M. Cohan News

Singing! Dancing! Playing the washboard! Joy, mirth, and the Great Potato Famine mingle with the Civil War and coal strikes in Frank McCourt's classic revue

A St. Patrick's Day toast to the Father of the American Musical Comedy and The Father of the American Drama.

Give their regards to Broadway! Producer Riki Kane Larimer (Fiddler on the Roof, Tappin' Thru Life, On The Town, Gigi) presents the new hit Off-Broadway musical, CAGNEY, with book by Peter Colley (The Donnelly) and music & lyrics by Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern (Fame, First Wives Club). Performances begin tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. for an open-ended engagement at The Westside Theatre - Upstairs (407 West 43rd Street). Opening Night is Sunday afternoon, April 3, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.

I first met Noah Racey when I was directing the 2004 Nightlife Awards at Town Hall in New York. He was performing with his co-star from Never Gonna Dance, Nancy Lemenager. If you've never seen him dance, you haven't lived. I got to chat a bit about his stay down here in DC. 

The 2000 opera by the Finnish composer is inspired by the he legend of 12th Century troubadour Jaufre Rudel.

Following a short winter hiatus, Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre is now ready to spring back into action. With a new marquee providing greater visibility to travelers along the West Bridge Street corridor and continuing improvements to its interior spaces, 2016 promises to be even more seriously entertaining at what one reviewer has called "the ballsiest theater in the region."

 Producer Riki Kane Larimer (Fiddler on the Roof, Tappin' Thru Life, On The Town, Gigi)has announced the Off-Broadway transfer of The York Theatre Company's acclaimed production of the new musical, Cagney with book by Peter Colley (The Donnelly) and music & lyrics by Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern (Fame, First Wives Club).  Cagney received its New York premiere at The York Theatre Company, last spring, where it played a limited five-week sold out engagement.  This new updated, expanded and revised version will begin performances begin on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. for an open-ended engagement at The Westside Theatre - Upstairs (407 West 43rd Street).  Opening Night is set for Sunday afternoon, April 3, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.

Some never-before-recorded Irving Berlin songs will get their recording debuts when the original cast album of Chip Deffaa's musical play IRVING BERLIN & CO. is released in the U.S. by CDBaby on Monday, December 21st.

Centenary Stage Company's critically acclaimed Young Performers Workshop returns this holiday season with a delightful selection of musical favorites in the annual Winter Festival of Shows. 

The Fulton Theatre kicks off the holiday season with the musical comedy and treat for the entire family, Elf, November 17th through January 3rd. As 'Buddy' says in the script, 'The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear,' there are many joyful tunes throughout the production, including 'SparkleJollyTwinkleJingley,' 'A Christmas Song,' 'The Story of Buddy the Elf,' and more!

PRE-SHOW is a new cabaret aiming to target theatregoers before they arrive at their actual theatres for the night. 

PRE-SHOW is a new cabaret aiming to target theatregoers before they arrive at their actual theatres for the night. 

As a last-minute addition to the very end of North Hollywood's brand new NOHO FRINGE FESTIVAL, Chip Deffaa's 'George M Cohan Tonight!', the hit 2006 Off-Broadway tour-de-force one-man musical storms into Los Angeles for its premier west coast performances - but for TWO SHOWS ONLY!

Fulton Theatre congratulates Heidi Kettenring for receiving the award for Best Actress in a Principal Role - Musical, at the gala 47th Annual Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook, IL, on Monday, October 5, 2015, for her role as Anna in THE KING AND I at Marriott Theatre. 

'The Barry Z Show,' which has been covering the New York theater scene on cable TV for more than 20 years, will salute ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's theatrical productions, on a show being taped for future broadcast 10 pm, October 1st at the midtown club Don't Tell Mama. Host Barry Z, who's often saluted Deffaa's productions over the past 20 years, will be celebrating the release of Deffaa's 12th cast album, 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue.' And he will present an array of performers doing numbers from an assortment of Deffaa's shows.

'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' is being released today, September 15th.

The original cast album of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' which set box-office records at the 13th Street Theater, is being released September 15th.  To celebrate the release, members of the company  will be singing at Birdland, and on Barry Z's TV show, and promoting the album on radio programs hosted by George Bettinger, Moe Banshee,  Gail Kubik, and others.

'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' is being released on September 15th. The show, which drew packed houses throughout its limited engagement at the 13th Street Theater, features 44 of the songs that helped make Irving Berlin the most successful songwriter in history. Some members of Deffaa's cast will perform at Birdland to help launch the new CD, which will be available via Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, iTunes, etc.

A big break for the legendary Broadway star was this charming spoof of Ruby Keeler/Busby Berkeley movie musicals.

HAMILTON, Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical about America's 'the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father,' opens tonight at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Let's see what the critics had to say...