Michael Peters News

It's quite an achievement for any theater company to mount a credible "Dreamgirls," frankly, with its casting challenges, costume budget and high energy performance level. But Robin's Marriott "Dreamgirls" succeeds on many levels. It never stops moving, and it frequently moves the audience as well....

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!

A Chorus Line, the powerful and emotion-filled musical about the trials and tribulations of forging a life in the theater, will play in Pittsburgh tonight, June 15 through June 24 at the Benedum Center. Directed and choreographed by original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee, this bona fide Broadway hit features an incredible ensemble cast composed of exciting Broadway stars and Pittsburgh CLO veterans.

A Chorus Line, the powerful and emotion-filled musical about the trials and tribulations of forging a life in the theater, will play in Pittsburgh June 15-24 at the Benedum Center. Directed and choreographed by original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee, this bona fide Broadway hit features an incredible ensemble cast composed of exciting Broadway stars and Pittsburgh CLO veterans.

Yesterday in the 2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - a look at the finest moments in theatre history as shown on the Tony Awards telecasts over the last sixty years - we focused on the 1982 Best Musical winner, NINE. While Tommy Tune's Fellini-inspired fever dream won the big prize, Michael Bennett's innovative and visionary R&B pop opera DREAMGIRLS won many of the night's most significant awards and has certainly firmly established itself as a firmament of the history of the modern musical in the intervening years. Among the prizes won by the DREAMGIRLS cast and creative team: Best Actress for Jennifer Holliday, as well as wins in the Featured Actor In A Musical category, Best Book for Tom Eyen and wins in the technical categories for the unprecedented, hi-tech design.

Welcome to BroadwayWorld.com's newest photo series 'Photo Blast From the Past'. Featuring some of the collected theatre gems of BroadwayWorld's own senior photographer Walter McBride, the series will feature images from his archives of theatre and Hollywood related gems. Today, we bring you DREAMGIRLS collaborators Jennifer Holliday and Michael Bennett in 1984.

Bailiwick Chicago and The New Colony have teamed up to present the world premiere of Rise of the Numberless, written by The New Colony's Artistic Director Andrew Hobgood, Patriac Coakley and Evan Linder with original music by Chris Gingrich and Julie B. Nichols and lyrics by Chris Gingrich and Andrew Hobgood, who also serves as the director. The production runs now through May 26, 2012 at Collaboraction Studio 300 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee. See photos from the production below!

Bailiwick Chicago and The New Colony have teamed up to present the world premiere of Rise of the Numberless, written by The New Colony's Artistic Director Andrew Hobgood, Patriac Coakley and Evan Linder with original music by Chris Gingrich and Julie B. Nichols and lyrics by Chris Gingrich and Andrew Hobgood, who also serves as the director. The production will run April 6 - May 26, 2012 at Collaboraction Studio 300 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee. Press Opening is Tuesday, April 24 2012 at 7:30 PM.

Bailiwick Chicago and The New Colony have teamed up to present the world premiere of Rise of the Numberless, written by The New Colony's Artistic Director Andrew Hobgood, Patriac Coakley and Evan Linder with original music by Chris Gingrich and Julie B. Nichols and lyrics by Chris Gingrich and Andrew Hobgood, who also serves as the director. The production will run April 6 - May 26, 2012 at Collaboraction Studio 300 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee. Press Opening is Tuesday, April 24 2012 at 7:30 PM.

GMCLA (Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles) annually present the best holiday concert in town. Honoring both Chanukah and Christmas, this year's show entitled Naughty & Nice was most definitely more nice than naughty with special guest artist Melissa Manchester at the top of her form. There were most definitely fun shenanigans though in the mildly naughty department. Take for example the off-center'Chanukah in Santa Monica', the raucous stomp number 'Christmas This Year' closing the first half, and those Malibu Monks doing their unbelievably dextrous thing by turning over those lyric cards with split-second timing on the 'Hallelujah Chorus' (see photo below).

30 years ago today, Dreamgirls premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. The production was directed by Michael Bennett, produced by Bennett, Bob Avian, Geffen Records, and The Shubert Organization, and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. It starred Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James 'Thunder' Early, and Obba Babatundé as C. C. White. Dreamgirls proved to be a star-making vehicle for several of its performers, particularly Holliday, whose performance as Effie received significant praise.

Siobhan Dillon and Mark Evans are to join the cast of Ghost The Musical to play Molly and Sam in Matthew Warchus' stage musical version of the Academy Award® winning film. Ghost The Musical opened at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End in June this year where it has subsequently been playing to packed houses. Siobhan Dillon and Mark Evans join Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree as Carl who continue in the roles they originated on stage when the production premiered. Ghost The Musical is currently booking until 13 October 2012

The Sacramento Regional Theatre Alliance has many shows currently running, and many more in the near future.

SARTA has announced upcoming auditions and current productions. They are also looking for a few more Volunteers.

Adventure Stage Chicago kicks off its eighth season with Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis' world premiere stage adaptation of Sharon Creech's WALK TWO MOONS, directed by Matthew Reeder (Holes).

SARTA has announced upcoming auditions and current productions. They are also looking for a few more Volunteers.

Adventure Stage Chicago kicks off its eighth season with Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis' world premiere stage adaptation of Sharon Creech's WALK TWO MOONS, directed by Matthew Reeder (Holes).

Today, 1 August 2011, over 350,000 tickets are released for sale at the Piccadilly Theatre for the West End production of Ghost The Musical, taking bookings to 13 October 2012. Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy lead the cast playing Sam and Molly in Matthew Warchus' stage musical version of the Academy Award® winning film who are accompanied by Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree as Carl.

Raven Theatre closes the 2010-2011 season with The Cherry Orchard, directed by Michael Menendian. Opening is Sunday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in the Raven lobby.

The New Colony is proud to announce the world premiere of The Warriors written by Company Member Evan Linder, conceived by Company Member Mary Hollis Inboden. Directed by Benno Nelson, The Warriors runs March 17 - April 17 at the Second Stage Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave.