Gregg Barnes News

Legendary designers WILLIAM IVEY LONG and BOB CROWLEY are among the four recipients of the 2009 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards. Five-time Tony Award winning costume designer William Ivey Long will receive the 2009 TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for theatrical costume design, and, for his achievements as both a costume and scenic designer, Bob Crowley (also a five-time Tony Award winner) will receive the TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards' special Robert L. B. Tobin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatrical Design at a ceremony on Friday, March 27, at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.

'Minsky's' opens February 6, 2009, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and continues through March 1 (previews began January 21).

'Minsky's' opens February 6, 2009, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and continues through March 1 (previews began January 21). Featuring music by three-time Tony Award-winning composer Charles Strouse ('Bye Bye Birdie,' 'Annie,' 'Applause') and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead ('Jelly's Last Jam' and 'Triumph of Love'), 'Minsky's' is Center Theatre Group's second collaboration with Tony Award-winning writer Bob Martin and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw ('The Drowsy Chaperone')

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America are teaming up to bring 'Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys,' starring the world's most famous Latina explorer, to Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium from February 20-22.

The announcement was made yesterday that Becky Gulsvig has broken her toe and will be out for 6 weeks and that Laura Bell Bundy & Lauren Ashley Zakrin will be alternating in the role of Elle during Becky's recovery, which includes the St. Louis engagement at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from January 20-February 1.

As BroadwayWorld first reported and broke the story on this past Saturday evening, the star of the national tour of LEGALLY BLONDE Becky Gulsvig, who has received rave reviews for her performance as Elle Woods across the country, sustained a broken toe following the performance on Thursday, January 8th and will be out of the show for the next six weeks.

BroadwayWorld.com has confirmed the news that Laura Bell Bundy will be briefly returning to the role of Elle Woods, taking over the part on tour, temporarily replacing Becky Gulsvig who has broken a toe. Bundy is currently flying to Washington, DC, the tour's current stop through tomorrow and will begin performances on January 13, 2009 in East Lansing, Michigan, the tour's next stop. The length of her stay has not yet been revealed.

Minsky's is a big, racy, new musical comedy set in a time when entertainment was about legs and laughs, and you had to push the limits to keep the customers buying tickets. A rollicking backstage story, set in Prohibition Era New York City. Tony Award winning costume designer Gregg Barnes talked about his creations for MINSKY'S on the show's official site in a wonderful audio/video essay that we are excited to bring you here on BWW TV!

The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that 'Drowsy Chaperone' Tony winner Bob Martin is working with Las Vegas titan Steve Wynn in developing a treatment for a new musical based on the music of the Bee Gees. Martin is currently working as the book writer on the LA bound Charles Strouse musical MINSKY'S which opens February 6, 2009, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and continues through March 1 (previews begin January 21).

Excess volume, perkiness and hype can't disguise the vapid book and mindless score of this cheesy musical adaptation of a beloved movie that may have been bright pink on the outside but was always true blue in its heart

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, is proud to announce the cast of its upcoming world premiere production of Jim Henson's classic holiday favorite Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, adapted for the stage. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas will run December 7, 2008, through January 4, 2009, at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Former SNL genius, Celebrity Autobiography mainstay and gifted comic actress Rachel Dratch is a member of the cast of the currently in rehearsal musical Minsky's, she reveals her joy of working with composer Charles Strouse and her hope of it continuing to Broadway in the future to NYMag.com's Diana Scholl.

Theatre Under The Stars announced today that LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL begins performances at The Hobby Center for Performing Arts in downtown Houston, February 10 - 22, 2009!

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for the world premiere of 'Minsky's,' which opens February 6, 2009, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and continues through March 1 (previews begin January 21). Featuring music by three-time Tony Award-winning composer Charles Strouse ('Bye Bye Birdie,' 'Annie,' 'Applause') and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead ('Jelly's Last Jam' and 'Triumph of Love'), 'Minsky's' is Center Theatre Group's second collaboration with Tony Award-winning writer Bob Martin and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw ('The Drowsy Chaperone').

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, is proud to announce the cast of its upcoming world premiere production of Jim Henson's classic holiday favorite Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, adapted for the stage. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas will run December 7, 2008, through January 4, 2009, at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Tickets are on sale today for preview and regular performances of PEEPSHOW, the sexy new production set to open at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. PEEPSHOW, starring pop superstar and television personality Mel B., will open for preview performances on March 30, 2009, with an opening night gala planned for April 18 of 2009.

It has been announced that MTC's production of TO BE OR NOT TO BE will play its final performance on November 16th, 2008. November 16th, 2008 is the end of Manhattan Theater Club's subscription run. They had previously been offering tickets through November 23rd, 2008, but will now be canceling that week of performances. Patrons who have purchased tickets for performances through November 23rd, 2008 should return to their point of purchase for a refund.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, is proud to announce the cast of its upcoming world premiere production of Jim Henson's classic holiday favorite Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, adapted for the stage. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas will run December 7, 2008, through January 4, 2009, at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.

It has been announced that MTC's production of TO BE OR NOT TO BE will play its final performance on November 16th, 2008. November 16th, 2008 is the end of Manhattan Theater Club's subscription run. They had previously been offering tickets through November 23rd, 2008, but will now be canceling that week of performances. Patrons who have purchased tickets for performances through November 23rd, 2008 should return to their point of purchase for a refund.

After 595 performances and 30 previews, LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL plays its final performance today, Sunday October 19th. The musical will continue to play across the country, in over 35 cities, on its first national tour.