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Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced that the annual WTF Gala will be held this year at Tao Downtown in New York City (92 Ninth Avenue) on Monday, March 13, 2017 at 6:30 PM.
HB Studio, one of New York's most venerable institutions for theater training and practice, is shaking things up this year for their annual benefit. This year HB Studio is bringing attention back to its roots, and back to the process of making great theater. Instead of one big benefit bash honoring esteemed alumni and colleagues (such as Fritz Weaver, Austin Pendleton, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Eric Bentley and David Hyde Pierce, Amanda Peet and Lee Grant, Tony Walton and Katie Finneran, Alfred Molina), HB will be hosting a series of intimate benefit performances featuring notable HB alumni and friends, exclusively produced in the HB Playwrights Theater. First up for the exciting 2016-17 season is:
On Monday, November 14, the Theater People podcast welcome's Tony nominee Brandon Uranowitz. He made his Broadway debut in 2011's BABY IT'S YOU. He earned a Tony nomination for his turn as Adam Hochberg in last year's AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, and he can currently be seen in the role of Mendel in William Finn and James Lapine's critically acclaimed revival of FALSETTOS. For the episode, Uranowitz discusses the six months of auditions he went through to win the role of Mendel, how James Lapine was lovingly hard on him during the show's rehearsal process, and shares a memory of accompanying Katie Holmes on a shopping spree during his pre-Broadway days when he worked as a sales associate.
On Monday, Theater People podcast welcome's HAMILTON'S Mandy Gonzalez. She made her Broadway debut in 2000 in AIDA as the Amnneris standby. She eventually took the role over full-time. She went on to originate roles in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and LENNON before winning her breakout role as Nina in Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS, a role she originated in the show's pre-Off Broadway days. She went on to take over the role of Elphaba in WICKED and can now be seen eight times a week in the hottest show on Broadway, HAMILTON.
On Monday, October 17 the Theater People podcast welcome's Broadway favorite Jay Armstrong Johnson. Armstrong made his Broadway debut in 2009 in HAIR. He next stood-by for Aaron Tveit in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. He originated the role of Greg Wihote in the 2013 Broadway production of HANDS ON A HARDBODY and then starred as chip in the critically acclaimed 2014 revival of ON THE TOWN. For the episode, Johnson talks about how discovering theater at a young age changed his life for the better, how he was able to make Broadway producers take him seriously as a leading man, and shares some of the music from his new album 'Jay Armstrong Johnson: Live at Feinstein's / 54 Below.'
On Monday, October 3rd, Theater People podcast welcomes three-time Tony nominee Rebecca Luker. For the episode, Luker shares stories from her nearly three decades on Broadway, offers advice for actors just starting out, and offers her thoughts on 2016 Presidential election.
On Monday, September 18 the Theater People podcast welcomes Tony and Emmy Award winning director Thomas Kail. For the episode, Kail discusses creating the smash hit musical HAMILTON alongside his longtime collaborator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
On Friday, August 5th, the students of Broadway Artists Alliance received a visit from Tony Award winner, Jessie Mueller. She charmed them from the first moment when she sat down for her interview and rescued an eyelash from Artistic Director Jennifer Johns' cheek so that she could make a wish. Mueller's down-to-earth insight and wisdom was welcomed by the students of Broadway Artists Alliance in a Q&A that seemed to fly by. Scroll down for photos!
Kushnier made his Broadway debut in the lead role of Ren McCormack in the 1998 production of FOOTLOOSE. He went on to star on Broadway in RENT, JERSEY BOYS, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. He was a part of the original New York company of SHEAR MADDNESS, and he can currently be seen in PARAMOUR, Cirque Du Soliel's first-ever Broadway production.
On Monday, August 15, the Theater People podcast welcomes three-time Tony-winning producer Kevin McCollum. Best known for producing Broadway mega-hits RENT, AVENUE Q, and, IN THE HEIGHTS, McCollum is also know for taking chances on smaller shows and shepherding them to Broadway. He brought THE DROWSY CHAPERONE to Broadway in 2006--it would go on to win five Tony Awards--and [TITLE OF SHOW] to Broadway in 2009.
On July 21st, the students of Broadway Artists Alliance of NYC were tearfully overjoyed by a surprise visit from Hamilton star Renee Elise Goldsberry. Recently winning a Tony Award and Grammy for her role as Angelica Schuyler, Goldsberry spoke about the incredible journey that Hamilton has taken from workshopping a concept, to performing at The Public and moving to the Richard Rodgers Theatre, to earning 16 Tony nominations and winning a Pulitzer Prize. Goldsberry captivated the students of Broadway Artists Alliance during a lively Q&A where she offered generous advice. Scroll down for photos from her appearance!
On Friday, July 22, the Theater People podcast welcomes Broadway favorites Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley. Skinner and Ripley first worked together when they were cast as Daisy and Violet Hilton in the 1998 production of SIDE SHOW. The pair reunited on stage in 2000 in the Broadway production of JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD.
Tony Award Winner, Laura Benanti, delighted the students of Broadway Artists Alliance's Summer Intensive program with a surprise visit this past Thursday! Benanti, who recently finished up a successful run of She Loves Me (2016 Tony Nomination for Leading Actress in a Musical), was as inciteful and entertaining off stage as she is on, during her Q&A with these aspiring young professionals. Scroll down for photos!
On Wednesday, July 20th, the Theater People podcast welcomes three-time Tony Award-nominee, Christopher Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald began working professionally in New York theater in the late 1990s. His early work includes roles in the controversial Terrance McNally play CORPUS CHRISTI and the Broadway production of AMOUR.
Tony Award Nominee and School of Rock's leading man, Alex Brightman, visited the students of Broadway Artists Alliance on Thursday, July 7th. Brightman spoke of how his career journey led to originating the role of Dewey Finn, which earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Scroll down for photos!
On Monday, July 11, the Theater People podcast welcomes Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart. Iglehart made his Broadway debut in 2007 as Mitch in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. In 2009 he originated the role of Bobby in the Tony Award winning Best Musical, MEMPHIS.
On Monday, June 27th, the Theater People podcast welcomes Broadway favorite Betsy Wolfe. She made her Broadway debut in the 2007 production of 110 IN THE SHADE, and in 2010, she returned to Broadway in EVERYDAY RAPTURE.
On Monday, June 20th, the Theater People Podcast welcomes Tony Award-winner Alice Ripley. For the episode, Ripley discusses her work in the recent AMERICAN PSYCHO, why this was the right role to bring her back to Broadway after a nearly five year-break, and why she thinks the show struggled to find an audience.
Just last night, The Public Theater presented its Annual Gala, THE UNITED STATES OF SHAKESPEARE at the Delacorte Theater. Directed by Jeremy McCarter, the always highly-anticipated gala included scenes from Shakespeare's greatest works and the American poems, songs, and stories they inspired, performed by some of The Public's and the nation's, most celebrated actors and musicians. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the big night below!
