Joseph Thalken News

On Monday, March 15th at 6pm Tom Jones, creator of the The Fantasticks, will interview dancer and choreographer Marge Champion. Marge and her husband Gower Champion were legendary in the 1950s for their dancing in nightclubs, MGM musicals and on television. More recently, she appeared with her current dance partner, Donald Saddler, in a six-month run in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies in 2001. In 2007 Ms. Champion, who began her dance career with Walt Disney as the live action model for Snow White, was honored with the Disney Legends Award. Following the interview, there will be a question and answer period.

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, today announced the company's 2010-2011 season of four musicals and three plays, with the innovative company producing three world premieres and one regional premiere.

Broadway stars Victor Garber, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, and Signature favorite Sherri L. Edelen will salute Angela Lansbury at the Signature Theatre's Sondheim Award Gala on April 12 at the Embassy of Italy. The beloved stage, screen, and television actress will be presented with the company's first Stephen Sondheim Award, established last year in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer.

Kate Baldwin, currently starring in the Broadway revival of FINIAN'S RAINBOW that took it's opening night bow last night, is set to perform in concert at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on December 13th. The show, 'Let's See What Happens,' will feature songs from her debut solo album of the same name, recently released.

On April 12, 2010, the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor beloved stage, screen, and television actress Angela Lansbury with the company's first Stephen Sondheim Award. (The celebration was originally scheduled to take place on April 26, 2010). The award, established last year in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The 2010 Sondheim Award Gala is chaired by C. Daniel and Juliann Clemente; Honorary Hosts include actresses Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bernadette Peters, philanthropists Helen Henderson and Ted and Mary Jo Shen, and Congressman James Moran and LuAnn Bennett. The Sondheim Award Gala will benefit Signature Theatre's artistic, education, and community outreach programs.

Eric Schaeffer, artistic director of the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, today announced tha stage, screen, and television actress Angela Lansbury will receive the company's Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented to Ms. Lansbury on Monday, April 26, 2010, at a black-tie gala dinner in Washington, DC. The Sondheim Award Gala will benefit Signature Theatre's artistic, education, and community outreach programs.

Kate Baldwin, currently starring in the Broadway revival of FINIAN'S RAINBOW that took it's opening night bow last night, is set to perform in concert at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on December 13th. The show, 'Let's See What Happens,' will feature songs from her debut solo album of the same name, recently released.

Rebecca Luker has been a Broadway favorite since she stepped in as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera in 1988. She is currently starring in Mary Poppins for which she earned a 2007 Tony Award® nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include Show Boat (Tony® nomination), The Music Man (Tony® nomination), Nine, the most recent revival of The Sound of Music, and The Secret Garden. Ms. Luker recently performed to sold-out audiences at her critically acclaimed American Songbook Series of solo concerts at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Her recordings include Leaving Home (PSClassics.com), Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter, Aria, Aria 2 and Aria 3 (Koch records), The Boys From Syracuse, Wonderful Town, Annie Get Your Gun, Broadway Showstoppers, Jerome Kern Treasury, and Brigadoon.

FINIAN'S RAINBOW star Kate Baldwin celebrated the release of her debut album 'Let's See What Happens' on October 19th at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain on 152 West 52nd Street.

With Rob Fisher behind the podium conducting the Pacific Symphony, LuPone takes the audience for a ride through her musical theater past. As the show's title Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda suggests, the evening's selections are from musicals she either auditioned for, shows she thinks she could/should have starred in, or-as in the case of Evita-shows that made her the star she is today.

On Monday, September 14th, The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO. Joe Mantello, the original director of LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! and Stephen Bogardus, a member of the play's original cast, were honorary chairs for the NAATCO benefit performance.

The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, on Monday, September 14 with a 6:00pm cocktail reception and a 7:00pm performance at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO.

The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, on Monday, September 14 with a 6:00pm cocktail reception and a 7:00pm performance at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO.

This summer the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, one of the nation?s leading forces in musical theater, launches 21/24 Signature Lab, a new initiative for the creation of musical theatre works by emerging young composers which gives audiences a first look at new musicals.

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, today announced that Signature Theatre is expanding its American Musical Voices Project (AMVP) for a fourth year with the commission and production of a new musical by Adam Guettel for its 2011-2012 season. Also announced as part of The Next Generation segment of the AMVP were two additional musical commissions awarded to Peter Foley and Marisa Michelson as well as honoree grants given to Chris Miller and Scott Davenport Richards for the development of future musical ideas. Signature, with the support of The Shen Family Foundation, has awarded $595,000 to artists in honors and commissions in the past three years. The American Musical Voices Project is the largest single musical theater commissioning and producing initiative at any non-profit theater in America.

This summer the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, one of the nation?s leading forces in musical theater, launches 21/24 Signature Lab, a new initiative for the creation of musical theatre works by emerging young composers which gives audiences a first look at new musicals.

Epic in vision and scope, Giant chronicles The Life and times of cattleman Jordan 'Bick' Benedict, his naïve young society wife, and their family in the sweeping panorama of Texas, the land that brings them together and almost splits them apart. A sensational story of power, love, lust, and bigotry among the wealthy Anglo cattle barons and oil tycoons, and the downtrodden Mexican-Americans who work for them, Giant is based on the classic novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edna Ferber, which also inspired the film starring James Dean, ElizaBeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Written by Michael John LaChiusa, considered one of today's most intelligent and innovative musical theater composers, Giant is the first work produced through Signature's multi-year American Musical Voices Project.

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, presents the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.

Jenna gives a rundown of where she's been and who she's seen in the world of cabaret in the past week. The past week's shows include Jason Robert Brown at Birdland, Terese Genecco at the Iridium, and MetroJam at the Metropolitan Room!

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre, today announced casting for the world premiere production of the musical Giant by composer Michael John LaChiusa and playwright Sybille Pearson.