Jim Steinman News

April at The Metropolitan Room

Earlier today I had the extreme privilege of speaking to the most powerful man in the recording industry and one of the most accomplished and successful producers of the modern era, Simon Cowell, about his new reality competition show beginning in the US this September, THE X FACTOR, as well as his thoughts on Broadway in general, Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harry Connick, Jr. and much more. Though our time was expectedly limited given his impossibly busy schedule, Simon was kind enough to open up and talk about what aspects of musical theatre work in pop music and which do not and that good performances know no bounds, as well as elaborate on his past 'too Broadway' and 'too cabaret' AMERICAN IDOL criticisms and also share what his favorite movie musical is, among many other illustrative and interesting comments. Plus, will Mariah Carey be co-judging X FACTOR after all?

Jonathan Ansell, the charismatic singer who shot to fame on The X Factor with pop opera group G4, is embarking on his first solo tour, Jonathan Ansell and?Friends Sing The?Songs of G4, performing G4's greatest hits, along with some of pop and opera's most popular songs and arias.

April at The Metropolitan Room

Choreographer Jacqulyn Buglisi, with members of the Buglisi Dance Theatre company, is creating a new ballet entitled Born Forever, an original dance piece with music inspired by Fame The Musical and its sequel Fame Forever.

From the Cast of ANYTHING GOES and SPIDER-MAN, to the Ladies of THE VIEW, Raul Esparza, Barbra Streisand, Alan Menken, Bernadette Peters, Susan Boyle, Kelsey Grammer, GLEE and everyone in between...it's the BroadwayWorld.com 2011 Valentine's Day Special! Its Biggest Ever!

Rock tenor Rob Evan is perhaps most famous for his essaying of the dual title roles in Frank Wildhorn's JEKYLL & HYDE ten years ago on Broadway - and playing the leads in the new rock reinterpretation of the score known as JEKYLL & HYDE: RESURRECTION - but since that time he has appeared in entertainment entities as diverse as LES MISERABLES, Disney's TARZAN, Alan Menken & Howard Ashman's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, concert performances of CHESS, THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, The Dream Engine and, of course, his muse-like work for Paul O'Neill, creator and composer of the international phenomenon known as the Trans Siberian Orchestra, as well as the Lord of Excess himself and a rock god like none other, BAT OUT OF HELL visionary Jim Steinman. There's a lot more to the story of Evan, Steinman and DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES than may seem at first bite. In this exclusive conversation, Evan and I discuss his many stage and concert appearances, as well as his extensive studio work - including BATMAN and many new, unheard compositions - with the resplendent and reclusive rock icon known to friends as just Jimmy. Here's a big bloody bite of my conversation with Rob Evan, who can be seen in a number of upcoming appearances on concert stages across the world, including his upcoming ROCK TENOR series of shows. More information is available at his official site here.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Bonnie Langford to the 2010 Brits Off Broadway festival with the US premiere of BONNIE LANGFORD: CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, an intimate evening of songs and stories with Ms. Langford.

LeftField Productions presents the annual All-Star Broadway Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 5th, 7:30PM, at The Irvington Town Hall Theater in Irvington, New York.

LeftField Productions presents the annual All-Star Broadway Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 5th, 7:30PM, at The Irvington Town Hall Theater in Irvington, New York.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Bonnie Langford to the 2010 Brits Off Broadway festival with the US premiere of BONNIE LANGFORD: CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, an intimate evening of songs and stories with Ms. Langford.

Today we are talking to an Emmy-winning stage star best known for his unforgettable turns as the Wizard of Oz himself in the original Broadway cast of THE WIZ, as well as his Emmy-winning performance in both the Broadway and filmed version of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. In recent years, he has found much success with his choices of eccentric, oft-controversial roles, particularly those roles in the hot-button play PRYMATE and the David Yazbeck/Terrance McNally musical THE FULL MONTY. In this portion of our conversation, De Shields impresses with his effortless grace, studied theories on his craft and the art of theatre, all with taking a look forward to his newest stage venture - KNOCK ME A KISS by Charles Smith - which opens this weekend. We also discuss his role in the career of legendary songwriter Jim Steinman - from RHINEGOLD and BLOODSHOT WINE with Joe Papp in the 70s all the way to the workshop for the forthcoming BAT OUT OF HELL: THE MUSICAL.

Today we are talking to one of the brightest stars in all of Oz - Australia, that is - the dashing leading man and internationally renowned solo recording artist David Campbell! In this enthusiastic and ingratiating interview, Campbell talks about his life on the stage - having starred in SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, URINETOWN, SHOUT! and many hit musicals in his homeland - as well his extensive recording and concert tour career, with a special focus on this week's US release of his stellar show tune album ON BROADWAY which features the world premiere recording of one of the best Broadway eleven o'clock numbers of the last twenty years - maybe ever - coming from the forthcoming Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman score for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (which opens on Broadway near the end of this season). Plus, he addresses the rumors of taking on the role of The Phantom in the Australian premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's LOVE NEVER DIES and gives us an update on his upcoming US concert appearances. Check out our chat, then be sure to pick up ON BROADWAY which is in stores and on iTunes now! He may sing 'Goodbye' like nobody‘s business, but we are just saying hello to the charismatic David Campbell.

