Hinton Battle News

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) is pleased to announce the lineup of full-length plays and musicals for its thirteenthseason, running from July 16 to August 5, 2012

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!

Dorothy Marcic (SISTAS, RESPECT) brings her newest musical, What We Do For Love Or Other Desperate Measures to the Upstairs Theater at the Bleeker Street Theater (45 Bleeker Street) tonight, June 13th (7PM) for six performances as part of the 4th annual Planet Connections Festivity. The cast will include: Gilbert Bailey, Natalie Hill, Simon Pearl, Morgan Reed,Carla Stewart and Ryan Williams.

Feminist, writer and activist Gloria Steinem, author, filmmaker and photographer Nigel Barker, actress Kathy Najimy and filmmaker Abigail Disney are all set to take part in after-show talkbacks for the powerful docu-theater drama Trafficked which was constructed by actual interviews and was created in partnership with representatives from the United Nations, telling the story of sex slavery and child exploitation through the eyes of fifteen young women across the globe. Abigail Disney will lead a talkback after the Sunday, 6/10 at 5:30pm performance, Gloria Steinem and Kathy Najimy will both lead the talkback after the Saturday, 6/16 at 4:30pm performance, and Nigel Barker will lead the talkback after the 6/21 at 5pm performance. Tickets for the shows (priced at $18) can be purchased online at www.PlanetConnections.org.

BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. This Thursday, May 31st, Broadway Sessions will welcome the cast of the Off-Broadway musical What We Do For Love or Other Desperate Meaasures and more.

Gingold Theatrical Group, known for its monthly Project Shaw performances, presented two events as part of its first SHAW NEW YORK festival. Check out photos from the events below!

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) today announced the lineup of full-length plays and musicals for its thirteenthseason, running from July 16 to August 5, 2012 at the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC. Tickets are $18-15. Tickets are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111.

From May 30th through June 24th the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival will occupy both theater spaces (Upstairs and Downstairs) at Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street) and will also be offering film and music festivals, 14 free play readings & other special events. This summer, the festivity will also feature nearly forty full productions including new comedies, dramas and musicals, riveting docu-theater and solo pieces, and one-acts. During the festivity, each show partners with a charity and some of the ways they offer support are soliciting donations at shows, holding special benefit performances, fundraisers and/or talkbacks after performances with representatives from the charity.

Dorothy Marcic (SISTAS, RESPECT) brings her newest musical, What We Do For Love Or Other Desperate Measures to the Upstairs Theater at the Bleeker Street Theater (45 Bleeker Street) on Wednesday, June 13th (7PM) for six performances as part of the 4th annual Planet Connections Festivity. The cast will include: Gilbert Bailey, Natalie Hill, Simon Pearl, Morgan Reed,Carla Stewart and Ryan Williams.

SISTAS:The Musical celebrates its 100th Performance today, May 20th at St. Luke's Theatre, (308 West 46th St.).

SISTAS:The Musical will be celebrating its 100th Performance on Sunday, May 20th at St. Luke's Theatre, (308 West 46th St.).

"It's always gorgeous when you sing," and so the same goes for NBC's musical drama series SMASH. This week's penultimate episode of the first season order of fifteen gave us a long-awaited real look at the actual production of the musical-within-the-show live onstage in the form of the first Boston preview in the out-of-town tryout of BOMBSHELL. Up until this point, we have only been provided with sporadic glimpses into the mind's eye of the director of the show as he stages and rehearses the various song sequences. With last night's "Previews" episode we got our third major iteration of "Let Me Be Your Star" - following the full-out song at the conclusion of the pilot episode and the subsequent ballad opening number version shown in Episode 2 - with Rebecca Duvall (guest star Uma Thurman) belting it out to mixed results. Mixed results is the kindest way to say that the volatile and kooky movie star character simply does not work in any way as Marilyn Monroe in the bio-musical about her life being created - not physically, tonally and certainly not musically. Croaking out the sumptuous and richly melodic Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman gems that have been specifically created for SMASH's BOMBSHELL - songs dutifully doled out in sparingly small doses of one or two each week - is near-sacrilege when one ponders the talent even on the very same stage; Ivy (Megan Hilty) or Karen (Katharine McPhee) could both kill the role, as wee have seen. So, who will ultimately make it to the stage that now, in the eleventh hour, the star of the show has walked? Of course, the sure-to-be action, drama and music-filled finale to Season One arrives next Monday at the same SMASH place and same SMASH channel - will the Marilyn musical be a bomb or a smash? Will the show even go on at all given the unforeseen obstacles? A lot remains to be answered, but the fever pitch fans and viewers have been yearning for has definitely entered, stage right. Next week we will see who truly sparkles, who really shines - and who ends up exploding.

Dorothy Marcic (SISTAS, RESPECT) brings her newest musical, What We Do For Love Or Other Desperate Measures, to the Upstairs Theater at the Bleeker Street Theater (45 Bleeker Street) on Wednesday, June 13th (7PM) for six performances as part of the 4th annual Planet Connections Festivity.

The full lineup has been announced for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival which is set to take place from May 30th through June 24th, occupying both theater spaces (Upstairs and Downstairs) at 45 Bleecker Street.

Last night, March 28th, Givenik.com partnered with the new Broadway show Ghost The Muscial for a special post-performance reception for audience and cast members at The Paramount Hotel (235 West 46th Street) to benefit Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), which funds innovative cancer research. BroadwayWorld was there for the special occasion, and be bring you full photo coverage below!