Lynne Shankel News

BroadwayWorld has learned that the musical BARE may be getting a staged reading in New York in October. Randy Taradash and Martian Entertainment will produce the reading of the Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere piece. Stafford Arima will direct and Lynne Shankel will musical direct. The reading would begin either October 23 or October 24 and run through October 31.

BroadwayWorld.com has been following the progress of Broadway-bound musical, ALLEGIANCE, since its first reading in Los Angeles two years ago up to its final workshop presentation held at the Baryshnikov Arts Center yesterday. What we just saw certainly bore little likeness to its initial working draft while some aspects of the production have remained the same, like its central story on the Japanese American experience during and after the World War II internment; and its composer and lyricist Jay Kuo's uplifting and emotionally charged music and lyrics.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced The Old Globe's presentation of a developmental workshop of Allegiance - A New American Musical.

ALLEGIANCE, presented by San Diego's Old Globe, is currently in rehearsals for a workshop to take place in New York City on July 27th and 28th. The cast of ALLEGIANCE surprised fellow cast member George Takei by all wearing 'It's OK to Be Takei' T-shirts. Check out a snapshot below!

The Drama Desk Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein on May 23 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

The Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center! BroadwayWorld was updating the winners list live throughout the evening.

Nominations for The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 9:30 AM at the New York Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, in Manhattan. Amongst the shows with multiple nominations were THE BOOK OF MORMON with 12, ANYTHING GOES with 10, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with 7, BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS and WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN with 6.

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, will be held Monday, May 23, at 9:00 PM at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, 8th Avenue and 34th Street. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Chita Rivera will lead a 29 Hour reading of THE DISTANT BELLS for Roundabout Theatre Company. Rivera will play Margaret Bell, the plays heroin. The story centers on her relations with her deceased husband and daughters. The reading is by invitation only and will take place on March 29.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced The Old Globe's presentation of a developmental workshop of Allegiance - A New American Musical.

Rising songwriters Jonathan Reid Gealt and Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk had a joint celebration of their respective CD releases 'Thirteen Stories Down' and 'Our First Mistake' on Sh-K-Boom Records with back-to-back concerts at downtown venue (Le) Poisson Rouge on Monday, February 7th. Gealt's concert beganat 7pm. Check out some photos from the event below!

Rising songwriters Jonathan Reid Gealt and Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk will have a joint celebration of their respective CD releases 'Thirteen Stories Down' and 'Our First Mistake' on Sh-K-Boom Records with back-to-back concerts at downtown venue (Le) Poisson Rouge on Monday, February 7th. Gealt's concert begins at 7pm. Kerrigan-Lowdermilk start at 10pm. Doors open thirty minutes before show time. Tickets are $20 for each show or $30 for a full-night concert pass.

Composer Jonathan Reid Gealt's music is captured on his debut CD, Thirteen Stories Down,' by some of Broadway's brightest young stars, including Caissie Levy (Hair), Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal), Tituss Burgess (Jersey Boys), Natalie Weiss (American Idol), Will Chase (Rent), Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot), Capathia Jenkins and the Broadway Inspirational Voices, and more! The album, produced by Joel Moss and Lynne Shankel and featuring musical direction and arrangements by Shankel, will be released later this month and available for shipping on December 28. Pre-orders are being accepted on the Sh-K-Boom website.

In a conversation encapsulating everything from Albee and WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF to Aristophanes and Virginia Woolf herself - and even a little Stephen King - this concluding portion of this exclusive interview with this remarkably gifted actor ends with a look ahead to LEAP OF FAITH. Plus, what's on his iPod, what books he's reading, and a whole lot more!

Tonight is the annual ASTEP benefit concert at 7 PM on at Joe‘s Pub, so be sure catch Raul Esparza as the host of NEW YORK CITY CHRISTMAS, directed by Lynne Shankel, to benefit Actors Striving To End Poverty. Information available here!

Here is the second part of our three-part discussion, in which Esparza and I analyze his roles and performances in plays, as well as a thorough discussion of the art of acting - and, additionally, a chat about roles he would like to play in the future, both near and far.

Dreamlight Theatre Company, under the leadership of Dean A. Carpenter (Executive Producer) and Chip Klose (Artistic Director), in association with Third Coast Creative (Deborah Stavis, CEO and Monte Stavis, President) proudly announces casting and creative team for the world-premiere of the new Off-Broadway musical The Extraordinary Ordinary.

In this exclusive interview with BroadwayWorld, Raul Esparza takes a comprehensive look back at his spectacular rise to fame from this time ten years ago in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW on Broadway, his first New York stage role, to now, with career-defining reviews for the out-of-town tryout of the new Alan Menken musical LEAP OF FAITH - as well as his sold-out American Songbook concerts early next year in New York. What does the future hold for Raul Esparza onscreen and onstage? Will it be Shakespeare or Sondheim or something completely new? Mamet or MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG? You may very well find your answer here.

'Thirteen Stories Down - the songs of Jonathan Reid Gealt' is released digitally December 14th, 2010 on Sh-k-Boom/Ghostlight Records.

On December 20, Tony nominee Raul Esparza will join previously announced Orfeh, Andy Karl, Chester Gregory, and many more for Joe's Pub's New York City Christmas Benefit.