Judy Garland News

When it comes down to it, trying to convince rabid or even casual fans of the hit Broadway blockbuster WICKED into seeing the show again (and again… and again) when it comes to their town really doesn't take much of a struggle. No matter how many times over the years that the Broadway blockbuster has landed in our own backyard, the demand for tickets is still high (hence the often long engagements the show has on our stages). Now finishing up the final week of its national tour's latest return engagement at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through March 6, the 'popular' musical continues to be a must-see favorite, and shows no signs of slowing down. So, 15 years later... is WICKED still worth seeing at a city near you for the umpteenth time these days? Absolutely! And here are 10 pretty good reasons why...

Kerrie Anne Greenland stole the show with her powerful and heartbreaking rendition of the classic song 'On My Own' in the recent Australian production of LES MISERABLES for which she won the prestigious Helpmann Award. Now this star-in-the-making is releasing her debut album PICTURES.

This March, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. Scroll down for details!

Dynamic Broadway and Disney star Anneliese van der Pol (That's So Raven, Beauty and the Beast, Vanities) teams up with frequent Feinstein's/54 Below headliner and vocalist extraordinaire Tyce Green for a concert at Feinstein's/54 Below tonight, March 1st at 9:15 pm.

Actress and performer Carolyn Johnson returns to Stages Repertory Theatre to star as Judy Garland in drama musical END OF THE RAINBOW. The role requires Johnson do justice to Garland's greatest hits and misses. Johnson tells BroadwayWorld how she plans to fulfill her duty.

Broadway's 40 theatres aren't the only places to catch performances from your favorite stars! Well after Broadway orchestras begin their overtures, ensemble members take their dance breaks, and performers belt out their eleven o'clock numbers, the party continues at various cabaret venues throughout New York City. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you some cabaret highlights for this week as picked by our theatre editors, including: Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens: A Benefit Concert with Bill Russell & Friends; 54 Sings The Scarlet Pimpernel; Anneliese van der Pol and Tyce Green In Concert; Pride and Prejudice: the Musical in Concert; Christine Andreas: Cafe Society.

Flashback Friday! The Board of the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, which is comprised of over 140 film and TV journalists and/or critics nationwide, had fun last February picking its choices for the very best (or at least dishiest) movies through the years that have somehow included the Academy Awards ® in their storylines (note: GALECA is not affiliated with the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences). Let's revisit GALECA's Top 10 Movies That Costar Oscar ®, ranked from 1 to 10 below, shall we? 

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

Michael Weber, artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre, has announced Porchlight Music Theatre's 2016 - 2017 mainstage season which includes In The Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda's first big hit and winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, September 9 - October 16, 2016; End of the Rainbow, the Chicago premiere of the Judy Garland bio musical play, a recent smash hit in London and New York, November 4 - December 4, 2016; The Scottsboro Boys, the long-awaited Chicago premiere of the final collaboration of Kander and Ebb concerning one of the most infamous events in American history, February 3 - March 12, 2017; Marry Me a Little, Jeff Award-winning Porchlight Artistic Associate Austin Cook stars in this rarely seen Stephen Sondheim production, April 14 - May 21, 2017.

Film and stage biopics surrounding the life of a celebrity hold particular intrigue for many people. They can be inherently risky due to the validity of the information being portrayed but ultimately, the general public want to gain an otherwise unforeseen insight into that person's life. Here with the legendary Judy Garland as the subject, she certainly provided a story worth telling. Sadly like most other biographies of its kind, End Of The Rainbow is essentially a tragedy which focuses on the final demise of Judy's personal health and relationships during what should have been her comeback in London in 1968.

There are a lot of superlatives that have been thrown around about the World Renowned Kristin Chenoweth: Stunning, personable, fun, entertaining. All are true and she demonstrated all of those traits when she came to Louisville for a second time and performed with our Louisville Orchestra under the baton of the remarkable Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

Signature Theatre presents a special return engagement of Old Hats, created and performed by Bill Irwin and David Shiner, with music and lyrics by and featuring Shaina Taub, directed by Tina Landau. The production officially opened last night, February 18, and will now play an extended run through April 3, 2016 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). BroadwayWorld was there for the big night and you can check out photos below!

Judy Garland fans will be holding their breath for this collection. JSP Records has announced it will release in 2017 a 4-CD, 109-track set, produced by John Stedman, called JUDY GARLAND: CLASSIC DUETS, which will include 14 tracks never previously issued on CD.

NBC just announced an all-star team of Broadway's finest creatives -- featuring familiar faces Kenny Leon, Jerry Mitchell and Harvey Fierstein -- for its upcoming production of HAIRSPRAY LIVE, the network's latest stage musical following the phenomenal success of THE WIZ LIVE. The telecast will air Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The cast for HAIRSPRAY LIVE will be announced at a later date, but based on this news, BWW can't wait to see what NBC has in store!

Maurice Hines Tappin' Thru Life at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street) will play its final performance this Sunday, February 21st. At the time of closing the show will have played 21 previews and 46 performances.

This week, I sat down with Janelle Lutz backstage at The Firehouse Theatre, moments before she took the stage for her second (and final) dress rehearsal for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which runs February 18th through March 6th. Lutz (pronounced 'loots,' although she doesn't correct those that rhyme her name with klutz) shared her affection for Julie Andrews' portrayal of the role in the 1967 movie, and admitted some intimidation in following in Sutton Foster's Broadway shoes. As we talked about her exciting stage opportunities around DFW, I couldn't help but observe how one of DFW's largest stage personalities is also one of the most sincere, humble performers I've had the chance to speak with. Upon the end of our conversation, when I gave Ms. Lutz the opportunity to add anything I may have overlooked, she thought for a moment and responded: 'I'd just like to say thank you to the Dallas theatre community. This is my family; they've taken huge chances on me.'

Dynamic Broadway and Disney star Anneliese van der Pol (That's So Raven, Beauty and the Beast, Vanities) teams up with frequent Feinstein's/54 Below headliner and vocalist extraordinaire Tyce Green for a concert at Feinstein's/54 Below

Just yesterday, the star of Maurice Hines Tappin' Thru Life, Maurice Hines himself stopped by Sardi's to unveil his new portrait. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration and you can check out photos below!

We go around our Broadway World to feature France as our newest International spotlight. Below, we round up the top 10 theatre companies in France. Check out the list below!