Harvey Fierstein News

Every so often a musical comes to town that we're told, 'Breaks all the rules!,' and 'Changes Broadway Forever!' That's nice. Usually this has something to do with having rock music, weak story-telling and an advertising campaign that convinces you that it's like nothing else Broadway has ever seen.

The 22nd ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION was a great success with a record-breaking, $3,734,129 being raised this year by the 53 participating Broadway, Off Broadway, and national touring theater companies.

The Official Drama Desk Cocktail Reception honoring this year's Drama Desk Award Nominees will be held Thursday, May 1, 4 to 7 PM at Arte′ Cafe, 106 W. 73rd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, where nominees will receive their Nomination Certificates.

Harvey Returns! Welcome to The Return of special new series on BroadwayWorld.com - four time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein's personal MySpace blog of bringing his brand new musical, A Catered Affair to Broadway. We'll be exclusively picking up Harvey Fierstein's blog as he shares his first hand reports from rehearsals to Opening Night (and beyond). Check back for updates as rehearsals get underway!

Nominations for the 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club. 'A Catered Affair' led the way with 12 nominations.

Audiences can be sure of one thing, they are certain to leave The Andrews Brothers uplifted and tapping their feet to plenty of rich nostalgia filling the theatre, as the show comes off as cheery as a MGM musical...

Easter Bonnet Competition announces celebrity presenters and judges including Mullally, Groff, O'Hara, and more

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Roger T. Danforth and Gabriel Shanks, Co-Managing Directors) proudly announces nominations for the 2007-08 Drama League Awards, to be awarded at The 74th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 16, 2008 (noon) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street).

Encompass New Opera Theatre celebrates the 80th birthday of legendary composer JERRY BOCK with a Gala Musical Salute on Sunday, May 18th at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South.

Harvey Returns! Welcome to The Return of special new series on BroadwayWorld.com - four time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein's personal MySpace blog of bringing his brand new musical, A Catered Affair to Broadway. We'll be exclusively picking up Harvey Fierstein's blog as he shares his first hand reports from rehearsals to Opening Night (and beyond). Check back for updates as rehearsals get underway!

The stars of A Catered Affair, which is playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre, meet the press at their opening night. A Catered Affair has a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino, who is making his Broadway debut as a composer and direction by Tony Award-winner John Doyle.

Catch this latest video show preview of A Catered Affair

The stars came out for the Broadway opening of A Catered Affair which is playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre. A Catered Affair has a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino, who is making his Broadway debut as a composer and direction by Tony Award-winner John Doyle.

Last night, April 17th 2008, A Catered Affair opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre. A Catered Affair has a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino and direction by Tony Award-winner John Doyle.

A gaggle of vintage cabs lined up as actor Tom Wopat finally traded in his Dukes Of Hazzard ride, General Lee for a cab to take him to the April 17th 2008 of A Catered Affair

Last night, April 17th 2008, A Catered Affair opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre. A Catered Affair has a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, score by John Bucchino and direction by Tony Award-winner John Doyle. A Catered Affair marks Mr. Bucchino's Broadway debut.

There will be two invitation only industry readings of the original new musical Empire, written by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull. Directed by Clayton Phillips, New Hampshire Theater's Best Direction Award winner, the cast will include Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens), Karen Ziemba (Curtains, Contact), Michael McCormick (Curtains, The Pajama Game), Mark Lotito (Jersey Boys, Fiddler on the Roof), Megan Sikora (Curtains, Wonderful Town), and Kevyn Morrow (Smokey Joes Café, Dreamgirls). A 2003 Ovation Award winner in Los Angeles and 2004 featured production at Connecticut's Stamford Center for the Arts, Empire is a celebration of the American spirit embodied by those who bravely banded together to build what was then the tallest structure in the world, the Empire State Building. Michael, an architect, hired to build the Empire State building in record time, takes on politicians, deadlines, and a nosy but beautiful reporter, Hildy, dead set on derailing the project. A classic struggle of idealism versus advancement, Empire is filled with romance, dreams, and the struggles that surrounded us when we face a monumental challenge. Written in the spirit of the classic musicals of the 40's and the 50's with big dance numbers and pop-driven melodies, the musical premiered at LA's Hudson Backstage Theatre in 2003. At the Hudson, Empire played to sold out audiences, excellent reviews and garnered 3 LA Theatre Ovation Award-nominations, including Best Musical, and won the award for Best Choreography. Daily Variety called the show 'A fast, flavorful, exciting tale … joyously fresh …', and Backstage West said Empire was a 'Tribute and testimony to the dreamers, doers, and unsung heroes … big and brave, like the building it celebrates …'. The production was then chosen to open the 2004 season for the SCA's Rich Forum and was called 'An outstanding new musical' by the Scarsdale Inquirer. Clayton Phillips, who recently won the New Hampshire Theater Award for Best Direction and Best Musical for Slow Dance with a Hot Pickup by John Pielmeier and Matty Selmen, has been at the helm of the production since its York Theater reading in 2001. The industry readings will be produced by Ricky Stevens and John O'Boyle whose credits include, Is He Dead by Mark Twain, A Catered Affair, by Harvey Fierstein and John Bucchino, Glory Days by Nick Blaemire and James Gardiner, and Marguerite Music by Michel Legrand, Book by Alain Boublil/Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.

On Tuesday, April 22, 2008, past Drama League Award recipients Norbert Leo Butz and Christine Ebersole, along with [title of show] co-author and star Hunter Bell, will announce the nominations for The 74th Annual Drama League Awards. The nominations will be announced at Sardi's Restaurant (234 West 44th Street) at 10:30 a.m. This year, for the first time in the history of the Drama League, the nominations announcement can also be viewed live on the internet, via an exclusive webcast hosted by BroadwayWorld.com.

Harvey Returns! Welcome to The Return of special new series on BroadwayWorld.com - four time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein's personal MySpace blog of bringing his brand new musical, A Catered Affair to Broadway. We'll be exclusively picking up Harvey Fierstein's blog as he shares his first hand reports from rehearsals to Opening Night (and beyond). Check back for updates as rehearsals get underway!

The producers of Hairspray, winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, have announced that Marissa Perry will take over the role of Tracy Turnblad on Tuesday, April 15, at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52 Street. (Shannon Durig plays Tracy through Sunday, April 13.)