Jerry Herman News

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

Two legendary ladies of stage and screen are headed to Laguna Beach this September for exclusive limited engagements at The Laguna Playhouse. First to arrive is ETHEL MERMAN'S BROADWAY September 8 - 19. Then it's time for Cloris Leachman in CLORIS: A ONE WOMAN SHOW September 23 - 27.

NEXT TO NORMAL stars, and real-life married couple, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley are offering a pair of VIP tickets to the show and a backstage meet and greet for the highest bidding fan via CharityBuzz to benefit Rosie's Broadway Kids. Bidding is now open, currently at $350. The estimated value is listed at $1,500. Bidding closes on September 29, 2010. Click here to bid on a chance to meet Mazzie and Danieley following a performance of NEXT TO NORMAL and support Rosie's Broadway Kids!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the selection of the individuals who will receive the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors. Recipients to be honored at the 33rd annual national celebration of the arts are: singer and songwriter Merle Haggard; composer and lyricist Jerry Herman; dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones; songwriter and musician Paul McCartney; and producer, television host and actress Oprah Winfrey.

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

Spotlight Theatre Company presents "Showtune: Celebrating the Words & Music of Jerry Herman" August 28 - September 25 at the John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place in Denver.

September at The Metropolitan Room features...

Opening in less than two weeks at Starlight Musical Theatre's stage is Hello, Dolly!, the classic Broadway musical tale of Dolly Levi and her mischievous matchmaking ways. For Starlight's 3rd and final summertime show, Starlight has brought aboard a fantastic cast and creative team to ensure the season ends with a resounding 'bang'.

Eric Hafen, Artistic Director of the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, proudly launches his 2010-2011 'Stage & Screen' Season with Jerry Herman's most-beloved musical, Mack & Mabel, running on the Bickford Mainstage from Thursday, September 23, through Sunday, October 17.

A DAY AT DILLER'S ... Broadway, Screen and Comedic Icon Phyllis Diller Opens Up Her Estate. 'You know you're old if they have discontinued your blood type,' says Phyllis Diller, who at 93 is still entertaining audiences everywhere... even in her own home.

Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company are proud to announce a World Premiere Musical about the life of Bessie Smith written and directed by former Alliance Theatre Associate Artistic Director, David H. Bell.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt, Managing Director) is proud to announce a free, community event celebrating the opening of Hairspray at the Millburn Theater. Hairspray's Blowout Bash will take place on Main Street and Taylor Park in Downtown Millburn on Sunday, September 19th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Hairspray's Blowout Bash will feature: rides, games, live entertainment, contests, give-a-ways, food, a special appearance from members of the Hairspray cast and more. Hairspray's Blowout Bash is a rain or shine event.

The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs, Florida will present Jerry Herman's musical MACK & MABEL through September 26.

BROADWAY BY THE BAY (BBBay), the Peninsula's premier musical theatre company, continues its 45th Anniversary season with the classic Broadway musical LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, running Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, October 3 at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center (600 N. Delaware Ave., San Mateo). Tickets for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES range in price from $20 - $48 and are on sale now at the Broadway By the Bay Box Office (851 Burlway Road, Suite 300 Burlingame), by phone at 650-579-5565 and on the Web at broadwaybythebay.org. Special youth, student, senior and group pricings are available.

From Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, the creators of the American musical theater phenomenon THE FANTASTICKS, I DO! I DO! follows newlyweds Michael and Agnes from the day of their wedding through their life together, from 1900 to 1950, as the couple experiences wedding night jitters, raises a family, negotiates mid-life crises, quarrels, separates, reconciles and grows old together.

With the 2010 Season still in full swing, The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre is about to begin work on its 2011 Season, which features some of the biggest name shows in musical theater history, including South Pacific, Hairspray, and Chicago.

Opening this weekend at the Stage Door, and running until September 26, is the musical 'Mack and Mabel.' At the helm is director Michael Leeds (Tony nomination 'Swingin' on A Star'), who was a performer in the first National Tour with Bernadette Peters. Consequently, he has a special affinity for the show and was able to convince Jerry Herman to give him some leeway on new approaches and changes to for this production. 'I didn't get everything I wanted,' says Leeds with a laugh, ' but he was kind enough to give me a lot, including the ending that was eventually used on the tour, but not on Broadway.'

In CAROUSEL, headstrong carnival barker Billy Bigelow falls for the demure young Julie Jordan, and their love story transcends time and death itself. Years after his death, he is given the chance to return to earth for one day, where he hopes to teach his troubled daughter an all-important lesson about love.

One of the most successful and popular theatrical franchises is Dan Goggin's Nunsense series. In all, there are nine different stage productions that revolve around the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This summer, the hilariously funny, gender-bending installment of the collection, Nunsense A-Men!, is set to entertainment audiences at The Way off Broadway Dinner Theatre. The production opens June 25th and runs through August 29th.

Hello, Dolly!, Hackmatack Playhouse's season finale, opened Wednesday with a packed house and a standing ovation. The applause continued after the show when the cast arrived at the opening night party at Uno Chicago Grill in Somersworth.