Kenny Leon News

Lifetime announced today a bold new programming slate and a new multi-platform initiative dedicated to growing the network's leadership position as the ultimate destination for women's entertainment.

Last night, April 14, Shanice Williams and director Kenny Leon of THE WIZ LIVE! stopped by for a SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversation with BroadwayWorld.com's Richard Ridge of 'Backstage with Richard Ridge!' at the The New School - University Center (UL 105) 63 Fifth Avenue. Scroll down for photos from the discussion!

NBC will have an open casting call for the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the upcoming holiday special HAIRSPRAY LIVE!. The network has also set an air date for the live broadcast of Wednesday, Dec. 7th!

On Thursday, April 14 (7pm), join us for a very special Q&A with Shanice Williams and Director Kenny Leon of The Wiz Live!, moderated by BroadwayWorld.com's Richard Ridge of 'Backstage with Richard Ridge!'. The event will take place at The New School - University Center (UL 105) 63 Fifth Avenue.

True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theaters have announced that the 8th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition will take place on Monday, May 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street).  

If you've ever wanted to strut you stuff on the Corny Collins Show, today is your lucky day! NBC and Telsey + Company just announced that there will be an open call to cast HAIRSPRAY LIVE!'s young leading lady. Check out the details below!

With direction by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreography by Josh Rhodes, Bright Starbegan performances on Thursday, February 25th, 2016 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street), and opened just last night, March 24th, 2016. BroadwayWorld was on hand for all of the festivities and you can check out photos from the red carpet arrivals below!

Atlanta's nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre and Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Susan V. Booth have announced the 2016/17 Season for the Alliance Stage, Hertz Stage, Theatre for Youth and Families, and the Kathy and Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young series. The 48th season includes seven world premieres, five musicals, five productions by Atlanta playwrights, and exceptional productions for youth and families. The 2016/17 season marks the Alliance's last in its current theater space before it undergoes a complete renovation, its first since it was built in 1968.

The Public Theater presents the world premiere play Dry Powder by Sarah Burgess, directed by Thomas Kail. Part of Oskar Eustis' 10th Anniversary season, this deliciously funny new drama about the people shaping, and skewing, the American economy has been extended a final week to Sunday, May 1. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night below!

When it debuted, THE EFFECT took London by storm, winning Best New Play from the UK Critics' Circle. Now, award-winning director David Cromer (Our Town, Tribes) helms a new American production of this exhilarating play in the first collaboration between The National Theatre, Jean Doumanian Productions, and Barrow Street Theatre. This production marks the off-Broadway producing debut for The National Theatre when it premiered on Sunday, March 20th 2016. 

Arena Stage announces the full cast and creative team for BORN FOR THIS: THE BEBE WINANS STORY, the heartwarming true story of six-time Grammy Award-winning icon BeBe Winans' journey to fame.

From a field of 12 local high school students, Damaris Vizvett, Samuel Christian and Aryana Williams have been selected as the top three performers in the August Wilson Monologue Competition (AWMC) regional finals hosted at Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum on Monday night, February 29, 2016. Vizvett and Christian will go on to represent Los Angeles in the national finals on May 2. This year's competition featured high school students from three Southern California counties. Scroll down for photos from the event!

Lydia R. Diamond's quick and often-witty play points a critical lens on racism in America.

During three months of rehearsals, the students who had just met rehearsed a musical about acceptance while national headlines told of racism.

? LeAp is proud to present the eighth annual New York City August Wilson Monologue Competition, hosted by Crystal Dickinson, with a performance by Carmen Ruby Floyd.

Kenny Leon's slick production of Diamond's clever riff on racial communication features a terrific cast.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: SHE LOVES ME takes its first bows on Broadway, and THE SECRET GARDEN returns to the stage!

NBC just announced an all-star team of Broadway's finest creatives -- featuring familiar faces Kenny Leon, Jerry Mitchell and Harvey Fierstein -- for its upcoming production of HAIRSPRAY LIVE, the network's latest stage musical following the phenomenal success of THE WIZ LIVE. The telecast will air Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The cast for HAIRSPRAY LIVE will be announced at a later date, but based on this news, BWW can't wait to see what NBC has in store!

Sugar Ray Robinson was, pound for pound, the greatest boxer of all time. In his 25-year professional career, from 1940 to 1965, he was boxing history's first winner of five divisional championships (in the middle weight and welterweight divisions).

Second Stage Theatre presents Lydia R. Diamond's play, Smart People, which opened last night, February 11, 2016, at Second StageTheatre's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd street). BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night below!