Jose Llana News

New York Theatre Barn will present a free private reading of the new musical Costs of Living tonight, November 7 and 8 in the Theatre District.

New York Theatre Barn will present a free private reading of the new musical Costs of Living November 7 and 8 in the Theatre District. Jose Llana (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Enrico Rodriguez (Zanna, Don't!, Rent) will star. Costs of Living, with book, music and lyrics by Timothy Huang, was a selection of Stephen Schwartz's 2012 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop and a 2012 American Harmony Prize finalist.

Stand Alone: Songs About and Written By Losers, an evening of new songs by Sam Salmond, will be presented on Monday, November 12 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Show time is 9:30pm.

John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo and Carey Anderson (all from Broadway's AVENUE Q) along with Gwen Hollander (LITTLE WOMEN), Christine Toy Johnson (FALSETTOLAND), Francis Jue (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, PACIFIC OVERTURES), singer/songwriter Phoebe Kreutz, Raymond J. Lee (ANYTHING GOES), Adam Levinskas, Jose Llana (THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, RENT), Orville Mendoza (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER), Olivia Oguma (MAMMA MIA) and actress Lexi Windsor will all be on hand to perform and pay tribute to the beloved director and actor ALAN MURAOKA ('Sesame Street', Broadway's MISS SAIGON, THE KING AND I) at an evening to benefit National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) tonight, September 10 at 416 W. 42 St.

John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo and Carey Anderson (all from Broadway's AVENUE Q) along with Gwen Hollander (LITTLE WOMEN), Christine Toy Johnson (FALSETTOLAND), Francis Jue (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, PACIFIC OVERTURES), singer/songwriter Phoebe Kreutz, Raymond J. Lee (ANYTHING GOES), Adam Levinskas, Jose Llana (THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, RENT), Orville Mendoza (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER), Olivia Oguma (MAMMA MIA) and actress Lexi Windsor will all be on hand to perform and pay tribute to the beloved director and actor ALAN MURAOKA ('Sesame Street', Broadway's MISS SAIGON, THE KING AND I) at an evening to benefit National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) on Monday, September 10 at 416 W. 42 St.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced the winners of the NYMF 2012 Awards for Excellence. Awards are voted on by the NYMF jury.

Filipino musical creators Romeo Candido and Carmen de Jesus' PRISON DANCER, a new musical loosely based on the five-year-old viral video featuring the dancing inmates of Cebu, Philippines' Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, won Excellence in Choreography for its director and choreographer, Jenn Rapp; Outstanding Ensemble Performance for its all-Filipino cast led by Broadway actors Jose Llana, Catherine Ricafort, and Albert Guerzon; and Outstanding Individual Performance for Filipino Canadian actor Jeigh Madjus, who plays Lola, a cross-dresser who teaches his fellow convicts how to dance, at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival's Awards for Excellence ceremony held last night at Hudson Terrace.

One of New York Musical Theatre Festival's fastest-selling shows, PRISON DANCER, an original screenplay turned into a web series turned into a stage musical by Romeo Candido (music, lyrics, and book) and Carmen de Jesus (book), veers away from the hugeness of its viral hit inspiration - a video uploaded to YouTube in 2007 that boasts around 1,500 male inmates of Cebu, Philippines' Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center dancing in sync with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - by using its two-hour storytelling to explore more about the personal lives of a handful, fictitious prisoners instead, interspersed with a lively dose of Filipino cultural and religious quirks, and with a heavy R&B/club-ish score not often used for a musical.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) and PRISON DANCER LIVE, LLC. presents Romeo Candido and Carmen De Jesus' PRISON DANCER, music supervised by Alexander Rovang, and directed by Jenn Rapp. PRISON DANCER plays a limited engagement at Off-Broadway's Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036). Performances begin tonight, Jul 20th, 2012 at 8:00 pm and continue through Saturday, Jul 28th, 2012 at 9:00 pm. Press are invited Sunday, Jul 22nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm and any subsequent performance.

