Jerry Herman News

An Equity staged reading of "The Book Of Merman", a new play with music tracing the ups and downs of the famed Broadway star affectionately known as "the Merm", is currently rehearsing for private presentations to industry producers and insiders.

Working Management in association with Hayes Theatre Co is thrilled to announce the cast of Jerry Herman's MACK AND MABEL, which will play a strictly limited season at Hayes Theatre Co from November 18. A dazzling musical comedy that is both a poignant love story and a joyous celebration of Hollywood's golden age, MACK AND MABEL is based on the real-life tumultuous romantic relationship between early 1900s legendary filmmaker Mack Sennett and accidental starlet Mabel Normand.

The Ziegfeld Society of New York City presents the second show of its Eighth Season on October 29th, 2016 with CALL MY PUBLICIST! - THE STARRY EDUCATION OF A BROADWAY PRESS AGENT. Billed as "An Insider's View of the Theatre's Glamour and Folly," the autobiographical play with music is written and performed by Josh Ellis, directed by Gretchen Cryer, with musical direction and arrangements by Mark York, on Saturday, October 29th.

Producer Scott Rudin announced that, with the addition to the company of Beanie Feldstein, in the role of 'Minnie Fay,' principal casting is now complete for the upcoming Broadway revival of Michael Stewart (book) and Jerry Herman's (music and lyrics) Hello, Dolly!, starring the legendary Bette Midler. Directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winnerWarren Carlyle, Hello, Dolly! will begin performances at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) on March 15, 2017, with an official opening night of April 20, 2017.

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by audience favorite Albert George Schram as conductor for Great American Songbook, the first concert in the Pops Series on October 22 at 2 & 8 p.m.

On Saturday, October 29 at 7:30pm, the American Showstopper series will celebrate the works of Frank Loesser whose astounding career as composer, lyricist, and librettist earned him the reputation as one of Broadway's most versatile writers.

Just one more chance to join IRA LEE COLLINGS as he celebrates his 80th birthday with his show Simply, Ira Lee (A Gay Geezer Celebration Through the Looking Glass..warts and all at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC on Monday, October 17th at 7 PM.  Ira Lee first presented this show this spring and is revisiting it with some additional surprises.  He is joined by Musical Director John M. Cook on piano. 

It was the music of something beginning... Ragtime, the landmark Broadway musical, will play the Charing Cross Theatre (The Arches, Villiers Street), in London's West End, beginning October 8th and run through December 10th in a strictly limited engagement. Opening night is set for October 17th.

THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL! Is as much of a self-explanatory title as any theater-goer could ever want or pine for. It's definitely a musical about musicals that has musical number after musical number, and its own sardonic take on the form over the past fifty or so years.

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will open their all-star 2016-2017 season with I'll Be Seeing You: A World War II Love Story on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11 at 8:00 PM.

Light Opera Works will become Music Theater Works in 2017, opening with CANDIDE  (June 3-11), followed by GYPSY (August 19-27), DUKE ELLINGTON'S GREATEST HITS (October 6-15), and PETER PAN (December 23-January 1, 2018).

Swashbucklers and superheroes have reason to celebrate Halloween in style this year with the Utah Symphony's pair of entertainment concerts in the month of October. Tickets start at $12 for "Spooktacular on the Seven Seas!" and $21 for "Superheroes!" and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 533-6683.

The Sorting Room-an exciting new intimate space for live performance-is launching in December at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts through January 14, 2017. Transforming the Lovelace Studio Theater into a 150-seat custom-built space, The Sorting Room will offer Los Angeles audiences the opportunity to see some of the best and upcoming talent in cabaret, comedy, live contemporary music, dance performance and more, delivering a unique, personal experience.

Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp made their debut in Broadway's cultural phenomenon RENT.  Chita Rivera - who has reached legendary status - has starred in Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman and many more iconic roles. These talented performers are just a few among a long list of countless stars who will be appearing in the 2016/2017 Ridgefield Magazine Broadway and Cabaret Series at The Ridgefield Playhouse.  This exciting series brings Broadway legends and legends-to-be to the Connecticut community!

They say you only have one shot at a first impression, but in her Feinstein's/54 Below debut, Cady Huffman started her show twice. The double-take beginning was not attributed to a mistake or a technical difficulty; to the contrary, Tony Award-winning Huffman (THE PRODUCERS) was very intentional in her duality, indecisive to which of her entrances she preferred. It is only fitting that Huffman began her show with such a duplicitous start, as notions of the disparate pierced through much of her show, TOMBOY, SHOW GIRL. As that title suggests, through the 85-minute set, Huffman explored the binary of gender roles, particularly in show business. However, she also touched upon the juxtapositions of youth and experience, comedy and poignancy, weariness and the still-genuine love of show business she's maintained through decades of slogging through it.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will honor legendary Oscar and Tony Award winner Joel Grey with the 25th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at 2016 Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala to be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at The Asia Society (725 Park Avenue).

WOWOW, Japan's leading premium pay TV broadcaster, announced today that Matthew Morrison ("Finding Neverland" "South Pacific," "Hairspray"), Kelli O'Hara ("The King and I") and well-known Japanese actor Yoshio Inoue have signed on as headline performers for WOWOW's highly anticipated "Tony Awards Concert In Tokyo," which will take place on March 18th, 2017.

Rising musical theatre comedienne Rebecca Spigelman will be making her solo concert debut at Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, on October 6th, 2016, in her new cabaret REBECCA SPIGELMAN: 16 GOING ON 70.

Great works of literature are often beautifully adapted into opera and ballet. Think of Federico Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba, to name just one. Jean Giraudoux's The Madwoman of Chaillot is also tremendously passionate and digs deep into the female psyche, producing emotional rhythms that lend themselves to music. Whereas Lorca's work concentrates on sexual repression, Giraudoux's is more romantic and... goes a step further into the realm of championing a cause, a desire to right human wrongs and change the world.

They say that home is where the heart is, and this show, with Musical Direction by Steven Ray Watkins and Direction by Lennie Watts proves just that. With a wide range of music, from Cyndi Lauper, to Jerry Herman, and The Muppets to The Spice Girls Castillo will make you feel right at home! Backup vocals by award winning vocalist Karen Mack and MAC award nominee Wendy Ann Russell.