Judy Garland News

After a run of ten weeks that presented 130 one-person theatre productions from six continents, the world's largest solo theatre festival concluded its ninth season at Theatre Row on 42nd Street in New York by presenting this year's awards. On behalf of the United Solo Academy, Omar Sangare, the artistic director of the festival, presented the United Solo Special Award to Renee Taylor for her solo show "My Life on a Diet." In her acceptance speech, Ms. Taylor said: "I'm very grateful for receiving an award from Untied Solo - it's a very prestigious honor" and added "I'm very happy to be touring the country with 'My Life on a Diet' - and now I can say I am an award-winning show!"

freeFall celebrates the holiday season with a hilarious mash up of your favorite Christmas stories and carols. If you loved freeFall's The Musical of Musicals, you must get your tickets to see Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some).

Celebrated cabaret performer and writer Justin Sayre brings his 'Camp-Horror-Soap Opera,' Ravenswood Manor: The BOX Set to Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) on November 17 & 18 at 9:30pm.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with the following acts:

The incomparable Linda Eder returns toFeinstein's at the Nikko with her latest show, If You See Me, for three performance only-Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m., Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m.

Ironically, Miklos Laszlo's 1937 play 'Parfumerie' was not produced in the United States until 2009. Yet that did not stop the Hungarian hit from becoming the inspiration for a whole host of American films, plays and musicals: first the 1940 film, 'The Shop Around the Corner' with James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, then in 1949 as 'In the Good Old Summertime' with Judy Garland and Van Johnson, then in 1998 as 'You've Got Mail,' with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It also inspired the 1964 musical by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, (the team behind 'Fiddler on the Roof').

Celebrated performer and writer Justin Sayre will bring his "Camp-Horror-Soap Opera," Ravenswood Manor: The Box Set to Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) on Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18 at 9:30 PM.

The Wizard of Oz has been delighting audiences since it first appeared as a 1939 movie starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. The story, first created by L. Frank Baum in 1900, has inspired a number of adaptations, and the most popular stage version frequently finds its way to the stage at high schools and community theatres. Even though many of you have probably seen The Wizard of Oz, you've likely never seen a production of it like the one that will open at The Eichelberger Performing Arts Center on November 16th. Why is this production so unique? Because it is being performed by actors from The Penguin Project of Gettysburg Community Theatre. This program gives youth with special needs an opportunity to perform with other youth, both with and without special needs, giving them a chance to focus on their abilities rather than their challenges. BroadwayWorld had an opportunity to hear from Gettysburg Community Theatre's Executive Director, Chad-Alan Carr, as well as from five of the actors who will be performing-Natalie Hurwitch and Maddie Greco, two of the peer mentors; Ella Scott, the actor playing Dorothy; Leah Watson, who portrays Glinda the Good Witch of the North; and TJ Williams, who plays the Wizard of Oz-about their experiences with this production of The Wizard of Oz.

To kick off its 18th season, Uptown Players will present the world premiere of A Very Judy Christmas. Written and directed by B.J. Cleveland, the production runs December 1-16, 2018 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, and marks the return of  Janelle Lutz as Judy Garland.

Jaffrey's River Street Theatre will screen the original A Star is Born this Thursday night, November 15 at 7pm. Released in 1937, the original A Star is Born features Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. It received seven Academy Award nominations. The film is also certified 100% FRESH by the film criticism website, RottenTomatoes.com.

A bonified, old fashioned musical, SHE LOVES ME, opens at Candlelight on Nov 17 through Dec 23. SHE LOVES ME is the perfect way to re-discover your Christmas spirit. Set in a shop in1930s Budapest, it is a warm romantic comedy with an endearing innocence.

Adelaide Festival Centre is proud to present Season 2019, a year of blockbusters and ground-breakers.

LA's own Impro Theatre will perform this holiday season from the Valley to the ocean with two of their highly-acclaimed shows: 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza at Garry Marshall Theatre (November 30 - December 9) and Jane Austen UnScripted at The Edye at The Broad Stage (December 14 - 22). Impro Theatre incorporates audience suggestions to create completely improvised, full-length shows in each style.

Legendary American song composer Harold Arlen will have a Hollywood Big Band tribute when Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (Wicked) and Joseph Leo Bwarie (Jersey Boys) join Arlen's son Sam Arlen and singers Karon Blackwell and George Bugatti, for The Music of Harold Arlen, Wonderful Wizard of Song at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Saturday, December 1 at 8:00pm.

Bay Area Cabaret welcomes renowned singer, actress and recording artist Christine Andreas, Sunday, December 2 at 5:00 p.m. with the West Coast debut of her acclaimed show, PIAF-No Regrets, following two successful runs in New York and one in London. Christine brings to life the triumphs and heartbreaks of the famed French chanteuse, in her own words and those of her friends-and of course-her music.

Singer Alison MacDonald will pay tribute to the most beloved songstresses to ever hit the stage at Carnegie Hall during her Beyond the Stage performance this month. During Legends of Carnegie Hall, MacDonald will sing popular tunes from chanteuses such as Patsy Cline, Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Bette Midler, Carole King, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. MacDonald will be joined by special guests Rachel Bowron (Friday and Sunday performances) and Celeigh Cardinal (Saturday performance). 

California Pops Orchestra, the country's only all-request pops orchestra, returns with its beloved Christmas "Holiday With The Pops" show at Cupertino's Flint Center. Chock full of musical Yule logs and eggnogs, "Holiday With The Pops" performs one time only on Sunday, December 2, 2018, at 3 p.m.  Reserved seat tickets ($20-$55, standard ticket service fees apply), are available at Ticketmaster.com (https://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/2260227?tm_link=tm_homeA_header_search) or in person at the Flint Center box office.

Theater stalwart Jamie Du Mont, Lucille Lortel Award winner Leslie Kritzer, writer and theater critic Rob Russo, and Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard recently launched their brand-new Broadway-centric podcast, The Fabulous Invalid. The inaugural season will consist of 40 episodes, released weekly between Broadway performances on Wednesday two-show days. Select episodes will be taped from the group's 'usual table' at the famed theater restaurant Orso. Catch up on some of the latest episodes below!

The 1936 Hungarian play PARFUMERIE by Miklos Laszlo has the humble distinction of living in the shadow of the more famous movies (and Broadway musical) that it inspired. In fact, Hollywood has cashed in on the play not once but three times - the first adaptation was the 1940 Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy 'The Shop Around the Corner,' starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, which was followed by the 1949 screen musical version 'In the Good Old Summertime,' starring Judy Garland, and much later by the 1998 Nora Ephron movie 'You've Got Mail,' with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. And of course, the Broadway musical 'She Loves Me' - adapted from the play by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joe Masteroff - opened in New York in 1963 and is now one of the most beloved (and revived) musicals during the Christmas season each year. All I can say is for those who enjoy this story of mistaken identity between pen-pal lovers should see one of those versions

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents 54 Sings As Thousands Cheer on May 24, 2018 at 9:30 PM. Before there was SNL, The Daily Show, and Last Week Tonight, there was As Thousands Cheer, Irving Berlin and Moss Hart's famed musical revue. Opening on Broadway in September 1933, As Thousands Cheer brought laughter and joy to audiences at the Music Box Theatre. Now, 85 years after its Broadway premiere and 20 years since its last production in New York, Feinstein's/54 Below and a cast of New York's finest perform Irving Berlin's score. With classic songs including "Easter Parade," "How's Chances?," "Heat Wave," and "Harlem On My Mind,"  As Thousands Cheer will be a delightful evening of comedy, politics, showstopping songs, and everything in between!