Jule Styne News

Bristol Riverside Theatre opens its 25th Anniversary mainstage season with Barrymore by William Luce on October 11-30 about matinee idol John Barrymore.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) announced the next in its ongoing series 'The Amas Musical Theatre Song Salon', with Special Guest Klea Blackhurst.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 10/09 for Toronto

Broadway By The Bay, the Peninsula's premiere musical theatre company, presents the delightful Broadway classic GYPSY, closing Sunday, October 9, at their new home, the historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City (2215 Broadway Street, Redwood City).

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.

Today, in an extension of the FLASH FRIDAY column, we are sharpening our focus on the six upcoming revivals of musicals that are soon to hit the boards in the next few months (post-FOLLIES) and battle it out for the Best Revival as the Broadway season heats up just when the weather begins to cool: the classic Jule Styne/Bob Merrill musical that originally starred that star-of-stars, Barbra Streisand - FUNNY GIRL; the groundbreaking rock opera that rewrote the theatrical rulebook thanks to young creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR; the hippie, flower child take on the Christ story covering some similar Biblical ground to that of SUPERSTAR, with this one being the composing debut of WICKED songwriter Stephen Schwartz - GODSPELL; another Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice collaboration that won seven Tony Awards and acted as the vehicle for Patti LuPone's blazing Broadway debut in a starring role - EVITA; the significantly reworked, revised and rewritten new version of the beautifully scored time-travel musical by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, this time starring a male movie star crooner - ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER; and, the landmark American opera composed by the Gershwins with DuBose Haywerd - PORGY & BESS. While each and every one of these entities has a huge hit song or two that nearly everyone on the planet knows by heart - "Don't Rain On My Parade", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Day By Day", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "On A Clear Day…" and 'Summertime' included - each of these revivals also comes after a film version (or two) that, in more than a few of these cases, will be relatively difficult to top as far as expectations of many audience members undoubtedly will go. So, by taking a listen to the smash hit crossover songs from these musicals as well as looking at their respective film version's trailers - as well as a couple of surprises, too - perhaps we can glean some insight into what makes these generally pretty terrific properties so well worth reviving on Broadway, here, now, today, in 2011. Furthermore, all of this crystal ball commentary is not even taking into account the starry assortment of performers that have already been announced for these productions so far - especially with FUNNY GIRL's Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, GODSPELL's Hunter Parrish, SUPERSTAR's lauded Josh Young, EVITA's Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris, PORGY's Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald, as well as the leading man in what was once a leading lady's role (that of Barbara Harris) in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, Harry Connick, Jr.! What a tight race it is turning out to be for these new productions, particularly come Tony time in June! With rock to rhumba and borscht belt comedy to messianic hosannas and even full-out opera, seemingly every conceivable customer base is more than covered by this packed, potentially, well, awesome, season of shows - and many Broadway babies around BroadwayWorld are undoubtedly looking most forward to these six forthcoming revivals - with particularly good reason given the relative dearth of new musicals announced so far. So, let these revivals revive your flagging spirits as we leap into the 2011-2012 season with this comprehensive prospective and retrospective all about what makes them work so well in the first place and so worthy of another look!

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.

FUNNY GIRL, starring two-time Emmy Award nominee Lauren Ambrose as Fanny Brice and two-time Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Bobby Cannavale as Nick Arnstein, will open on Broadway in April, 2012 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street), following its engagement at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from January 15 through February 26, 2012, it was announced today by producer Bob Boyett. Additional casting, preview and opening dates will be announced shortly. It will be the first time FUNNY GIRL will be on Broadway since the 1964 original production.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Patti LuPone 'Gypsy In My Soul' for one performance only tonight at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 10/02 for Toronto

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will lead the New York Pops and a stellar cast of performers with many Broadway credits in Irving Berlin: From Ragtime to Ritzes at New York's famed Carnegie Hall on Friday, October 14, at 8 p.m.

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, offers the finest in world-class Classic Soul, R&B, Traditional Pop, Jazz, Comedy, Revue and Cabaret entertainment.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.

Award-winning actress Maureen McVerry will direct the second musical of 42nd Street Moon's l9th season: George and Ira Gershwin's OH, KAY! (1926).

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, offers the finest in world-class Classic Soul, R&B, Traditional Pop, Jazz, Comedy, Revue and Cabaret entertainment.

Upcoming MTI Shows - 9/25 for Toronto

Two-time Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Bobby Cannavale will star as Nick Arnstein opposite Lauren Ambrose, who will star as Fanny Brice, in the first Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL since the 1964 original production. FUNNY GIRL, which features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, will be directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher. FUNNY GIRL will play at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from January 15 through February 26, 2012. The revival artwork has been revealed and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below!

Broadway By The Bay, the Peninsula's premiere musical theatre company, presents the delightful Broadway classic GYPSY, running Thursday, September 22 through Sunday, October 9, at their new home, the historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City (2215 Broadway Street, Redwood City). Press night is scheduled for Friday, September 23, 2011 at 8:00. Tickets for GYPSY range in price from $22 - $48 and are on sale now at Broadway By The Bay Box Office (851 Burlway Road, Suite 300, Burlingame), by phone at 650-579-5565 and on the Web at www.broadwaybythebay.org. Special youth, student, senior and group pricings are available.

Three-time Tony Award Nominee Judy Kuhn (Les Miserables, Chess. She Loves Me) will teach the first in a series of her ACTING THE SONG Vocal Performance Workshops on October 17th & 18th in NYC.

Bristol Riverside Theatre opens its 25th Anniversary mainstage season with Barrymore by William Luce on October 11-30 about matinee idol John Barrymore.