Jack Viertel News

Jack Viertel, who has run New York City Center's Encores! series for the past twenty years, has just announced that he will resign from his position as Artistic Director at the end of the 2020 season.

Updated September 2023: Finding your best audition song is crucial - especially as a young performer. Check out some great audition song options for kids of all ages and find out how to pick the perfect audition song if you're a kid or teenager!

Ryan Murphy will direct and produce a feature adaptation of the Tony-nominated musical The Prom  for Netflix, and he has announced the cast for the film, according to Deadline. The Prom will star Meryl Streep, James Corden, and Ariana Grande, with Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Andrew Rannells in key roles. 

BroadwayWorld has learned that The Prom will have its last dance on Broadway August 11th. Upon its final performance, THE PROM will have played 23 preview and 310 regular performances.

New York City Center today announced programming for the 2019 - 2020 season, which will include Mack and Mabel (Feb 19-23), Kurt Weill's Love Life (March 18-22) directed by Victoria Clark, and a 'new version' of Thoroughly Modern Millie (May 6-10), featuring edits by the playwright Lauren Yee and led by 2018 Tony nominee Ashley Park.

How did The Prom come to be? Creators Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin tell us about the journey of the Tony-nominated musical!

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by the current stars of Waitress, Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, at the official announcement event at Sardi's Restaurant, which was streamed live online here at BroadwayWorld.

Just last night, New York City Center concluded the Encores! season with High Button Shoes. The production featured Aidan Alberto (Stevie), Jennifer Allen (Shirley Simpkins), Kevin Chamberlin (Mr. Pontdue), Carla Duren (Fran), Chester Gregory (Papa Longstreet), Mylinda Hull (Nancy), Marc Koeck (Oggle), Matt Loehr (Uncle Willy), Wayne Pretlow (Elmer Simpkins), Michael Urie (Harrison Floy), and Betsy Wolfe (Sara Longstreet).

That crazy cacophony of choreographic chaos that careens across the City Center stage shortly after the commencement of Act II is the main reason for Encores! to bring back the smash hit 1947 musical comedy High Button Shoes.

Saundra Mitchell, author of over twenty books for tweens and teens, has written the YA novelization of the hit Broadway musical comedy, The Prom.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by the current stars of Waitress, Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, at the official announcement event at Sardi's Restaurant, which was streamed live online here at BroadwayWorld.

On Friday, April 12 (2pm), join us at the Robin Williams Center (247 W 54th St) for a Q&A with the cast and creators of Broadway Musical The Prom: Matthew Sklar -Music, Chad Beguelin -Lyrics & Book, Bob Martin - Book, and Cast Members Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel, Christopher Sieber, and Angie Schworer. Click here to RSVP!

Ghostlight Records has announced it will record a new cast album of Cole Porter's 1930 musical The New Yorkers. The recording will be based on the 2017 production from New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, New York City Center President & CEO) Encores!, directed by John Rando with musical direction by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman and choreography by Chris Bailey. The concert adaptation is by Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The album, produced by Rob Berman and Lawrence Manchester, is being recorded March 25-26.

Six-time Emmy Award winner Ryan Murphy announced today on Instagram that he will host a special performance of THE PROM to benefit Hetrick Martin, GLAAD and The Trevor Project on Tuesday, April 9.

Things are just heavenly this week at New York City Center. That's because tonight through Sunday, March 24, Encores! continues with Rodgers and Hart's I Married an Angel.

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

For the second time in Encores! history-and to honor City Center's 75th Anniversary Season-the series revived one of its own revivals. A highlight of the second season of Encores! (1995) and featuring a memorable score by Irving Berlin and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Call Me Madam centers around a brassy ambassador to the fictional European nation of Lichtenberg. The show pokes fun at a far more polite and benign political world and includes standards such as 'It's a Lovely Day Today' and 'Something to Dance About,' along with Berlin's most famous counterpoint duet, 'You're Just in Love.'

It's time to dance because Isabelle McCalla, who plays Alyssa Greene in The Prom, is taking over the BroadwayWorld Instagram Story tomorrow, February 8th! Be sure to tune in to see all of the zazz that goes into a two-show day at Broadway's Longacre Theatre!

The brevity of political satire's shelf life tends to rival that of a tray of supermarket eggs, but it seems one of the quips penned by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse for the book of their smash hit 1950 musical Call Me Madam is breathing in new life in the 21st Century.

Deborah Grace Winer presents The Classic American Songbook Series returns to Feinstein's/54 Below with four jewel-box revues created especially for the venue's unique supper club setting. Each show celebrates American popular song as well as artists who created, interpreted and made themselves an integral part of the music. There is a $35-60 cover charge for each show, and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Premium seating is available for $75-$95. For reservations and information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins.