Giuseppe Bausilio News

The 13th Street Rep's 'George M. Cohan Song-and-Dance Award'-honoring a triple-threat singer/dancer/actor--has this year been presented to two people: Rayna Hirt and Michael Czyz. Cohan himself-the quintessential song-and-dance man-may have long since gone to his reward. But his great-granddaughter, singer/actress Jennifer Cohan Ross, was on hand to present the awards. The 13th Street Rep's 97-year-old founder/artistic director, Edith O'Hara-a longtime believer in the importance of encouraging fresh talent--was there, too, to congratulate the winners. Playwright Chip Deffaa, whose work has often been presented by the theater, emceed the event.

The 13th Street Rep's 'Betty Buckley Award'-honoring a 'young artist-to-watch'--has been presented to Emily Bordonaro, 18. Tony Award-winner Betty Buckley-who was performing a concert several thousand miles away on the night of the awards presentation in New York City--presented the award via videotape.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will present an 'Irving Berlin Teach-In,' immediately following the Sunday (November 23rd) matinee performance of Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue.' The 'Ragtime Revue,' which has been selling out at the theater, will begin at 3 pm. The teach-in is expected to begin at 4:30 pm. Michael Townsend Wright, who previously co-starred at the theater with Giuseppe Bausilio in 'Irving Berlin's America' (as seen in the photo) will be one of the special guests at the teach-in, singing a rare Berlin ballad as well as sharing recollections and insights. (Wright may also be heard on the cast album for 'Irving Berlin's America,' which includes some never-before-recorded material.) Surprise guests with ties to Berlin and his world will be joining Wright, the cast of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' pianist Richard Danley, and playwright Chip Deffaa in the teach-in.

ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue'-currently playing at the 13th Street Theater in repertory with Deffaa's long-running 'One Night with Fanny Brice'--is to receive a cast recording. The cast album will feature all of the singing actors currently appearing in the show: Rayna Hirt, Ken Adams, Michael Cyzz, Maite Uzal, Michael Kasper, Jonah Barricklo, Emily Bordonaro, Missy Dreier, K.W. Andersson; Andrew Lanctot, Ann Marie Calabro, Brandon Pollinger, and Timmy Thompson, with musical direction by Richard Danley. Deffaa will produce the album; Slau Halatyn will be the recording engineer; with production to begin later this month at Be-Sharp Studios in Astoria. The album will be released in the United States on the Original Cast Records label. It will be the sixth show of Deffaa's to get a cast album.

ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa will be joined by special guests, including noted showbiz biographer Herb Goldman, writer/entertainer Brian Gari, and actor Michael Townsend Wright, for special audience 'talkback' sessions, following select performances of Deffaa's shows 'One Night with Fanny Brice' and 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' which are playing in repertory this fall at the 13th Street Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC).

The 13th Street Rep's 'Carol Channing Award'-honoring a rising young actor whose talent, attitude, and work ethic reflects the high standards set by the legendary Channing-has been presented to Danny Coelho. The youngest member of the theater's repertory company, Coelho, 17, was prominently featured in the musical comedy 'Theater Boys,' and will be featured next in the theater's production of 'Mad About the Boy,' set to open in early 2015. He's also been featured in the Paper Mill Playhouse Show Choir, run by Shayne Austin Miller and John Zeitun.

When ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa's "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue" opens November 9th at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC), it will include some Berlin rarities and rediscoveries unheard in a century, including some never-recorded Berlin numbers.

Actor/director/filmmaker Sam Donnenberg has been presented with the 13th Street Repertory Company's "Giuseppe Bausilio Award." The award--named in honor of the young actor who starred on Broadway in "Billy Elliot" and co-starred at the Rep in "Irving Berlin's America" while simultaneously appearing on Broadway in "Newsies" and continuing his career as a world-class ballet dancer-is intended to honor a rising young multi-talented artist, who is simultaneously making his mark in more than one field.

When ASCAP Award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' has its world premiere at the 13th Street Repertory Theater on November 9th, it will be the second new show about Berlin to play the theater this year.

