Mike Baldassari News

Zachary Levi ('Chuck,' Tangled, Thor: The Dark World) will be interview about making his Broadway debut in First Date live during NBC's broadcast of 'Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular' airing tonight, July 4, at 8pm EST. First Date,Broadway's new romantic musical comedy, begins performances Tuesday, July 9, 2013, and opens Thursday, August 8, 2013, at Broadway's LongacreTheatre (220 West 48th Street).

A developmental workshop for a new musical inspired by the work of Tupac Shakur, titled HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, is currently underway in New York City. Directed byKenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun [2004], Fences [2010] The Mountaintop), the project is planned for a Broadway production in the 2013-2014 season, subject to theatre availability.

Tony Award-winning producer Junkyard Dog Productions (Memphis) is proud to announce that Bryce Ryness, Eric Ankrim, Kevin Kern and Sydney Shepherd will join stars Zachary Levi ('Chuck,' Tangled,Thor: The Dark World) and Krysta Rodriguez ('Smash,' The Addams Family) in FIRST DATE, Broadway's new romantic musical comedy. FIRST DATE begins performances Tuesday, July 9, 2013, and opens Thursday, August 8, 2013, at Broadway's LongacreTheatre (220 West 48th Street).

Portland Center Stage (PCS) welcomes Broadway's Andrew Samonsky to star in the world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned authorRichard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Tony Award-winning producer Junkyard Dog Productions (Memphis) has just announced that leading man Zachary Levi, star of TV's “Chuck,” Disney's feature film Tangled and the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, will make his Broadway debut starring opposite Broadway and television ingénue Krysta Rodriguez (“Smash,” The Addams Family) in FIRST DATE, Broadway's new romantic musical comedy. With a book by Austin Winsberg (“Gossip Girl”), music and lyrics byAlan Zachary and Michael Weiner (Secondhand Lions, Twice Charmed) and musical staging by Josh Rhodes (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) FIRST DATE is directed by Bill Berry (Producing Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre). Featuring Sara Chase (“Arrested Development,” The Toxic Avenger), Kristoffer Cusick (Wicked, Rent), Blake Hammond (Sister Act, Billy Elliot) and Kate Loprest (“Boardwalk Empire,” Hairspray), the cast of FIRST DATE also includes Vicki Noon (Wicked, Mamma Mia!). FIRST DATE begins performances Tuesday, July 9, 2013, and opens Thursday, August 8, 2013, at Broadway's Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). Additional casting to be announced shortly.

Portland Center Stage (PCS) is pleased to announce that Broadway's Andrew Samonskywill now star in the upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned authorRichard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Tony Award-winning producer Junkyard Dog Productions (Memphis) has just announced FIRST DATE, Broadway's new musical comedy, has set the date to open at The Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street), Sunday, August 4, 2013. With a book by Austin Winsberg (“Gossip Girl”), music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner (Secondhand Lions, Twice Charmed), choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) and directed by Bill Berry (Producing Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre), FIRST DATE begins performances Tuesday, July 9, 2013. Casting will be announced at a later date.

Casting is now complete for Portland Center Stage's (PCS) upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Producers announced today that Ryan Silverman (Passion, The Phantom of the Opera) and Hannah Elless (Godspell, Mamma Mia!) will star as Richard Collier and Elise McKenna in Portland Center Stage's (PCS) upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Producers announced today that Ryan Silverman (Passion, The Phantom of the Opera) and Hannah Elless (Godspell, Mamma Mia!) will star as Richard Collier and Elise McKenna in Portland Center Stage's (PCS) upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Producers announced today that three-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch (9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) will star in Portland Center Stage's (PCS) upcoming world-premiere production of the new musical Somewhere in Time, based on the novel by renowned author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come) and the subsequent hit film starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Tickets for PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES on Broadway are now on sale via Telecharge.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES announced today that an exclusive presale offer will be extended through MasterCard Priceless New York prior to availability to the general public. Tickets will be available exclusively to MasterCard card holders beginning Wednesday, December 26, 2012, through Tuesday, January 8, 2013. This presale will be followed by a Gilt City presale from January 9-13, 2013, for MasterCard cardholders only. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, January 14, 2013.

One family faces the music as Geva Theatre Center's 40th Anniversary Season continues with Next to Normal with music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and directed by Scott Schwartz. This landmark musical begins performances on January 8 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through February 10.

Bo Bice, the singer best known for his appearances on AMERICAN IDOL, is set to make his Broadway debut in PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, reports The New York Times today.

On Thursday, December 13, the upcoming musical stage adaptation of Richard Matheson's acclaimed novel and Universal Pictures film SOMEWHERE IN TIME will be presented at a private industry reading in midtown Manhattan.

Abby Lee, David B. Brode and Executive Producer Tom Viertel just announced that the hit 1982 Tony nominated Best Musical PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will return to Broadway this spring at a theatre to be announced. Conceived and written by the original company, John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Tony Award winner Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES will be presented in a new production with direction and musical staging by Tony Award winner John Doyle.

Singing knights, flying cows and a killer rabbit are just a few things you can expect from Spamalot, the Tony Award winning musical that has landed in DC at the Warner Theatre. Silliness abounds in this show, which is based on the 1975 movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

As an avowed Monty Python fan, it was with much anticipation that I looked forward to finally getting the opportunity to see SPAMALOT. Unfortunately, this hodgepodge of scenes cobbled from the cult film (although admittedly, it is a very large cult) Monty Python and the Holy Grail, failed to fully engage me. In fact, it's the additional elements that book writer and Python member Eric Idle includes, along with a couple of fresh songs he's written with frequent collaborator John Du Prez, that really standout in this dubious homage. But, a game cast put on a fine display nonetheless at the Fox Theatre this past weekend (January 7-9, 2011).