Max von Essen News

Joe Lodato and Matthew Morris, The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, GeekNerdWonk Charitable Foundation, and Sing for Hope presented 'You Are Not Alone' a star-studded concert to benefit the Trevor Project last night, November 22. Lea DeLaria hosted the evening with feature performances from Ricky Ian Gordon, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Marc Kudisch, Aaron Lazar, Erin Quill, Seth Rudetsky, John Tartaglia, Jeanine Tesori, and Tony Yazbeck, as well as Emily Albrink, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Attila Joey Csiki of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Constantine Germanacos, Joe Lodato, Matthew Morris, Todd Palmer, Kate Pazakis, Kathleen Tagg, and Nurit Tilles. Michael Rader directed the concert with stage management from David M. Beris.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) is excited to announce that Broadway performers Jenn Colella, Julia Murney, Daniel Reichard and Max von Essen have joined the cast of their fall benefit concert, Ars Nova Celebrates Andrew Lippa.

In what has become a Fall concert tradition in New York, some of the biggest and brightest Broadway stars of today, showed that they've got the same vocal chops as the stars of yesteryear when they blow the roof off of the 1,500 seat Town Hall without using microphones in the BROADWAY UNPLUGGED concert, November 15. Singing Broadway show tunes the way they used to be sung -- without any electronic amplification ('Unplugged') -- the audience hears the pure human voice the way one never hears it anymore in a Broadway theater. And it is thrilling! For those that are tired of today's constant over-amplification of Broadway musicals, this concert was both an eye and ear opener. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.

In what has become a Fall concert tradition in New York, some of the biggest and brightest Broadway stars of today, show that they've got the same vocal chops as the stars of yesteryear when they blow the roof off of the 1,500 seat Town Hall without using microphones.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) is excited to announce that Broadway performers Jenn Colella, Julia Murney, Daniel Reichard and Max von Essen have joined the cast of their fall benefit concert, Ars Nova Celebrates Andrew Lippa.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will present a Developmental Lab of Judith Shubow Steir's new musical ONLY A KINGDOM, directed by David Glenn Armstrong, on November 9-12, 2010 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's, 619 Lexington Avenue (at 54th Street).

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will present a Developmental Lab of Judith Shubow Steir's new musical ONLY A KINGDOM, directed by David Glenn Armstrong, on November 9-12, 2010 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's, 619 Lexington Avenue (at 54th Street).

On Wednesday, December 15th at 7:00pm, some of Broadway's brightest performers gather together in the Grand Ballroom at the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, CA to help get you into the spirit of the season as they sing your favorite Holiday songs in this special one night only event: SPARKLE: A Holiday Concert with Broadway's Brightest for The Christmas Foundation Benefiting Underprivileged Children as well as Children Infected and Affected by HIV in the Coachella Valley (xmasps.org).

In what has become a Fall concert tradition in New York, some of the biggest and brightest Broadway stars of today, show that they've got the same vocal chops as the stars of yesteryear when they blow the roof off of the 1,500 seat Town Hall without using microphones.

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will present a Developmental Lab of Judith Shubow Steir's new musical ONLY A KINGDOM, directed by David Glenn Armstrong, on November 9-12, 2010 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's, 619 Lexington Avenue (at 54th Street).

In a career that has consisted of everything from voicing Howard the Duck to originating the roles of The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical INTO THE WOODS and Marvin (and Dr. Mendel) in the FALSETTOS trilogy by William Finn, as well as some DePalma and numerous stage roles in between, Chip Zien is a character actor extraordinaire who now is trying out a new role - that of book writer - in the New York Musical Theater Festival's new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR. Last week we spoke to one of the stars of the show, Max Von Essen, and today we shine some light on the process of bringing the show to the stage as well as a look back at many of the notable film and theatre appearances that Zien has made over his nearly four decades in show business. Working with Stephen Sondheim, William Finn, Dustin Hoffman and Nicolas Cage is just the tip of the iceberg, as Zien also opens up about his unusual career and the many friendships he has built along the way. All that, and what it was like to be at the birth of a brand new Sondheim song written just for him in the form of 'No More' from INTO THE WOODS. Marvin to Mendel, Baker to book writer, Chip Zien is an authority of all the glitters and the gold of having a true collaborative breakthrough as he has had on FALSETTOS, INTO THE WOODS and, now, THE HISTORY OF WAR. Tickets are on sale at the link below! Only three performances left, tonight and tomorrow only!

