Fanny Brice News

With previews in full swing at the Savoy Theatre, director Michael Mayer continues to polish the new revival of FUNNY GIRL, starring Sheridan Smith, which premiered at Menier Chocolate Factory.

New York's venerable 13th Street Repertory Company is the only theater company in the world headed by a centenarian.

Following a sold-out Menier Chocolate Factory run, Sheridan Smith leads Michael Mayer's production of FUNNY GIRL into the West End. The Broadway classic is now playing at the Savoy Theatre, booking until October 8. As well as Smith's Fanny Brice, it features Darius Campbell as Nicky Arnstein, Marilyn Cutts as Mrs Brice, Maurice Lane as Mr Keeney, Valda Aviks as Mrs Meeker, Gay Soper as Mrs Strakosh, Natasha J Barnes as Emma/Mrs Nadler, Bruce Montague as Florenz Ziegfeld, and Joel Montague as Eddie Ryan.

After breaking box office records with the comedy 'Murder at the Howard Johnson's and Broadway Musical Revue, 'PUTTIN' ON THE GLITZ!', Jimmy Ferraro's STUDIO THEATRE (5732 Main Street, New Port Richey, FL 34652) presents the uproarious comedy 'COOKIN' WITH GUS', April 15th through May 15th, 2016.

On last night's LATE NIGHT, guest Savion Glove talked about choreographing the new Broadway musical SHUFFLE ALONG.

The West End transfer of Funny Girl, receives its first preview tomorrow night, 9 April 2016 - with opening night on 20 April, at the Savoy Theatre. Michael Mayer directs Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice, Darius Campbell as Nicky Arnstein, Marilyn Cutts as Mrs Brice, Maurice Lane as Mr Keeney, Valda Aviks as Mrs Meeker, Gay Soper as Mrs Strakosh, Natasha J Barnes as Emma/Mrs Nadler, Bruce Montague as Florenz Ziegfeld, and Joel Montague as Eddie Ryan.                

?Funny Girl took the world by storm as a Broadway musical in 1964 starring Barbra Streisand, was adapted into a movie musical in 1968 where Barbra reprised her role and now it is hitting the Broadway Palm stage from April 7 through May 14, 2016. It's a production full of big musical numbers along with big personalities!

The idea for Nunsense, the whimsical musical about five wacky but lovable nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken, came to creator Dan Goggin from an unexpected quarter. A friend had presented Goggin with a mannequin dressed as a Dominican nun in traditional habit, with the idea that it would be fun to feature a photograph of the mannequin and Goggin as part of a greeting card. The cards were a success and so, having worked in theater since 1963, Goggin decided to emulate Pygmalion by bringing the mannequin to life. The first Nunsense production opened in 1983 with a cast featuring three nuns, a priest, and a brother. The show featured sketches written by a friend, Steve Hayes, but in order to move the show to Off-Broadway, they had to have an actual 'book' to replace the sketches. It was at this time that the priest and the brother became additional nuns and a story was written to tie all of Goggin's songs together. The expanded Nunsense won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and ten years and 3,672 performances later, it ended its original run, becoming second in longevity only to The Fantasticks for an Off-Broadway show. Since then, there have been over 8,000 productions of Nunsense around the world, with the show translated into twenty languages and a half-dozen sequels following in its wake. What makes Nunsense so universally loved? Simple. It's funny, the songs are cute and singable, and the good feelings inherent in the show's believable characters are infectious.

Have a backstage visit with Audra McDonald after enjoying SHUFFLE ALONG from house seats.

There were no original cast albums in 1921, so this scene by scene synopsis of the original SHUFFLE ALONG is augmented by various recordings of songs from the score.

Just in, Broadway's SHUFFLE ALONG has canceled a third preview performance slated for tonight, March 23rd, at the Music Box Theatre, due to the illness of Audra McDonald.

Just in, Broadway's SHUFFLE ALONG has canceled a second preview performance slated for tonight, March 22nd, at the Music Box Theatre. A notification -- without any explanation for the last-minute change -- was sent to ticket buyers.

Bill Hanney's award winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) has announced that recording artist and Broadway veteran Shoshana Bean has been cast as Fanny Brice in an all new production of FUNNY GIRL opening Tuesday, June 7 and playing thru Sunday, June 19, 2016. The full cast will be announced at a later date.

Performances begin tonight, March 15, for Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, the new production that presents both the 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles, to create this groundbreaking work.

Performances begin tomorow, Tuesday, March 15, for SHUFFLE ALONG Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, the new production that presents both the 1921 musical itself, and additionally details the events that catalyzed the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles, to create this groundbreaking work. SHUFFLE ALONG has a new book and is directed by George C. Wolfe, choreographed by Savion Glover, and stars six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Tony Award winners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter, and Tony Award nominees Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry, heading a cast of 34. Opening night is Thursday, April 28 at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45 Street).

Bill Hanney's award winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) has announced that recording artist and Broadway veteran Shoshana Bean has been cast as Fanny Brice in an all new production of FUNNY GIRL opening Tuesday, June 7 and playing thru Sunday, June 19, 2016. The full cast will be announced at a later date.

 Berkeley Playhouse at the historic Julia Morgan Theater continues their most acclaimed season yet, with The Addams Family. The show isdirected and choreographed by long time Berkeley Playhouse associate Kimberly Dooley (Berkeley Playhouse's Mary Poppins, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Wiz, Suessical the Musical.). Previews begin March 24. The show runs from March 26 to April 17 at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave in Berkeley, CA. Tickets are now available through the Box Office. Please call (510) 845-8542 x351 or visit berkeleyplayhouse.org.

Today Jeanne Pratt AC, Chairman of The Production Company, announced her Company's 2016 season, starring CAROLINE O'CONNOR, DAVID HOBSON, NANCYE HAYES, SIMON GLEESON, AMY LEHPAMER AND TODD McKENNEY.

Lainie Kazan, award-winning movie, television and Broadway actress, is also a popular cabaret singer who will soon be starring in the much anticipated sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, to be released just days before she appears live at QPAC in Lanie Kazan and Dick Capri on Sunday, April 3 at 3:00 PM.

Theatre fans love to fantasy cast revivals, but what if the show you're casting played on Broadway earlier than it actually did.