Howard McGillin News

Long Island's Bay Street Theatre is closing out their historic 25th season electrifyingly with a dazzling production of the iconic Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe musical My Fair Lady. Directed by Tony nominee Michael Arden, this incarnation is exquisitely reimagined and I am certain even the most devout fans will be delighted. Running through September 4th, I dare say this is the must-see of the season.

SCOBAR ENTERTAINMENT is proud to present the acclaimed, MAC Award-nominated variety show, Mark Hartman's LATE BREAKING STORIES, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at 8pm at Iridium. The evening is hosted by Pianist/Music Director/Conductor MARK HARTMAN, with John Miller on bass, Ray Marchica on drums & special guest vocalists Dana Levinson, Paul Victor, Erin Quill & T. Oliver Reid.

Bay Street Theater has just announced that MY FAIR LADY will be extended through September 4 due to popular demand. The classic musical has book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It is based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and Gabriel Pascal's motion picture. The production is directed by Michael Arden, Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for Best Director of a Musical for the Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the starry cast onstage below!

In his 78 years of entertaining, Lawrence Merritt has truly seen it all. From dancing on Broadway in GOLDEN RAINBOW and PIPPIN, to modeling for the greatest magazines, to being an underwater dancer in Paris, Lawrence is not short on amazing stories.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the monthly gathering of the International Order of Sodomites, the centuries-old organization which sets the mythic Gay Agenda - will come to an end at the conclusion of its upcoming season.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

SPARKLE & CIRCULATE with JUSTIN SAYRE - the official monthly podcast of the International Order of Sodomites - has posted its new episode, which features an interview with vocalist and songwriter Carol Lipnik. Called "an ethereal vocal phenomenon' by The New York Times, Lipnik tells Justin about her latest album "Almost Back to Normal," her Sundaynight residency at the downtown NYC club Pangea, and her influences from Mothra to Laura Nyro. She and Justin wax rhapsodic about Tennessee Williams, the 13th Century poet Rumi and B-movies of the 50s. Plus, Justin offers some simple tips on staying cool, calm and collected during the summer. SPARKLE & CIRCULATE was recently named among the "10 Comedy Podcasts You Should Listen To" by Backstage. All episodes are available on iTunes HERE.  

Broadway Unplugged, the critically acclaimed concert with 'Sound Design by God' returned to Town Hall for its record-breaking 14th season last night, July 25. The concert starred Tony Award Winner Chuck Cooper, 2X Tony Nominee Tom Wopat, Olivier Nominee Kyle Scatliffe, 2X Drama Desk Nominee Alix Korey, Drama Desk Nominee Ryan Silverman, downtown diva Molly Pope, and many more award-winning stars.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: James Lipton writes a musical & Kevin extols the virtues of having three names! 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: Rob and Kevin go to two very different churches! 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: The grandfather of Broadway choreography and a look into the songs lost on the road to Broadway!

Orchestrator Larry Moore has been praised by the New York Daily News as 'one of the most ingenious practitioners in his profession,' and you'll find no argument in that statement once you hear Larry's fascinating story. Stopping by to pull back the curtain on the role of an orchestrator, Larry tells Rob and Kevin what it was like orchestrating such musical series favorites as 'Unsung Musicals' and 'Lost in Boston,' which recording is the greatest cast album of all time, and how he got Stephen Sondheim his Pulitzer Prize!

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: June is bustin' out all over and the birds are flying down to Rio!

Broadway Unplugged, the critically acclaimed concert with 'Sound Design by God' returns to Town Hall for its record-breaking 14th season on Monday, July 25 at 8 PM. The concert stars Tony Award Winner Chuck Cooper, 2X Tony Nominee Tom Wopat, Olivier Nominee Kyle Scatliffe, 2X Drama Desk Nominee Alix Korey, Drama Desk Nominee Ryan Silverman, downtown diva Molly Pope, and many more award-winning stars. Broadway Unplugged has been featured in The New York Times, Playbill.com, The Huffington Post, The Daily News, and many other publications during the last 14 years, with all the feature pieces and reviews citing the extraordinary excitement the audience experiences at Town Hall when they hear the pure human voice ring out loud and clear -- and beautifully -- in a 1,500 seat theater. 

Audiences across America remember Nancy Dussault as Ted Knight's wife in TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, Alan Arkin's wife in THE IN-LAWS, and as the original host of GOOD MORNING AMERICA. But before Nancy became a television and movie legend, she was heralded for her Broadway performances in DO-RE-MI, BAJOUR, and countless others!

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: FLOYD COLLINS gets stuck in a cave and Ethel Merman gets stuck in a sitcom!

Bay Street Theater has announced MY FAIR LADY, Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe, Based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw & Gabriel Pascal's motion picture, and Directed by Michael Arden, Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for Best Director of a Musical for the Broadway revival of Spring Awakening is now in rehearsals in NYC. MY FAIR LADY will run August 2 - 28. Check out photos below!

There are three types of musical theatre lovers: Fan, Obsessed, and Stephen Cole. Stephen, who has had a wonderfully varied career as a lyricist and librettist, invited Rob & Kevin over to the musical theatre mecca he calls his apartment to talk about the craft of writing, meeting Merman, and how social media sites, like Facebook's Forgotten Musicals page, is uniting musical theatre fans from across the globe!