Nell Benjamin News

As the final production of its last full season in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Kalita Humphreys Theater, Dallas Theater Center proudly presents the world premiere of Sarah, Plain and Tall, based on the Newbery Award-winning novella by Patricia MacLachlan.

American Theatre Wing presented the 2009 Jonathan Larson Grants on Tuesday, March 17 at Touch 240 West 52nd Street, NYC (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue).

THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will play eight performances at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando March 10 - 15, 2009. Tickets range from $38.00 to $67.00 and go on sale Friday, January 23 at 10:00a.m. at the SunTrust Broadway Across America - Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787.Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

Tickets are on-sale now and may be purchased at the Orpheum Box Office from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, David-Kidd Booksellers, and all Ticketmaster locations. Charge by phone (901) 525-3000 or go online at www.orpheum-memphis.com. Tickets range from $15-$80. Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take 'no' for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone more 'serious,' Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

LIKE, OMIGOD! Broadway's biggest pink hit LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is totally coming to the Civic Center! In its first national tour, LEGALLY BLONDE is coming to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines Feb. 24 to March 1, 2009 as part of the Willis Broadway Series. ELLE'S LOUNGE Enjoy an exclusive VIP experience with the Elle's Lounge package. It includes: premium seating, autographed program, Legally Blonde merchandise, and an exclusive post-performance Q&A with cast members. The cost is $125 per ticket. Quantities are limited.

LIKE, OMIGOD! Broadway's biggest pink hit LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is totally coming to the Civic Center! In its first national tour, LEGALLY BLONDE is coming to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines Feb. 24 to March 1, 2009 as part of the Willis Broadway Series. ELLE'S LOUNGE Enjoy an exclusive VIP experience with the Elle's Lounge package. It includes: premium seating, autographed program, Legally Blonde merchandise, and an exclusive post-performance Q&A with cast members. The cost is $125 per ticket. Quantities are limited.

Laura Bell Bundy, who originated the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway hit musical Legally Blonde, will be signing copies of the 'Legally Blonde' soundtrack at Books-A-Million, 1201 Main St. in the Houston Pavilions next Thursday, February 19 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Come on down and meet this talented, Tony Award-nominated musical gem!

THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will play eight performances at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando March 10 - 15, 2009. Tickets range from $38.00 to $67.00 and go on sale Friday, January 23 at 10:00a.m. at the SunTrust Broadway Across America - Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. To charge-by-phone call 1-800-982-2787.Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling (407) 423-9999 x17 or (800) 950-4647.

Laura Bell Bundy, who originated the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway hit musical Legally Blonde, will be signing copies of the 'Legally Blonde' soundtrack at Books-A-Million, 1201 Main St. in the Houston Pavilions next Thursday, February 19 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Come on down and meet this talented, Tony Award-nominated musical gem!

Tickets are on-sale now and may be purchased at the Orpheum Box Office from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, David-Kidd Booksellers, and all Ticketmaster locations. Charge by phone (901) 525-3000 or go online at www.orpheum-memphis.com. Tickets range from $15-$80. Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take 'no' for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone more 'serious,' Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

The American Theatre Wing today announced the recipients of the 2009 Jonathan Larson? Grants. The grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers, help to continue Tony Award-winning composer Jonathan Larson's dream of infusing musical theatre with a contemporary, joyful, urban vitality.

Theatre Under The Stars announced today that LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL begins performances at The Hobby Center for Performing Arts in downtown Houston, February 10 - 22, 2009!

Multi-award winning Foothill Music Theatre presents the hilarious Off-Broadway musical comedy hit, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. This campy, off-the-wall parody inspired by a supermarket tabloid story of a half-boy, half-bat keeps both tongue and fang firmly in cheek. The exuberant score mixes rock, Broadway, gospel, and country music in a smart, witty, self-aware comical confection. Award-winning director Jay Manley helms this fabulous cult hit with musical direction by Spencer Williams, and choreography by Andrew Ceglio (also the production's star). The talented cast of BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL includes Andrew Ceglio as both Bat Boy and the production choreographer (credits include Pippin at Foothill Music Theatre, Marquee Productions at Childrens Musical Theater San Jose, Theater on San Pedro, and Forever Plaid at Cabrillo Stage as director and choreographer); Kateri McRae returns to the Foothill stage as Bat Boy's young love, Shelley (previously seen as Mae in Foothill Music Theatre's The Pajama Game, other credits include Broadway By the Bay and the Palo Alto Players); Ariel Buck as Shelley's mother and Bat Boy's tutor (credits include North Shore Music Theatre, MA, Marquee Productions at CMSTSJ, and an international tour with Tokyo Disney Sea); Tim Reynolds as the veterinarian, Dr. Parker (credits include Bobby in Company at Foothill Music Theatre, and roles at TheatreWorks and Broadway By the Bay); Todd Wright returns to Foothill as the Sherriff (previous roles include Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Mr. Hasler in The Pajama Game and numerous roles with the Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival). Also featured in the cast of BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL are David Cates, RaMond Thomas, Michael Rhone, Sarah B. Griner, and Monique Hafen in rotating roles as the various citizens of Hope Falls, West Virigina.

