Gary Griffin News

Although operetta wasn't completely on its way out when Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II brought Music In The Air to Broadway in 1932, the popularity of the genre was indeed waning a bit as jazzy and witty scores by the likes of George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart and Cole Porter dominated the decade's theatre music. But the creators of Show Boat, just five years earlier, weren't done quite yet.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Des Moines will host the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances, April 7 to 12, 2009.

Back by popular demand, the Broadway smash hit, Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple, is returning to the Motor City! Don't miss out as this limited engagement arrives in Detroit for only eight performances, from Tuesday, April 14 through Sunday, April 19.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit 'The Color Purple' are proud to announce that Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will host the first North American touring production of 'The Color Purple' from March 17 - 29, 2009. Tickets are on sale at ordway.org.

IN THE HEIGHTS star Mandy Gonzalez is set to play Lauren Hoffman, a representative from a drug treatment center on the ABC soap opera 'One Live To Live' beginning March 26th. The actress is currently set for four episodes as drug counselor Hoffman on the fabled daytime drama.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Memphis will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances from March 31- April 5, 2009. Tickets are $25-$85. Tickets are on-sale, but there is a very limited number left. They may be purchased at the Orpheum Box Office from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, David-Kidd Booksellers, and all Ticketmaster locations. Charge by phone (901) 525-3000 or go online at www.orpheum-memphis.com.

The producers of THE COLOR PURPLE are proud to announce that American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will reprise her starring role of Celie for the Washington, D.C. engagement. The Kennedy Center will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for five weeks, June 30 - August 2, 2009. Tickets are on sale now.

Morgan Karr's concert, entitled 'An Awfully Big Adventure,' will be presented March 24th at the legendary showcase venue for live music. Show time is 11:30pm. Special guests will be announced at a later date. Charity Wicks (Spring Awakening, In the Heights, Stephen Schwartz's S?ance on a Wet Afternoon) will music direct. Karr will take the audience on his 'awfully big adventure' with a throwback to his Nashville upbringing, featuring a mix of country, R&B, and Broadway tunes.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit 'The Color Purple' are proud to announce that Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will host the first North American touring production of 'The Color Purple' from March 17 - 29, 2009. Tickets are on sale at ordway.org.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's camera caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat. The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Douglas Sills, Dick Latessa, Marni Nixon, Tom Alan Robbins, Sierra Boggess, Walter Charles, Anne L. Nathan, David Schramm, Ryan Silverman and Robert Sella. Music in the Air, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, has been restored by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and has not been seen in New York in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Opening on November 8th of that year, it played for 342 performances in a production directed by the authors. A revised version had a brief revival at the Ziegfeld Theatre in 1951. Music in the Air is a musical romance, with the wit and elegance of an Ernst Lubitsch film. It's the story of a Bavarian music teacher (Robbins), his beautiful young daughter (Boggess), and the daughter's suitor (Silverman), who travel to the big, bad city of Munich where they encounter a cast of self-involved, egotistical theater folk who promise them fame, fortune and romance. Kristin Chenoweth and Douglas Sills play a Diva (Chenoweth) and an egotistical operetta librettist (Sills) who take the young couple under their wings (and claws). Songs include 'I've Told Ev'ry Little Star' and 'The Song Is You.' Photos by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's cameras caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Friday, February 6, 2009.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season runs February 5-8. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, is directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production runs for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues).

The Clockwork Theatre is pleased to announce the cast for their upcoming production of CHERRY SMOKE by JAMES McMANUS (winner of the 2006 Princess Grace Playwriting Award), directed by JADE KING CARROLL. The title role of Cherry will be portrayed by MARIANNA McCLELLAN, with JAY ROHLOFF playing opposite her in the role of Fish. Mr. Rohloff, who serves as Clockwork's Artistic Director, was most recently seen in the company's revival of Caryl Churchill's A Number at Theatre Row in September, 2008, for which he received praise for portraying a man and two very unique clones of that man.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season,will run February 5-8. The production runs for five performances at City Center.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season,will run February 5-8. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, will be directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production runs for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues).

Marni Nixon has joined the upcoming Encores! presentation of Music in the Air, she replaces Sally Ann Howes who had to drop out due to an illness. Marni Nixon, is known in the popular world as the singing voice behind the stars of West Side Story, The King and I and My Fair Lady. An accomplished singer in her own right, she has has sung opera, classical song and appeared on Broadway. Ms. Nixon worked with Lehmann in a production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Music Academy of the West and considered her a friend. Besides her singing career, Marni Nixon is also an actress, recently nominated for an Ovation award. She gives master clases throughout the country in musical theater and classical song. She was last seen on Broadway in NINE and The Dead. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, will be directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production runs for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). Production dates are February 5th through the 8th.

New York City Center Presents Encores! Music In The Air with tickes avaliable for as low as $20.00. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, will be directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production runs for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). In addition to Kristin Chenoweth, the cast includes Douglas Sills, Dick Latessa, Tom Alan Robbins, Sierra Boggess, Walter Charles, Anne L. Nathan, David Schramm, Ryan Silverman, Robert Sella and Sally Ann Howes. Music in the Air, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, has been restored by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and not been seen in New York in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Opening on November 8th of that year, it played for 342 performances in a production directed by the authors. A revised version had a brief revival at the Ziegfeld Theatre in 1951. Music in the Air is a musical romance, with the wit and elegance of an Ernst Lubitsch film. It's the story of a Bavarian music teacher (Robbins), his beautiful young daughter (Boggess), and the daughter's suitor, who travel to the big, bad city of Munich where they encounter a cast of self-involved, egotistical theater folk who promise them fame, fortune and romance. Marin Mazzie and Douglas Sills play a Diva (Mazzie) and an operetta librettist (Sills) who take the young couple under their wings (and claws). Songs include 'I've Told Ev'ry Little Star' and 'The Song Is You.'

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE will return by popular demand to the Fox Theatre for eight performances, April 14 through 19. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23! Nominated for eleven Tony Awards?, including Best Musical, THE COLOR PURPLE opened on December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre where it ran for over two record-breaking years. It is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous GRAMMY?-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is about hope and the healing power of love. Michael Kuchwara, the Associated Press described THE COLOR PURPLE as 'a Roof-Raising story of triumph.' And Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine said, '[it is] a soaring, epic tale. It made a joyful noise in my heart.' Elysa Gardner from USA Today raved, 'Pure heart! It celebrates the inspiring relationships of faith and love, A Broadway hit!'

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE, The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Des Moines will host the North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 8 performances, April 7 to 12, 2009. Tickets for THE COLOR PURPLE go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 at the Civic Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge-by-phone at (515) 243-1888 and online at CivicCenter.org. Groups of 20 or more should call (515) 246-2300.