Matt Leisy News

At this week's upcoming Broadway in Bryant Park concert, 106.7 Lite fm's 106.7 Christine Nagy will emcee the event. Confirmed attendees include: 2011 Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical Anything Goes cast members; Tari Kelly, Laura Osnes, Colin Donnell and Robert Creighton; The Phantom of the Opera cast members; Marni Raab, Kyle Barisich, and Hugh Panaro; The Fantasticks cast members; Tom Flagg, Matt Leisy, Dan Sharkey, Juliette Trafton, Charles West; and Hair cast members; Phyre Hawkins, Steel Burkhardt, Caren Lyn Tackett, Paris Remillard and ensemble members: Josh Lamon, Cailan Rose, Nkrumah Gatling, Tanesha Ross, Laura Dreyfuss, Tripp Fountain, Larkin Bogan, and Emily Afton; and Traces cast members; Xia Zhengqi, Philippe Normand-Jenny, Mason Ames, Valerie Benoit-Charbonneau, and Bradley Henderson.

At this week's upcoming Broadway in Bryant Park concert, 106.7 Lite fm's 106.7 Christine Nagy will emcee the event. Confirmed attendees include: 2011 Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical Anything Goes cast members; Tari Kelly, Laura Osnes, Colin Donnell and Robert Creighton; The Phantom of the Opera cast members; Marni Raab, Kyle Barisich, and Hugh Panaro; The Fantasticks cast members; Tom Flagg, Matt Leisy, Dan Sharkey, Juliette Trafton, Charles West; and Hair cast members; Phyre Hawkins, Steel Burkhardt, Caren Lyn Tackett, Paris Remillard and ensemble members: Josh Lamon, Cailan Rose, Nkrumah Gatling, Tanesha Ross, Laura Dreyfuss, Tripp Fountain, Larkin Bogan, and Emily Afton; and Traces cast members; Xia Zhengqi, Philippe Normand-Jenny, Mason Ames, Valerie Benoit-Charbonneau, and Bradley Henderson.

Summer afternoons just got a whole lot cooler. The Fantasticks will offer free backstage tours following all weekend matinee performances now through Labor Day.

Bradley Dean, who recently appeared as Carl-Magnus opposite Bernadette Peters in the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music, will begin performances as El Gallo, the charming and manipulative narrator in The Fantasticks, on Monday, July 25, 2011. Edward Watts, who currently plays the role, will give his final performance on July 24.

Bradley Dean, who recently appeared as Carl-Magnus opposite Bernadette Peters in the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music, will begin performances as El Gallo, the charming and manipulative narrator in The Fantasticks, on Monday, July 25, 2011. Edward Watts, who currently plays the role, will give his final performance on July 24.

BEN CAMERON (Wicked, Aida, Footloose) is the host and creator of BROADWAY SESSIONS at THE MIDTOWN THEATRE at the HA! Comedy Club (163 West 46th Street / Between 6th & 7th Avenues) every Thursday night at 11:00pm. Broadway Sessions is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week, and features musical director/composer Will Van Dyke (The Addams Family) on piano. In addition after the show we open the microphone up to anyone who wants to sing. Open mic from 12:00-2am.

Over fifteen Broadway and National Tour performers will join notable personalities on Monday, June 27, 2011 to celebrate New York City's Gay Pride at The LGBT Center in Manhattan. Broadway Sings for Pride: A Benefit Concert, is being produced by Neal B of NealB.tv and will benefit The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Attendees will enjoy the vast array of songs from Lady Gaga to The Beatles, along with a plethora of Broadway hits. Musical performances will feature cast members from The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Rent, Wonderland, Mamma Mia, Anything Goes and many more! Jim Lahti will serve as the evening's musical director and Carly Jibson (Broadway's Hairspray and Cry-Baby) will emcee. Musical accompaniment will be provided Jim Lahti on piano, Sean Harkness on acoustic & electric guitar and David Silliman on percussion. Kat Dudina and Mia Grottola, American Sign Language interpreters, will be signing for the hard of hearing and deaf community.

