Fred Shuman News

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced the final two directors for the 2012 Encores! season.

New York City Center's 19th Encores! season will open in City Center's newly restored and renovated theater on February 8, 2012 with Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, and will continue with Rodgers and Hammerstein's rarely seen Pipe Dream on March 28¸ followed by Jule Styne and Leo Robin's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on May 9. For the first time, each musical will play for seven performances.

New York City Center honored Walter Bobbie, Kathleen Marshall and Jack Viertel in a benefit celebration hosted by Christopher Fitzgerald on Monday, April 4 at The Plaza Hotel. Highlights from City Center's acclaimed Encores! series were recreated by a star-studded cast that included Jason Danieley, Christopher Fitzgerald, Rebecca Luker, Marin Mazzie, James Naughton, Bebe Neuwirth and Emily Skinner, accompanied by members of the Encores! Orchestra under the musical direction of Rob Berman. The evening benefited New York City Center's artistic and education programs.

New York City Center will honor Walter Bobbie, Kathleen Marshall and Jack Viertel in a benefit celebration hosted by Christopher Fitzgerald on Monday, April 4 at The Plaza Hotel.

New York City Center will honor Walter Bobbie, Kathleen Marshall and Jack Viertel in a benefit celebration hosted by Christopher Fitzgerald on Monday, April 4 at The Plaza Hotel.

New York City Center will honor Walter Bobbie, Kathleen Marshall and Jack Viertel in a benefit celebration hosted by Christopher Fitzgerald on Monday, April 4 at The Plaza Hotel. Highlights from City Center's acclaimed Encores! series will be recreated by a star-studded cast that will include Jason Danieley, Christopher Fitzgerald, Marin Mazzie, James Naughton, Bebe Neuwirth and Emily Skinner, accompanied by members of the Encores! Orchestra under the musical direction of Rob Berman. The benefit will help fund New York City Center's artistic and education programs.

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham have been cast in Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, running March 17 - 20, will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center.

Chuck Cooper, Daniel Breaker, Patina Miller, Sharon Washington, Daniel Gerroll, John Douglas Thompson and Sherry Boone have been cast in Lost in the Stars, the second Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running February 3 - 6 at City Center. Lost in the Stars has music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It will be directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Chase Brock, with music direction by Rob Berman.

Encores! presents Bells Are Ringing November 18 at New York City Center. Bells Are Ringing is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with music direction by Rob Berman, has music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and stars Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase.

Casting is completed for Bells Are Ringing, the opening Encores! production of the 2010-11 season, running November 18-21 at New York City Center. Bells Are Ringing is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with music direction by Rob Berman, has music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and stars Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase.

Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase will star in Bells Are Ringing, the first Encores! production of the New York City Center season, running November 18-21 at City Center. The cast also features Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Kaye, Brad Oscar and David Pittu. Bells Are Ringing, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with music direction by Rob Berman, has music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Jack Viertel, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, today announced directors for the 2010-11 Encores! season: Kathleen Marshall will direct and choreograph the season opener, Bells Are Ringing, with music by Jule Styne and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opening on November 18, 2010. Gary Griffin will direct Lost in the Stars, with music by Kurt Weill and book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, opening on February 3, 2011. John Doyle will direct Where's Charley, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, with book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, opening on March 17, 2011. Music Director Rob Berman will conduct all three musicals.

New York City Center's 2010-2011 Encores! season will open with the 1956 Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green musical Bells Are Ringing, November 18 - 21, 2010. The season will continue with Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's Lost in the Stars, February 3 - 6, 2011, followed by Frank Loesser's and George Abbott's Where's Charley?, March 17 - 20.

Donna Murphy, star of the upcoming production of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE at City Center, recently sat down with the New York Daily News to discuss her feeling on the production and her upcoming Disney film.

Raúl Esparza, Edward Hibbert, Jeff Blumenkrantz and John Ellison Conlee will join Donna Murphy and Sutton Foster in Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' Anyone Can Whistle, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2009-2010 season. Anyone Can Whistle, running for five performances April 8 - 11, will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw with musical direction by Rob Berman.

Tony Award winner Donna Murphy will join Sutton Foster in Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' Anyone Can Whistle in the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2009-2010 season. Ms. Murphy will play Mayor Cora Hoover Hooper, the role originated by Angela Lansbury. Anyone Can Whistle, running for five performances April 8 - 11, will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw with musical direction by Rob Berman.

Fred Applegate, George Hearn, David Patrick Kelly, Michael McCormick, Rondi Reed, Elena Shaddow, James Snyder and Ted Sutherland have been cast in Fanny, the 50th Encores! musical produced by New York City Center since 1994 and the second Encores! production of the season. Fanny, running February 4 - 7, has music and lyrics by Harold Rome and book by S.N. Behrman and Joshua Logan, and is based on Marcel Pagnol's trilogy Marius, Fanny and Cesar. Fanny will be directed by Mark Bruni and choreographed by Lorin Latarro with music direction by Rob Berman.

Girl Crazy, is the first Encores! production of the New York City Center season, starring Ana Gasteyer, Wayne Knight and Marc Kudisch running November 19 - 22. Girl Crazy, directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with Guest Music Director Rob Fisher, has music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan.