Joan Rivers News

HAPPY50ish! the new musical comedy, will open Off Broadway at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street) on Theatre Row on Sunday, July 26th.

In 2013, Actor Friend published his/her first book #SOBLESSED, with the follow-up #GRATEFUL available this year just in time for the holidays. With the success of #SOBLESSED, and its star-studded audio version, A.F. brought the book to the stage in concert form. After two sold-out runs at 54 Below, the show is back for what might be its final performance ever, Monday, July 27th at 9:30 pm. As always, the show benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

With a new, ongoing exhibition series called The Television Project, the Jewish Museum will introduce visitors to a dynamic part of its collection: the National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting (NJAB), the largest and most comprehensive body of broadcast materials on 20th century Jewish culture in the United States. The inaugural exhibition, The Television Project: Picturing a People, on view at the Jewish Museum from September 25, 2015 through February 14, 2016, will feature artistically significant program excerpts celebrating the brilliance of writing, directing, performance, and production in American television, as well as related works of art, artifacts, and ephemera. Picturing a People will include clips from the following programs: The Ed Sullivan Show, Northern Exposure, The Twilight Zone, The Goldbergs, The Simpsons, My Name is Barbra, and Eichmann Trial Coverage (ABC News).

SHOWTIME will debut MARGARET CHO: psyCHO, the latest show from renowned three-time Grammy and Emmy nominated comedian Margaret Cho on September 25th at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Milford Arts Council, in association with Pantochino Productions Inc. has announced a new entertainment series, Nite Spot Nights, debuting this Fall at the Center for the Arts on Railroad Avenue in Downtown Milford.

 Segerstrom Center for the Arts' 2015 - 2016 Spotlight Series opens with the sidesplitting savagery known as Forbidden Broadway October 1 - 4, 2015. There will be just four performances of a special adaptation of their recent hit edition, Forbidden Broadway Alive and Kicking! The cast includes members of the Tony Award®-winning New York company, including Forbidden Broadway stalwarts Gina Kreiezmar, Marcus Stevens, Kevin B. McGlynn and Trisha Rapier (who hails from Orange County!). This touring edition is presented by John Freedson and Harriet Yellin.

Acclaimed stage and screen actress Karen Ludwig will star in WHERE WAS I? directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Dorothy Lyman. Previews begin September 1 at Theatre 54. Opening is slated for Thursday, September 3.

A treasure trove of classic TV!

A glamorous dose of the legendary Lypsinka, John Epperson's iconic creation, will once again be doled out this summer when the acclaimed LYPSINKA! THE BOXED SET returns for a limited Off-Broadway engagement.  LYPSINKA! THE BOXED SET will be performed Wednesday, July 22nd through Saturday, September 12th at the ravishing jewel-box Connelly Theater, located at 220 East 4th Street (between Avenues A and B) in Manhattan's East Village. The Opening is Saturday, July 25th at 8 PM.  Tickets ($35 - $65) will go on sale on Monday, April 27th at 10 am online at www.lypsinka.com and www.tweedtheater.org/lypsinka, or by calling 866-811-4111.

Today we are talking to one of the top stand-up comedians in the UK who will be bringing his unique brand of comedy to NYC for a special show later this week at the Gramercy Theatre, the animated and hilarious Russell Howard. Outlining what audiences can expect from his new gig as well as touching upon some of his previous experiences playing to American audiences, the white-hot Brit stand-up shares stories from the road and also from his home country where he currently wows crowds weekly with a hit stand-up comedy series RUSSELL HOWARD'S STAND-UP CENTRAL. Additionally, Howard reveals some of his biggest comedy influences, reflects on the worldwide impact of legendary comedienne Joan Rivers and much more in this exclusive chat.

The Second City Hollywood is having an open house on June 20th!

The Laurie Beechman Theatre will celebrate the 100th performance by RuPaul's Drag Race favorite Jinkx Monsoon and her cohort Major Scales tonight, June 19th. The evening will feature a pre-show unveiling of a special hand-painted outdoor mural on the front of the building and a post-performance champagne toast.

 E! announced today that Melissa Rivers will be the new co-host of E!'s "Fashion Police" when the popular comedy show returns Monday, August 31st.  Rivers will appear alongside current panelists Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski, while continuing to serve as executive producer on the series.  In each episode, the trio will be joined by two additional rotating celebrity guests, including comedians, stylists, actors and more.  "Fashion Police" returns for six episodes surrounding some of the biggest fashion and pop culture events starting Monday, August 31st with coverage of MTV's Video Music Awards. 

Great cast and amazing vocals from the fine folks at Mad Theatre; too bad the script and the score are not worthy of their talent.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre will celebrate the 100th performance by RuPaul's Drag Race favorite Jinkx Monsoon and her cohort Major Scales on Friday, June 19th. The evening will feature a pre-show unveiling of a special hand-painted outdoor mural on the front of the building and a post-performance champagne toast.

When it comes to Hollywood gossip and celebrity blunders, she's outrageously wild and downright hilarious! Two-time Emmy winner, NY Times best-selling author, five-time Grammy nominee, and Broadway darling KATHY GRIFFIN makes a South Bend appearance at the Morris Performing arts Center on Sunday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are priced at $38.50, $48.50 and $58.50 and go on sale Friday, June 19, at 10:00 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at The Morris Box Office, by phone at 574-235-9190 or 800-537-6415, or online at www.MorrisCenter.org. The Morris Box Office is open regular business hours Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and is located at 211 North Michigan Street, South Bend, Indiana. Tickets can also be purchased with credit card at Morris Ticket Outlets: Hammes Bookstore & Café located in Eddy Street Commons, South Bend, IN; O'Brien Recreation Center, 321 East Walter Street, South Bend; and TG Music, 123 South Main Street, Goshen.

Continuing its commitment to developing new works, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will gather playwrights and composers from across the nation for its 2015 New Works Festival at Palo Alto's Lucie Stern Theatre, where the public can attend performances, offer feedback, and participate in a panel discussion with the artists. 

HAPPY50ish!, the mid-life crisis musical comedy will have its Off-Broadway premiere beginning Wednesday, July 15 at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street) on Theatre Row. Created by Lynn Shore, Mark Vogel and David Burnham, and directed and choreographed by Paul Stancato, HAPPY 50ish! opens Sunday, July 26.  Previews run from July 15 through July 25 and the show will play a limited engagement through August 30. Performances are scheduled for Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $69.50 - $99.50 and are available through Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or www.Telecharge.com.

Josh Groban performed 'You'll Never Walk Alone' from Carousel in tribute to members of the Broadway community who passed away this year

Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation announced that Brian Hyland will be joining Dick Fox's DOO WOP EXTRAVAGANZA tonight, June 6 at 7pm. Brian Hyland is known for a slew of iconic hit songs including 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' and 'Sealed With a Kiss.'. Dick Fox's DOO WOP EXTRAVAGANZA is a celebration of Doo-wop, the iconic sound that caused a sensation in the 1950's and early 1960's.