Hinton Battle News

Broadway composer/lyricist/author/musical director/vocal arranger/dance arranger/orchestrator/accompanist, best known for composing The Tornado, and Emerald City Ballet in the Broadway hit 'The Wiz,' Timothy Graphenreed, passed away March 1, 2020, at Mt. Sinai at the age of 68.

Stars in the House continued Wednesday night (8pm) with Joe Benincasa, President & CEO of The Actors Fund, Tom Viola, Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Christopher Gattelli and Vasthy Mompoint. This episode was in support of The Actor's Fund.

Performer, teacher, and choreographer Alan Onickel will be making his Green Room 42 debut in That Instant. Beginning in South Africa with a life-altering near-fatal car crash, this autobiographical show follows Alan from his visit to 'Coma Land' through multiple surgeries, therapies, doctors, pharmaceuticals, recuperation and finally his return to New York City. Music composed by the incomparable Drama Desk and Helen Hayes award winner Ed Dixon and played by gifted Musical Director Chip Prince. Everyone deals with obstacles in life. That Instant tells of Alan Onickel's unpredictable journey surviving those hurdles.

Performer, teacher, and choreographer Alan Onickel is thrilled to be making his Green Room 42 debut in That Instant.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Paula Kelly, actress of stage and screen, has died. She was 76. Kelly made her Broadway debut as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, alongside Barbara Cook. Her other Broadway credits include The Dozens (1969), Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971), Ovid's Metamorphoses (1971), and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies (1981).

Actress, singer, author, and activist Eartha Kitt might be best known as the singer behind 'Santa Baby' and 'C'est si bon,' or as the third Catwoman on the sixties Batman TV series.

BroadwayHD, the premiere streaming service for theater fans, is kicking off September with everyone dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock. Making its streaming premiere exclusively on BroadwayHD, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, an infectiously fun and riotous rock and roll time capsule of top 40 hits captured live-in-performance on Broadway will debut September 12 . Grammy Award winners Jerry Leiber and Michael Stoller wrote hit songs for great artists such a King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Coasters and Peggy Lee. Subscribers can dance and sing-along to classics including: 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Love Potion #9,' 'Hound Dog', 'On Broadway', 'Stand By Me' and other favorites. If swiveling your hips to the music of Smokey Joe's Cafe has you wanting more, continue your musical journey through the 1950s with the Best Musical Tony Award-winning performance of Memphis, featuring Tony Award-nominees Chad Kimball and Montego Glover, beginning September 26.

In 1968 while at the height of her career as a world renowned entertainer, Eartha Kitt was also working as one of the main lobbyist for a group of young activists called the Rebels With A Cause

Purelements: An Evolution in Dance, inspiring and motivating youth in East Brooklyn to realize their authentic selves through exceptional arts programming, announces Legends of Dance: Past, Present, and Forever, June 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Kings Theatre.

Purelements: An Evolution in Dance, inspiring and motivating youth in East Brooklyn to realize their authentic selves through exceptional arts programming, announces Legends of Dance: Past, Present, and Forever, June 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Kings Theatre.

This week's decluttering is only freeing up a tiny bit of space in my collection, but it represents an enormous place in my heart. The only version of The Wiz I have on CD is the AMAZING/IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT, YOU'RE NOT A REAL BROADWAY FAN original cast album starring Stephanie Mills. I do have the movie soundtrack in my iTunes and the soundtrack of 'The Wiz Live!' is on Apple Music, so let's dive in.

Mehr Mansuri, writer of Henry Box Brown blogs for BWW about bringing the show to the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

On June 5, 2018, the Fulton Theatre launches The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the theatre's season finale and biggest production of the 2017/2018 season.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame will also be one of the largest shows in the theatre's one hundred sixty six year history. Over ninety cast and choir members will take the stage amidst soaring bell towers, a gypsy village, and the bustling streets of fifteenth century Paris. Beneath the stage, a fourteen piece orchestra will bring to life the incredible music of the timeless classic.

As if there weren't enough scary things in the world right now, I've come to realize that I have been going to live theatrical productions for over 43 years. That means I have been sitting in the dark for a long time (no jokes please).

The longest-running African American musical in New York history, SISTAS: THE MUSICAL, will be the main segment on WNBC's "New York Live" tomorrow(Tuesday) at 11:30 am. The co-host of Channel 4's highly popular lifestyle show, Jacque Reid, pretaped an interview at the theatre with two of the stars of SISTAS,Haley Swindal and Nesha Ward. Produced by three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle and directed by Kenneth Ferrone ("Smash," "Grease Live!"), SISTAS: THE MUSICAL opened Off-Broadway October 23, 2011. The show was released on DVD and digital download (iTunes, Netflix) by RLJ Worldwide/One Village Entertainment in 2013, and has been nationally broadcast on the BET Network.

With the arrival of 2018, the long-running smash SISTAS: THE MUSICAL had its seventh New Year's celebration at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District. Produced by three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle and directed by Kenneth Ferrone ( Smash, Grease Live! ), SISTAS: THE MUSICAL opened Off-Broadway October 23, 2011. The show was released on DVD and digital download (iTunes, Netflix) by RLJ Worldwide/One Village Entertainment in 2013, and has been nationally broadcast on the BET Network. The production is now the longest-running African American musical in New York history.

Charles Busch, Tony Award Nominee as a playwright for The Tale of the Allergist's Wife comes to South Bend, Indiana to perform his highly-acclaimed show My Kinda 60's on Wednesday, January 31st at 7:30PM. His Music Director will be Tom Judson. Tickets are $25.

The Chase Brock Experience (CBE), a Brooklyn-based contemporary dance company, recently announced they will celebrate their 10th Anniversary NY Season at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre from November 27 - December 9, 2017. To further commemorate the company's first 10 years, CBE is excited to announce that they will offer the first-ever CBE Intensive from December 5 through December 8, 2017.

The America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) presents Israel's most talented artists at its 78th Anniversary Celebration at 4 PM on November 19, 2017 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall (Broadway at 60th Street, New York City).

General Mischief Dance Theatre presents Conjunctions, an evening of collaborative works, as part of its ninth season of performances in New York City.