Jerry Zaks News

CABARET, the musical masterpiece, returns direct from Broadway!

A look back at Broadway's longest running musical revue, as a new production prepares for the summer.

Fan's of BWW's exclusive TV series - CHEWING THE SCENERY WITH Randy Rainbow know that 2015 has been an epic year of chats with his Broadway pals and updates from the CTS Newsdesk, but perhaps nothing has kept us more entertained than Randy's reenactments of stories from Patti LuPone's autobiography. It's not too late to catch up on what Patti's been up to this year- from her split from SUNSET BOULEVARD to meeting President Bush. We've got every hilarious edition below!

Original Broadway director Jerry Zaks will helm a new production.

Robert DeNiro stopped by this week's LIVE WITH KELLY AND MICHAEL to talk about directing A BRONX TALE: THE MUSICAL at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse.

To life! The Broadway revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF just opened Sunday night, December 20 at The Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway), wrapping up the 2015 Broadway season. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, and choreographed by Hofesh Shechter. BroadwayWorld was there for all of the opening night festivities and you can check out coverage from the red carpet below!

Theatreworks USA, the nation's premiere producer of theatre for family audiences, held an invitation-only work-in-progress presentation earlier today of their new musical, PETE THE CAT, based on the best-selling book series by Kimberly and James Dean.

First a solo play, then a feature film, and now Chazz Palminteri's autobiographical story of organized crime gets the musical treatment.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) just announced complete casting for the world premiere musical A Bronx Tale: The Musical. The musical will be co-directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by four-time Drama Desk Award nominee Sergio Trujillo. A Bronx Tale: The Musical features a book by Chazz Palminteri, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

Squeals of delight and blood-curdling screams of fright will fill the Allen Theatre as Cleveland Play House's (CPH) Centennial Season continues with a humorous and heartfelt production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hearkening back to its very first productions in 1915 that featured sophisticated marionettes, CPH is bringing the cheeky and blood-thirsty plant Audrey II to life in a production that will be every vocal coach's dream - and every hemophobic's worst nightmare!

The new Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opens tonight, December 10, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W 45th Street). Scroll down to learn more about the company and watch highlights from the show!

Roundabout Theatre Company presents the 50th Anniversary Season Benefit Reading of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, starring Nathan Lane. Joining the celebrated cast are Austin Durant ('Expressman, Technician, Police Officer'), Peter Kim ('Sandy'), Mark Linn-Baker ('Dr. Bradley'), Ned Noyes ('Michaelson/Westcott/Expressman'), Harrison Unger ('Stage Directions'), Richard Poe ('Mr. Stanley'), Lee Wilkof ('Banjo') and Mary Louise Wilson ('Harriet Stanley'). Roundabout's Associate Artistic Director Scott Ellis directs this one-night only reading tonight, December 7, 2015 at 7 PM at Studio 54.

Roundabout Theatre Company has confirmed complete casting for the 50th Anniversary Season Benefit Reading of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart starring Nathan Lane. Joining the celebrated cast are Austin Durant ('Expressman, Technician, Police Officer'), Peter Kim ('Sandy'), Mark Linn-Baker ('Dr. Bradley'), Ned Noyes ('Michaelson/Westcott/Expressman'), Harrison Unger ('Stage Directions'), Richard Poe ('Mr. Stanley'), Lee Wilkof ('Banjo') and Mary Louise Wilson ('Harriet Stanley'). Roundabout's Associate Artistic Director Scott Ellis will direct this one-night only reading.

Sippin On Fire will be presented at Stage 72 at 158 West 72nd Street (bet Broadway-Columbus Ave) Today, November 13th at 9:00 p.m. Sippin' On Fire is a hot cabaret of five handsome, talented, versatile NYC-based performers --Ryan K. Bailer, Francesc Esteve, Matt Maretz, Conor McGee and Ryan Mulgrew.  They give the audience a feast for the ears and eyes. With piano, bass, drums and guitar accompaniment, the show has been conceived by with musical direction by Phil Hall.  This is a show based on pop music with some Broadway thrown as well as many songs, familiar--which gives each of the five guys to showcase their unique style and talent as well as sexiest interpretation to the stage.

They were the brand name on every woman's lips. Goodman Theatre announces it will produce the world premiere of War Paint, a new musical that charts the ascent and arch-rivalry of cosmetics entrepreneurs Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. Patti LuPone, who 'generates more raw excitement than any other performer on Broadway' (The New York Times), and Christine Ebersole, a 'first-class, revitalizing master of period style' (The New York Times), respectively star as Rubinstein and Arden, the brilliant innovators with humble roots who shrewdly navigated the 1930s male-dominated business world to forever change the business of beauty. Directed by Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal, If/Then, Grey Gardens), War Paint reunites Scott Frankel and Michael Korie-the acclaimed composer and lyricist team of Grey Gardens and Far From Heaven-with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens, I Am My Own Wife, The Little Mermaid). The musical is inspired by the book, War Paint, by Lindy Woodhead and the documentary film, The Powder & the Glory, by Ann Carol Grossman and Arnie Reisman.  

Sippin On Fire will be presented at Stage 72 at 158 West 72nd Street (bet Broadway-Columbus Ave) next Friday, November 13th at 9:00 p.m. Sippin' On Fire is a hot cabaret of five handsome, talented, versatile NYC-based performers --Ryan K. Bailer, Francesc Esteve, Matt Maretz, Conor McGee and Ryan Mulgrew.

It was 20 years ago when Sarah Jessica Parker starred Off-Broadway in A.R. Gurney's off-beat comedy about a man and his dog, SLYVIA. Just last night her hubby Matthew Broderick had the honor of opening in SLYVIA on Broadway, joined by Annaleigh Ashford as Sylvia, with Julie White and Robert Sella. BroadwayWorld was there for all of the opening night festivities and you can check out photos from the red carpet arrivals below!

Sippin On Fire will be presented at Stage 72 at 158 West 72nd Street (bet Broadway-Columbus Ave) Friday, November 13th at 9:00 p.m. Sippin' On Fire is a hot cabaret of five handsome, talented, versatile NYC-based performers --Ryan K. Bailer, Francesc Esteve, Matt Maretz, Conor McGee and Ryan Mulgrew.  They give the audience a feast for the ears and eyes. With piano, bass, drums and guitar accompaniment, the show has been conceived by with musical direction by Phil Hall.  This is a show based on pop music with some Broadway thrown as well as many songs, familiar--which gives each of the five guys to showcase their unique style and talent as well as sexiest interpretation to the stage.

'[Thank you] to an incredible cast of British and American actors who make the Atlantic look like a little creek you can just kind of pop across,' said Dame Helen Mirren upon receiving her 2015 Tony Award. The stage and screen star reprised her critically-acclaimed performance in THE AUDIENCE after a West End run in 2013, and she was just one of many to 'pop across' an ocean for a stab at Broadway.  An unprecedented amount of British talent took over Broadway last year, bringing us such productions as THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, WOLF HALL: PARTS 1 & 2, and SKYLIGHT.   It doesn't seem like the trend is ending anytime soon. This fall, Broadway will welcome a slew of British actors- some of whom will be making their US stage debuts in incoming productions. And it's not just performers. We're getting some complete British imports in shows like A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE and KING CHARLES III. Below, we're taking a moment to shine a spotlight on this season's British imports.

Acclaimed Director James Lapine was honored with the 2015 'Mr. Abbott' Award for the outstanding artistry and creativity of his forty-year (and counting) career last night, October 19th.