Lea Blackhurst News

It's a celebration! The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, honors its very own Producing Artistic Director James Morgan, on his 20th anniversary in that position with a Special Spring Concert "Fun-Raiser."

At the most recent BROADWAY BY THE YEAR presentation on March 27, at its usual home of the Town Hall, the 1940s was the sent-up decade from which the evening's performers sang. At a time in the country that currently bears striking and cryptic similarity to that grim period of global history, the resonance of the evening's selections rang eerily. Additionally, they also demonstrated how little the relationship between culture and society has changed over the last seven decades.

???????Karen Ziemba and Klea Blackhurst headline THE 32nd ANNUAL ALEC WILDER TRIBUTE CONCERT presented by The Friends of Alec Wilder at Feinstein's/54 Below on Saturday, April 8 at 9:30pm.

This will be the fifteenth year in a row in which producer Scott Siegel is presenting an all-star cast singing famous Broadway show tunes the way they were originally performed on the Great White Way: without amplification!

It's a celebration! The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will honor its very own Producing Artistic Director James Morgan, on his 20th anniversary in that position with a Special Spring Concert 'Fun-Raiser' hosted by Charlotte Moore, Artistic Director at the Irish Repertory Theater, and award-winning lyricist/director Richard Maltby, Jr. The special concert evening, directed by Pamela Hunt (Berlin to Broadway) with music direction by Eric Svejcar (Marry Harry) and produced by Bill Castellino (Cagney), is set for Monday evening, April 17, 2017 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue).

Tony Award Honoree Ben Davis (Violet, A Little Night Music, La Boheme), Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Dames at Sea), Kendrick Jones (Shuffle Along, The Scottsboro Boys) & Drama Desk Award-nominee Daniel Reichard (Original Cast of Jersey Boys) will join previously announced Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Bullets Over Broadway, Curtains, Contact), multi-award winning Nightclub star Klea Blackhurst & Steve 'The Whistler' Herbst at Town Hall's Broadway by the Year Series on Monday, March 27 at 8pm, 'The Broadway Musicals of the 1940s,' which will highlight the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kurt Weill & Leonard Bernstein.

Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Bullets Over Broadway, Curtains, Contact), multi-award winning Nightclub star Klea Blackhurst and Steve 'The Whistler' Herbst are set to star in Town Hall's Broadway by the Year Series on Monday, March 27 at 8pm, 'The Broadway Musicals of the 1940s,' which will highlight the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kurt Weill & Leonard Bernstein.

???????Liz Rubino, will return to the NY cabaret stage with her debut at the well known establishment, Don't Tell Mama, in "Make Yourself Comfortable" opening Saturday, March 11th @ 7:00 pm. Additional show is 4/08. Music Charge is $15.00, Two Drink Min. $5.00 MAC member discount. Music Director: Matthew Martin Ward.

On February 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM, conductor Randall  Craig Fleischer leads guest vocalists Debbie Gravitte, Klea Blackhurst, Ron Raines, Jason Graae, Scott Coulter, and John Boswell in a performance of "Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert". Tickets start at $21 ($15 for students), and can be purchased at www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 533-6683.

HAZEL "A Musical Maid In America" was extremely vetted at The Madison Theatre at Molloy College last night.  The sweet show about that irrepressible maid from the 1960s Emmy Award-winning television series has music by Ron Abel, lyrics by Chuck Steffan and book by Lissa Levin.  As HAZEL climbs the creative ladder on it's way to NYC it gave some very professional theatre majors at Molloy College a chance to perform in a staged reading along side HAZEL's star Klea Blackhurst and a full compliment of musicians. Angelo Fraboni the artistic director and producer at the Madison Theatre cleaned up with all the accolades as Long Island theatre goers were swept up in the fun and tender story of HAZEL . The only place this musical should be deported to is Broadway.

The 92Y's Lyrics & Lyricists 2017 opened this weekend celebrating the music of Harold Arlen and BroadwayWorld was there.

Birdland is proud to present the seventh consecutive year of "A Swinging Birdland Christmas," starring Birdland regulars Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch.  This is a limited engagement of 3 performances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 23, 24 and 25.  All shows are at 6pm.

January may bring 'Stormy Weather' and only a 'Paper Moon' but we've 'Got the World on a String' and are 'Over the Rainbow.' Lyrics & Lyricists 2017 season opens with 'Get Happy: Harold Arlen's Early Years,' celebrating the composer of those American Songbook classics, and hundreds more. The show will run January 21-23, 2017 at 92Y.

I couldn't be more thrilled to share some of my all-time favorite holiday tunes with the BroadwayWorld readers! Rob Diamond, BroadwayWorld and I have had a long history together, with countless podcasts, interviews, and kajillions of photo flashes to our credit. The consistent support the site gives to the entire entertainment community is a thing to behold, and one that all of us consider a great present!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its schedule for December 19-25, featuring Freddy Cole, Swingin' Birdland Christmas, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano 'Downton Abbey Road: The Best of Britain,' and more. Scroll down for details!

Urban Stages has confirmed the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin tomorrow, Thursday, December 1, and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its December 2016 schedule, featuring Stacey Kent, A Swingin' Birdland Christmas, Daniel Reichard's 'Guide to Christmas,' The Birdland Big Band, Freddy Cole, Karrin Allyson, ShowBiz After Hours with Frank DiLella, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, James Barbour, Barbara Carroll, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Scroll down for details!

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab in association with Marc L. Bailin, will present staged readings of Nutcracker! The Musical, with book and lyrics by Nancy Holson, music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, with arrangements and additional music by Bruce Kieslieng and Peter Rigano.

92Y announces casting for Lyrics & Lyricists new season. Having garnered audience and critical acclaim, the country's premier American Songbook series begins 2017 with Judy Kuhn, Santino Fontana, Rebecca Luker, Christiane Noll and Lauren Worsham among the performers.

Urban Stages has announced the line-up for this year's Award Winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin Thursday, December 1 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).