Gwen Verdon News

Newington Mainstage presents the third in its series of Brodway Master Classes - FOSSE STYLE with Broadway veteran CAROLYN KIRSCH - today, November 19.

The Fred Ebb Foundation (Mitchell Bernard, Trustee) in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will present the eighth annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Sam Willmott. The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, will be presented by David Hyde Pierce on Monday, November 26th from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lobby of The American Airlines Theater.

= Christie Brinkley, who played this role twice on Broadway, gives it a professional effort (adopting a speaking voice that sounds a lot like original Roxie Gwen Verdon), and she looks terrific, but singing and dancing don't come naturally to the former supermodel.

Newington Mainstage presents the third in its series of Brodway Master Classes - FOSSE STYLE with Broadway veteran CAROLYN KIRSCH - on Monday, November 19.

I suppose there's nothing unusual about a little kid waking up one morning to see a group of her parents' friends socializing around the family piano.  It's just that when you're young Loni Ackerman, those friends include Mayor John Lindsay, Ted Kennedy, Ralph Nader, several members of the Black Panthers and, playing the piano, football star Rosie Greer.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) Broadway production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood begins previews tonight, Friday, October 19th at 8:00PM. The Mystery of Edwin Drood stars Stephanie J. Block, Will Chase, Gregg Edelman, Jim Norton, and Chita Rivera with Andy Karl, Jessie Mueller, Betsy Wolfe, Nicholas Barasch, Peter Benson, and Robert Creighton. Check out the just-released commercial for the show below and meet the cast with videos of them from past productions!

Florida Studio Theatre presents a tribute to the dreamy harmonies and boyish innocence of pop music's past with Let's Twist Again: with the Wanderers, the new '50s & '60s style revue bopping into Florida Studio Theatre's (FST) Goldstein Cabaret (1241 N. Palm Avenue) tonight, October 17 at 7:30pm. Tickets

With a new production of Annie now previewing on Broadway, it looks like Gwen Verdon may have to relinquish her title as the most famous redhead to have played the Palace.

Florida Studio Theatre presents a tribute to the dreamy harmonies and boyish innocence of pop music's past with Let's Twist Again: with the Wanderers, the new '50s & '60s style revue bopping into Florida Studio Theatre's (FST) Goldstein Cabaret (1241 N. Palm Avenue) on Wednesday, October 17 at 7:30pm. Tickets

The spirit and generosity of the theatre community once again shined as brightly as the autumn sun as the 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction blew past all previous record totals to raise a spectacular $681,892 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

After a successful run earlier this year, Broadway veteran Loni Ackerman (Evita, Cats, The Magic Show, No, No Nanette and George M!) is set to bring her cabaret show Next to Abnormal back to the Metropolitan Room in October, playing Sundays 10/7, 10/14, 10/21 and 10/28 at 7pm.

The great Cole Porter's Can-Can, hits the Westchester Broadway Theatre stage, now through October 7, 2012. Get a first look at the show in the photos below!

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Can-Can, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Abe Burrows. The production is directed by Richard Stafford with musical direction by Craig Barna and choreography by Richard Stafford, and runs tonight, August 30 - October 7, 2012. Can-Can stars Glory Crampton and Tony Lawson.

Today in 1977, Chicago closed at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre), where it ran for 936 performances. Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago, with music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Chicago's 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival on Broadway and is its fourth longest-running show.

CHICAGO is a musical that's burdened by the weight of its expectations. From the classic score by Kander and Ebb, to Bob Fosse's legendary choreography, to the original cast of Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach, and to the modern casting of Ann Reinking, of Joel Grey, of John O'Hurley, and of Charlotte D'Amboise, everything about it is mythic. Even the award-winning movie version is considered a poor adaptation of the actual play - what about it isn't too much to handle?

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Can-Can, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Abe Burrows. The production is directed by Richard Stafford with musical direction by Craig Barna and choreography by Richard Stafford, and runs August 30 - October 7, 2012. Can-Can stars Glory Crampton and Tony Lawson.

Roundabout Theatre Company announced the full cast this July for the new Broadway production of Rupert Holmes' Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The show is set to open on November 13, 2012 and will star Stephanie J. Block as Edwin Drood. Meet the whole cast in the video and bios below!

Despite being completely busy preparing for the concert staging of A TOUCH OF VENUS, Paul Hope, Artistic Director and Founder of Bayou City Concert Musicals, took a break from his busy schedule to talk to me about his innovative and charitable organization. Since it's inception, Bayou City Concert Musicals has been providing Houston audiences with well-produced and lauded performances of often-neglected musicals. Continuing to grow an ever-increasing loyal audience and fan following, I asked Paul Hope to tell me more about Bayou City Concert Musicals and the shows they choose to produce.

To kick off its twelfth season, Men Alive - The Orange County Gay Men's Chorus will welcome a very special guest star: the legendary Liza Minnelli. This concert marks her first appearance in Orange County, CA in almost twenty years.

Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As With Your Favorite Broadway Stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on! In this next edition, we caught up with Felicia Finley, who is starring as 'Tanya' in MAMMA MIA!- currently playing at the Winter Garden Theatre!