Jen Cody News

Yesterday, June 19, Actors' Equity Association, the labor union for professional stage actors and stage managers, presented the 2018 Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) Award to the chorus of Once on This Island. The award, established in 2007, is given to what the committee votes on as the outstanding Broadway chorus of the season.

Desperate Measures is a hilarious new musical that tells the tale of Johnny Blood, a handsome young man whose life is in danger over a saloon brawl. Set in the early 1890's, Johnny must put his fate into the hands of a colorful cast of characters including a wily sheriff, an eccentric priest, a authoritarian governor, a saloon girl gone good, and a nun out of the habit- as they all struggle to decide Johnny's fate.  Laws are broken and hearts are won as they try to find justice in a world that often doesn't seem just. Sound familiar?

Actors' Equity Association has announced that Once on This Island will receive the twelfth annual "ACCA" Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. Presented by Equity's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA), the ACCA Award is the only industry accolade of its kind to honor the distinctive talents and contributions made by the original chorus members of a Broadway musical.

In this episode: Victoria Bailey, Executive Director of TDF, talks about TKTS celebrating 45 years and parent company TDF celebrating 50 years in 2018. TDF (Theatre Development Fund) is an organization that believes the performing arts should be available to everybody. They sell the idea of going to all theatre, not shows in particular and that Broadway is for everyone. Victoria Bailey has been with the company for 17 years, started at Yale, and was the GM at MTC for 19 years. She believes that theatre creates empathy for lives different than our own, that TDF/TKTS has created theatre goers for generations, and is a prime example of having a successful life in the arts separate from the footlights.

In this episode: Victoria Bailey, Executive Director of TDF, talks about TKTS celebrating 45 years and parent company TDF celebrating 50 years in 2018. TDF (Theatre Development Fund) is an organization that believes the performing arts should be available to everybody. They sell the idea of going to all theatre, not shows in particular and that Broadway is for everyone. Victoria Bailey has been with the company for 17 years, started at Yale, and was the GM at MTC for 19 years. She believes that theatre creates empathy for lives different than our own, that TDF/TKTS has created theatre goers for generations, and is a prime example of having a successful life in the arts separate from the footlights.

Theatrical licensor Broadway Licensing has secured North American licensing rights to Clue: On Stage, which premiered at the Bucks County Playhouse.

Some of the top talent in the Broadway community will be gracing the stage of The Cape Playhouse this summer. The impressive list of headliners includes Judy Kuhn, Michelle Pawk, Mary Testa, Nancy Opel, Jennifer Simard, Mike McGowan and Jennifer Cody..Michael Rader, Artistic Director, today announced the casting for the historic theatre's 92nd season in Dennis, MA. The six-play schedule, running from June 12 - September1, 2018, features three plays and three musicals-including three Playhouse premieres-in a season featuring Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning shows and the premiere and Pre-National Tour Engagement of a new production of the classic movie Clue: On Stage.

In this episode: Broadway's Shannon Lewis grew up in a rural Canadian suburb and at age 19 was hand picked by Susan Stroman to make her Broadway debut, after a 'Crazy for You' casting director saw her in a Toronto theme park show. The essence of this podcast is having integrity, the importance of the respect of your peers, and to have your talent and drive ready, so that when someone opens a door for you, you can walk right in. With an impeccable work ethic that takes every opportunity seriously; whether in the ensemble, as a deputy, or as a principle; as well as having Gwen Verdon as a champion, the real Shannon Lewis is coming out of hiding. @realshanlew 

In this episode: Broadway's Shannon Lewis grew up in a rural Canadian suburb and at age 19 was hand picked by Susan Stroman to make her Broadway debut, after a 'Crazy for You' casting director saw her in a Toronto theme park show. The essence of this podcast is having integrity, the importance of the respect of your peers, and to have your talent and drive ready, so that when someone opens a door for you, you can walk right in. With an impeccable work ethic that takes every opportunity seriously; whether in the ensemble, as a deputy, or as a principle; as well as having Gwen Verdon as a champion, the real Shannon Lewis is coming out of hiding. @realshanlew 

The musical A LETTER TO Harvey Milk debuts Off-Broadway at Theatre Row's Acorn Theatre (410 W 42 Street), running through May 13, 2018. A LETTER TO Harvey Milk stars Adam Heller (Broadway: It Shoulda Been You, Elf, Caroline or Change), Julia Knitel (Broadway and National Tour: Carole King in Beautiful, Bye Bye Birdie), Cheryl Stern (Broadway: La Cage Aux Folles, The Women), along with Michael Bartoli (National Tour: Joseph/Dreamcoat), Jeremy Greenbaum(Broadway:Newsies),Aury Krebs (Regional: Rent, Hairspray), and CJ Pawlikowski(National Tour: Book of Mormon, Memphis)

