Jerry Frankel News

As part of BroadwayWorld's expansive coverage of the 68th Annual Tony Awards, we are providing the full text of all of the Tony Award acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the bizarre, and everything in between. Keep up with all of the winners' speeches on our continuously updated list.

As of May 31st, 2014, the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production of All the Way, starring Tony Award-nominee Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as President Lyndon B. Johnson, has recouped its investment of $3.9 million. All the Way, which is now playing at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52ndStreet) is written by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan and directed by Bill Rauch.

Producers of the upcoming Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's Pulitzer Prize winning drama You Can't Take It With You announce that Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen (Vonya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) joins previously announced Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle winner James Earl Jones (Gore Vidal's The Best Man, Fences, The Great White Hope) as Penelope Sycamore in the cast. Further casting will be announced soon.

On today, Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 7:00 pm, the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production of All the Way will play its 100th performance at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street).

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, Lanie Robertson's play with music, starring five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald, will be recorded live at Circle in the Square during a regularly scheduled performance during the week of May 27-31by PS Classics. The label has announced a July 15th street date; preorders are already being accepted at the label's website,www.psclassics.com.

The 80th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon is being held this afternoon, May 16, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, where winners will be announced for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. This year's event, which began at noon, is hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson. BroadwayWorld is updating the winners live! Check back in to find out who took home the big awards!

Barnes & Noble will celebrate the new Ghostlight Records cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County, the new romantic musical currently running at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), with a special in-st0re performance and CD signing on Friday, May 23 at 5:00 PM. The event will feature stars Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale, in addition to other cast members. The composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown will join them at the piano, with Justin Goldner and Gary Seiger on guitars and Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf on cello. Barnes & Noble is located at 150 East 86th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues on the Upper East Side. Fans who purchase the CD at the store will be offered priority seating. Please call (212) 369-2180 for details.

ALL THE WAY star Bryan Cranston stopped by last night's TONIGHT SHOW to chat about playing President Lyndon B. Johnson on Broadway.

The Bridges of Madison County, the new Broadway musical by Tony Award® and Pulitzer Prize-winning team Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman, starring five-time Tony Award-nominee Kelli O'Hara, and star of screen & stage and 2014 Drama Desk nominee Steven Pasquale, will play its final performance on Sunday, May 18, 2014, having played 137 performances.

Producers of All the Way are thrilled to announce that thanks to generous donations from a number of individuals, the show will be offering free and highly subsidized tickets to students from New York City public high schools for selected performances in May and June. The show is working directly with the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the NYCDOE Office of Arts and Special Projects to facilitate the program.

Audra McDonald stopped by last night's THE COLBERT REPORT to chat about her Broadway role as Billie Holiday in 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill' and perform two numbers from the show.

According to the New York Times, James Earl Jones will return to Broadway later this year- this time in the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy You Can't Take It With You. The play will open at a Shubert theatre on September 28, 2014, with previews beginning in August. Scott Ellis is set to direct the revival.

Producers of All The Way have announced that they have invited a group of over fifty student class presidents from New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public high schools to be their guests for the matinee performance on Wednesday, April 30th. Following the show, the students will enjoy a talkback with cast members, including Bryan Cranston, currently starring as America's 36th President, Lyndon Johnson. The talkback will discuss issues of leadership, presidential power, and the how the play's depiction of the politics of the 1960s resonates today. This event is in partnership with the NYCDOE Office of Arts and Special Projects.

The Bridges of Madison County, the original Broadway cast recording of the new romantic musical from Ghostlight Records has debuted as the #1 Cast Recording on the Billboard chart and hit #53 on the Billboard Overall Digital Albums chart. It also broke into the Billboard Top 200 albums chart - a rarity for a musical theater album - at #184.

Co-Hosts Judith Light and Christopher Sieber announced the nominations for the 2014 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The 2014 Drama League Nomination announcement begins the month of celebrations leading up to the 80th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) on Friday, May 16, 2014 at noon hosted by Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

The Bridges of Madison County, the original Broadway cast recording of the new romantic musical from Ghostlight Records, has debuted on iTunes as the #1 Cast Recording, #2 Soundtrack (behind Frozen) and #14 for all digital albums.

As a result of strong critical response and public demand Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, Lanie Robertson's play with music, starring Audra McDonald, announces that the production will be extending its limited engagement at the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street, btwn. Broadway and 8th Avenue) through August 10, 2014.

Broadway's biggest stars gathered at the Circle in the Square Theatre yesterday for opening night of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, starring five-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and directed by Lonny Price. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the star-studded red carpet below!

Michael C. Hall stopped by this morning's TODAY and shared that he is happy to leave the death-centered plots of his TV drama 'Dexter' behind him and focus on his new role in the Broadway production of 'The Realistic Joneses.'

The producers of Lanie Robertson's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill just announced a general rush policy. A limited number of rush tickets, which are subject to availability, can be purchased at the box office of the Circle in the Square when the box office opens for the day of the performance on a first-come-first-served basis. The box office of the Circle in the Square opens at 10am Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday (starting March 30th). Rush tickets are $40 each and limited to two (2) tickets per customer.