George Abbott News

Today, the still Broadway-bound production has released an official statement noting that "The PRINCE OF BROADWAY company and creative team has been informed that production on the show will continue without Dancap's involvement. Further details will follow shortly."

"You gotta have heart!" That's the central conceit of any production of "Damn Yankees". Without that heart they might as well be singing about golf. Well luckily the current production at the 5th Avenue Theatre in conjunction with the Paper Mill Playhouse has heart to spare combined with a killer cast and visually spectacular set.

The BroadHollow Theatre Company certainly put forth a noble effort in their production of the Tony Award winning Damn Yankees. However, this Jessey Waller directed incarnation, now playing at BayWay in East Islip through May 6th, didn't quite hit the ball out of the park.

The American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) presents the Spring Gala 2012 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space - Leonard Nimoy Thalia, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, NYC tonight Tuesday, April 24th at 6:30 pm. Tommy Tune hosts the evening of Fun, Film and Fancy Footwook that is honoring the Tap Dance Faculty of the organization.

Once Upon a Mattress/book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller & Marshall Barer/music by Mary Rodgers; lyrics by Marshall Barer/directed by Richard Israel

Capezio celebrates 125 years of excellence with this one-night only special show tonight, April 23, 2012 at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (btwn. 6th and 7th Ave) NYC. A glorious production highlighting some of the magical history of Capezio with numerous dance legends and stars of stage and screen saluting this milestone.

National Jewish Theater, Producing Artistic Director Arnold Mittelman, will present a limited Off-Broadway run of The Soap Myth, by Jeff Cohen, from March 23 - April 22 at theBlack Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street, between 6th Avenue and Broadway). Directed by Arnold Mittelman, this production will starGreg Mullavey (television's "Marty Hartman") and features Andi Potamkin, Donald Corren, and Dee Pelletier.

Damn Yankees is headed to The 5th Avenue Theatre! This musical comedy is the story of an aging baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil so his beloved hometown team can beat the Yankees in the race for the pennant. From the songwriting team of The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees is filled with hit songs including "Two Lost Souls" and the sultry favorite, "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets." The Paper Mill Playhouse production will slide into Seattle this April. The creative team includes direction by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director), music direction by Ben Whiteley, and choreography by Denis Michael Jones.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference announced today additional stars to its 15th Anniversary Season Gala Benefit themed "Body and Soul: An OPC Cabaret" - A Musical and Theatrical Celebration of the Mystery, Magnificence and Madness of Living! Scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012, the Benefit begins at 5:30 pm at Matilija Auditorium with a dramatic and musical event created especially for this evening by OPC Artistic Director and Producer Robert Egan. The evening will honor Award-winning playwright Bill Cain and OPC Board Member and Award-winning actress Dana Delany.

Lakewood Theatre Company will celebrate its 60th anniversary season with six productions on its Mainstage and three productions on its Side Door stage beginning July 13, 2012. Season tickets for the 2012-2013 season are on sale now and prices for the six-show season range from $170.00 - $160.00. Performances are Thursday -Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 7:00 PM and some Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. Season tickets can be purchased at the LTC Box Office at 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego. Box Office hours are 9-5 weekdays and 10-4 on Saturdays. Call 503-635-3901 to charge your order by phone. Season tickets may also be purchased on line beginning April 14th at http://www.lakewood-center.org.

The American Tap Dance Foundation have announced that Tommy Tune will host their Spring Gala 2012 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, on Tuesday, April 24th at 6:30 pm.

The George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts will be presented to commercial theater producer Jay H. Harris, a member of The League of American Theaters and Producers who served on the Board of Directors of the Carbonell Awards from 2001-2008, including two terms as president, during which time he was instrumental in rising the profile of the awards and designing its current voting structure.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the West Coast Premiere of The Scottsboro Boys, the critically acclaimed musical about an infamous chapter in American history.

5th Avenue held its Spotlight Night for Damn Yankees on March 20. The evening took audiences behind the scenes of the new production of the musical comedy classic Damn Yankees. Featuring musical performances by some of Seattle's best singers and the cast of Damn Yankees, the event explored the stories that inspired the hit musical, including the legend of Faust. The night also took audiences through the careers of Damn Yankees book writer George Abbott and songwriters Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Watch Allen Fitzpatrick and the cast of Damn Yankees sing 'Heart' at Spotlight Night in the video below!

With its funny, sexy and sentimental book by master craftsman George Abbott and a catchy and clever score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, Damn Yankees is a textbook example of the kind of big and brassy musicals that made Broadway's Golden Age glitter.  Paper Mill's terrific new production is packed with boisterous comic performances and, as the song says, miles and miles and miles of heart.

Linda Lavin (Broadway Bound), Sebastian Arcelus (Elf), LaChanze (The Color Purple), Emily Skinner (Side Show), Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!), Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange) and Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid) will be among the star players in the upcoming Broadway Hal Prince tribute, PRINCE OF BROADWAY, The New York Times reveals.

BASE Entertainment has just announced that DINER, a new musical based on the critically acclaimed 1982 film with a book by Academy Award winner and original DINER screenwriter Barry Levinson and music & lyrics by 9-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, will have its pre-Broadway world premiere at San Francisco's SHN Curran Theatre (445 Geary Street). Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall, DINER will play a strictly limited four week engagement from Tuesday, October 23, 2012, through Sunday, November 18, 2012, with an opening night of Friday, November 2, 2012. Due to these confirmed San Francisco dates DINER will now bow on Broadway in the spring of 2013, instead of the fall of 2012 as previously announced. Design team and casting will be announced at a later date.

The George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts will be presented to commercial theater producer Jay H. Harris, a member of The League of American Theaters and Producers who served on the Board of Directors of the Carbonell Awards from 2001-2008, including two terms as president, during which time he was instrumental in rising the profile of the awards and designing its current voting structure.

Damn Yankees is headed to The 5th Avenue Theatre! This musical comedy is the story of an aging baseball fan who makes a deal with the Devil so his beloved hometown team can beat the Yankees in the race for the pennant. From the songwriting team of The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees is filled with hit songs including "Two Lost Souls" and the sultry favorite, "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets." The Paper Mill Playhouse production will slide into Seattle this April. The creative team includes direction by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill's Producing Artistic Director), music direction by Ben Whiteley, and choreography by Denis Michael Jones.

The Boston Theater Critics Association today announced that legendary song and dance man Tommy Tune will be the recipient of The 30th Anniversary Elliot Norton Lifetime Achievement Award.