Judy Garland News

WALNUT CREEK, CA (July 7, 2015) – The California Symphony presents the beloved classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, and performs the complete, live orchestral accompaniment as the movie is shown on a giant screen at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, Friday, August 21 at 8:30 pm. Conductor Sarah Hicks leads the orchestra in some of the best-loved movie songs and music of all time, including Harold Arlen and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg's “Over the Rainbow,” “We're Off to See the Wizard,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead,” “The Merry Old Land of Oz,” and many more, as well as the underscore by composer Herbert Stothart. Judy Garland and the other actors' original vocal performances are preserved and enhanced, so they can be fully heard and enjoyed as the orchestra plays. The film's restored images are accompanied by the orchestra playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen's brilliant lost scores. The production is by Emmy Award-winning producer John Goberman (Live from Lincoln Center). Tickets for The Wizard of Oz are $25 to $75 for adults and $10 for students 18 years old and younger, and are on sale now at www.californiasymphony.org/oz.

Al Hirschfeld gets a tome of his own!

Al Hirschfeld immortalized celebrities, politicians, Broadway productions, films, television shows and beyond with his iconic linear drawings for nine decades, establishing himself as one of the most important contemporary portrait artists. Over a decade since the legendary artist drew his final line drawing, he continues to inspire. This spring and summer, Hirschfeld is being celebrated with the publication of a new book and a major exhibition at the New-York Historical Society.

Rehearsals started today for the new British musical MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, starring TRACIE BENNETT (taking over from Janie Dee who has had to withdraw for personal reasons), which concludes the Theatre Royal Bath summer season, Saturday 15th August - Saturday 5th September, prior to a West End run.

Whether she is lending her luminescent soprano to Broadway melodies, keenly reinterpreting contemporary folk and rock songs, or crooning jazz favorites in her warm alto range, singer Julie Benko possesses the rare vocal dexterity of range and genre that defines a true musical chameleon. Known for her sparkling tone, buttery phrasing, and adept storytelling, this longtime member of New York City's theatrical community momentarily steps off the Broadway stage (where she regularly appears in Les Miserables) and launches into the jazz world, bringing her unique fusion of melodic expressiveness and introspective clarity to the Cornelia Street Cafe on Sunday, August 2nd at 8:30 PM.

On the morning of June 5 at the Actors Fund Nursing Home in Englewood NJ, the Jazz and Tap teacher Phil Black passed away after fighting Parkinson's disease for over 20 years.

Do you remember classic pop/rock songs of the 1970s such as "Do It Again," "My Old School," and "Reeling In the Years?" If those tunes are swirling around in your head it's because they were big hits of the period by the iconic rock group Steely Dan. The founding member of that great band, guitarist extraordinaire Denny Dias, will take the stage at New York's popular jazz club IRIDIUM on August 6 and 7 for Denny Dias & Friends, a show that will celebrate the music of Steely Dan and showcase a few of his Denny's original songs. Joining Denny will be two special guests: Celebrated pianist/composer/music director Yaron Gershovsky and popular singer Lisa Jason as the show's lead vocalist. Performances of Denny Dias & Friends will be at 8 pm and 10 pm each night. Tickets are $30 per show (with a $15 food and drink minimum) and can be purchased at http://theiridium.com/reservations/ or by calling 212-582-2121.

Do you enjoy theatre trivia and anecdotes? How about talking about a performance immediately following the show with other theatre enthusiasts? Would you like to hear the actors' motivation for their characters? Are you interested in hearing from guest speakers? If you answered yes to any one of these questions, then TheatreZone's TalkBack is a must for you.

Seth Sikes, of whom NY Arts Review said, "may well be one of the saviors of the Great American Songbook," will return to 54 BELOW on Friday, September 18that 9:30PM (EST) to perform a revamped version of his critically-acclaimed show Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland, an evening of Garland's most popular songs with several new arrangements. Sikes returns to 54 Below after four previous sold-out appearances.

Two theatre stars tribute classic pride duet!

 ARE YOU THERE, MORGAN FREEMAN?, a new song cycle extravaganza written and performed by Brittany Velotta, will be presented in the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Soberbia....conmovedora.....impactante.....fascinante....son sólo algunos de los calificativos para la versión mexicana de la obra de Peter Quilter, El Final del Arcoiris.

 Michael Ingersoll and Metropolis present the next season of Artists Lounge Live at Metropolis, featuring top Broadway and Broadway in Chicago stars in solo concerts.

Tammy Blanchard, who recently appeared in Disney's big screen adaptation of 'Into the Woods'  and 'X-Men's Evan Jonigkeit will join Allison Janney in the upcoming dramedy "Tallulah."

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'On Your Feet!' and 'City Of Angels' rake in the reviews, while Bette plays the UC. Kristin and Idina plan concerts here, outdoor movies light up the summer, and the 'Beautiful' tour and 'Charlie Brown' are slated for Christmas. By summer's end: 'The Boy From Oz,' 'Glory Days' and 'Triassic Parq!'

The highly-acclaimed UK Tour of JUDY - THE SONGBOOK OF JUDY GARLAND will end earlier than scheduled, in Brighton on July 11, due to the star of the show, Lorna Luft's imminent treatment for Breast Cancer.

         Artistic director Mark Danni today unveiled that actress and singer Joan Ellison will perform a one-night-only concert Love Finds Judy Garland, Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 8 pm.         

Celebrate the life and music of a Hollywood legend with the UK premiere of Judy - The Songbook of Judy Garland at the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 29 June - Saturday 4 July.  This song and dance spectacular stars Dancing On Ice winner and X Factor finalist, Ray Quinn, West End musical stars Louise Dearman (Wicked, Evita)), Rachel Stanley (White Christmas) and Darren Bennett (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) along with very special guest, Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft.

The Broadway Community worships at the altar of Michael McElroy and, pretty soon, so will the world. The Broadway veteran, with many shows under his belt, founded the Broadway Inspirational Voices in 1994 and, last night, photographer and friend Walter McBride and I were invited to a private home, where an awe-inspiring event transpired. We witnessed the birth of PARLOR NIGHT, something that ladies Di Ana Pisarri and Schele Williams had dreamed of for some time.

When BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer Billie Roe was invited to the CabaretFest 2015 Provincetown scheduled for June 4-7, it was to attend as a performer, not necessarily as a reviewer. But we couldn't resist the opportunity to have Billie at least report on some aspects of the long, event-filled weekend and record some of her impressions in something akin to a diary. Based on Billie's descriptive account here, this year's Cabaret Festival in Provincetown, MA, sounds like one of the cabaret highlights of the year.