Karen Olivo News

The 23rd ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION was a great success with $3,402,147 being raised this year by the 58 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. Since it began in 1987, 23 editions of the Annual Easter Bonnet Competition have raised nearly $39 million for BC/EFA.

Awards were handed out for 14 categories and 2 special awards are announced by the Off-Broadway League for the Lucille Lortel Awards recognizing Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. This year?s ceremony benefits The Actors Fund. A list of nominees follows below.

During the week of April 27- May 1, 2009, top-rated morning program 'Live with Regis and Kelly' gave the show's nationwide TV audience a vicarious thrill when America's favorite co-hosts jumped into the roles of some of the best Broadway characters during 'On Broadway Week.'

The newest members of West Side Story went into the studio and recorded the new Broadway cast recording of the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim classic musical. Sony Masterworks will release the new album nationwide on June 2...

'West Side Story' is Eric's 4th Broadway show and, he says, 'the pinnacle of dancing' in all musical theater.

Patricia Watt and Ron Glucksman, Producers of the 2009 Astaire Awards, have announced that this year's Nominating Committee, Sylviane Gold (Theater Columnist for Dance Magazine), Anna Kisselgoff (former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times), Wendy Perron (Editor in Chief of Dance Magazine), Linda Winer (Chief Theater Critic of Newsday) and Damian Woetzel (Former Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet), will announce this year's nominees from the best of Broadway and film performances and choreography this season on Monday, May 4 at 7:00pm at Elaine's Restaurant (1703 2nd Avenue at 88th Street). The Astaire Awards recognize excellence in dance on stage and in film.

Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, honored the recipients of its Courage, Inspiration and Legend Awards earlier this week.

The 23rd ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION was a great success with $3,402,147 being raised this year by the participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. Since it began in 1987, 23 editions of the Annual Easter Bonnet Competition have raised nearly $38 million for BC/EFA.

Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club by Faith Prince and Jim Dale, multi-award winning stage stars. They were joined for the announcement by William Wolf, Drama Desk President, Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee, Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards ceremony, and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk.

Matt Cavenaugh, Tony in Broadway's West Side Story, and Jenny Powers, the co-star of LCT's Happiness, are getting married in Boston this August. They invited The New York Times into their East Village apartment and spoke about love, life and NYC real estate.

The OBIES will be co-hosted by Martha Plimpton and Daniel Breaker at an invitation-only ceremony. Anne Hathaway, Brian d'Arcy James, Gavin Creel, Karen Olivo, John Shea, Kate Mulgrew, and Marc Kudisch will join the ceremony as presenters.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will present the 23rd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition on Monday, April 27 (4:30 PM) and Tuesday, April 28 (2 PM) at the Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street). The proceeds from the event will benefit BC/EFA.

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) proudly announces nominations for the 2008-09 Drama League Awards, to be awarded at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The event will be co-hosted by Jeremy Irons (Impressionism) and Cynthia Nixon (Distracted).

Based on a recommendation by the OCC Executive Committee, Special Achievement Awards will be given to David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish for their performances in 'Billy Elliot the Musical' and an Outstanding Ensemble Performance Award will be bestowed to the full cast of 'The Norman Conquests' (Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter and Amanda Root).

The Dramatists Guild Fund's annual Benefit Gala, titled 'STAR TURNS: Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars!' which will be held on Monday, April 20 at the Hudson Theatre (Millennium Hotel, 145 West 44th St), has announced that Angela Lansbury will join the star-studded line-up.

Karen Olivo and the talented ladies of the Broadway revival of 'West Side Story' will perform the classic number 'America' on the Tuesday night results show of 'Dancing With the Stars' on April 14th. ABC's top-rated Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (EST), check local listings.

Karen Olivo and the talented ladies of the Broadway revival of 'West Side Story' will perform the classic number 'America' on the Tuesday night results show of 'Dancing With the Stars' on April 14th. ABC's top-rated Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (EST), check local listings.

'In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams,' a documentary film telling Behind-The-Scenes Story of the 2008 Tony Award-Winning Musical, premieres on THIRTEEN's Great Performances, May 27 on PBS

Matt Cavenaugh, Tony in Broadway's West Side Story, and Jenny Powers, the co-star of LCT's Happiness, are getting married in Boston this August. They spoke to New York Magazine writer Jesse Oxfeld about the upcoming wedding and the joy of working on the New York.

The Dramatists Guild Fund's annual Benefit Gala, titled 'STAR TURNS: Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars!' which will be held on Monday, April 20 at the Hudson Theatre (Millennium Hotel, 145 West 44th St), has announced that Angela Lansbury will join the star-studded line-up.