Jule Styne News

The Warner Stage Company will bring the Tony Award-winning musical Gypsy to the Warner's main stage, May 12- May 20.

The Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, opening May 9 at New York City Center, stars Megan Hilty as Lorelei Lee, the diamond-loving blonde made famous by Carol Channing (Broadway) and Marilyn Monroe (film). Rachel York stars as Dorothy Shaw, Lorelei's brunette best friend. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes will be directed by John Rando with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Randy Skinner and will play for seven performances, May 9 - 13, at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

The Old Globe's 2012-13 Season will feature the World Premieres of two new musicals: Allegiance - A New American Musical by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak. The season also includes George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in celebration of the classic play's 100th anniversary and the World Premiere of a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt. Two recent Broadway hits will make their San Diego debuts at the Globe: David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People and Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities. Rounding out the season are the West Coast Premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's Be a Good Little Widow and the Southern California Premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brothers Size.

SBCT will next present Gypsy! "Let Me Entertain You," "Together Wherever We Go," "All I Need is the Girl," and "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner announced today that acclaimed/awarding winning actresses Judy Kuhn and Melissa Errico will star as Fosca and Clara in the company's new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (the Tony Award-winning revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). PASSION is slated to begin performances in February, 2013. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks and months, as well as full creative team. PASSION opened on Broadway in May of 1994 and received the Tony Award that year for Best Musical.

Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Choral Arts Society in a concert featuring popular favorites from musicals such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon on Thursday, April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Entitled "Do You Hear the People Sing," this program celebrates music by two of the world's most prolific writers of modern musical theatre, Alain Boublil and Claude?Michel Schonberg, whose masterpiece Les Miserables is the longest?running musical in the world. Also included in the program are selections from the award?winning team's shows Martin Guerre, Pirate Queen, and La Revolution Francaise. Please see below for complete program details.

The Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre honored esteemed stage actress Patti LuPone with the company's third Stephen Sondheim Award on April 16, 2012. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photos of the emotional presentation below!

The Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre honored esteemed stage actress Patti LuPone with the company's third Stephen Sondheim Award on April 16, 2012. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. BroadwayWorld was there for the reception and brings you photo coverage below!

Triangle Productions presents a new original musical GRACIE that celebrates the life of Northwest native, Gracie Hansen. The musical begins on the eve of her gubernatorial announcement in 1970 and looks back on her years in entertainment in Morton, Washington; the '62 Seattle World's Fair and the years at the Hoyt Hotel's Roaring 20's Room.

The Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre last night honored esteemed stage actress Patti LuPone with the company's third Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit last night, April 16, 2012 at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. Check out these photographs of the presentation.

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor esteemed stage actress Patti LuPone with the company's third Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit on April 16, 2012 at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer said, 'I am thrilled that Patti LuPone will be this year's recipient of the Stephen Sondheim Award. With her wonderful performances in Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Company, Passion, and more - she has had an amazing connection to Steve's words and music. It's wonderful to add her name to the distinguished honorees Angela Lansbury and Bernadette Peters. We look forward to saluting Patti and her extraordinary talents in April.'

California Musical Theatre announces the 2012-13 Broadway Sacramento season at Community Center Theater, featuring Tony Award-winning new Broadway musicals as well as heart-warming family favorites. Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards and is still playing on Broadway, kicks off the season, followed by Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, Rock of Ages, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and multi-Tony Award winner Billy Elliot the Musical. The final show of the season is a Broadway Mega-Hit that can't be revealed until August due to contractual obligations. That show is a brand new production of one of the most beloved and popular Broadway musicals ever, and has been highly praised by critics and audiences alike throughout its wildly successful tour.

Rachel York will join Megan Hilty in the Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, opening May 9 at New York City Center. York will play the brunette, Dorothy Shaw, best friend of Lorelei, the diamond-loving blonde played by Hilty. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes will be directed by John Rando with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Randy Skinner and will play for seven performances, May 9 - 13, at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Today in 2001, the first Broadway revival of Bells Are Ringing opened at the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Shoenfeld Theatre), where it ran for 68 performances. Bells Are Ringing is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The story revolves around Ella, who works at an answering service and the characters that she meets there. The original Broadway production, directed by Jerome Robbins and choreographed by Robbins and Bob Fosse, opened on November 29, 1956 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for slightly more than two years, and starred Judy Holliday as Ella and Sydney Chaplin as Jeff Moss.

Theo Ubique has added six more weeks to the original extension of its production of "The Light in the Piazza." The show, which opened March 11, will now run through Saturday, June 23.

42nd Street Moon, the company that presents intimate productions of "Uncommon Musicals" by great 20th Century composers, today announced casting forSUGAR, the first 2012 mainstage production of the season. The show will feature Michael Kern Cassidy, Tony Panighetti and Riley Krull in the starring roles, under the direction of Dyan McBride.SUGAR opens at the Eureka Theater on April 7, with three low-priced previews April 4 - 6, and runs through April 22.

A dazzling revue of songs by the two Stephens - Sondheim and Schwartz - performed by an enthusiastic cast.

Kritzerland at Sterling's will host TAKE ME ALONG, a tribute to the great songs of Bob Merrill, both as composer/lyricist and lyricist, on April 1st at 7pm.

Kansas City's premiere outdoors theater is set to present Cathy Rigby in PETER PAN as part of their summer 2012 Broadway Season. The show will perform from July 24th through the 29th, at 8 PM. Other shows included in summer line-up are IN THE HEIGHTS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY MEMPHIS, AIDA, and LA CAGE AUX FOLLIES. Tickets for PETER PAN are available by calling the box office, or online at www.kcstarlight.com. More information on the production starring Cathy Rigby can be found at www.cathyrigbyispeterpan.com.

SBCT will next present Gypsy! "Let Me Entertain You," "Together Wherever We Go," "All I Need is the Girl," and "Everything's Coming Up Roses."