Joan Marcus News

Today we are talking to a Broadway leading lady making a major mark in the gender-bending role of Yitzhak in the new Broadway production of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's masterful rock musical HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH starring Neil Patrick Harris, the affable and idiosyncratically alluring Lena Hall. Discussing sharing the stage with NPH in the raucous and wild rock showpiece, Hall offers a vivid view of her participation in the Broadway iteration of the cult hit - ranging from polishing her vocals for a cover of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" to donning a prosthetic penis and much more. Additionally, Hall opens up about the larger themes of the prescient and timely musical, as well as shares her affection for the rock, pop and punk sound the score so evocatively emulates and recreates. On that note, Hall also sheds some light on her other ongoing endeavor, as lead singer of the band The Deafening, and shares some of her favorite songs to sing at gigs around town - including an upcoming show at Arlene's Grocery later this week. As if that were not enough, Hall also looks back on some of her most fondly remembered roles to date, reflecting on her time spent in the corps of CATS and the lace-ups of KINKY BOOTS through to a new jukebox musical project featuring the music of iconic rock songwriter Holly Knight. All of that, throwback tales involving NPH and much, much more in this wide-ranging conversation with one of the most uniquely compelling Broadway stars of the new season.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of VIOLET, starring Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell,Alexander Gemignani and Joshua Henry, is currently in previews and officially opens on April 20, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include a peek inside the closing night party for Encores! THE MOST HAPPY FELLA!, a look at the IF/THEN and ALADDIN casts in the recording studio, and a first look at A.R.T.'s THE TEMPEST!

GHOST THE MUSICAL, based on the 1990 film Ghost, tours the US after a successful West End run with visual effects that enhance the magic of live theatre.

On Sunday, April 13, Motown the Musical invites fans to celebrate its first anniversary on Broadway with a one-time-only, free ticket lottery for the 3:00PM performance.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: BULLETS OVER BROADWAY opens tonight, the cast of CABARET performs on THE TONIGHT SHOW and more!

Swarovski crystals are 'shining like the brightest star' in costumes for Broadway's HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. The musical is now in previews at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) and will open Tuesday, April 22.

Neil Patrick Harris returns to Broadway in the new production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the musical with book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, directed by Michael Mayer. The limited engagement, featuring Lena Hall (Kinky Boots, lead singer of The Deafening), will open Tuesday, April 22 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street).

On the newest THEATER TALK, actress Tyne Daly and playwright Terrence McNally discuss the new play Mothers and Sons, McNally's latest work on Broadway, now at the Golden. Hosted by Michael Riedel and Susan Haskins, THEATER TALK's Mothers and Sons episode premieres in the New York metropolitan area Friday, April 11 (2014) at 1 AM (Saturday morning) on Thirteen/PBS, and continues on CUNY TV* Saturday 4/12 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 4/13 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 4/14 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM.

As of the performance tonight, Wednesday, April 9, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical JERSEY BOYS will surpass 42nd Street with 3,487 performances, becoming the 13th longest-running show in Broadway history.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced this year's recipients of 2014 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. These honors will be presented at the Tony Honors Cocktail Party, a private cocktail reception, on Monday, June 2nd at the Paramount Hotel's Diamond Horseshoe. The 2014 Tony Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, June 8th on CBS, and are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Michael C. Hall is currently in consideration to star in the title role.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre for a limited engagement from today, April 8 - 20, 2014.

The new Broadway play Mothers and Sons from 4-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally has announced today that it will offer a series of post-show talkbacks in conjunction with the Huffington Post Gay Voices on four consecutive Wednesday evenings (4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30) at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). Special guests will include LGBT activist and journalist David Mixner, attorney Roberta Kaplan, Huffington Post Gay Voices deputy editor Curtis M. Wong, and CNN political commentator Hilary Rosen, among others. Full details below.

92Y presents an evening with the cast and creative team behind the best-reviewed show of the season, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder. Robert L. Freedman (book/lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music/lyrics) discuss the production's ten-year journey to Broadway, with performances from cast members Jefferson Mays, Bryce Pinkham, Lisa O'Hare, and Lauren Worsham on Sunday, May 11 at 8 pm. The original cast album is released today on Ghostlight Records.

Now in previews, THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN is a 90-minute powder keg dark comedy by Eric Coble that stars Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons (Bonnie and Clyde, "Roseanne") and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella (Angels in America, Lincoln, "24"), is directed by Molly Smith and will open Monday, April 21, 2014. After every preview performance of the new critically acclaimed American play THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN audience members will be invited to stay for a complimentary post-show "Inside Velocity" talkback, featuring different members of the cast and creative team. This limited Broadway engagement of THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN follows a sold-out, critically acclaimed run at Washington DC's Arena Stage (Edgar Dobie, Executive Producer) in the fall of 2013. Check out a first look at Parsons and Spinella in action below!

The divisive playwright's most accessible piece comes off as a Neil Simon attempt at absurdism.

Encores! serves up Frank Loesser's superb score with a 38 piece orchestra and an excellent cast.

The supernatural power of love is taking Fort Lauderdale by storm as the new Broadway and West End musical Ghost The Musical, adapted from the Academy Award-winning film, opens at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday, April 29th for a limited two week run. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show!

"Mr. Chief Justice, may it please the court," is the opening every lawyer states before presenting oral arguments. When Arguendo at Woolly Mammoth Theatre keeps its focus on the oral arguments of Barnes v. Glen Theatre Inc., the show is praiseworthy on many levels. But when the Arguendo becomes distracted, it not only fails to please the court, it loses on appeal.