Hinton Battle News

"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!

Lampkin Music Group presents an encore performance of 'Charles West…Feeling Good!' starring Charles West at the Metropolitan Room. Street, NY. Monday, March 12th at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 with a two drink minimum. There is a $5.00 discount for MAC members. RSVP at (212)206-0440.

La MaMa will present the world-premiere of Mario Fratti's newest play, OBAMA 44, with performances starting March 29, 2012 prior to an official press opening April 1 at La MaMa (74 E. 4 St.) in Manhattan.

La MaMa will present the world-premiere of Mario Fratti's newest play, OBAMA 44, with performances starting March 29, 2012.

Lampkin Music Group presents an encore performance of 'Charles West…Feeling Good!' starring Charles West at the Metropolitan Room. Street, NY. Monday, March 12th at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 with a two drink minimum. There is a $5.00 discount for MAC members. RSVP at (212)206-0440.

SISTAS: The Musical, at St. Lukes Theatre (308 West 46th St.), opened in October of 2011 and was New York Times critic Ben Brantley's pick of the week, is now poised to add a second Saturday performance to their current schedule starting on March 17. Special group pricing will apply to that show only, ($35/person for groups of 10-49 and $32.50 for groups of 50+).

From Nick Jonas and Michael Urie to the Ladies of THE VIEW to Adam Pascal, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand to Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters to Susan Boyle, Colin Quinn to GLEE and Everything in Between - It's the BroadwayWorld.com 2012 Valentine's Day Special - It's the Biggest Ever!

Lampkin Music Group is set to present ten-time Jeff Award winner and "First Lady of Chicago Musical Theatre" Hollis Resnik in a special New Year's Eve cabaret performance.

Lampkin Music Group will present the Chicago Cabaret debut of singer/actor/musician, Heidi Ferris, in'How Glory Goes' on Saturday, December 3rd at 8:00 p.m. at the Cab Room at Stage 773. Tickets are $20.00. Available at 1-773-327-5252 and online at www.stage773.com.

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), NYC's foremost progressive dance education and performance center, announces LateNight: With or Without Me, a program of four new works curated by Jack Ferver.

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), NYC's foremost progressive dance education and performance center, announces LateNight: With or Without Me, a program of four new works curated by Jack Ferver.

Lampkin Music Group will present the Chicago Cabaret debut of singer/actor/musician, Heidi Ferris, in'How Glory Goes' on Saturday, December 3rd at 8:00 p.m. at the Cab Room at Stage 773. Tickets are $20.00. Available at 1-773-327-5252 and online at www.stage773.com.

Lampkin Music Group is set to present ten-time Jeff Award winner and "First Lady of Chicago Musical Theatre" Hollis Resnik in a special New Year's Eve cabaret performance.

Lampkin Music Group is set to present the Chicago Cabaret Debut of Suzanne Palmer in ' Behold A Branch' on Saturday, December 10th at 8;00 p.m. at the Cab Room at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave. Chicago.

Lampkin Music Group is set to present Cheryl Szucsits in 'As Long As I Can Sing' on Saturday, November 19th at 8: 00 pm. at Cab Room at Stage 773.

LMG will be presenting Andrew and Jimmy in their debut in Chicago. While we were sitting in Andrew's living room and listening to their collection of songs, I was excited to hear comedy, drama and good musical/lyrical lines in their songs.

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), NYC's foremost progressive dance education and performance center, announces LateNight: With or Without Me, a program of four new works curated by Jack Ferver.