Marsha Norman News

Ariana Grande surprised the audience at Jason Robert Brown had a surprise guest at his concert last night - international superstar Ariana Grande, who made her Broadway debut in the composer's show 13 THE MUSICAL.

Tony Award-winning Composer Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County, Parade) and acclaimed singer Shoshana Bean (Wicked, Hairspray) will perform a special One Night Only concert entitled 'JASON ROBERT BROWN IN CONCERT WITH SHOSHANA BEAN' on Monday, January 4th, 2016 at 8:30pm (Doors at 7:00pm).

The first national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY just opened at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, where it plays through January 17, 2016. Below, check out the musical's two leads, Elziabeth Stanley and Andrew Samonsky, perform 'One Second and A Million Miles' on this morning's edition of GOOD DAY LA!

Happy Holidays from Manhattan Concert Productions, who just announced further casting for their concert performances of TONY Award-winning musical The Secret Garden in its 25th Anniversary year. Both concerts will take place at David Geffen Hall (formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall), Lincoln Center onFebruary 21, 2016 and February 22, 2016, both at 8pm. The Secret Garden marks the fourth installment of Manhattan Concert Productions' Broadway Series that has included Ragtime, Titanic, and Parade. The concert performances of The Secret Garden will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from the across the United States, a professional cast and creative team, and the enlarged forces of the New York City Chamber Orchestra.

Elephant Run District debuts The hERD Podcast, a curated platform for audiences to experience work by playwrights and artists performed live in New York City and then streamed around the globe on the internet, at the Tank on Jan. 14, 2016 at 9:30 p.m.

Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the cast in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride!

The first national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY just opened at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, where it plays through January 17, 2016. Below, check out just-released highlights of the cast in action!

Ghostlight Records will highlight the beloved score for The Bridges of Madison County in its exclusive iTunes podcast series 'Ghostlight Shines On,' in which artists explore their albums in-depth, track-by-track, with music interwoven with commentary. In the series, key figures from each musical discuss the songs, recording the album, and share personal stories behind the music. The Bridges of Madison County, which won 2014 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Orchestrations, is currently on a national tour through July 2016. The podcast includes remarks from three-time Tony Award winning composer Jason Robert Brown and the show's original leading lady Kelli O'Hara, who earned her fifth Tony Award nomination for this role. Download the podcast and subscribe on iTunes here.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Diane Quinn, is pleased to present the new American play Nice Fish, conceived, written, and adapted by Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins, and directed by Claire van Kampen.

New Musicals at 54 is a series presented by Feinstein's/ 54 Below Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Some of the 10 new and diverse musicals by a selection of today's most talented writers have had out-of-town productions, some have had workshops... now's your chance to be first to see them in NYC! Join us at New Musicals at 54 for one-night-only concerts celebrating each new show with songs, behind-the-scenes stories, and all-star casts!

Hudson shared that while she feels sad the long-running FOX singing competition is coming to an end, she hopes to make an appearance in the final season.

The Bridges of Madison County was a hit film in 1995 for Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. The 2014 Broadway musical version with a gorgeous operatic score by Jason Robert Brown and stellar book by Marsha Norman is now playing at the Ahmanson downtown through January 17. When you look closely, there's so much to praise that it makes no sense whatsoever that the show closed early on Broadway and won only one Tony for Brown's music. It should have played on and on and walked away with a slew of awards.

Discovering just how the commercial and critical reception of the stage or film adaptation of any bestselling book would pan out (regardless of whether it was first adapted into a film before it became a stage musical or vice versa) will most likely never be boiled down to an exact science.

Theatergoers have until this weekend to catch Repertory Philippines' take on the 1991 Tony Award-winning musical THE SECRET GARDEN, which features book and lyrics by Tony winner Marsha Norman ('The Color Purple,' 'The Bridges of Madison County') and music by Lucy Simon ('Doctor Zhivago'), at Onstage Theatre, Greenbelt 1, Makati City.

THE COLOR PURPLE, which opened last night to ecstatic reviews, will record its official cast album this Monday, December 14, 2015.  The new Broadway cast recording will be released by Broadway Records on January 29, 2016and can pre-ordered at Amazon.com and at www.BroadwayRecords.com.  The album is being produced by six-time Grammy Award winner Frank Filipetti.

The new Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opened just last night, December 10, at theBernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W 45th Street). Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe award winner Jennifer Hudson makes her Broadway debut opposite Cynthia Erivo, the breakout star of John Doyle's acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory production, and Orange is the New Black's Danielle Brooks, in the highly anticipated production of The Color Purple. All three women are make their Broadway debuts. BroadwayWorld was there for the unforgettable night and you can go inside the after party below!

The new Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opened just last night, December 10, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W 45th Street). Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe award winner Jennifer Hudson makes her Broadway debut opposite Cynthia Erivo, the breakout star of John Doyle's acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory production, and Orange is the New Black's Danielle Brooks, in the highly anticipated production of The Color Purple. All three women are make their Broadway debuts. BroadwayWorld was there for the unforgettable night and you can go inside the first official curtain call below!

Cynthia Erivo gives an exemplary acting performance in Doyle's concert-like production.

The new Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opens tonight, December 10, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W 45th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

The new Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opens tonight, December 10, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 W 45th Street). Scroll down to learn more about the company and watch highlights from the show!