Ken Billington News

Chicago, Broadway's longest running American musical, now in its 20th year, just celebrated another milestone at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St., NYC). Last night the company gathered to mark the show's 8000th performance on a night that happened to also be the birthday of Barry Weissler, the show's lead producer. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration and you can check out photos below!

CHICAGO is coming to Folsom! The national tour is coming to the Harris Center for seven performances and it has everything that makes for a great Broadway musical: one show-stopping-song after another, some truly astonishing dancing, a universal tale of fame, fortune and "all that jazz." "Broadway's most electrifying show" (Entertainment Weekly) makes its Harris Center debut March 3.

In The Secret Sea, a new American play by Cate Ryan (The Picture Box) and directed by Tony© Award winner Martin Charnin (Annie), will play a limited engagement of five weeks only this spring at The Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

DMI Soundtracks announced today that the Broadway cast album of Amazing Grace will be released on February 26; with digital download pre-orders available on February 12. Amazing Grace will be available to purchase on all digital download and streaming services, as well as in-store. The recording was co-produced and engineered by six-time Grammy Award winner Frank Filipetti and co-produced and arranged by Joseph Church.

CHICAGO, which opened to rave reviews on Nov. 14, 1996, now has the distinction of being the longest running American musical in Broadway history and shows no sign of ever slowing down! 

Actress and TV sensation Paige Davis is set to return to the Tony Award-winning, record-breaking hit musical Chicago in the role of "Roxie Hart" beginning Sunday, January 31st. Broadway's longest running American musical and now celebrating its 20th year, Chicago is playing at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St., NYC).

Full casting has been announced for the international award-winning musical CHICAGO, which opens a national tour at the New Theatre Oxford on Friday 12 February 2016. Joining the previously announced John Partridge as Billy Flynn, Hayley Tamaddon as Roxie Hart and Sam Bailey as Mama Morton will be Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Neil Ditt as Amos Hart and A.D. Richardson as Mary Sunshine. Tour schedule below with further dates to be announced. www.chicagotour.co.uk

Leapin' lizards! With more than 400 performances under her belt, the new U.S. National Tour of ANNIE will play the National Theatre for one week only, March 15 - 20, 2016. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time, this production of ANNIE is a brand new physical incarnation of the iconic 1977 Tony Award-winning original.

The Broadway company of the Tony Award-winning, record-breaking hit musical CHICAGO welcomes NFL Legend and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, making his Broadway debut in the role of 'Billy Flynn' beginning tonight, January 12, 2016.

The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic 42nd STREET will celebrate a TWO night engagement at the State Theatre with a sparkling new production, Wednesday February 3 and Thursday February 4.  42nd STREET will be directed by co-author Mark Bramble and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the team who staged the 2001 Tony Award winning Best Revival.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that DAMES AT SEA will play its final performance at the Helen Hayes Theater (240 West 44th Street), Sunday January 3, 2016, at 3pm.  DAMES AT SEA will have played 32 preview and 85 regular performances, having opened Thursday, October 22, 2015.  

Brandy will soon be heading back to the cell block.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that after touring ANNIE to 41 cities across the nation, Troika Entertainment, LLC has announced select new lead cast members for the 2016 leg of the tour.

The new U.S. National Tour of ANNIE will play the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in Providence tonight, December 29, 2015 - January 3, 2016.

The Drama Book Shop will host author and lighting designer Ann E. McMills on January 11th at 5pm as she celebrates the release of her new book, The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit. McMills will be on hand to discuss and sign copies of the book, priced at $39.95.

The first ever Broadway production of DAMES AT SEA will play its 100th performance on Broadway on Saturday, December 19th at 8pm.  In celebration of the critically acclaimed musical comedy set in 1933, tickets for the Saturday, December 19th 8pm performance will be $19.33.  You can purchase the specially priced $19.33 tickets only at the Helen Hayes Theatre box office on Saturday, December 19th from 10am till 8pm for that evening's performance.  Customers may purchase up to 8 tickets per person and should reference the code Dames 1933 or 100th Performance.

David Perlman - who plays Ralph Sheldrake, the sometimes manipulative, always cunning television producer in Irving Berlin's White Christmas - admits he may have been a tad 'aggressively inspirational' recently when it came time to persuade his castmates and company cohorts to take part in a pet project that ultimately became a labor of love and yuletide revelry for the lot them.

Before coming to Broadway, George appeared regionally in contemporary drama and Shakespeare

The first ever Broadway production of DAMES AT SEA will receive the honor of being filmed for the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. The filming will take place during the Tuesday, December 15 performance.

The iconic 1977 Charles Strouse musical ANNIE opened last night at Shea's Buffalo to a large, appreciative audience. After the most recent Broadway revival that failed mostly due to a poor heavy handed directorial concept, Annie's original lyricist, Martin Charnin, chose to direct his version of this new National tour.