Last night, July 9, Ben Vereen (Pippin, Fosse) hosted the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival opening night gala celebrating the season kick off. On hand to show support for the famed fest, which opened last night and runs through July 29, were Corbin Bleu ("High School Musical"), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Dreamgirls, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Leslie Krtizer (A Catered Affair), Matt Bogart (Jersey Boys), Jeremy Kushnier (Jesus Christ Superstar), Jack Noseworthy (Sweet Smell of Success), Tom Deckman (Spamalot), Anika Larsen (Xanadu), Melissa Van der Schyff (Bonnie and Clyde), and many more. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photo coverage below!

The Broadway at Birdland concert series presents "Here Goes Nothing," an evening of songs by Drama Desk-nominated lyricist Jack Lechner, tonight, June 25 at 7pm. Guest performers will include Jill Abramovitz, Desmond Dutcher, Jeannine Frumess, Jose Llana, Lucas Steele, and Karen Ziemba. The music director will be Boko Suzuki.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) and PRISON DANCER LIVE, LLC. is pleased to announce Romeo Candido and Carmen De Jesus' PRISON DANCER, music supervised by Alexander Rovang, and directed by Jenn Rapp. PRISON DANCER will play a limited engagement at Off-Broadway's Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036). Performances begin Friday, Jul 20th, 2012 at 8:00 pm and continue through Saturday, Jul 28th, 2012 at 9:00 pm. Press are invited Sunday, Jul 22nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm and any subsequent performance.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series will present "Here Goes Nothing," an evening of songs by Drama Desk-nominated lyricist Jack Lechner, on Monday, June 25 at 7pm. Guest performers will include Nancy Anderson, Jeremy Schonfeld, Chris Critelli, Desmond Dutcher, Jeannine Frumess, Andy Monroe, Lucas Steele, and Karen Ziemba. The music director will be Boko Suzuki.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced additional casting for the 2012 Summer Season. A host of Williamstown Theatre Fesival veterans and talented newcomers including Becky Ann Baker, Marylouise Burke, Tyne Daly, Brandon Victor Dixon, Alison Fraser, Heather Lind, Amy Spanger, Jeremy Strong, Lili Taylor and many more, will take the stage during the Festival's 58th Season.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series presents "Here Goes Nothing," an evening of songs by Drama Desk-nominated lyricist Jack Lechner, on Monday, June 25 at 7pm. Guest performers will include Jill Abramovitz, Desmond Dutcher, Jeannine Frumess, Jose Llana, Lucas Steele, and Karen Ziemba. The music director will be Boko Suzuki.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER opened last night, April 15th and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the star filled red carpet on their way in to see the show. Get out your 'Stache' and scroll on down!

Frank Wildhorn's WONDERLAND, which opened on Broadway last Spring, will make its international premiere at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre in Fall 2012. Set to star in the production are Kei Aran and Megumi Hamada. Hiromi Suzuki will direct. The production will run November 18-December 4. Click here for tickets.

Vocal selection are now available for Frank Wildhorn's WONDERLAND, which opened on Broadway last Spring. The book features 19 piano/vocal selections from the score including: 'Advice from a Caterpillar,' 'Down the Rabbit Hole,' 'Finding Wonderland,' 'Go with the Flow,' 'Home,' 'I Am My Own Invention,' 'The Mad Hatter,' 'Off with Their Heads,' 'Through the Looking Glass,' and 'Welcome to Wonderland,' along with a special section of full-color production photos.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) has announced casting for the next three offerings in its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series: A Doctor in Spite of Himself (February 20), Lunch at the Picadilly (February 22) and The Gig (February 24), featuring Cady Huffman, Beth Leavel, Jose Llana, Jeff McCcarthy, Brad Oscar, Fleur Phillips, Barbara Walsh, and more. All readings are free to the public and will take place at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's on 54th St, just east of Lexington Avenue. For additional information on the Series and to make reservations for any of the upcoming free presentations, visit the readings page at www.yorktheatre.org.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) has announced casting for the next three offerings in its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series: A Doctor in Spite of Himself (February 20), Lunch at the Picadilly (February 22) and The Gig (February 24), featuring Cady Huffman, Beth Leavel, Jose Llana, Jeff McCcarthy, Brad Oscar, Fleur Phillips, Barbara Walsh, and more. All readings are free to the public and will take place at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's on 54th St, just east of Lexington Avenue. For additional information on the Series and to make reservations for any of the upcoming free presentations, visit the readings page at www.yorktheatre.org.