Multi-award winning Foothill Music Theatre presents the hilarious Off-Broadway musical comedy hit, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. This campy, off-the-wall parody inspired by a supermarket tabloid story of a half-boy, half-bat keeps both tongue and fang firmly in cheek. The exuberant score mixes rock, Broadway, gospel, and country music in a smart, witty, self-aware comical confection. Award-winning director Jay Manley helms this fabulous cult hit with musical direction by Spencer Williams, and choreography by Andrew Ceglio (also the production's star). BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL plays February 27 (press opening February 28, 8pm & March 1, 2pm) through March 22, 2009 at the Lohman Theatre at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For tickets ($18-26) and information, the public may visit www.foothillmusicals.com, or phone the box office at 650 949-7360. Called 'exuberant, campy fun' by the San Francisco Chronicle, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL, ripped from the headlines of The Weekly World News tabloid, is a dark but whimsical parable on the secret desires and depravities of a small West Virginia town. While visiting the caves outside of Hope Falls, West Virginia, three young explorers find a bat-boy hiding among the caverns. The local sheriff, unsure of what to do with the dangerous captive, who could be connected to the strange illness killing off the local cows, takes the bat-boy to the veterinarian. While the townspeople clamor for his destruction, Bat Boy, who is taken in by the veterinarian and his family, learns to read, speak, and even fall in love. A wickedly slick satire that spoofs convention, BAT BOY chronicles the struggles of a boy with fangs who just wants to be loved. The show premiered at Tim Robbins' Actors Gang Theatre on October 31, 1997, and has since been produced Off-Broadway, in London's West End, at the Edinburgh Festival and in scores of productions throughout the world. The New York Times declared, 'It's remarkable what intelligent wit can accomplish, even within an outlandish frame,' of this Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for Best Off-Broadway Musical.

BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL plays February 27 (press opening February 28, 8pm & March 1, 2pm) through March 22, 2009 at the Lohman Theatre at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For tickets ($18-26) and information, the public may visit www.foothillmusicals.com, or phone the box office at 650 949-7360.

The announcement was made yesterday that Becky Gulsvig has broken her toe and will be out for 6 weeks and that Laura Bell Bundy & Lauren Ashley Zakrin will be alternating in the role of Elle during Becky's recovery, which includes the St. Louis engagement at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from January 20-February 1.

As BroadwayWorld first reported and broke the story on this past Saturday evening, the star of the national tour of LEGALLY BLONDE Becky Gulsvig, who has received rave reviews for her performance as Elle Woods across the country, sustained a broken toe following the performance on Thursday, January 8th and will be out of the show for the next six weeks.

BroadwayWorld.com has confirmed the news that Laura Bell Bundy will be briefly returning to the role of Elle Woods, taking over the part on tour, temporarily replacing Becky Gulsvig who has broken a toe. Bundy is currently flying to Washington, DC, the tour's current stop through tomorrow and will begin performances on January 13, 2009 in East Lansing, Michigan, the tour's next stop. The length of her stay has not yet been revealed.

Excess volume, perkiness and hype can't disguise the vapid book and mindless score of this cheesy musical adaptation of a beloved movie that may have been bright pink on the outside but was always true blue in its heart

Upright Cabaret producers/hosts Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel proudly present Broadway star and Los Angeles native Eden Espinosa in her first solo effort entitled EDEN ESPINOSA - ME to be directed by Broadway & recording star Billy Porter with Ben Toth taking over Music Direction. During the last month of Wicked's run at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, where she is currently starring as Elphaba, Espinosa will take off the green to perform four solo concerts which will feature a different special guest each night. Special guests T.B.A.