Idina Menzel News

The Covina Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce that recording artist and Broadway star Shoshana Bean will join Tony Award winning Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown in An Evening with Jason Robert Brown and the Caucasian Rhythm Kings on February 20 and 21, 2009 at CCPA. Ms. Bean gained national fame in the smash Broadway hit Wicked. As Elphaba, Ms. Bean replaced Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, performing as the 'green witch' on Broadway for over a year. Most recently, she reprised her role on the show's national tour. Prior to joining the cast of Wicked, Ms. Bean was part of the original Broadway company of Hairspray, creating the role of Shelley and understudying and performing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad opposite Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. In December, Ms. Bean released her debut solo album, Superhero. Hailed as one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, the recipient of the 1999 Tony for Parade, will perform with his Caucasian Rhythm Kings and special guest star Shoshanna Bean for two nights only, February 20-21, 2009.

Idina Menzel reached superstardom on Broadway in two career-defining roles-her Tony Award winning performance in the musicAl Blockbuster 'Wicked' and in the revolutionary 'Rent.' Idina's debut album, I Stand is a powerful collection of new songs. BWW TV STAGE TUBE brings you a special acoustic music video version.

This year's new entries include Johnny Mathis, Perez Hilton, The New York Times' Ben Brantley, Idina Menzel, Eden Espinosa, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Betty Buckley, Carol Channing, Cynthia Nixon, Phyllis Diller, Florence Henderson, Marsha Mason, Laura Osnes, John Schneider, Adam Shankman, Frank Wildhorn, Jonathan Tunick, Paul Gemignani.

Private Practice star Taye Diggs real-life wife, Tony winner Idina Menzel, will guest-star on the ABC series later this season, TVGuide.com is exclusively reporting. TVGuide reports that in a multiple episode story arc, Menzel will play the mother of a patient tended to by Pete (Tim Daly). To hear one source tell it, Pete's special brand of 'bedside manner' might bring about an attraction between him and Menzel's character. At this early stage, it's unclear if Menzel and Diggs will share many scenes reveals the television publication.

Lee Summers' 'JUST A PIANO' Concert Series Presents Broadway's Shoshana Bean on Monday February 9th at 930pm at the Triad Theatre. The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street, just east of Broadway. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and can be reserved by calling 212-362-2590 or visiting www.triadnyc.com.

Kerry Ellis is to hang up her broomstick and swap her career-changing, award-winning role as green witch Elphaba in the hit musical 'Wicked' for a series of intimate shows celebrating the very best British music from the worlds of theatre, film and pop.

Lee Summers' 'JUST A PIANO' Concert Series Presents Broadway's Shoshana Bean on Monday February 9th at 930pm at the Triad Theatre. The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street, just east of Broadway. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and can be reserved by calling 212-362-2590 or visiting www.triadnyc.com.

Grammy and Tony award-winning songwriter and composer Duncan Sheik returns with his new album Whisper House, which hit stores on January 27 on the Victor Records/Sony label. BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you these stunning and haunting illustrations from the Whisper House cd booklet.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were simulcast Live Nationally on TNT and TBS last night, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. Stage and screen favorites such as Meryl Streep, Laura Linney and Alec Baldwin all took home awards for their fantastic work, BroadwayWorld had cameras everywhere from the Red Carpet to the Winners Stage in the Press Room to bring you all the starry action! Of the top industry accolades presented to performers, only the Screen Actors Guild Awards are selected solely by actors' peers. Two randomly selected panels-one for television and one for film-each comprised of 2,100 Guild members from across the United States, chose this year's Actor and stunt honors nominees. Integrity Voting Systems, the Awards' official teller mailed the nominations secret ballots were mailed on November 26. Voting was completed by noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008.

The Covina Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce that recording artist and Broadway star Shoshana Bean will join Tony Award winning Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown in An Evening with Jason Robert Brown and the Caucasian Rhythm Kings on February 20 and 21, 2009 at CCPA. Ms. Bean gained national fame in the smash Broadway hit Wicked. As Elphaba, Ms. Bean replaced Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, performing as the 'green witch' on Broadway for over a year. Most recently, she reprised her role on the show's national tour. Prior to joining the cast of Wicked, Ms. Bean was part of the original Broadway company of Hairspray, creating the role of Shelley and understudying and performing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad opposite Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein. In December, Ms. Bean released her debut solo album, Superhero. Hailed as one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, the recipient of the 1999 Tony for Parade, will perform with his Caucasian Rhythm Kings and special guest star Shoshanna Bean for two nights only, February 20-21, 2009.

Air dates have not yet been set, but Wicked's Idina Menzel and Rent's Adam Pascal will join Great Performances favorite Josh Groban in a spectacular London concert revival of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' 1986 cult musical Chess, this summer on Great Performances (check local listings). Presented by THIRTEEN in 5.1 digital surround sound on PBS HD, and featuring diamond-sharp lyrics by Tim Rice (Evita, The Lion King), the hit-filled production ('One Night in Bangkok,' 'I Know Him So Well,' 'The Anthem') was recorded in performance at Royal Albert Hall. 'A fantastic night' proclaimed musiccomh.com, while thestage.co asked 'Is there an original pop musical stuffed with better melodies?' neatly echoing Time's initial 1988 assessment: 'One of the best rock scores ever produced.' Adding to the excitement is the 50-piece City of London Philharmonic, led by David Firman, and the 100-voice West End Chorus.

Tony-winner Idina Menzel can be seen this month on PBS in a new concert, which premiered on January 15, 2009. The evening includes appearances with guest stars Josh Groban and Ravi Coltrane. The special, part of the PBS series - Soundstage was taped in New York City inside the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Click here to check local listings for airing information.

Various news outlets are reporting the sudden news that The Zipper Factory is to cease operations immediately. No further information is available at the current time, but BroadwayWorld.com will bring it to you as we get it.

Last holiday season, due to the 2007 Broadway stagehands' strike, fundraising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and sales of its annual holiday CD, Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, were gravely impacted. With most theaters dark, the main source of sales of the CD was cut off. Stephen DeAngelis, NYC casting director and Artistic Director from the Engeman Theater, contacted Lynn Pinto, Executive Producer of Carols for a Cure, to see if they could sell the CDs to help make up for strike losses. The Engeman Theater sold hundreds of the CDs. In gratitude, Ms. Pinto invited performers from the Engeman Theater to record a track of their own for the 2008 CD.

Kerry Ellis is to hang up her broomstick and swap her career-changing, award-winning role as green witch Elphaba in the hit musical 'Wicked' for a series of intimate shows celebrating the very best British music from the worlds of theatre, film and pop.

What a year it has been here at BroadwayWorld, truly an astonishing 12 months of talent and excitement in the world of theatre and beyond! As always we have strived to bring you the very best, but as always you've got the final say and boy did your numbers show it in regards to what you found most exciting story wise. We tallied the numbers, combed the archives and are proud to bring you the top twenty articles of 2008! Relive the memories, revisit the opening nights and remember the magic of 2008, we can't wait to bring you whats ahead in 2009! Happy New Year from the entire BroadwayWorld.com team.

The Official Idina Menzel fan club is reporting that the Tony winning star will be performing various concert dates in March 2009. You find the most updated schedule, the Fan Club will add dates as they become available.

Cast members from the Broadway production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history, will sing holiday songs live throughout Good Morning America on ABC, this coming Monday morning December 22. Led by PHANTOM star Patricia Phillips, the first-ever African-American to play opera diva Carlotta Giudicelli, the cast's performances are in recognition of the special 10th Anniversary of Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, the annual holiday CD which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. On this year's CD, the cast of PHANTOM can be heard singing their folk version of 'Away in a Manger,' arranged by cast member and acoustic guitarist Geoff Packard.

Cast members from the Broadway production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history, will sing holiday songs live throughout Good Morning America on ABC, this coming Monday morning December 22. Led by PHANTOM star Patricia Phillips, the first-ever African-American to play opera diva Carlotta Giudicelli, the cast's performances are in recognition of the special 10th Anniversary of Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, the annual holiday CD which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. On this year's CD, the cast of PHANTOM can be heard singing their folk version of 'Away in a Manger,' arranged by cast member and acoustic guitarist Geoff Packard.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre, located within The West Bank Caf? (407 West 42nd St.), is pleased to continue our Friday night soiree, THE AFTER PARTY. Now going strong it's third, THE AFTER PARTY is billed as 'a weekly schmoozefest for the theatrically inclined.' Every Friday from 10:30 pm until the wee hours, pros from Broadway and aspiring stars alike belt it out on the stage of The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Join hosts BRANDON CUTRELL (MAC & Bistro Award winner) and ALYSHA UMPHRESS (XL Star) with RAY FELLMAN (Captain Louie) at the piano for this weekly party in the theatre district. There is no cover charge for this event. Come and sing yourself as the mic is always open, or sit back and enjoy a cocktail with friends. Located just blocks from the Great White Way, you never know who might drop in.