Mary Birdsong News

Weekend Movie Box Office Update: August 28 - September 3, 2009

The Surflight Theater Main Stage will come alive with music and memories in STEPS IN TIME: The Story Of Surflight. This very special show, conceived, staged, performed and produced entirely by Surflight's finest, will tell the remarkable story of one of the longest-running theatres in the country. From that first season in a tent by the beach to the year-round offerings of today, the story of Surflight is the stuff of dreams come true, and an evening not to be missed.

Estimated Weekend Movie Box Office: August 28 - August 30, 2009

Stage and screen favorite Martin Short talks comedy, characters and career to CBC News. Short is heading to an engagement at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.

Joan Kobin, accomplished singer on Broadway, and respected voice teacher to many Hollywood and Broadway stars, passed away in her sleep of natural causes on May 30th, 2009.

Theatre World Award-winner Mary Birdsong ('Reno 911!'), 'American Idol' and Broadway star Diana DeGarmo, West End musical actor and 'American idol' contestant Tom Lowe, and musical and film actress Tressa Thomas have been cast in 'Back to Bacharach and David,' the Off-Broadway hit having a 23-performance limited engagement, April 15 to May 17 (press opening April 19) at The Music Box @ Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2008-09 season with John Guare's Rich & Famous, directed by John Rando (Urinetown, The Musical and Wedding Singer on Broadway) in its first major revival since its 1976 New York debut. From the ingenious mind of John Guare, who brought Six Degrees of Separation and The House of Blue Leaves to the American stage, this delicious dark comedy springs to life with twisted humor, rapid-fire dialogue, and outrageous plot twists. The revival script includes significant rewrites to the original text, as well as hilarious songs freshly scribed by Guare himself. In Rich and Famous, playwright Bing Ringling yearns to savor the sweet taste of celebrity, and he's hoping play number 844 will be his lucky break. But on opening night, he slips into a nightmarish phantasmagoria that shows him just how wrong things can go.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2008-09 season with John Guare's Rich & Famous, directed by John Rando (Urinetown, The Musical and Wedding Singer on Broadway) in its first major revival since its 1976 New York debut. From the ingenious mind of John Guare, who brought Six Degrees of Separation and The House of Blue Leaves to the American stage, this delicious dark comedy springs to life with twisted humor, rapid-fire dialogue, and outrageous plot twists. The revival script includes significant rewrites to the original text, as well as hilarious songs freshly scribed by Guare himself. In Rich and Famous, playwright Bing Ringling yearns to savor the sweet taste of celebrity, and he's hoping play number 844 will be his lucky break. But on opening night, he slips into a nightmarish phantasmagoria that shows him just how wrong things can go.

Bidding begins at noon EST on eBay for BID 2 BEAT AIDS, a massive annual auction of rare and autographed items from stars in music, film, Broadway, sports, and television. Broadway fans can bid on tickets to the opening night of Hair and the post-show party, a backstage visit with Hairspray star Harvey Fierstein, signed Playbills, a 'For Rent' sign autographed by the cast of Rent, or even a signed can of hairspray by the cast of Hairspray; concert-goers can snag VIP seats and backstage meet-and-greets with Tony Bennett, Jewel, Bernadette Peters, Aimee Mann, Duncan Sheik, Harry Connick Jr, Estelle, Joan Rivers or Michael Feinstein; sports fans can bid on meet-and-greets with Olympic champion Michael Phelps or skateboarder Tony Hawk.

Bidding begins at noon EST on eBay for BID 2 BEAT AIDS, a massive annual auction of rare and autographed items from stars in music, film, Broadway, sports, and television. Broadway fans can bid on tickets to the opening night of Hair and the post-show party, a backstage visit with Hairspray star Harvey Fierstein, signed Playbills, a 'For Rent' sign autographed by the cast of Rent, or even a signed can of hairspray by the cast of Hairspray; concert-goers can snag VIP seats and backstage meet-and-greets with Tony Bennett, Jewel, Bernadette Peters, Aimee Mann, Duncan Sheik, Harry Connick Jr, Estelle, Joan Rivers or Michael Feinstein; sports fans can bid on meet-and-greets with Olympic champion Michael Phelps or skateboarder Tony Hawk.

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND was an astounding success raising a record shattering $874,372 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND was an astounding success raising a record shattering $874,372 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Joining the previously announced Mary Birdsong (Fame Becomes Me, 'Reno: 911') who will play 'Alice' in this year's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' themed BROADWAY BARES are Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid) who will be playing 'The White Rabbit,' Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu, Damn Yankees), Tony Award winner Nathan Lane (November), Tony Award winner Andrea Martin (Young Frankenstein), and Matthew Morrison (South Pacific).

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND is pleased to announce a few of the special guest stars who will join over 200 of New York's sexiest dancers at Broadway's hottest night in an event produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Bares 18 photo preview.

Barrington Stage Company has announced casting for 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' and 'Private Lives' as well as and related information on its 2008 line-up of summer productions.

The Road to Qatar!, a true new musical comedy, will have two staged readings for industry professionals at Chelsea Studios at 1pm and 4:30pm on April 18, 2007. The book and lyrics are by Stephen Cole and the music is by David Krane. Cole and Krane based the show on their real life experience of being commissioned to write the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. The reading will be directed by Marcia Milgrim Dodge (Lucille Lortel Nominee for Seussical) and features a cast of five including Rob Bartlett (Little Shop of Horrors, The Imus Show), Mary Birdsong (Martin Short-Fame Becomes Me, Hairspray), Brad Oscar (The Producers, Spamalot), Seth Rudetsky (The Ritz), and Ray Wills (The Producers). One day three years ago both Stephen Cole and David Krane (who did not know each other at the time) received an email that read: 'We want you write musical. How much?' This began an unbelievable but true journey that introduced the two 'short Jews' to an alien world of camels, deserts and crazy Egyptian theatrical producers. During the course of this crazy Arab adventure, Stephen and David starred in their own personal Bob Hope-Bing Crosby 'road picture' that took them to Dubai, Qatar, London, Bratislava and back to the USA after writing and presenting a huge original musical for the Emir of Qatar and one thousand of his invited guests. When they returned, they had no other choice but to write their story in the only way they knew how: as a musical! The names have all been changed, but the story is totally true.

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND will be held on Sunday, June 22 with two performances only (9:30 PM & Midnight) at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street). BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

The producers of Hairspray have announced that Karen Mason will join the Broadway company on Tuesday, April 8 in the role of Velma Von Tussle at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52 Street. (Mary Birdsong plays Velma through Sunday, April 6.)

Shannon Durig who stars as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway hit Hairspray, celebrated a tremendous career achievement her 1,000th performance on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre.