Fanny Brice News

Birmingham Hippodrome - the UK's most visited theatre - has today announced details of 10 exciting new titles for 2017 including the return of the Fairy Godmother of all pantomimes, Cinderella.

It's a hit and miss production, but Lauren Buglioli and several cast members stand out.

'The Chip Deffaa Songbook'—a double-album featuring nearly 40 theater songs by ASCAP Award-winning playwright/songwriter Chip Deffaa--is out now.  The two-CD set gathers songs that Deffaa wrote or co-wrote for such shows of his as 'George M. Cohan Tonight!,' 'The Seven Little Foys,'  'Mad About the Boy,' 'Presenting Fanny Brice,' 'The Family that Sings Together,' 'Yankee Doodle Dandy,' 'Song-and-Dance Kids,' and 'Theater Boys.' The set, with a suggested  list price of $17.00, is available from Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, Footlight Records, etc.   It may be ordered here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thechipdeffaasongbook.

Liliane Montevecchi headlines an all-star cast in The Ziegfeld Society of New York City's gala benefit performance of Ziegfeld Follies Of The Air: The New 1934 Live from Broadway Broadcast Revue.

Performances begin this Friday, November 25 for The Illusionists - Turn Of The Century, as the production returns to Broadway for the third consecutive holiday season with a new show designed to transport audiences back to the golden age of magic.

'The Chip Deffaa Songbook'--a two-CD set, featuring nearly 40 theater-songs by ASCAP Award-winning playwright/songwriter  Chip Deffaa--will be released November 30th.  The album features songs that Deffaa wrote or co-wrote for such shows of his as 'Theater Boys,' 'The Seven Little Foys,' 'Mad About the Boy,' 'Yankee Doodle Dandy,' 'The Family That Sings Together,' 'The Fanny Brice Story,' 'Song-and-Dance Kids,' and 'George M. Cohan Tonight!'  

Grab your friends and head out for an evening of humor, heart, and harmony as Chick Flick the Musical comes to The Royal George Theatre Cabaret, 1641 N. Halsted Street in Chicago. This uniquely female-positive new musical begins previews November 1, and opens November 10 for an open run.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, in a recent  interview for Oprah's 'Where Are They Now,' Debbie Gibson recently revealed that during her years as a young performer, she didn't hew as close to squeaky clean as the image that she projected: 'I remember being on the road at, like, 25, touring with theater and doing my own cocktail of Tylenol PM and Xanax,' the actress confessed.

In a rare revival, Conundrum Theatre Company in its inaugural production, is now presenting the 60s' mega Broadway smash Funny Girl. October 29 was Fanny Brice's birthday. her 125th, in fact. So, we remember the great comedic talent of Miss Brice who took the Zigfield Follies by storm and became a huge Broadway and later Hollywood star.

In an interview for Oprah's 'Where Are They Now,' Debbie Gibson recently revealed that during her years as a young performer, she didn't hew as close to squeaky clean as the image that she projected: 'I remember being on the road at, like, 25, touring with theater and doing my own cocktail of Tylenol PM and Xanax,' the actress confessed.

Conundrum Theatre Company premieres the musical classic, FUNNY GIRL at The Colony in Burbank for an extended run of performances from October 29th - November 20th, 2016. Conundrum's inaugural fully staged musical production of Funny Girl is also a joint partnership with the Friends of the Rialto in Pasadena to help restore their historic 90-year old theatre.

The fact that William Finn and James Lapine's 1992 Broadway musical FALSETTOS began as two separate one-act musicals - parts two and three of a trilogy - that premiered Off-Broadway nine years apart makes it unique theatre piece, especially when you consider that the heighted awareness of the AIDS epidemic that occurred during those nine years gave each one, despite being about the same characters, significantly different tones.

Today Wolverhampton Grand Theatre announced a brand new season, including the touring production of sell-out West End musical FUNNY GIRL.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society Presents: Funny Girl. Book by Isobel Lennart, Jule Styne, and Bob Merrill. Music and Lyrics by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. Directed by Butch Caire, musical Direction by Dr. Donna Clavijo, choreography by Lori Flanders, JPAS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Dennis G. Assaf

Conundrum Theatre Company premieres the musical classic, FUNNY GIRL at The Colony in Burbank for an extended run of performances from October 29th - November 20th, 2016. Conundrum's inaugural fully staged musical production of Funny Girl is also a joint partnership with the Friends of the Rialto in Pasadena to help restore their historic 90-year old theatre.

Two major revivals of sorts are occurring at The Historic Rialto Theatre at 1023 Fair Oaks Ave in South Pasadena, Calif.

Today's big news: THE DAILY SHOW's Hasan Minhaj launches a new series on Muslim identity at Joe's Pub, and theaters across Broadway and Off-Broadway dim their lights tonight in honor of Edward Albee!

'America's Got Talent' triumphant runner-up, The Clairvoyants, will star in THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY. Fans will be able to see Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass on Broadway this holiday season. Performances begin November 25, 2016 through January 1, 2017.

Following critically acclaimed and record-breaking sold-out runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Savoy Theatre, Sheridan Smith will reprise her highly praised performance of Fanny Brice at selected venues for the UK tour of Funny Girl - she is set to perform in Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle, Southampton, Bradford, Southend, Cardiff and Dublin. Further casting will be announced shortly, and patrons should check with venues for the performance playing schedule.

Natasha J Barnes who will play the title role of Cinderella, Suzie Chard and Wendy Sommerville who will play The Wicked Stepsisters complete the casting for the London Palladium Pantomime this Christmas. They join the previously announced Paul O'Grady (The Wicked Stepmother), Julian Clary (Dandini), Amanda Holden (The Fairy Godmother), Lee Mead (Prince Charming), Paul Zerdin (Buttons), Nigel Havers (Lord Chamberlain) and Count Arthur Strong (Baron Hardup).