Most playwrights would be happy to have one script of theirs produced in New York in a year. "Theater Boys"--which opens tomorrow, September 21st at the 13th Street Repertory Theater--is the third show by ASCAP award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa to open this year.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will offer talkbacks--in which audience members can ask any questions they like of the actors, playwright, and choreographers-after select performances of ASCAP award-winner Chip Deffaa's new musical comedy, "Theater Boys." The show-about actors auditioning for a gay musical--opens Sunday, September 21st. Talkbacks will held after the following performances: Sunday, September 21st at 3 p.m; Thursday, September 25th at 7 pm; Sunday, September 28th at 3 p.m.; Thursday, October 2nd at 7 pm; Sunday, October 5th at 3 p.m.; Thursday, Oct 9th at 7 pm; Sunday, October 12th at 3 p.m; Thursday October 16th at 7 p.m.; Thursday, October 23rd at 7 pm; Sunday, October 26th at 3 pm.

Karen Mason ('Mamma Mia!') and Giuseppe Bausilio ('Newsies'), as well as award-winning singers Tom Andersen and Marissa Mulder, will headline 'A Few of My Favorite Folks' tonight, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd St., New York City.

On September 21st at 9:30pm, BroadwayUnderstudies.com has once again invited some of Broadway's most talented understudies to the stage of the Laurie Beechman Theatre to share their rare talent-the ability to perform at a second's notice. They'll be thrown into the fire in 'Half Hour 5: A Last Minute Concert,' a show where even they don't know what they'll be singing before they step up to the microphone. The audience will get to vote on what song each performer will sing.

Karen Mason ('Mamma Mia!') and Giuseppe Bausilio ('Newsies'), as well as award-winning singers Tom Andersen and Marissa Mulder, will headline 'A Few of My Favorite Folks' on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd St., New York City.

Karen Mason ('Mamma Mia!') and Giuseppe Bausilio ('Newsies'), as well as award-winning singers Tom Andersen and Marissa Mulder, will headline 'A Few of My Favorite Folks' on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd St., New York City.

Casting has just been announced for the 13th Street Rep's forthcoming production of ASCAP Award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's new show "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue." The show, which opens November 9th, will be the third production of Deffaa's to play this year at the 13th Street Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC, www.13thstreetrep.org); the others are Deffaa's "One Night with Fanny Brice" and "Theater Boys," playing in repertory at the theater this fall.

Casting has just been announced for the 13th Street Rep's forthcoming production of ASCAP Award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's new show "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue." The show, which opens November 9th, will be the third production of Deffaa's to play this year at the 13th Street Theater.

Playwright Chip Deffaa says he never dreamed, when his musical play "One Night with Fanny Brice," first opened Off-Broadway at St. Luke's Theater in the 2011-2012 season, that the starring role would someday be played by a teenager. Over the past three years, stars in their 30s, 40s, and 60s have played the show, which transferred in 2013 to the 13th Street Repertory Theater. Chloe Brooks, who now stars in the show, after previously serving as an understudy, is just 17.

The cast of the Tony Award-winning musical NEWSIES took their excited final bows at the Nederlander Theatre today to uproarious applause from a packed audience. NEWSIES featured a Tony Award-winning score with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, with a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, NEWSIES was directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his work. NEWSIES enjoyed almost two and a half years on Broadway.

Casting has just been announced for the 13th Street Rep's production of ASCAP Award-winning playwright Chip Deffaa's new musical comedy 'Theater Boys.' The show, which opens September 21st, will run in repertory this fall at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC,,www.13thstreetrep.org), along with Deffaa's musical play 'One Night with Fanny Brice' (starring Chloe Brooks), and Israel Horovotz's 'Line' (now in its 40th year at the theater), which is New York's longest-running production. A cast album for 'Theater Boys'--now in the works--will be released in October. And the Rep, according to founder/artistic director Edith O'Hara, has plans to present two additional shows by Deffaa, following 'Theater Boys.'