Henry Stram News

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Broadway returns to Bryant Park, NYMF is back for 2013, PIPPIN gets a cast album, and so much more!

Anika Noni Rose and Raul Esparza star in Marc Blitzstein's historic pro-labor protest musical.

Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series will play for five performances through July 13 at City Center. The production stars Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram. Opening was last night and you can check out photos from the celebration below!

Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series will play for five performances, beginning tonight at City Center, and running through July 13. The production stars Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram. Check out a first look at the production below!

Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series will play for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The production stars Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram. BroadwayWorld brings you just-released highlights below!

Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series will play for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The production stars Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram. Check out a first look at the cast photos below!

Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, will play for five performances, July 10-13 at City Center- starring Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raúl Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram. The cast and creative team met the press earlier today and BroadwayWorld's Richie Ridge was there to chat with the whole gang. Check out what they had to say and catch a special performance preview below!

Casting is complete for Marc Blitzstein¹s The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center¹s new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 ­ 13 at City Center. The cast includes Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldivar and Henry Stram.

Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raul Esparza, Peter Friedman, Judy Kuhn, Martin Moran, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose and Henry Stram will star in Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, the inaugural show of New York City Center's new Encores! Off-Center series, playing for five performances, July 10 - 13 at City Center. The show will be directed bySam Gold and choreographed by Chase Brock; Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off Center artistic director. Chris Fenwick is the music director. In keeping with City Center's founding mission to make the arts accessible to all and to younger audiences, the majority of tickets are $25.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Charles Ives Take Me Home, written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Daniella Topol. Charles Ives Take Me Home will begin performances tonight, May 29, 2013 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater at 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set for Thursday, June 13 at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through June 29.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere ofCharles Ives Take Me Home, written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Daniella Topol. Charles Ives Take Me Home will begin performances on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater at 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set forThursday, June 13 at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through June 29.

NBC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack for Bombshell, the musical within NBC's Golden Globe-nominated series television hit 'SMASH' (Tuesdays, 10-11pm ET), will be released today, February 12.

piece by piece productions, Rising Phoenix Repertory, and The Barrow Group have announced that All The Rage, written and performed by Martin Moran, and directed by Seth Barrish, began performances on Saturday, January 19, at 7pm at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 416 West 42 Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. The opening night was yesterday, January 30, and you can check out coverage from the opening below!

NBC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack for Bombshell, the musical within NBC's Golden Globe-nominated series television hit 'SMASH' (Tuesdays, 10-11pm ET), will be released on February 12. Bombshell is available now for pre-order.

Following REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway and the news that financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested yesterday for his role in the show's collapse, Bloomberg reports that REBECCA's producers now have 10 weeks-until Dec. 31-to raise $4.5 million or face returning millions more to their investors.

The twisting tale of REBECCA's cancellation on Broadway made a new turn this morning with multiple news outlets reporting that troubled financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was arrested this morning at 6am for his role in the show's collapse.

According to the New York Post, Ronald Russo , lawyer for producer Ben Sprecher has now said that 'Sprecher had been led to "Abrams" by shadowy Long Island businessman, Mark Hotton, who told him Abrams died before he could hand over the dough, sources have said. There also were three other investors Hotton told Sprecher about who supposedly promised another combined $2 million for the show, the sources have said. But "following an extensive search over the last week, I can now confirm that there is no evidence whatever that "Paul Abrams" or any of the other three investors brought to this production by Mr. Hotton, ever existed," said Sprecher's lawyer, Ronald Russo. The lawyer said they conducted an investigation in both the US and England.'

As previously reported, the Broadway production of REBECCA, which was to open this fall, has been delayed indefinitely and is now at the center of an investigation to determine if any criminal wrongdoing occured in the show's long road to Broadway.

This morning, October 3, the following letter was composed by one of the Principal cast members of REBECCA, Karen Mason, in hopes of clearing up the ongoing speculation of the cancelled Broadway prodution of REBECCA

Now according to the New York Times, the United States attorney's office is investigating whether the investor ever existed in the first place. Sprecher told NYT: "I never made up or fabricated any investor, and I never made up Paul Abrams." He also revealed that a new production of Rebecca is in the works that he 'hoped to mount soon, on Broadway or elsewhere.'