Hershey Area Playhouse season including: The Fantasticks, February 13-16, 20-23, 2014; Leading Ladies , April 24-27, May 1-4, 2014; Gypsy, July 17-20, 24-27, 2014, Ten Little Indians, October 9-12, 16-19, 2014 and A Christmas Carol (Traditional), December 4-7, 11-14, 2014.

A public memorial for actress Helen Hanft will be held on tonight, July 14 at 7 PM in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 W. 43 St. (Ninth Ave. building).

Everything's coming up roses July 17, as Maine State Music Theatre continues its 55th season of professional musical theater at the Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin campus in Brunswick, Maine with the smash musical fable, Gypsy. Scroll down for a sneak peek at Mama Rose and Gypsy Rose Lee!

Legendary Broadway stars will be coming to Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center in an intimate cabaret setting starting tonight, July 13.

About halfway through Jim Brochu's Saturday, June 29 performance at the Metropolitan Room of his new show Character Man, I realized I was witnessing what was probably the best cabaret show I'd seen this year, and perhaps was one of the best in my almost three years of reviewing cabaret. By the time the show ended, I had changed my mind. Not because the show fell apart in the second half, but because what Jim Brochu had created (and is opening tonight at the Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs, Florida, where it will be performed until August 11) was more than a cabaret show. Character Man is a delightful, extremely well-crafted Off-Broadway theater piece that is destined for a run that might rival his critically-acclaimed one-man Zero Mostel tribute show, Zero Hour, which played throughout the country between 2006-2012 and earned Brochu 2010 Drama Desk and Helen Hayes Awards.

Annie Get Your Gun is playing July 25-27 and August 1-3 at Longwood Gardens Open Air Theater. All shows begin at 8:30 pm.

Direct from Houston, Texas, L. Robert Westeen presents, at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, his new one-man show, Cocaine and Ethel Merman: the New Homo Guide.

The Show Goes On Productions (TSGO) is proud to present another theatrical concert in its ROCK TONIC Series, tonight, July 3rd, 2013 at 8:00pm EST.

Dolly looks swell as ever as Goodspeed Musicals brings everyone's favorite meddlesome matchmaker to its main stage. Hello, Dolly! will run from tonight, June 28 - September 14 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. Official Press Opening will be July 17, 2013.

The Drama Desk Award-winning Celebrity Autobiography returned to Stage 72 (formerly the Triad Theater) with its new edition, Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter, on Saturday, June 15 at 9:30pm and Monday, June 17 at 7:30pm. Check out a look back below!

A public memorial for actress Helen Hanft will be held on Sunday, July 14 at 7 PM in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 W. 43 St. (Ninth Ave. building).

I've often said that one of the best kept local theater secrets in Columbus can be found tucked away in the unobtrusive studios of the Vern Riffe Center downtown. CATCO's 'Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits: Vol. 1' might be the game changer though, because as soon as word gets out about this hilariously funny and exceptionally well cast production, there is really no chance that CATCO can be overlooked this summer.

Legendary Broadway stars will be coming to Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center in an intimate cabaret setting starting in July.

The Drama Desk Award-winning Celebrity Autobiography returns to Stage 72 (formerly the Triad Theater (158 West 72 Street) with its new edition, Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter tonight, June 17 at 7:30pm.

The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation presents Musical Theatre Guild's GIRL CRAZY in the Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre at 3:00 p.m. today, June 16, 2013. This performance will conclude the Musical Theatre Guild's 17th season.

The Drama Desk Award-winning Celebrity Autobiography returns to Stage 72 (formerly the Triad Theater (158 West 72 Street) with its new edition, Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter, tonight, June 15 at 9:30pm and Monday, June 17 at 7:30pm.

The theater season hardly takes a break in Connecticut during the summer and we have some great shows coming up.