Julie Andrews News

The Geffen Playhouse's Backstage at the Geffen annual fundraiser, which recognizes leadership in the theater community while raising funds for the Geffen Playhouse's education programs, will honor Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Kristin Chenoweth and Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Barry Meyer. The event, which will be co-chaired by Alan & Cindy Horn and John & Marilyn Wells will be held March 22, 2010 at the Geffen Playhouse.

On April 11, 2011, Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre will honor esteemed stage and screen actress Bernadette Peters with the company's second 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 at the Embassy of Italy. The 2011 Sondheim Award Gala is chaired by Ted and Mary Jo Shen; Honorary Hosts include Stephen Sondheim, Helen Henderson, His Excellency Gary Doer and Ms. Ginny Devine, The Honorable James Moran, His Excellency Giulio Terzi and Ms. Antonella Cinque, and The Honorable Jim Webb and Mrs. Webb. The Sondheim Award Gala will help to benefit Signature Theatre's numerous artistic, education, and community programs. Last year's recipient was stage, screen, and television icon Angela Lansbury.

WESTCHESTER BROADWAY THEATRE is Proud To Present I DO! I DO! February 10 - March 20, 2011

Today we are talking to Emmy and multi-Grammy-winning actor, musician and performer Harry Connick, Jr. about his new concert CD/DVD/Blu-Ray HARRY CONNICK, JR.: ON BROADWAY, in stores this week and premiering on PBS GREAT PERFORMANCES nationwide on Sunday. In this revealing two-part discussion encapsulating many of Harry's stage, film and concert memories - as well as anecdotes about working with friends and co-stars like Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank and Renee Zellweger - we analyze the sights and sounds of his new concert album and DVD (which was filmed at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway last year) with central focus of the conversation being his passion for musical theatre music - as a musician, composer, performer and actor - and what the future holds for him on stages and screens large and small around the world. Of course, all of this is coming on the heels of the first news of Harry himself starring in the highly-awaited revival of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER on Broadway next year! All that and much, much more awaits in this extensive weekend triptych feature, so don't miss the special Harry-centric edition of FLASH FRIDAY for the full experience!

Broadway's Carol Channing, Eric Kunze (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, In The Heights) and Tony-Nominated Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona) join Musical Theatre University's "Kids Next Door" in BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - a benefit concert celebrating Carol Channing's 90th Birthday, April 16 at The Heritage Forum Theatre of Anaheim.

The Moth Theatre, John Markland, Artistic Director, Efrain Schunior, Managing Director, has announced their production of Super Sunday, a comedy by Stephen Collins, directed by Jamie Wollrab.

Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre has announced the artistic team behind the upcoming world premiere of the musical comedy And the Curtain Rises (formerly known as Wheatley's Folly), which begins performances on Thursday, March 17, 2011. And the Curtain Rises marks the third production presented as part of Signature's groundbreaking American Musical Voices Project, the largest commissioning program for new musicals in the country, following Michael John LaChiusa's Giant in 2009 and Ricky Ian Gordon's Sycamore Trees last year.

Goodspeed Musicals will honor the tremendous creative team that introduced the world to Annie nearly 35 years ago when it debuted at the Goodspeed Opera House. The incomparable team of Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin will be celebrated at a Gala evening on Saturday, June 4, 2011 when they will each receive The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in recognition of their extraordinary careers. Previous award recipients include Julie Andrews, Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, William Ivey Long, Michael P. Price, Gerald Schoenfeld, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Stroman, Tommy Tune and Paul Williams. Proceeds from the Gala will support Goodspeed Musicals' Education Programs through The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.

BROADWAY BEARS XIV, an annual grand auction of one-of-a-kind, museum quality, theatrically costumed and celebrity autographed teddy bears, was held Sunday, March 6, and raised a grand total of $103,905 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway Beat takes you inside the auction below, brings you an exclusive interview with SPIDER-MAN Reeve Carney and more!