In this episode: Broadway's Shannon Lewis grew up in a rural Canadian suburb and at age 19 was hand picked by Susan Stroman to make her Broadway debut, after a "Crazy for You" casting director saw her in a Toronto theme park show. The essence of this podcast is having integrity, the importance of the respect of your peers, and to have your talent and drive ready, so that when someone opens a door for you, you can walk right in. With an impeccable work ethic that takes every opportunity seriously; whether in the ensemble, as a deputy, or as a principle; as well as having Gwen Verdon as a champion, the real Shannon Lewis is coming out of hiding. @realshanlew 

Michael Rader, Artistic Director of The Cape Playhouse, today announced the creative teams for the 2018 summer season. The six-play schedule, features three plays and three musicals-including three Playhouse premieres-in a season featuring Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning shows and the Pre-National Tour Engagement and New England premiere of an exciting new production of the classic movie Clue: On Stage.

ALEXIS MICHELLE of RuPaul's Drag Race has joined the first edition of BROADWAY MATCH GAME at Feinstein's/54 Below on Tuesday, February 6th, 2018, at 9:30pm.

Jen Cody (Urinetown, Shrek) has joined the first edition of BROADWAY MATCH GAME at Feinstein's/54 Below on Tuesday, February 6th, 2018, at 9:30pm.

Stephen Flaherty has two shows currently running on Broadway with 'Anastasia' and 'Once on this Island', a Tony award for 'Ragtime' and says that having an artistic faith is the best way to survive as a writer. In this episode he discusses how he had to audition for two of his biggest jobs, what true and honest collaboration is, and that in the theatre medium there is no such thing as final cut. He has learned that some of the best ideas came out of desperation, his greatest songs weren't written sitting in front of a piano, and that eventually you have to make a choice. You will learn soon enough if it was the right one.

In this episode: The topic of race in theatre and the whitewashing on the professional stage with special guests Ann Harada and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Alan H. Green. In this episode, the topics of white privilege, color-blind casting, and the systematic disenfranchisement of people based on the color of their skin are hashed out and discussed at an honest mature level. We live in a time that hatred is spouted so freely, when the ultimate goal should be to see people for what's under their skin. Everyone has an innate worth and sense of equality and that POC are as much as, not less than. The theatre world is known for being all-inclusive, so let's educate ourselves and understand there is enough for everyone.

On Sunday, December 3, the company of Once On This Island gathered in the lobby of Circle in the Square to celebrate the opening of the show and the passing of the Gypsy Robe to Grasan Kingsberry.

In this episode: The topic of race in theatre and the whitewashing on the professional stage with special guests Ann Harada and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Alan H. Green. In this episode, the topics of white privilege, color-blind casting, and the systematic disenfranchisement of people based on the color of their skin are hashed out and discussed at an honest mature level. We live in a time that hatred is spouted so freely, when the ultimate goal should be to see people for what's under their skin. Everyone has an innate worth and sense of equality and that POC are as much as, not less than. The theatre world is known for being all-inclusive, so let's educate ourselves and understand there is enough for everyone.

In this episode: James Walsh is a jack of all trades, who masters them all. His newest endeavors include director with 'As Much as I Can,' a theatrical event focusing on HIV infection in the African American community, and as playwright with an original new play beginning previews this weekend at Queens Theatre in the Park. 'Jimmy And Carolyn' is a hysterical, true-to-life world premiere which opens officially September 22nd. Jimmy and wife Carolyn drive from Florida to idyllic Weekapaug, Rhode Island to celebrate Jimmy's birthday at the fancy beach house of their gay son and his life partner from Costa Rica. Once the pepperoni loaf has been devoured, the Italian cookies eaten, the cigarettes smoked, and the Pinot Grigio drunk, amid the laughter, dark truths are exposed as the family struggles to make sense of their irreconcilable memories of the past, and the choices they face as they move forward. In this episode James discusses taking control of ones own career, being impervious to negativity, and the importance of finding the keyhole into the center of your performance. http://queenstheatre.org/jimmy-and-carolyn

In this episode: James Walsh is a jack of all trades, who masters them all. His newest endeavors include director with 'As Much as I Can,' a theatrical event focusing on HIV infection in the African American community, and as playwright with an original new play beginning previews this weekend at Queens Theatre in the Park. 'Jimmy And Carolyn' is a hysterical, true-to-life world premiere which opens officially September 22nd. Jimmy and wife Carolyn drive from Florida to idyllic Weekapaug, Rhode Island to celebrate Jimmy's birthday at the fancy beach house of their gay son and his life partner from Costa Rica. Once the pepperoni loaf has been devoured, the Italian cookies eaten, the cigarettes smoked, and the Pinot Grigio drunk, amid the laughter, dark truths are exposed as the family struggles to make sense of their irreconcilable memories of the past, and the choices they face as they move forward. In this episode James discusses taking control of ones own career, being impervious to negativity, and the importance of finding the keyhole into the center of your performance. http://queenstheatre.org/jimmy-and-carolyn