Paul Jabara News

Midnight at The Never Get, the award-winning and critically-acclaimed musical hit of last summer's New York Musical Festival, will enjoy its New England premiere this summer, a co-production of Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) and Dustin Sparks Productions.

Midnight at The Never Get, the award-winning and critically-acclaimed musical hit of last summer's New York Musical Festival, will enjoy its New England premiere this summer, a co-production of Visceral Entertainment (Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka) and Dustin Sparks Productions.

Should we call it "Linda and Maria Explain it All?" They certainly do in their performance of "What the Hell is Cabaret?!", to be performed four times in the coming weeks at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd Street.

On March 13, Paul Jabara's campy cult musical Rachael Lily Rosenbloom...and don't you ever forget it! came to Feinstein's/54 Below. Bonnie Milligan played the title role at this concert production. Watch her sing 'Dear Miss Streisand!'

Don't Tell Mama is very pleased to announce that an additional performance of the new cabaret show Love Letter: Joe Iconis & Lauren Marcus do Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash has been added due to overwhelming demand. In addition to tonight's fully booked 7:30pm performance, the couple will perform the show on Saturday March 25th at 3pm.

This March, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. Scroll down for details!

The papers called it 'the first intentionally campy musical in Broadway history' and 'Broadway's first disco musical,' but Paul Jabara's Rachael Lily Rosenbloom... and don't you ever forget it! packed her bags after only 7 previews at the Broadhurst in 1973.

There's no easy way to talk about a performance ostensibly thrown in honor of a presidential candidate who didn't end up winning. Let's be clear: Randy Rainbow's ELECTION EVE PARTY held on Monday, night at Birdland wasn't exactly a non-partisan event. The performers dropped more 'I'm With Her' references than at an actual Clinton rally, and the party likely could've sustained itself on Rainbow's viral parodies alone.

When preparing to watch Lorna Luft perform in concert, it is impossible not to feel nostalgic about her late mother, the legendary Judy Garland. Perhaps no one is more aware of this conundrum than Luft herself. And yet, at her return engagement to Feinstein's/54 Below on June 22 (the opening of a three-show run) performing a show celebrating Gay Pride Month, Luft managed to pay homage to both her mother's influence on herself as well as her enduring cultural impact, while also reminding audiences why she's had staying power in this industry in her own right. And yes, there was a juicy Judy story or two.

Fresh from her stint as Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago, Rumer Willis and her "nonsexual life partner" Tye Blue took Feinstein's/54 Below by storm with Homage, their soulful and decidedly jazzy cabaret show. Thoroughly enjoying their New York City cabaret debuts, the talented duo had no high concept for the evening. "We're not trying to reinvent cabaret," Blue said. They sang the songs they love to sing in the car when driving around Los Angeles together. As eye rolling and groan inducing as this concept may sound, it must be noted that this simplicity ensured that each and every number had the enthusiastic audience energized and left them applauding and cheering with abandon.

 Merged Work Productions (Lead Producers) and Jack Thomas (Executive Producer) announced today that music-world icons and television stars Steven Van Zandt and Paul Shaffer, along with Maureen Van Zandt and Joe Grano (Jersey Boys), have joined the Broadway-bound musical Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story as lead producers.  It was also announced that Mr. Van Zandt will serve as the show's musical director.  Piece of My Heart will open on Broadway in 2016. 

The cast of the Walnut Street Theatre's production of 'Grease' created a music video to pay tribute to the city of Philadelphia - the birthplace of America and home of the oldest theatre in the country - just in time for Independence Day! Directed and choreographed by Adolpho Blaire, who plays Roger in the production, the video takes viewers on a tour of some of the most famous sites in the city of Brotherly Love including Love Park, Independence Hall, the 'Rocky Steps' at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and even backstage at the 204 year old Theatre. The cast goes sightseeing and eventually dances through the streets to a disco-crazed version of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' by Paul Jabara. The original tune, incidentally, was sung by George M. Cohan himself in 1904 at the Walnut Street Theatre in 'Little Johnny Jones' before it's opening on Broadway. Click below to watch the video!

Over the course of 2012, BroadwayWorld's Pat Cerasaro interviewed many among the best and brightest of stage and screen. Whether you missed an interview the first time around or just want to look back at some of the stars' insights, take a look back at 2012's InDepth InterViews below!