French soprano Marie Zamora will perform 'An Evening of Songs from Musicals and Movie Musicals' at Lycee Francais New York on Wednesday, March 23rd at 7:30pm. She will be joined by Stephen Buntrock (Phantom of the The Opera) and Peter Lockyer (Les Miserables) and accompanied on piano by music director Gerry Steichen. The evening will be directed by Jen Bender

ollowing its most lucrative successful January/February ever, Executive Producer Michael Sterling of Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA says 'We are blessed to have enjoyed the most lucrative beginning of any year since our 2006 opening. This success is largely due to the unprecedented advance sales of our annual 6-week musical theatre talent competition LA's Next Great Stage Star 2011, and a series of spectacular debuts by such outstanding Broadway/Nightclub headliners as Nita Whitaker, Jason Graae, Maxine Lapiduss, and Suzanne Petrela. Notable Southland Musical Directors such as James Lent, Nelson Kole, John Boswell, and Michael Orland (of American Idol) also contributed to our 2011 kickoff.'

Last night I had the honor of interviewing two-time Emmy-winning comedy queen and Broadway's newest leading lady Kathy Griffin about her new show KATHY GRIFFIN WANTS A TONY, which opens at the Belasco Theater this Friday, as well as all her other exciting endeavors coming up soon. Next week, Kathy will be all over the entertainment landscape, with her Sarah Palin-esque turn as a red state Regionals judge in red on Tuesday's GLEE and later that week marks the premiere of her new Bravo comedy special KATHY GRIFFIN: 50 AND NOT PREGNANT - the first of four she will presenting on the network in the coming months. All of this in addition to her Broadway debut. Commenting on everyone from Julie Andrews to Charlie Sheen to Sarah Palin and Scarlett Johansson, Griffin's quick wit and razor-sharp astuteness makes her a convivially caustic and endearing subject - and perhaps the funniest, as well. See why she is soon to be the toast of Broadway - plus, find out her favorite cast album of all time; a selection she shares with Stephen Sondheim, no less - and a whole lot more in this exciting, exclusive conversation only on BroadwayWorld!

BROADWAY BEARS XIV, an annual grand auction of one-of-a-kind, museum quality, theatrically costumed and celebrity autographed teddy bears, was held Sunday, March 6, and raised a grand total of $103,905 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway's cuddliest cast kicked off a new year with the 14th edition of THE BROADWAY BEARS auction yesterday, Sunday, March 6, 2011 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Sure to out-do last year's collection, 43 one-of-a-kind, autographed BROADWAY BEARS - each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing some of the theater's most legendary performers and performances - will be put up for auction.

Broadway's cuddliest cast kicks off a new year with the 14th edition of THE BROADWAY BEARS auction on Sunday, March 6, 2011 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 West 42 Street), produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, opens its 2011 "A La Carte Series" on Sunday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m. with Hooray for Hollywood: Celebrating the Golden Years at the Movies! with Broadway veteran Gay Willis.

ollowing its most lucrative successful January/February ever, Executive Producer Michael Sterling of Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA says 'We are blessed to have enjoyed the most lucrative beginning of any year since our 2006 opening. This success is largely due to the unprecedented advance sales of our annual 6-week musical theatre talent competition LA's Next Great Stage Star 2011, and a series of spectacular debuts by such outstanding Broadway/Nightclub headliners as Nita Whitaker, Jason Graae, Maxine Lapiduss, and Suzanne Petrela. Notable Southland Musical Directors such as James Lent, Nelson Kole, John Boswell, and Michael Orland (of American Idol) also contributed to our 2011 kickoff.'

From March 5 through April 25, 2011, The New York Botanical Garden 9th Annual Orchid Exhibition, 'The Orchid Show: On Broadway,' will present the work of Al Hirschfeld in 'Hirschfeld's Broadway Scrapbook.' Just across the Garden's ground in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library's Rondina and LoFaro Gallery, the complementary exhibition will feature more than 30 drawings, as well as posters, programs, and sketchbooks from the Al Hirschfeld Foundation that tell the history of the Great White Way as seen by its foremost chronicler.

The 'Iolani School Performing Arts Department and the 'Iolani Dramatic Players continue their yearly tradition of presenting a musical production complete with a live orchestra. This year, the timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. CINDERELLA runs March 3-5 at the Hawaii Theatre Center.

From March 5 through April 25, 2011, the undeniable glamour and irresistible allure of orchids take center stage at The New York Botanical Garden in a dazzling display created by Tony award-winning set designer Scott Pask, image-maker Drew Hodges, and Botanical Garden curators.