Orson Bean News

South Coast Repertory presents the world premiere of Noah Haidle's Smokefall, a co-production with Goodman Theatre in Chicago, directed by Obie Award-winning director Anne Kauffman. Smokefall is a cornerstone of this year's Pacific Playwrights Festival. Performances on the Segerstrom Stage run March 29-April 28. Tickets are available online: www.scr.org.

Broadway World TV's own Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans of the JLE Media Group were on the red carpet at the January 15th opening of Cathy Rigby is PETER PAN at Hollywood's legendary Pantages Theatre. Check out the video below.

Laguna Playhouse presents the third show of their 2012-2013 season, PLAID TIDINGS, written and directed by Stuart Ross. The cast of PLAID TIDINGS will feature William Martinez as Frankie, Scott Dreier as Smudge, David Brannen as Sparky and Ciaran McCarthy as Jinx. PLAID TIDINGS will preview tonight, November 27; Wednesday, November 28; Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, December 30, 2012 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

ION Television is 'Your Home for the Holidays' offering viewers a reason to be jolly with 13 festive flicks that are sure to spread cheer. Beginning November 25th, every Sunday night throughout the month of December, ION Television will premiere one of five all-new ION original movies featuring notable actors including Christopher Lloyd (BACK TO THE FUTURE), George Wendt (CHEERS), Catherine Hicks (7th Heaven), Briana Evigan (STEP UP 2: THE STREETS) and many more.

Laguna Playhouse presents the third show of their 2012-2013 season, PLAID TIDINGS, written and directed by Stuart Ross. The cast of PLAID TIDINGS will feature William Martinez as Frankie, Scott Dreier as Smudge, David Brannen as Sparky and Ciaran McCarthy as Jinx. PLAID TIDINGS will preview on Tuesday, November 27; Wednesday, November 28; Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm and run through Sunday, December 30, 2012 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

This year the "Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement" was presented to Jason Alexander, "A man worthy of the tribute for both his illustrious career and for his support of The Fund over the years," said The Fund's President and CEO, Joe Benincasa. See below for photos from the event!

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ends its successful eight-season run on the ABC Television Network with a splashy two-hour finale event on SUNDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET).

On this Sunday night's episode of ABC's DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES entitled 'She Needs Me', Susan tells Porter that she'll set up a nursery and watch over his and Julie's baby after Lynette firmly tells her son that she will not help raise her future granddaughter.

On this Sunday night's episode of ABC's DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES entitled 'She Needs Me', Susan tells Porter that she'll set up a nursery and watch over his and Julie's baby after Lynette firmly tells her son that she will not help raise her future granddaughter.

Reprise Theatre Company will present An Evening With Joan Rivers for one performance only on Monday, January 30 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Reprise Theatre Company will present An Evening With Joan Rivers for one performance only on Monday, January 30 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

'Next stop, Carmel CA,' announced Betty Buckley as she wrapped a truly spectacular cabaret concert entitled 'AH MEN! The Boys of Broadway' in the historic lobby of the Pantages Theatre. The sold out benefit for The Actors Fund featured 'Many of my favorite songs that I would otherwise never be able to sing on Broadway ... because they were written for men.' Arrangements that included 'I Can See,' 'My Defenses Are Down,' and both the 'Jet Song' and 'Maria' from WESTSIDE STORY, as well as 'Luck Be A Lady,' 'Hey There,' 'Come Back to Me,' and a SWEENY TODD medley. Ms. Buckley introduced a new arrangement that received with wild enthusiasm from the patrons, entitled 'A Hymn to Her' and dedicated to the question, 'Why can't women play famous Broadway roles written for men?' Among the men Buckley credited with influencing her most were the brilliant Russ Tamblyn, the graceful Fred Astaire and the very sexy Gene Kelly. Among those in attendance were colleagues and friends such as Ruta Lee, Alley Mills, Orson Bean, Juliet Mills, Maxwell Caulfield, and fellow TV Mom Marion Ross, among other industry notables like Tony Hoover (Hollywood Red-Line Tours owner), B. Harlan Boll (Publicist/Author/Producer), Patricia Kelly (wife of the late Gene Kelly) and the evening's producers John Bowab and Martin Wiviott.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Patti LuPone 'Gypsy In My Soul' for one performance only tonight at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA.

Reprise Theatre Company presents An Evening With Liz Callaway. It will have one performance only on Monday, September 19 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Patti LuPone 'Gypsy In My Soul' for one performance only on Tuesday, October 4 at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA.

Reprise Theatre Company presents An Evening With Liz Callaway. It will have one performance only on Monday, September 19 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Reprise Theatre Company's production of the classic American musical 'Cabaret,' which opens the 2011-2012 Reprise season and plays September 13 to 25 (press opening September 14, 2011) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, includes a cast of new talents as well as Broadway and West End veterans - Zach Bandler as Ernst Ludwig, Lisa O'Hare as Sally Bowles, Jeff McLean as Cliff Bradshaw, Katrina Lenk as Fräulein Kost, Mary Gordon Murray as Fräulein Schneider, Robert Picardo as Herr Schultz and Bryce Ryness as the Master of Ceremonies.

'Who would have thought that a young boy from Weymouth would become part of such a large family of vagabonds,' remarked Hal Holbrook about the actors and industry professionals that gathered to honor him at the 15th annual TONY Award party in Los Angeles. 'Not all of us have been lucky enough to make a steady income from this profession we love so much. It's nice to know an organization such as the Actors Fund exists to watch our backs, while we concentrate on using our craft to make the world a richer place to live,' added Holbrook just after friend and colleague, Sean Penn, presented the accomplished thespian with the Julie Harris Award. Penn, who directed Holbrook in 'Into The Wild,' said 'Hal always got it in the first take, but you wanted him to do it again, just so you could watch him work.'

Reprise Theatre Company presents Ray Romano Live for one performance only on Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 pm, at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. Ticket sales from Ray Romano Live support Reprise's mission to produce musical theatre of the highest artistic quality and to make this art form accessible to new audiences through education and outreach programs.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Barbara Cook in Concert. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Barbara Cook in Concert is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars and legendary entertainers in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.