After his early triumph in some truly troubled musicals - among them the most notorious of twenty-first century cult Broadway musicals, the infamous DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES - this dashing and terrifically talented Broadway leading man went on to star in the most successful production to date of Stephen Schwartz's delicate Gallic musical THE BAKER'S WIFE - causing even the WICKED composer himself to be taken aback by the sheer power of this tenor's voice - and is now singing the most talked about song of the New York Musical Theater Festival - from the new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR - the captivatingly charming and charismatic Max Von Essen. In this thorough discussion we go into his experiences working with Jim Steinman, Roman Polanski, Michael Crawford, John Rando, Mandy Gonzalez and the rest of the cast and creative team of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and how that flash of brilliance of a Broadway debut prepared him for the plight of the working actor making his way on Broadway today. We also discuss the details of his new NYMF musical and singing his star-making solo and adding another notable entry to his pristine performance record. Additionally, we talk about playing Enjorlas in the LES MISERABLES revival co-starring Lea Michele and Daphne Rubin Vega as well as his upcoming appearances and events - such as BROADWAY UNPLUGGED - plus how he keeps his voice in shape to traverse the treacherous vocal territory required of the tenor rock ballads he excels at enacting in song - and thoroughly slaughtering.(He'd be the last to admit he has cords of steel, but he does.) He may be known for 'For Sarah', but this interview is all Max.

The History of War 30 Days to NYMF by Chip Zien

On November 9th, 2006, the opening night of Broadway's Les Miserables, BroadwayWorld introduced the artwork of Christine Jimenez. Recently, the talented artist created more caricatures and portraits of Les Miz stars in honor of the show's 25th Anniversary, and is one again pleased to share them with BWW readers.

A very scientific princess meets a frog she is determined to turn into a prince - with the assistance of a troupe of Celestial Tap-Dancing Taoist Masters. In this saucy 'n' swingin' new musical, will Clementine get the Prince of her dreams, or will she find herself in bed with just another horny toad? It's a bedtime story with a bawdy twist! Based on the Stephen Mitchell novella The Frog Prince.

Last night, September 27, the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrated its official opening night, hosted by Baz Lurhmann. Some of the many guests on hand to celebrate were Claire Danes ('Romeo + Juliet', 'The Hours'), Anthony Rapp (Rent), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Tamara Tunie (Law and Order: SVU), Kerry Butler (Xanadu), Liz Larsen (The Most Happy Fella), Liz McCartney (Taboo), Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Tom Hewitt (The Rocky Horror Show), Max Von Essen (Les Miserables), Curtis Holbrook (West Side Story), Chip Zien (Into the Woods), Diedre Goodwin (Chicago), and many more.

Hoping to inspire and revive a fractured nation, one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell leads a daring expedition of veterans down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon, in the spring of 1869. Aware of the physical dangers, Major Powell barely anticipates the emotional and spiritual challenges of the trip, leading back to the War. The guide of the expedition is Somers, who escaped from slavery and embraced the new world of the West. Major Powell's wife Emma Dean, a noted environmentalist of the day, is present in the minds and hearts of both Major Powell and his brother Walter, a survivor of Andersonville prison; as they are in hers. With a score of bluegrass, country, folk, littered with environmental elements, The Great Unknown is an American musical adventure.

Anthony Rapp presents his turbulent journey through the convergence of two life-changing events: the early days of Rent - including the untimely passing of Jonathan Larson - and the illness and death of his own mother. Based on his New York Times best-selling memoir, Rapp uses a mix of original music and songs by R.E.M. and Larson in a stunning one-man show about grief, hope, and triumph.

In order to grow we must confront our demons... An eccentric therapist is on the brink of falling in love for the first time in years when a neurotic rock musician comes to call. Dream play? Ghost story? Romantic comedy? Gothic Tragedy? Jonathan Spottiswoode and his cult band, Spottiswoode & His Enemies, bring a sexy expressionist twist to Don Giovanni that is tinged with jazz, blues, rock, gospel, classical and punk. They say love is a game - so who can you blame for playing?

A very scientific princess meets a frog she is determined to turn into a prince - with the assistance of a troupe of Celestial Tap-Dancing Taoist Masters. In this saucy 'n' swingin' new musical, will Clementine get the Prince of her dreams, or will she find herself in bed with just another horny toad? It's a bedtime story with a bawdy twist! Based on the Stephen Mitchell novella The Frog Prince.