Mary Martin News

Joan Derricks Kraft directed a polished version of a small-gem musical

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of one of the world's most beloved films, Riverdale Repertory Company and Riverdale Rising Stars join forces to present the original stage version of the classic musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC for six performances only, from March 7 to March 15, 2015.

Director Niki Caro, Kevin Costner, and fellow cast members all attended MCFARLAND, USA's screening as the closing event of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater last night. Scroll down for photos from the event!

The Kean University Department of Theatre's 2014-2015 Season continues with the high-flying musical Peter Pan, opening Friday, February 20 in Kean's Wilkins Theatre. Based on the tremendously popular play by Sir James M. Barrie, Peter Pan will be directed by Department of Theatre faculty member Holly Logue with musical direction by Meg Zervoulis, choreography by Michele Mossay, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Morris 'Moose' Charlap. The cast of Kean University students also includes two local children - Joshua Hunt of Cranford and Lucas Luchsinger of Elizabeth - who will share the role of Michael Darling.

FOLLIES: LIVE?! NPR has some intriguing ideas already!

The music video for the original new song 'Juntos (Together)' written and performed Latin rock superstar Juanes specifically for Disney's MCFARLAND, USA, is now available exclusively on Vevo. The song will be the end title track of the film. Check it out below!

Theatre Harrisburg continues its 2014-2015 Mainstage season with the romantic musical comedy I DO! I DO! at the Krevsky Production Center in uptown Harrisburg.

2013 MetroStar winner and Kansas native, Lauren Stanford, made her solo cabaret debut last summer with I'm a Stranger Here Myself. For one special encore performance, I'm a Stranger Here Myself will be presented on February 1st at 1:00pm at The Metropolitan Room. The show explores New York City's enduring lure through songs made popular by small town women such as Helen Morgan, Mary Martin, Julie Wilson, Peggy Lee and more. Directed by Eric Michael Gillett with Music Direction by Mike Pettry.

Discover what makes a champion. Disney's MCFARLAND, USA, starring Kevin Costner. comes to theaters February 20, 2015. Check out the all-new TV spot below!

To be perfectly candid, I found NBC's presentation of PETER PAN LIVE! to be completely unwatchable this past holiday season. However, my review copy of the soundtrack CD landed in my mailbox yesterday. The recording is making me rethink my abandoning the film in the middle of 'Hook's Tango.' Ultimately, Broadway Records' PETER PAN LIVE! (Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event) is nicely entertaining and quite charming.

Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent. Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.

What better way to commemorate the 100th birthday of one of the nation's most storied theaters - The Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut - than with a special video starring the national company of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, the first show to take the stage in the theater's centennial year?

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's biggest and brightest stars all about her incredibly busy year and impossibly packed schedule coming up for the rest of 2014 and the start of 2015 - the winsome and angelic Kelli O'Hara. Offering a generous tease of her upcoming Carnegie Hall holiday concert spectacular alongside fellow InDepth InterView participant Matthew Morrison and the NY Pops in KELLI & MATTHEW: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, O'Hara reflects on some of her favorite Christmas memories and shares some of her favorite holiday selections while commenting on the notable rapport shared between herself and Morrison, previously having co-starred in the Lincoln Center Theater productions of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and SOUTH PACIFIC. Furthermore, O'Hara offers us a behind the scenes perspective on starring in NBC's recent entertainment extravaganza PETER PAN LIVE! and her thoughts on the unique production process as well as performing in the live telecast itself and introducing new material into the hallowed score for the show specifically for the broadcast. Additionally, O'Hara opens up about her leading role in the hotly anticipated forthcoming revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's vaunted THE KING & I, to be directed by her frequent collaborator Bartlett Sher, and sheds some light on what preparations are currently underway in taking on the iconic role of Anna as well as posits her own insights into the complex character in the historically-informed story. All of that, first news on appearing in the Tom Hanks tribute as part of this year's Kennedy Center Honors, reflections on THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY on Broadway and on disc, whether she would consider playing Marian in NBC's recently announced live TV production of THE MUSIC MAN and much, much more!

With PETER PAN wrapped, NBC is bringing back THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents 'The Sound Of Music Nuns' Christmas Party' tonight, December 12, 2014 at 9:30 pm.

Having witnessed the stultifying, bloated NBC production of PETER PAN LIVE (what were the 'powers that be' thinking would hold a child's attention span for three hours, however padded with yet more Peter Pan plugs from Walmart?), I was reluctant to attend Playhouse on the Square's annual production of the James Barrie children's classic. I am probably one of the handful of reviewers to recall the 1955 NBC production (and later one as well) with the legendary pairing of Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard (whose fruity, overly ripe 'Captain Hook' would make Johnny Depp's 'Jack Sparrow' seem more like a white collar executive). As an IPad-free child inured to black and white fare, it hardly mattered that Mary Martin was, to put it politely, mature; that the production values were clunky; that the wires and 'Tinker' herself were glaringly apparent. In short, I was captivated. Yet, Martin possessed the kind of spunk and spontaneity that made us children believe (not to mention that she had the kind of singing voice that made her a legendary Broadway performer, as evidenced by SOUTH PACIFIC and SOUND OF MUSIC). She could make a child want to fly. Allison Williams, last evening's 'Peter,' lacked that optimistic boyishness (though she had the tomboyish Hilary Swank look 'nailed') and, despite having a pleasant enough voice, often seemed out of breath; but Chrisopher Walken, whom I like and who I initially thought would be inspired casting, seemed to have wandered in from a cocktail party hosted by zombies. His dancing made that of the Monster in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN seem as nimble as that of Fred Astaire. Despite the wonderful lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and despite the 'ear candy' musical score by Mark Charlalp and Jule Stein, those long, middle stretches in Neverland made me wonder if it would Neverend.

As viewers shared their opinions of the broadcast through tweets and other social media, BWW has rounded up the reviews from TV critics. Check them out below to see if they believed in fairies!

Pirates! Crocodiles! Mermaids! Magic! Relive all of the heavenly high-flying highlights of last night's PETER PAN LIVE!

Growing up, my brother, sister, and I wore out our VHS recording of one of Mary Martin's TV productions of PETER PAN. Mixed in between viewings of APOLLO 13 and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, we learned every word to every song, and while I don't remember dancing along with the Lost Boys, there is no doubt that we could have, if asked. I've never seen the musical on stage, so, for me, PETER PAN simply belongs on TV; and producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan spared no fiary dust in creating a magical PETER PAN that reinforced why this holiday tradition should never grow up and fly away. Despite a handful of hiccups that befall many live productions, simply put, PETER PAN LIVE! is a triumph for children young and old.

BroadwayWorld.com's Richie Ridge was on hand at PETER PAN's press day where he talked to the stars and creative team about how they are putting together this live TV event. Here, Richie talks to Allison Williams.