Ira Gershwin News

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its cabaret, Broadway and comedy acts today, April 21-July 28, 2013, including: Lindsay Mendez and Michael Holland, Leslie Kritzer, Megan Hilty, Bridget Everett, Song of a Convalescent Ayn Rand, Paul Oakley Stovall and Brad Simmons, NYU Tisch Presents, Blake Pfeil, Storm Large, Nicole Henry, Erin Markey, Joey Arias, Taylor Mac, William Blake, Moments with Ravi, Natalie Joy Johnson, Champagne Jerry, Wau Wau Sisters, The Georges, Pam Ann: Cockpit, Missi Pyle, John Kelly, Tori Scott, Murray Hill and Vagabond Opera.

Brooklyn transplants and Broadway favorites, Ilene Graff (Promises, Promises / Grease / I Love My Wife) along with her husband/musical director, Ben Lanzarone, not to mention the parents of stage success Nikka Lanzarone (Chicago / Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) presented 'Make the Song Your Own', a salon style performance this week before an equally eclectic crowd, which included such noted patrons as screen stars Tippi Hedren and Dee Wallace, cabaret sensation Barbara Van Orden, Daytime Drama personality Kate Linder, commedienne Geri Jewell and ABC Entertainment reporter George Pennacchio. Scroll down for photos from the event!

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its cabaret, Broadway and comedy acts April 21-July 28, 2013, including: Lindsay Mendez and Michael Holland, Leslie Kritzer, Megan Hilty, Bridget Everett, Song of a Convalescent Ayn Rand, Paul Oakley Stovall and Brad Simmons, NYU Tisch Presents, Blake Pfeil, Storm Large, Nicole Henry, Erin Markey, Joey Arias, Taylor Mac, William Blake, Moments with Ravi, Natalie Joy Johnson, Champagne Jerry, Wau Wau Sisters, The Georges, Pam Ann: Cockpit, Missi Pyle, John Kelly, Tori Scott, Murray Hill and Vagabond Opera.

Jazz singer Mark Winkler has written a new album dedicated to fresh interpretations of the work of his own favorite singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, which is set to be released today, April 16.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will star Theatre World Award winner and original Broadway cast member PHILLIP BOYKIN, who will reprise his Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Award-nominated role as Crown. Boykin joins previously announced original Broadway cast members NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy and ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess. The national tour, which begins in the late fall of 2013 will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), Charlotte, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, Tampa, Las Vegas, Cleveland, West Palm Beach, Tempe, St. Paul and Greenville with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley, Karen Ziemba,New York City Ballet Principaldancer Joaquin De Luz and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenkowill star in Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, On Your Toes will have guest music direction by Encores! founding music director Rob Fisher and will play seven performances, from May 8 - 12 at New York City Center, W. 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, originally choreographed by George Balanchine, will be staged by Susan Pilarre, who served as a Ballet Mistress of the show's 1983 Broadway Revival.

The Players Guild of Leonia presents Crazy for You, featuring book by Ken Ludwig and music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. The production is directed by Chris Watson and runs tonight, April 12-28, 2013.

The hit musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It, which recently welcomed Tony Award nominee Jessie Mueller, John Treacy Egan and Conrad John Schuck to the production, celebrated one year on Broadway after yesterday's matinee. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration and you can check out photos of the festivities below!

Bay City Players will present 3 OF A KIND tonight, April 11 at 7:30 (with talkback session following), Friday & Saturday, April 12-13 at 7:30 p.m. (with wine and dessert reception - Afterglow, $15 ticket required) and Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. (with talkback).

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show will run in previews tonight, April 10 - 12, 2013 and continues April 13 - May 5, 2013.

The Music of Vernon Duke played for five shows, April 6-8, 2013, at the 92nd Street Y. The show featured the talents of Heidi Blickenstaff, James Clow, Erin Mackey, Matthew Scott, and three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker.

Lady in the Dark (1963 Studio Cast) and Bravo Giovanni (1962 Original Broadway Cast) will be available on Tuesday, April 9th as downloads through all major digital service providers and are accompanied by new album pages and photos on MasterworksBroadway.com.

According to Variety, producers Mike Medavoy and Bobby Geisler are developing a revamped film version of The Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess. Medavoy and Geisler are collaborating with the Gershwin family and lyricist DuBose Heyward's estate for the updated film.

North Coast Repertory Theatre announces its 32nd Season. From its modest beginning in 1982, North Coast Repertory Theatre, a non-profit organization, has evolved into one of the area's leading performing arts organizations, recognized for the quality of its work and its commitment to excellence. North Coast Repertory's 32nd Season promises to be a season filled with laughter, romance, mystery and passion. With two World Premieres, two San Diego Premieres and two Musicals, this season promises to be one of the most exciting ever.

Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Christine Ebersole and other great stars of American music and musical theatre share the spotlight with the country's most passionate music preservationist as Michael Feinstein'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK returns to PBS for a new star-studded, three-part season tonight, April 5, 2013, 9:00 p.m. ET.

Now in its 15th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook celebrates the best in American singing and songwriting with a new chapter in the Songbook story: 'American Songbook in the Penthouse,' a series of weekend-only performances by performers and composers presented in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, an intimate yet elegant venue that brings artists closer to the audience in a cabaret-style setting. The second weekend of Kaplan Penthouse performances, the sixth week of American Songbook 2013, runs April 5-6, 2013. April 5th belongs to Cristin Milioti, who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2012 for her lead role in the musical Once.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will star original Broadway cast members ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess and NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy. The national tour, which begins in the late fall of 2013 will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), Charlotte, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, Tampa, Las Vegas, Cleveland, West Palm Beach, Tempe and St. Paul, with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

The hit musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It welcomed Tony Award nominee Jessie Mueller, John Treacy Egan and Conrad John Schuck to the production last night, March 29th, in the roles of Billie Bendix, Chief Berry and Senator Max Evergreen. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photos of their warm welcome to the show!