Hal Linden News

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.

Jones Street Productions LLC has announced that on May 7, 2012 at 2:00pm at The Triad Theater (158 West 72nd Street) Joe Pantoliano and Mario Cantone will co-star in the staged reading of Arje Shaw's new play MOOLAH. Charles Messina directs.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will close its 2011-12 season with the Bay Area premiere of The Scottsboro Boys, the critically acclaimed musical based on a tragic chapter in American history. Nominated for twelve 2011 Tony Awards, The Scottsboro Boys features music and lyrics by the legendary Broadway songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman), book by David Thompson (Steel Pier, Chicago), musical direction by Eric Ebbenga, and direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman (The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Contact). Jeff Whiting will serve as associate director and choreographer. Tony and Emmy Award winner Hal Linden (Barney Miller, The Rothschilds on Broadway) joins the stellar cast as The Interlocutor. The Scottsboro Boys performs a limited run June 21-July 15, 2012, at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, June 27, at 8 p.m. Tickets (starting at $20) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

Last night the McCallum Theatre played host to a double bill of music and comedy that, at first glance, seemed like a very odd pairing --- a duo with nothing in common - Tony winner and multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominated stage and television actor Hal Linden and comedian David Brenner, who is best known as the comic who had the greatest number of appearances on Johnny Carson's tonight show. But, what an incredible evening it was! The common denominator was sheer talent and it paid off in spades for the near sell-out crowd. Each entertainer delivered a finely crafted, hour-long performance and either act, alone, would have been well worth the price of admission.

The McCallum Theatre presents an evening of comedy and music with David Brenner and Hal Linden on March 29 at 8:00 pm. Hal Linden is the Tony Award winning and multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominated star whose decades-long career has spanned all theatrical genres, from stage to film to television. He began his show business career as a clarinet player and later toured as a singer with Sammy Kaye, Bobby Sherwood and Boyd Raeburn bands which eventually led him to an acting career. His Broadway debut was opposite Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing and he later went on to a critically acclaimed performance in the revival of Anything Goes and his Tony-winning star turn in The Rothchilds. I had the opportunity to catch up with this dynamic entertainer and lovely man for a few minutes - here are some highlights from our conversation:

The COLUMN AWARDS Board of Directors and the Executive Director/Producer announced today that Tony Award winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Chita Rivera will be the Co-host for the 13th Annual COLUMN AWARDS Gala.

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.

The COLUMN AWARDS Board of Directors and the Executive Director/Producer announced today that Tony Award winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Chita Rivera will be the Co-host for the 13th Annual COLUMN AWARDS Gala.

In an interview with the South Bend Tribune, Short confirmed that things are still moving forward, saying that although he's busy providing voices for several upcoming films and working on his concert special, 'I have found, the more eclectic the year, the more you add to this overview of things' and adding that he and Peters are still in talks for the revival.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY opened its Winter 2012 season with the return of Lucie Arnaz in a show based on her new CD 'Latin Roots.' In an eclectic celebration of her musical heritage, Arnaz playfully wended her way through pop south of the border sounds, enduring American standards, enhanced with a Brazilian accent or basted by a Bossa Nova beat and she took on some of the fiery Latin classics of her father, Desi Arnaz. Check out photos from the concert below!

The Best in LA Theatre for 2011 (alphabetical listings) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories)

Featuring a cast of actors from throughout Middle Tennessee, The Renaissance Players will present the musicalized version of a holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, The Musical, December 2- 18 in the Anne Deason Performance Hall at The Renaissance Center in Dickson. The Charles Dickens classic gets the full Broadway treatment with music by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical).

The New York Times reports that Bernadette Peters and Martin Short are in talks with producers about co-starring as 'Agnes Snow' and 'Michael Snow' in a revival of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's I DO I DO. Talks about the possible revival are in the earliest phases and no readings or workshops have been planned. The producers behind the revival are Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Promises, Promises, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Smash), and Broadway Across America's John Gore and Beth Williams.

Launching PCPA's 48th season is the inspiring holiday masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. This song-filled adaptation of Dickens' classic tale reawakens the true spirit of Christmas in a heart-stirring Carol of profound beauty and redemption.

The Katselas Theatre Company will extend the performance schedule of this critically acclaimed world premiere production, spawned from their INKubator series. Now running through December 18th. LA Weekly - GO!