Over fifteen Broadway and National Tour performers will join notable personalities on Monday, June 27, 2011 to celebrate New York City's Gay Pride at The LGBT Center in Manhattan. Broadway Sings for Pride: A Benefit Concert, is being produced by Neal B of NealB.tv and will benefit The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Attendees will enjoy the vast array of songs from Lady Gaga to The Beatles, along with a plethora of Broadway hits. Musical performances will feature cast members from The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Rent, Wonderland, Mamma Mia, Anything Goes and many more! Jim Lahti will serve as the evening's musical director and Carly Jibson (Broadway's Hairspray and Cry-Baby) will emcee. Musical accompaniment will be provided Jim Lahti on piano, Sean Harkness on acoustic & electric guitar and David Silliman on percussion. Kat Dudina and Mia Grottola, American Sign Language interpreters, will be signing for the hard of hearing and deaf community.

Charles West, whose credits include the Broadway productions of The Scarlet Pimpernel and Show Boat and who is currently understudying the role of El Gallo in The Fantasticks, will assume that role for twelve performances from June 18 through June 26, 2011.

Charles West, whose credits include the Broadway productions of The Scarlet Pimpernel and Show Boat and who is currently understudying the role of El Gallo in The Fantasticks, will assume that role for twelve performances from June 18 through June 26, 2011.

The world's longest-running musical is turning 51. On Tuesday, May 3, 2011 Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's romantic musical comedy The Fantasticks will celebrate its 51st anniversary when it plays its 19,019th New York City performance.

An Equity staged reading of the new musical Ghostlight will be presented on Thursday, April 21st in New York City at Center Stage New York (48 West 21st Street). The invited industry reading is presented by Massimine/Roytman/Presentations and will begin at 6:00 PM.

Caitlin Mathes, mezzo-soprano of Dayville, Connecticut, won the $15,000 First Prize in the finals of the 2011 Lotte Lenya Competition, held on April 16, 2011, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Instead of awarding Second and Third Prizes, judges presented three equal prizes of $8,000 each to Jing Lin, soprano, of Putian, China; Emma Sewell, soprano, of London, England; and Jacob Lewis Smith, bass/baritone, of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker, Broadway and Encores! music director Rob Berman, and Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization president Theodore S. Chapin will serve as judges for the 2011 Lotte Lenya Competition.

Twelve exceptionally talented young singer-actors from the United States, United Kingdom and China have been selected to compete for top prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 in the finals of the 2011 Lotte Lenya Competition, to be held on April 16, 2011, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Dan Sharkey, whose Broadway credits include The Music Man and Show Boat, will join the cast of The Fantasticks as Hucklebee on February 28, 2011. He replaces Gene Jones, who played his final performance on February 20.

The Off Broadway production of The Fantasticks and the advocacy organization Women In Need have partnered to create a very special Christmas for New York City's homeless and disadvantaged women and children. From now through Christmas day, audience members who bring a donation of one of Women In Need's most requested items (see list below) to The Snapple Theater Center will have the opportunity to purchase a ticket to The Fantasticks for just $20, a savings of $55. For each item donated, The Fantasticks will donate 2 tickets to a special Christmastime performance of The Fantasticks for New York's homeless and disadvantaged women and children featuring a Christmas party with the cast of The Fantasticks - up to 200 tickets.

Matt Leisy, who currently plays The Mute in the Off Broadway production of The Fantasticks, will take over the role of Matt on Monday, December 6, 2010.

Matt Leisy, who currently plays The Mute in the Off Broadway production of The Fantasticks, will take over the role of Matt on Monday, December 6, 2010.

Richard Pepenella presents Red Hot & New: A Songwriters' and Singers' Soiree, the newest weekly party to hit the theater and cabaret scene, at Ido Sushi in New York on Thursday, November 11th at 8:30PM.