Natalie Portman News

Creative writing students ages 12 to 16 from Long Island¹s Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the acclaimed summer arts day camp whose alumni include Natalie Portman, Mariah Carey, Jane Monheit, Taylor Dayne, Jackie Hoffman and Broadway playwright Michele Lowe, have joined for the third season with students of the same age from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Summer Youth Program in a unique two-week joint workshop through July 31.

Saturday matinees for RUTHLESS! The Musical will begin at 1:30 PM effective August 1st at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46 Street (just west of Eighth Ave.)

This gala opening night performance, hosted by Natalie Portman and featuring Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, airs on THIRTEEN's Great Performances, tonight, July 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS. (Check local listings.)

The Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed production of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE will play in select movie houses across North America, beginning August 19.

Romance was in the air at last night's opening of RUTHLESS! off-Broadway. 

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL just opened Off-Broadway last night, July 13th at St. Luke's Theatre. Book and lyrics for RUTHLESS! are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. When THE BAD SEED meets GYPSY it's fun for the whole dysfunctional family! Tina Denmark is a pretty, charming and diabolical eight-year-old who 'was born to entertain.' With the encouragement of slick and overbearing potential agent Sylvia St. Croix, Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play. The question is, where does such remarkable talent and unstoppable ambition come from? The answer is shocking in this award-winning Stage Mother of all musicals. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the opening night after party below!

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL just opened Off-Broadway last night, July 13th at St. Luke's Theatre. Book and lyrics for RUTHLESS! are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird.  When THE BAD SEED meets GYPSY it's fun for the whole dysfunctional family! Tina Denmark is a pretty, charming and diabolical eight-year-old who 'was born to entertain.' With the encouragement of slick and overbearing potential agent Sylvia St. Croix, Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play. The question is, where does such remarkable talent and unstoppable ambition come from? The answer is shocking in this award-winning Stage Mother of all musicals. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the opening night theatre arrivals below!

Syfy's critically-acclaimed time-travel thriller 12 Monkeys will commence Season 2 production on July 14 in Toronto, Canada.

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL opens Off-Broadway tonight, July 13th at St. Luke's Theatre. Book and lyrics for RUTHLESS! are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He will once again serve as director of the newest incarnation ofRUTHLESS!, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

The entire company of Ruthless! The Musical will join host Bernadette Peters at the 17th annual Broadway Barks fundraiser today, July 11th at 5 PM in Shubert Alley.

In its on-going effort to share the joy of dance with a wider audience, the 2015 Summer Intensive Program at American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School is pleased to announce that its Master Classes will be open to observers. Leading Master Classes will be Broadway dancer Michael Mindlin, New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan, and Sarah Hay, a soloist with Semperoper Dresden Ballet. All three received their early training at Princeton Ballet School.

The entire company of Ruthless! The Musical will join host Bernadette Peters at the 17th annual Broadway Barks fundraiser this Saturday, July 11th at 5 PM in Shubert Alley.

As usual, Jennifer Ashley Tepper puts the history of musical theatre into perfect perspective.

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL is set to open Off-Broadway Monday, July 13th at St. Luke's Theatre. Preview performances began on June 25th. Book and lyrics for RUTHLESS! are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He will once again serve as director of the newest incarnation ofRUTHLESS!, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL entertained the crowd on Fran Drescher's New York Harbor cruise to kick off Gay Pride Week last Sunday, June 21st. A benefit for Cancer Schmancer, the floating party was held aboard the Hornblower Hybrid. Patti LuPone joined the festivities immediately following her matinee of SHOWS FOR DAYS along with other celebrity guests including Thomas Roberts, Patti Stanger, Jill Zarin, Peter Marc Jacobson, and Ann Hampton Callaway.

Lea DeLaria talks Tony snubs and TV superstardom!

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp, announces that Lauren Brandt Schloss will become Usdan¹s third Executive Director this fall. She will be Usdan¹s first female Executive and the first whose background is in the visual arts. Ms. Schloss will join the staff in June following her tenure as Executive Vice President at New York¹s Studio in a School and her previous position as Director of Education at the Queens Museum. She will succeed Dale Lewis, who following 36 years at Usdan will be leaving in September to direct the new Arts Reach Fund at Long Island Community Foundation.

By any standard, John Williams is one of the greatest film composers of all time; his 49 Academy Award nominations are second only to Walt Disney himself.  And Williams and Walt Disney Concert Hall have gone hand in hand since Williams opened the Hall's inaugural gala in 2003 with the world premiere of his concert work 'Soundings.'  

Rehearsals began June 2nd for the all-new production of RUTHLESS! The Musical. Broadway lovers (and haters) rejoice, because the funniest and bloodiest musical about what it takes to make a child a star is returning to Off-Broadway! RUTHLESS! is set to begin performances June 25th at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theater District, with the official Opening Night on Monday, July 13th. Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley and music byMarvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He will once again serve as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as musical supervisor as well.

The Jewish Museum will present the first museum exhibition focused on Isaac Mizrahi, the influential American fashion designer, artist, and entrepreneur.