Anything Barbra Streisand-related is well worth attending (are you kidding?!), and on Friday, October 5, there was an invited dress rehearsal on the Temple University campus in the Liacouras Center as Barbra Streisand: BACK TO BROOKLYN got its feet wet for the first time in front of about a thousand people.

The York Theatre Company, in association with Robert D. Wachs, presents the developmental lab of the new disco musical, Last Dance, featuring songs by the legendary Academy, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning pop master Paul Jabara (Enough is Enough, It's Raining Men, Last Dance, and more) with book by Shaun McKenna (Lord of the Rings, The Musical). Get a first look at the cast onstage below!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), in association with Robert D. Wachs (producer of the hit films Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America), will mount a lab workshop of the new disco "revue-sical," Last Dance featuring the music of legendary pop master Paul Jabara (Enough is Enough, It's Raining Men, Last Dance, and more) with book by Shaun McKenna (Lord of the Rings, The Musical). Last Dance will play 5 performances tonight, September 20 - 23, 2012 at at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), in association with Robert D. Wachs (producer of the hit films Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America), present the developmental lab of the new disco musical, Last Dance, featuring songs by the legendary Academy, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning pop master Paul Jabara (Enough is Enough, It's Raining Men, Last Dance, and more) with book by Shaun McKenna (Lord of the Rings, The Musical).

Today we are focusing a super-special spotlight on one of the Fall's most intriguing musical entries trying out in New York, the York Theatre Company's lab mounting of the new Paul Jabara jukebox musical LAST DANCE, by talking to the show's lead, recognizable TV and film star Rob Morrow, and the show's lead producer, noted comedic shepherd and filmmaker Robert D. Wachs, whom filled me in on all aspects of the show in a comprehensive chat late last week just prior to this week's start of rehearsals. In this all-encompassing conversation, Morrow, Wachs and I discuss the genesis of the new disco-themed musical celebrating the life and career of Jabara, the accomplished Emmy, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer of Broadway shows (RACHAEL LILY ROSENBLOOM… AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT), movie songs ("Last Dance" from THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY; the titular "The Main Event") and numerous pop/rock/disco hits, such as "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls, Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer's epic disco duet "Enough Is Enough (No More Tears)" and his many solo hits, as well as the finer points of the story, concept, casting and the ultimate goals of the new Philip William McKinley-directed production, which features a book by Shaun McKenna. Additionally, Morrow and Wachs each generously share showbiz tales from their storied careers involving such big names as Eddie Murphy, Michael Bennett, Jonathan Larson, Tony Scott and many more and both copiously convey their infectious enthusiasm for the forthcoming fully-produced lab presentation of the new musical that will play for five performances beginning September 20 as they prepare for its first viewing before a paying audience. All of that and much, much more awaits!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), in association with Robert D. Wachs (producer of the hit films Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America), presents the developmental lab production of the new disco musical, Last Dance, featuring songs by the legendary Academy, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning pop master Paul Jabara (Enough is Enough, It's Raining Men, Last Dance, and more) with book by Shaun McKenna (Lord of the Rings, The Musical). Under the direction of Philip Wm. McKinley (SPIDERMAN Turn Off the Dark, The Boy from Oz), and with choreography by Carol Schuberg (Meet Me in St. Louis) and musical direction by Wendy Cavett (Mamma Mia!), the five-member cast also features Katrina Lenk (SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark), Anastacia McClesky (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) EmmyAward nominee Rob Morrow ("Northern Exposure," "Numb3rs"), Jack Noseworthy (Jerome Robbins' Broadway) and Jill Shackner (Les Miserables). Last Dance will play 5 performances only, September 20 - 23, 2012 at at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the first rehearsal below!

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), in association with Robert D. Wachs has announced final casting with the addition of Katrina Lenk (SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark) and Anastacia McClesky (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) to the cast of the developmental lab of the new disco musical, Last Dance, featuring songs by the legendary Academy, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning pop master Paul Jabara (Enough is Enough, It's Raining Men, Last Dance, and more) with book by Shaun McKenna (Lord of the Rings, The Musical).