Jennifer Sanchez News

The smash hit Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY broke the box office record at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) two weeks in a row.

Matthew Hydzik officially took over the role of 'Tony,' beginning Tuesday, December 15. After having understudied the role since performances began on Broadway on Monday, February 23, 2009 at Broadway's Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway), Mr. Hydzik will star as 'Tony' opposite Tony Award nominee Josefina Scaglione. Jeremy Jordan (Rock of Ages) will play the role of 'Tony' on Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees.

The smash hit revival of WEST SIDE STORY announced today that Matthew Hydzik will officially take over the role of 'Tony,' beginning Tuesday, December 15. After having understudied the role since performances began on Broadway on Monday, February 23, 2009 at Broadway's Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway), Mr. Hydzik will star as 'Tony' opposite Tony Award nominee Josefina Scaglione. Jeremy Jordan (Rock of Ages) will play the role of 'Tony' on Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees.

The smash hit revival of WEST SIDE STORY announced today that Matthew Hydzik will officially take over the role of 'Tony,' beginning Tuesday, December 15. After having understudied the role since performances began on Broadway on Monday, February 23, 2009 at Broadway's Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway), Mr. Hydzik will star as 'Tony' opposite Tony Award nominee Josefina Scaglione. Jeremy Jordan (Rock of Ages) will play the role of 'Tony' on Wednesday evenings and Sunday matinees.

Cassie Wooley has won NYMF's 2009 Next Broadway Sensation in the final round that took place Sunday, October 4th at New World Stages. Wooley will receive a special solo concert, co-presented by NYMF and Sh-K-Boom Records, as well as a featured track on an upcoming Stage Stars accompaniment album.

The final round of NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation will take place starting at 9:30pm this Sunday, October 4th at New World Stages, with Susan Blackwell ([title of show]) hosting. The panel of judges this week includes Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening), Kacie Sheik (Hair), Allison Case (Hair), and Vice President of Sh-K-Boom Records Noah Cornman. The three finalists for NYMF's ' Next Broadway Sensation' are Nathan Brisby, Lyle Colby Mackston and Cassie Wooley.

Cast members of WEST SIDE STORY received Actors' Equity Association's Third Annual Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, which honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus of a Broadway musical, was presented in a special ceremony at the September 22nd ACCA meeting at Actors' Equity Association (Equity) headquarters in New York City.

The first round of auditions for NYMF's Next Broadway sensation took place last Sunday night at New World Stages, with the live audience and the panel of judges, Bailey Hanks, Orfeh (Legally Blonde) and Marc Kudisch (9 to 5) selecting five finalists with a sixth finalist chosen by online voters who were able to see all of the performance at Theatermania.com thanks to DFD TV.

New York Musical Theatre Festival's 'Next Broadway Sensation,' formerly known as 'Broadway Idol,' returns for its fourth year. Diana DeGarmo, 'American Idol' (Season 3) runner-up, now in The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages, will serve as host for the competition's first round on September 13; celebrity hosts for the semifinals on September 20 and the Broadway Sensation October 4 finale will be announced shortly. Confirmed judges include Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, upcoming film Taking Woodstock), Bailey Hanks and Orfeh (Legally Blonde), composer/lyricist Paul Scott Goodman (Rooms), Kacie Sheik and Allison Case (Hair), and record producer Noah Cornman of Sh-k-boom Records... With more to be announced.

Cast members of WEST SIDE STORY will receive Actors' Equity Association?s Third Annual Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, which honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus of a Broadway musical, will be presented in a special ceremony at the September 22nd ACCA meeting at Actors' Equity Association (Equity) headquarters in New York City.

Preliminary auditions were held over the weekend and out of hundreds of auditions, NYMF has selected the 10 finalists that will compete to be the 'Next Broadway Sensation.' Belting this year at New World Stages will be: Nathan Brisby, Catherine Brookman, Starr J. Busby, Lisa Marie Gargione, Nkrumah Gatling, Lyle Colby Mackston, Zak Resnick, Angelo Rios, Louise Stewart and Cassie Wooley

New York Musical Theatre Festival's 'Next Broadway Sensation,' formerly known as 'Broadway Idol,' returns for its fourth year. Diana DeGarmo, 'American Idol' (Season 3) runner-up, now in The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages, will serve as host for the competition's first round on September 13; celebrity hosts for the semifinals on September 20 and the Broadway Sensation October 4 finale will be announced shortly. Confirmed judges include Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, upcoming film Taking Woodstock), Bailey Hanks and Orfeh (Legally Blonde), composer/lyricist Paul Scott Goodman (Rooms), Kacie Sheik and Allison Case (Hair), and record producer Noah Cornman of Sh-k-boom Records... With more to be announced.

New York Musical Theatre Festival's 'Next Broadway Sensation,' formerly known as 'Broadway Idol,' returns for its fourth year. Diana DeGarmo, 'American Idol' (Season 3) runner-up, now in The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages, will serve as host for the competition's first round on September 13; celebrity hosts for the semifinals on September 20 and the Broadway Sensation October 4 finale will be announced shortly. Confirmed judges include Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, upcoming film Taking Woodstock), Bailey Hanks and Orfeh (Legally Blonde), composer/lyricist Paul Scott Goodman (Rooms), Kacie Sheik and Allison Case (Hair), and record producer Noah Cornman of Sh-k-boom Records... With more to be announced.

The smash hit revival of WEST SIDE STORY announced today that slight changes have been implemented into the current Broadway production at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway at 47th Street). 'A Boy Like That' is now predominately sung in English to the original lyrics and selected dialogue and lyrics in 'I Feel Pretty' have reverted to English. The changes went into effect last Thursday, August 20, 2009.

Matt Cavenaugh, Tony in Broadway's West Side Story, and Jenny Powers, the co-star of LCT's recent musical Happiness, are getting married in Boston today, August 23rd, at the Gate of Heaven Catholic Church in Boston. The Rev. Lawrence J. Drennan, a Roman Catholic priest, is to perform the ceremony.

WEST SIDE STORY has a new 'Riff' in John Arthur Greene. The actor, already making his Broadway debut as a swing in the show, takes over the role from Cody Green. Greene played his first official performance in the role last night, August 4th.

Theatre legend Arthur Laurents, currently represented on Broadway as both the Librettist and Director of the revival of WEST SIDE STORY, discusses his long-time partnership, new play and career with The Guardian.

Sony Masterworks proudly presented the recent release of the New Broadway Cast Recording of WEST SIDE STORY. The recording became available nationwide on June 2, 2009. The official opening of WEST SIDE STORY, which took place at the Palace Theatre in New York City on Thursday, March 19, 2009, has been greeted with great critical acclaim and sold-out performances. The opening followed a pre-Broadway engagement at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., where the musical made its original world premiere in 1957.

Hollywood royalty Steven Spielberg and Billy Crystal visited backstage with stars Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, Cody Green, George Akram, Curtis Holbrook, and the entire cast of Broadway's WEST SIDE STORY after catching the show last night, Tuesday July 14th.

One of Broadway's favorite leading men Matt Cavenaugh, currently starring as the lovestruck Tony in the current acclaimed revival of West Side Story at the Palace Theater, is featured in the current issue of OUT magazine. Cavenaugh chats about working with Arthur Laurents, playing the iconic role of Tony and that fact that the last inhabitant of his dressing room was Liza Minnelli!