Karen Olivo News

Tony Award-winning actress Lillias White delighted students as their special surprise guest during the Broadway Artists Alliance 2011 Winter Workshop. Lillias White (Fela, The Life, etc.) lent her talents for a surprise Q&A with the students of Broadway Artists Alliance. White shared her experiences in the business and expert advice to the 100 eager up-and-coming young artists ages 10 to 21.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced that DAVID GARRISON will complete the cast of Lynn Nottage's new play, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK. This world premiere comedy will also feature the previously announced STEPHANIE J. BLOCK, DANIEL BREAKER, KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY, KEVIN ISOLA, SANAA LATHAN, and KAREN OLIVO. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009.

Broadway actress Karen Olivo will appear on an upcoming episode of CBS' 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.' Olivo's episode will air on March 2.

Fifty years after her legendary Carnegie Hall debut, The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke pay tribute to Hollywood icon Judy Garland on Friday, March 11 at 8:00 PM, with a song-for-song re-creation of the 1961 performance referred to by so many as 'the greatest night in show business history'. Reineke has announced the newest addition to the concert's lineup of stunning artists, acclaimed entertainer - and daughter of Judy Garland - Lorna Luft.

Yesterday, February 15, Yellow Sound Label released the debut CD of acclaimed Broadway's Christopher Jackson on iTunes, Amazon.com and other online outlets. The album hits stores on March 19. In the Name of Love is a new album of soulful and melodic contemporary R&B written and co-produced by Jackson. In honor of the online release yesterday, Jackson was joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda and other In The Heights alum at The Canal Room for a special concert. He was also joined by special guests Arthur and the Geniuses. Jackson co-produced the album with Michael Murphy, Bill Sherman and Michael Croiter.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS 6, the one-night-only event held Monday at the Longacre Theatre, raised a record-breaking $281,243 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center). This year's total far surpassed last year's previous record total of $186,780.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS 6, the one-night-only event held Monday at the Longacre Theatre, raised a record-breaking $281,243 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center).

JSP Records has announced that they will release a remastered version of 'Judy at Carnegie Hall' - the concert that took place on April 23, 1961, and was released as a double album later that year.

The New York Times has revealed that Sanaa Lathan will star in Second Stage's production of Meet Vera Stark this season. She joins Stephanie J. Block and Karen Olivo. The production also stars Daniel Breaker, KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY and Kevin Isola in this world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, the new play by Lynn Nottage, directed by Jo Bonney. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009.

On Monday, January 31, The Nightlife Awards were hosted by Bruce Vilanch. The evening has no acceptance speeches -- it's just pure entertainment provided by the winners and special guest stars. The show has been hailed by The New York Times as 'The equivalent of The Tony Awards for New York Nightlife.' As always, the vast majority of the winners, chosen by the press, agreed to come to Town Hall and perform.

Fifty years after her legendary Carnegie Hall debut, The New York Pops remembers Hollywood icon Judy Garland with a song-for-song re-creation of the 1961 performance that is referred to by so many as "the greatest night in show business history".

Karen Olivo (West Side Story) will join cabaret legend Karen Akers, and nightlife stars Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso, and The Rescignos at this year's Nightlife Awards. The Nightlife Awards has no acceptance speeches -- it's just pure entertainment provided by the winners and special guest stars.

Yet another addition to the 9th Annual Nightlife Awards brings Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo (West Side Story) to the Town Hall stage.

Tony Award winner Karen Olivo recently starred in and episode of Chase on NBC. Click below to see Olivo in the January 19 edition of the show!

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that joining the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (the Center) BROADWAY BACKWARDS 6, the only Broadway event custom-made for the gay and lesbian community, its friends and families, will be Bebe Neuwirth, Lillias White, F. Murray Abraham, Hinton Battle, Karen Olivo and Mandy Gonzalez, Brooks Ashmanskas, Ward Billeisen, Colman Domingo and Jason Tam.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced that STEPHANIE J. BLOCK, DANIEL BREAKER, KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY, KEVIN ISOLA and KAREN OLIVO will star in the world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, the new play by Lynn Nottage, directed by Jo Bonney. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009.

Many of everyone's Broadway and off-Broadway favorites, including Michael Urie, Wesley Taylor, Jennifer Damiano, Karen Olivo, Mitchell Jarvis and more have teamed up on the webisode project Billy Green. BroadwayWorld brings you the latest installment in the series, 'The Dinner' below, starring (in order of appearance): Wesley Taylor, Logan Rowland, Susan Blackwell, Max Von Essen, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Charlie Brady, Kristin Chenoweth, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Matthew Gumley, Brennan Brown, Jackie Hoffman, Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis, Rick Elice, Jeff Cuttler, Alex brightman, Michelle Mais, and Nathan Lane.

The Jets and the Sharks have taken their turf war to the stage of Houston's Hobby Center in the US National Tour of the 2009 Broadway Revival version of West Side Story. West Side Story is a remarkable collaboration of two theatre geniuses: Leonard Bernstein who composed the score and Stephen Sondheim who wrote the lyrics. But this revived production is a sharp departure from the original musical which opened at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre back in 1957.

Close on the heels of Broadway and TV's Cheyenne Jackson's sensational Miami debut, KAREN OLIVO, Tony Award winner for her role as Anita in 'West Side Story' and also scored raves as Vanessa in the original cast of Best Show Tony winner,'In The Heights,' is next in line to wow local audiences when she appears in concert at Barton G's newly inaugurated Miami dinner and show hot spot, Prelude By Barton G Presents, Friday and Saturday, January 14 and 15 presented by Barton G and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.

Many of everyone's Broadway and off-Broadway favorites, including Michael Urie, Wesley Taylor, Jennifer Damiano, Karen Olivo, Mitchell Jarvis and more have teamed up on the webisode project Billy Green. BroadwayWorld brings you the latest installment in the series, 'The Dinner' below, starring (in order of appearance): Wesley Taylor, Logan Rowland, Susan Blackwell, Max Von Essen, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Charlie Brady, Kristin Chenoweth, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Matthew Gumley, Brennan Brown, Jackie Hoffman, Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis, Rick Elice, Jeff Cuttler, Alex brightman, Michelle Mais, and Nathan Lane.