Jean Ford News

Few legends come along as brassy and powerful as Elaine Stritch, and so it's time to 'Rise, Rise, Rise' in tribute to her. On September 12 (9:30pm), director Eric Ulloa and Music Director John McDaniel will present an all star Broadway cast singing the songs that made Stritch famous and telling the stories that made her infamous. So, come join us for an evening of great music, memories, food and of course cocktails.

David Austin's original new musical, Finishing Arthur Danby, will receive an NYC industry reading Sunday August 3. This is the latest effort from the rising star and composer of the new musical Beaches, which received its world premier in DC earlier this year.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA just released new production photos featuring its new leads Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis. BroadwayWorld brings you even more photos of the new cast in action below!

Watching the play August: Osage County it is easy to understand why it won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. You only need to watch a few minutes of the Barn Players production to know that you are in for something special. Before the evening is over you realize you are viewing the best dramatic production to appear in Kansas City in the last several seasons. August: Osage County, written by Tracy Letts, opened Friday May 30 at the Barn Players in Mission, Kan.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA just revealed production photos featuring its new leads Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis on Facebook. Scroll down for a first look at the stars in action!

STARS IN THE ALLEY, presented by United Airlines and hosted by Norm Lewis, brought the best of Broadway to Shubert Alley this morning, featuring numbers from nearly 25 shows, which were accompanied by a live 12-piece orchestra. BroadwayWorld was on the scene to capture the alley-shaking performances, including Sierra Boggess and Jeremy Hays performing 'All I Ask of You' and Lewis singing 'Music of the Night'. Below is our first footage of Boggess and Lewis singing songs from the show!

The Phantom of the Opera, now in its 26th year on Broadway, will welcome former 'LITTLE MERMAID' co-stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess to the cast on Monday, May 12, at the Majestic Theater. BroadwayWorld has learned that while Lewis will perform in eight shows a week, Boggess will assume the usual 'Christine' schedule of six per week. Boggess will appear in all performances Tuesdays through Saturdays. Alternate Sara Jean Fordwill perform the role on Saturdays and Mondays.

The 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Play August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts, closes the Hilberry Theatre's 51st season in Midtown Detroit. Playing tonight, April 18 through May 10, 2014, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play arrives at the Hilberry Theatre fresh off the critically-acclaimed movie adaptation in theatres nationwide. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Broadway star Sara Jean Ford, currently starring as Christine in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera, joins the already stellar line up for this Sunday afternoon's concert, presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, is the first concert collaboration between groundbreaking choral composer and Grammy winner Eric Whitacre and renowned Academy Award and Grammy-winning composer Stephen Schwartz, whose musical Wicked continues to run on Broadway after more than 10 years. Performing alongside Sara Jean Ford, who will be the soloist for Eric Whitacre's 'Fly to Paradise,' from Virtual Choir IV, is star performer Ashley Brown, the original Mary Poppins on Broadway. Eric Whitacre conducts the Distinguished Concerts Singers International- comprised of choirs from across North America as well as Italy and China- as well as Stephen Schwartz himself for select works. Sara Jean Ford was last heard with DCINY as soprano soloist for Messiah ... Refreshed! and in Whitacre's Paradise Lost on tour with DCINY at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Auditorium Theatre and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

The 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Play August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts, closes the Hilberry Theatre's 51st season in Midtown Detroit. Playing April 18 through May 10, 2014, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play arrives at the Hilberry Theatre fresh off the critically-acclaimed movie adaptation in theatres nationwide. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Show partners Repertory Philippines (Rep) and BroadwayWorld.com (BWW) are giving away a pair of tickets to the former's production of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY on Saturday, March 15, 8 p.m. at Onstage Theatre (2/F Greenbelt One, Ayala Mall, Makati City)

Repertory Philippines' (Rep) take on the 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning play AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, written by Tracy Letts ('Bug,' 'Killer Joe'), officially opened at Onstage Theatre (2F Greenbelt One Mall, Makati City) last night. The production, directed by Chris Millado--his directing debut at Rep--will run until Sunday, March 16.

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Kara Lindsay, currently starring in Disney's 'Newsies' on Broadway, was joined on-stage by her husband Kevin Massey (Memphis), her college best friend Kirsten Scott (Big Fish), Santino Fontana ('Frozen'), his girlfriend Jessica Hershberg (Cinderella), Drew Gehling (Jersey Boys), his wife Sara Jean Ford (The Phantom of the Opera), Patrick Cummings (Happiness), his girlfriend, Alessa Neeck (Cinderella), Thea Brooks (Dirty Dancing), and musical director Benjamin Rauhala (Hit List) in a celebration of Broadway romance, both on and off-stage. The evening will also feature bluegrass trio 'Shubert Alley,' featuring Kevin Massey, his brother Patrick Massey, and Jamison Scott (Spider-Man). Also featured in the concert were Aaron Albano (Newsies), Stephen Joshua Thompson, Antwayn Hopper (Hair), and Devin Ilaw (Les Miserables). They were accompanied by Rauhala on the keys, and Charlie Rosen (One Man, Two Guvnors), who will alternate on bass, acoustic guitar, and drums. Scroll down for photos!

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Kara Lindsay, currently starring in Disney's "Newsies" on Broadway, will be joined on-stage by her husband Kevin Massey (Memphis), her college best friend Kirsten Scott (Big Fish), her original "Newsies" co-star, Jeremy Jordan ('Smash'), his wife, Ashley Spencer (Rock of Ages), Santino Fontana ('Frozen'), his girlfriend Jessica Hershberg (Cinderella), Drew Gehling (Jersey Boys), his wife Sara Jean Ford (The Phantom of the Opera), Patrick Cummings (Happiness), his girlfriend, Alessa Neeck (Cinderella), Thea Brooks (Dirty Dancing), and musical director Benjamin Rauhala (Hit List) in a celebration of Broadway romance, both on and off-stage. The evening will also feature bluegrass trio 'Shubert Alley,' featuring Kevin Massey, his brother Patrick Massey, and Jamison Scott (Spider-Man). They will be accompanied by Rauhala on the keys, and Charlie Rosen (One Man, Two Guvnors), who will alternate on bass, acoustic guitar, and drums. This is one concert no hopeless romantic should miss!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Kara Lindsay, currently starring in Disney's “Newsies” on Broadway, will be joined on-stage by her husband Kevin Massey (Memphis), her college best friend Kirsten Scott (Big Fish), her original “Newsies” co-star, Jeremy Jordan ('Smash'), his wife, Ashley Spencer (Rock of Ages), Santino Fontana ('Frozen'), his girlfriend Jessica Hershberg (Cinderella), Drew Gehling (Jersey Boys), his wife Sara Jean Ford (The Phantom of the Opera), Patrick Cummings (Happiness), his girlfriend, Alessa Neeck (Cinderella), Thea Brooks (Dirty Dancing), and musical director Benjamin Rauhala (Hit List) in a celebration of Broadway romance, both on and off-stage. The evening will also feature bluegrass trio 'Shubert Alley,' featuring Kevin Massey, his brother Patrick Massey, and Jamison Scott (Spider-Man). They will be accompanied by Rauhala on the keys, and Charlie Rosen (One Man, Two Guvnors), who will alternate on bass, acoustic guitar, and drums. This is one concert no hopeless romantic should miss!

Repertory Philippines (Rep) production of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning play AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, written by Tracy Letts, will run from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, March 16, 2014 at Onstage Theatre (2/F Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi St., Makati City).

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

This just in! Producers Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group just announced that THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will welcome a starry leading combination beginning Monday, May 12.