Len Cariou News

The 2nd-annual Voices for the Voiceless: Stars for Foster Kids concert was just held last night, September 12th at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. This special event, presented by Beachbody.com, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, brought together the brightest stars of stage and screen to raise awareness about the plight of kids in foster care, particularly those aged 13 to 21 whom many consider 'unadoptable' because of their age.

Fosse. Bennett. Robbins. Scott Wise got to know and work with them all. His incredible dancing skills were featured in 13 Broadway musicals including A CHORUS LINE, CATS, CARRIE, and JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY, for which he won the Tony Award.

he Human Race kicks off its 2016-2017 Eichelberger Loft Season with the smash hit Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A Musical Thriller. Created by the Tony Award winning team by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book) and based on an adaptation by Christopher Bond, this masterpiece of suspense invites audiences to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: The power of illumination! 

 Musical Theatre West (MTW) raises the curtain on its inaugural "Broadway in Concert" series for the 2016-17 season.  Each concert, held at the newly renamed Beverly O'Neill Theater at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, will feature top Broadway talent, including Davis Gaines (September 24, 2016), Valerie Perri (January 29, 2017), and Susan Egan (March 17, 2017).   Series and single tickets are now on sale at www.musical.org or by calling (562) 856-1999 ext. 4.  Single tickets start at $40, or purchase the series for packages of $100, $150, or a VIP package of $275, which includes a post-concert reception with the artists.

For over fifty years, the big, belt voice of Karen Morrow has been filling theatres and TV screens. While audiences across America will fondly remember her numerous appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, it is her live appearances on Broadway, blasting the roof of numerous theatres, that epitomize Karen Morrow. Joining Rob & Kevin via phone, Karen reminisces on how she became known as 'the flop queen', what it was like to share the spotlight with Buddy Hackett,  and how she counted Ethel Merman among her biggest fans.

he Human Race kicks off its 2016-2017 Eichelberger Loft Season with the smash hit Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A Musical Thriller. Created by the Tony Award winning team by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book) and based on an adaptation by Christopher Bond, this masterpiece of suspense invites audiences to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

You would be hard pressed to find someone who loves the theatre more than Peter Filichia. For years, Peter's observations on musical theatre have inspired countless actors, directors, and writers to start a career in show business. Now, Peter talks to Rob and Kevin, his two biggest fans, about the importance of arts education, for whom a critic should be crafting their reviews, and why he still loves the theatre. Plus, memories of Senator Joe, The Wiz, and My Fair Lady! 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: Great writers. Great director. Great actors. Where did they go wrong?

For over fifty years, the beautiful voice of Carol Lawrence has filled our hearts. No one will capture the love, yearning, and heart break of Maria, the doomed heroine in WEST SIDE STORY, better than the actress who originated the role: Carol Lawrence. Joining Rob and Kevin from her home in California, Carol talks about the power of WEST SIDE STORY, what it was like working with Jerome Robbins, and how the theatre still has the power to heal all souls!

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Song Salon will offer a special presentation with four rising Broadway talents - Sam Davis (An American in Paris), Daniel May (Flower Drum Song), Rashidra Scott (Sister Act), and A.J. Shively (Bright Star) - who will explore the art of musical orchestrating and arranging.

Bruce Yeko is one of the most fascinating men in show business. If it wasn't for Bruce we wouldn't have the original cast recordings of such musicals as THE BAKER'S WIFE, IN TROUSERS, PRETTYBELLE, and countless other musicals that no commercial record company would have produced. Selling off his massive baseball card collection, Bruce used those funds to  produce over 300 cast recordings, earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Name an opera or operetta and it is likely listed in soprano Sarah Rice's repertoire. Over her long and illustrious career, she has starred and performed in a myriad of productions all across the map, from Broadway to Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Italy. Strauss, Salieri, Sondheim--- it's there. Now, in her first solo show since 2013, Rice will debut her new show Music of the Night (borrowing, of course, from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, in which Rice played Christine in the National Tour) at Pangea Restaurant Pangea Restaurant (2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th streets) on August 17, 18, and September 20, all at 7 pm. Alongside pianist Matthew Martin Ward (Eric Sedgwick for the September show) and special guest David Vernon, she will sing and play a set aimed to explain 'the things that go through your head at 4:00 AM,' covering classical, Celtic, television and movie themes, and musical theatre.

In his 78 years of entertaining, Lawrence Merritt has truly seen it all. From dancing on Broadway in GOLDEN RAINBOW and PIPPIN, to modeling for the greatest magazines, to being an underwater dancer in Paris, Lawrence is not short on amazing stories.

Today in 1974, A Little Night Music closed at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 601 performances. A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Since its original 1973 Broadway production, the musical has enjoyed professional productions in the West End, by opera companies, in a 2009 Broadway revival, and elsewhere, and it is a popular choice for regional groups. It was adapted for film in 1977, with Harold Prince directing and Elizabeth Taylor, Len Cariou, Lesley-Anne Down and Diana Rigg starring.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

This particular production is winner. There's plenty to enjoy about The Playhouse's production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The campy, over-the-top farce is wildly entertaining, and overall it's a feast for the eyes and ears.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: James Lipton writes a musical & Kevin extols the virtues of having three names! 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: Rob and Kevin go to two very different churches! 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and underappreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This Week: The grandfather of Broadway choreography and a look into the songs lost on the road to Broadway!