After his early triumph in some truly troubled musicals - among them the most notorious of twenty-first century cult Broadway musicals, the infamous DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES - this dashing and terrifically talented Broadway leading man went on to star in the most successful production to date of Stephen Schwartz's delicate Gallic musical THE BAKER'S WIFE - causing even the WICKED composer himself to be taken aback by the sheer power of this tenor's voice - and is now singing the most talked about song of the New York Musical Theater Festival - from the new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR - the captivatingly charming and charismatic Max Von Essen. In this thorough discussion we go into his experiences working with Jim Steinman, Roman Polanski, Michael Crawford, John Rando, Mandy Gonzalez and the rest of the cast and creative team of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and how that flash of brilliance of a Broadway debut prepared him for the plight of the working actor making his way on Broadway today. We also discuss the details of his new NYMF musical and singing his star-making solo and adding another notable entry to his pristine performance record. Additionally, we talk about playing Enjorlas in the LES MISERABLES revival co-starring Lea Michele and Daphne Rubin Vega as well as his upcoming appearances and events - such as BROADWAY UNPLUGGED - plus how he keeps his voice in shape to traverse the treacherous vocal territory required of the tenor rock ballads he excels at enacting in song - and thoroughly slaughtering.(He'd be the last to admit he has cords of steel, but he does.) He may be known for 'For Sarah', but this interview is all Max.

Last week I conducted an illuminating InDepth InterView with legendary producer and director Harold Prince in which we discussed his singular career, having won more Tony Awards than any other person on the planet for his near one-hundred productions since his start as George Abbott's assistant producer over fifty years ago. He produced such landmark musicals as DAMN YANKEES, THE PAJAMA GAME and WEST SIDE STORY in the 1950s and then went on to become a director in his own right with Kander & Ebb's FLORA, THE RED MENANCE (Liza Minnelli's Broadway debut), CABARET into the Sondheim series of masterpieces in the 1970s - COMPANY, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, PACIFIC OVERTURES, SWEENEY TODD - bridging into his two biggest commercial successes, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals EVITA and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Celebrating its 23rd year on Broadway in January, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is the most successful entertainment of all time, more than any other musical, television show or even feature film in history. It's a juggernaut like no other and the mystery, magic and majesty that had made the show such a rousing success is thanks to the masterful eye-of-all-eyes, the true master director of the American Theatre, Harold Prince. But, will he be doing the sequel?

In this SATURDAY SPECIAL we are taking a look at the theatrics and antics of the truly Boss host - whether as the actual Boss, Bruce Springsteen, or in the haute couture Boss of Hugo - of this year's Emmy Awards, the host of his eponymous LATE NIGHT talk-show on NBC and an SNL alum from the Class of Tina Fey, as well as a movie star: Jimmy Fallon! Next week is big, brassy Broadway week on his show and there will be plenty kick-assery to witness - including the hottest, smartest and sexiest show of the season - but first things first. The many masterful - and never masturbatory, as is so often the case with hosts from TV - musical performances throughout the Emmys night were spot-on hilarity and a welcome respite from the usual lameness that deadens makes leaden award shows and that is due to Jimmy. Jimmy's jams - and awesome entrance - made the night alight! So, today we are highlighting the great GLEE-tastic Emmy opener - "Born To Run" - as well as a sampling of his many musical performances throughout the years, both on Saturday Night Live alongside everyone from Tina Fey to Robert De Niro to Justin Timberlake and on his own show LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON in a hilarious sing-off versus Amy Poehler! Plus: A bonus song with Jake Gyllenhaal!

Die Untoten beißen: Die gruseligen Musical von Jim Steinman (Musik) und Michael Kunze (Liedtexte) nach Wien zurück - zwölf Jahre nach seiner Premiere und 4,8 Millionen Besucher weltweit später. Vampir, Tanz der Vampire, Marjan Shaki, Lukas Perman und Marjan Shaki Lukas Perman, Tanz der Vampire von links: Thomas Weissengruber (Koukol), Marc Liebisch (Herbert), Anna Thorén (Magda), Gernot Kranner (Professor Abronsius), Thomas Borchert (Graf Krolock), Lukas Perman (Alfred), Marjan Shaki (Sarah)

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS - The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC Television Series.

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS - The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC Television Series. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS - The Arena Spectacular is now on tour in North America and will perform 12 performances at Madison Square Garden in New York. More than 3.1 million Americans have already seen the production since it opened in July 2007.

Darren Holden, the former Piano Man in the Broadway and first national touring productions of the hit Billy Joel/Twyla Tharp musical MOVIN' OUT, returns to the US for some August concert dates with the new Irish Ballad group called The High Kings, comprised by Brian Dunphy, Finbarr Clancy, and Martin Furey.