Kathy Najimy News

I'll spare you any idioms regarding the distance between apples and trees while examining the newest work of Daisy Foote, the playwright who carries on the lineage of one of America's treasured dramatist, the late Horton Foote.  But comparison is inevitable as the daughter's most recent work has a similar voice to that of her father; just differently accented.

The Flea Theater welcomes Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Contact, Curtains, Steel Pier) to the cast of the limited Off-Broadway engagement of HERESY by A.R. Gurney, directed by Jim Simpson. Beginning October 19th, Ziemba replaces Kathy Najimy, who leaves to begin filming a TV project. The cast also stars Annette O'Toole (Smallville, Southern Comfort), Ariel Woodiwiss (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Reg E. Cathey (The Wire), Steve Mellor (Nixon's Nixon) and introducing Tommy Crawford and Danny Rivera, members of The Bats, The Flea's resident company of actors in their professional debut. Previews of this World Premiere began September 29 with opening night slated for Thursday, October 11.

Continuing its commitment to nurturing and producing the next generation of musical theatre artists, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has awarded its first annual Donna Perret Rosen Award for excellence in musical theatre to composer/lyricist Adam Gwon. The $10,000 award was established at the off-Broadway company's 2011 gala to honor Second Stage Theatre trustee Donna Perret Rosen in recognition of her long-standing commitment to young artists and new works. The award was chosen by Tony Award winners James Lapine, Susan Stroman, and Jack Viertel.

ABC Family scares up 13 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN for the 14th consecutive spine tingling year, with programming filled with chills and thrills as you countdown to Halloween.

The Flea Theater will present the limited Off-Broadway engagement of HERESY by A.R. Gurney, directed by Jim Simpson, featuring Kathy Najimy (Sister Act, King of the Hill, Veronica's Closet), Annette O'Toole (Smallville, Southern Comfort), Ariel Woodiwiss (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Reg E. Cathy (The Wire), Steve Mellor (Nixon's Nixon) and introducing Tommy Crawford and Danny Rivera, members of The Bats, The Flea's resident company of actors in their professional debut. Previews of this World Premiere begin September 29 with opening night slated for Thursday, October 11.

Hallmark Channel has moved the World Premiere of 'HOW TO FALL IN LOVE' tonight, July 21 and moved the time to @ 9pm ET/PT, 8C. The Hallmark Channel Original Movie stars Eric Mabius, Brooke D'Orsay and Kathy Najimy.

Brooke D'Orsay ('Royal Pains,' 'Drop Dead Diva') and Eric Mabius ('Ugly Betty') star in a love story about having someone to watch over you in HOW TO FALL IN LOVE, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere, tonight, July 14 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

Tennis legend Serena Williams will guest star on this Sunday's episode of Lifetime's DROP DEAD DIVA. Get a sneak peek below!

Tennis legend Serena Williams will guest star on this Sunday's episode of Lifetime's DROP DEAD DIVA. Get a sneak peek below!

Today we are taking a look at four sparkling new Blu-ray editions of well-regarded films from the Disney vault by focusing on three titles that are also currently running on Broadway in screen-to-stage adaptations at this very moment - EVITA, NEWSIES and SISTER ACT. The current trend of adapting hit films into musicals for the stage has sporadically proven that some stage adaptations can even be more entertaining onstage, while some recent movie musicals have one-upped their stage roots in a way a few Golden Age adaptations also managed to do. Such is the case with EVITA, NEWSIES, SISTER ACT and SISTER ACT 2 (the latter two both acting as inspiration for the Broadway SISTER ACT musical) - all available for the first time on Blu-ray and each certainly justifying consideration for inclusion in your library if only because each is regarded as a modern-day classic - of sorts - in its own unique and special way. And, without these films, we would never have the current versions of the shows now running on Broadway based upon them (even in the case of a classic like EVITA, whose stage version may have come first, but, as seen and heard in the hit Elena Roger/Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris revival, now includes the film addition, "You Must Love Me"). Whatever the medium, all of these winning entities offer an entertaining way to beat the heat and celebrate the start of summer in style - with some tunes, old and new, you are not soon to forget.

Theater Schmeater is celebrating their 20th Anniversary with a season of rarely seen plays.

Feathers, glitter, and lace are the norm for Broadway talent, but at the 2012 Tony Awards on Sunday, the stars transformed from showgirl to sophisticated on the red carpet. BroadwayWorld was there to capture each and every one in their evening finest and brings you the best of the best - and quesitonable of the questionable - below!