Krysta Rodriguez News

54 Below just welcomed a part of its December line-up for a special performance preview, including Tony Award-winner Chita Rivera (West Side Story, Chicago, Bye Bye Birdie, Fiddler on the Roof) and the cast of 'HIT LIST' -- Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, The Last 5 Years), Andy Mientus (Carrie, Spring Awakening), Krysta Rodriguez (First Date ,The Addams Family), and Carrie Manolakos (Wicked, Mamma Mia!). Check out photos from the previews below!

The 25th anniversary edition of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' Gypsy of the Year Competition will be presented Monday, December 9 (4:30 PM) and Tuesday, December 10 (2 PM) at the Minskoff Theatre (1515 Broadway). The show will feature performances by New York's best actors, singers, dancers, and musicians with several guest appearances, including Tyne Daly, Cherry Jones, Ian McKellen, Mark Rylance, and Patrick Stewart.

If you're wondering whether or not 2013 was a fantastic year for the cabaret art form in New York, all you have to do is scan the amazing list of nominees for this year's BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards and you'll know it was one of the best ever. So now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians, songs, and shows of the year. Voting will continue until Sunday night January 5 and the winners will be announced later that week. We hope that all the winners will be able to perform in the Award show on Sunday night February 23 at Joe's Pub.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Check out the video below of Zachary Levi, Krysta Rodriguez and the cast of FIRST DATE performing excerpts from the musical!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Highlights this week include 24 Hour Broadway, the opening of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and The Commons of Pensacola, as well as Chicago's 17th birthday!

Montblanc presented the 13th annual performance of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway earlier this week. An annual benefit event produced by the 24 Hour Company and Freestyle Picture Company for Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway attracts some of entertainment's biggest names as they join forces to participate in an extreme rite of theater: writing, directing, and performing 6 original short plays, all in just 24 hours. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photos below!

The cast of FIRST DATE went on a field trip earlier this week, traveling to the Longacre Theatre to check out the cast of A TIME TO KILL in action. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you an exclusive look at the backstage festivities after the show!

It's just been announced that FIRST DATE, which opened on August 8, 2013 at Broadway's Longacre Theatre (220 W. 48th Street), will play its final performance on Sunday, January 5, 2014, at 3pm, having played 34 previews and 174 regular performances. FIRST DATE began performances on Broadway on July 9, 2013, and has a book by Austin Winsberg, music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner,direction by Bill Berry, musical staging by Josh Rhodes, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and musical supervision, vocal and incidental arrangements by Dominick Amendum.

Great performers relived their terrible performances to benefit The Performing Arts Project. On, November 3rd at Joe's Pub, Steven Pasquale (The Bridges of Madison County, 'Do No Harm', 'Rescue Me') hosted an evening of fabulous performers sharing video of their most embarrassing moments onstage and then redeeming themselves by recreating that moment live on stage. BroadwayWorld was there for the special concert and you can check out photos below!

Great performers relive their terrible performances to benefit The Performing Arts Project. Tonight, November 3rd at Joe's Pub, Steve Pasquale (The Bridges of Madison County, 'Do No Harm', 'Rescue Me') hosts an evening of fabulous performers sharing video of their most embarrassing moments onstage and then redeeming themselves by recreating that moment live on stage.

Great performers relive their terrible performances to benefit The Performing Arts Project. On Sunday, November 3rd at Joe's Pub, Steve Pasquale (The Bridges of Madison County, "Do No Harm", "Rescue Me") hosts an evening of fabulous performers sharing video of their most embarrassing moments onstage and then redeeming themselves by recreating that moment live on stage. Broadway musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Big Fish, The Addams Family) will serve as the music director for the evening, which includes participation by Pasquale, Hunter Bell ([title of show], Grinch), Susan Blackwell ([title of show], "Side By Side"), Peter Jacobson ('House'), Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, "Do No Harm"), Krysta Rodriguez (First Date, "Smash"), Jeremy Shamos (The Assembled Parties, Clybourne Park), Wesley Taylor (Little Miss Sunshine, 'Smash'), Betsy Wolfe (Last Five Years, Drood), and David Yazbek(The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) At the end of the evening, the audience will vote on the star performer who most redeemed themselves through their efforts that night. Tickets are available at joespub.com.

The November issue of BLEEP Magazine features five Broadway standouts who are changing what it means to be a leading lady. Shot by Matthew Murphy (www.murphymade.com), each talks about some of their favorite moments in their careers so far and what they are looking forward to next. Scroll down for photos!

The 2013 Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 15 is available in theaters starting this weekend! Lovers of Broadway talent can do some early holiday shopping as well as support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) through the purchase of this 2-disc, annual CD of original and traditional holiday music from the current 2013 Broadway line-up. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is taking pre-orders now for Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 15, and will be mailing the CDs out beginning November 1st.

The cast recording for the new Broadway musical FIRST DATE starring Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriquez is now available for pre-order according to a new Amazon listing.

As BroadwayWorld.com continues to celebrate the site's landmark 10th anniversary, with a variety of special features, today we're turning our spotlight on the wonderful photography of Linda Lenzi.

Stars and casts from the current Broadway line-up have been busy in the studio, recording for the 2013 Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 15. Singing traditional and original holiday songs, this annual holiday music CD benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive photos from First Date's recording session for 'Go Tell It on the Mountain' with castmembers Zachary Levi, Kristoffer Cusick, Sara Chase, Kate Loprest, Eric Ankrim, and Blake Hammond.