Paul Lambert News

Yes, she sings it. And if you've never heard her sing it as a full-fledged, poised, articulate, sexy and self-effacingly humorous adult then you haven't really heard her sing it yet.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to present RON ABEL, one of New York's hottest theatrical composer/arrangers, in a return engagement to the Broadway at Birdland series. This very special concert will take place on Monday, July 29 at 7pm. Joining Ron will be some of his fabulously talented friends (Lucie Arnaz and Valarie Pettiford) for a fun 'raising the roof' evening of entertainment. Abel is hosting this gala for longtime close friend, Richard Aborn, who is running for the office of District Attorney for Manhattan. (Richard is a leading advocate for the gun control movement, police brutality, and many other important issues.)

The legendary songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland will receive the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award on Thursday, June 18 at a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. This is a busy and celebratory year for Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, as they have reunited for the first and only time to write the score for the Broadway-bound musical, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB-A New Musical, which will be presented at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego July 17 through August 23, 2009, with an official opening on July 31.

THE FIRST WIVES CLUB is getting a new wife. For personal reasons, Adriane Lenox will not be a part of the musical production. Tony Award nominee Sheryl Lee Ralph has stepped in to the role of 'Elyse'.

Previews for the world premiere of The First Wives Club - A New Musical are now set to begin July 17, 2009. The schedule was changed to accommodate a revised rehearsal/technical schedule.

Old Globe Executive Producer Lou Spisto is pleased to announce the complete cast and design team for its world premiere of The First Wives Club - A New Musical, as part of the Globe's 2009 Summer Season.

An all-star cast of Ana Gasteyer (Wicked, 'Saturday Night Live'), Carolee Carmello (Mamma, Mia!, Parade), Tony? Award-winner Adriane Lenox (Doubt, Caroline, Or Change), Brad Oscar (The Producers, Jekyll & Hyde), Alton Fitzgerald White (The Lion King, Ragtime), John Dossett (The Constant Wife, Gypsy), Sam Harris (The Producers, The Life) and Sara Chase (Godspell at Paper Mill Playhouse) will star in a reading of the eagerly anticipated Broadway-bound musical FIRST WIVES CLUB this Monday, February 2 in New York City. FIRST WIVES CLUB will have its premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego July 15 through August 23, 2009. The cast for the fully staged production will be announced soon. FIRST WIVES CLUB marks the once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the famous Motown songwriting trio Holland-Dozier-Holland (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland), who created such monumental hits as 'Where Did Our Love Go?,' 'Baby Love' and 'Stop! In The Name of Love' for The Supremes and 'How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved By You)' for Marvin Gaye. These chart-topping legends, who had more airplay than the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Elvis combined, have reunited for this one production.

Recording and stage star Sam Harris has revealed via his 'vlog' that he has joined the workshop for the upcoming musical version of the hit film THE FIRST WIVES CLUB. he'll be playing a new character not found in the movie, he begins rehearsals this week in NYC for the reading. He also hinted that after the Old Globe run of the musical the production team was aiming for an October 2009 bow on Broadway. Sam Harris first shot into the public eye as the 'Star Search' icon and has found success as a Tony-nominated Broadway star for THE LIFE and also as an acclaimed replacement in THE PRODUCERS, a multi-million selling recording artist, a concert touring sell-out in venues all over the country including Carnegie Hall and on television in last years CBS series, 'The Class,' where he was touted by Liz Smith as 'the comedy breakout character of the television season.' Based on the best-selling novel and Hollywood blockbuster of the same name, FIRST WIVES CLUB features music & lyrics by the famous songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland and a book by Tony winner Rupert Holmes (Curtains!, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie). The production will be directed by award winning opera and theatrical director Francesca Zambello (The Little Mermaid for Disney on Broadway, Little House on the Prairie for the Guthrie Theatre, Rebecca at the Vienna Raimund Theatre and Porgy and Bess and the Wagner Ring Cycle at the San Francisco Opera). The popular 1996 Paramount film The First Wives Club - about three divorced women who seek revenge on their former husbands - was based on Olivia Goldsmith's novel and featured a screenplay by Robert Harling. The motion picture grossed over $130 million and boasted a star-studded cast comprising Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton.

Lamont Dozier, part of the famous songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland who is writing the score for the Broadway-bound musical FIRST WIVES CLUB, recently sat down with Billboard to talk about Motown's 50th Anniversary and the upcoming FIRST WIVES CLUB which will premiere at The Old Globe in San Diego July through August 23, 2009.

An invitation-only, closed-door jazz session officially launches the Broadway musical 'Bricktop, Queen of the Night,' (original music and lyrics by Ron Abel and Chuck Steffan) based on the life of Ada 'Bricktop' Smith. The musical is being produced by Paul Lambert, Jonas Neilson and Whoopi Goldberg.

An invitation-only, closed-door jazz session officially launches the Broadway musical 'Bricktop, Queen of the Night,' (original music and lyrics by Ron Abel and Chuck Steffan) based on the life of Ada 'Bricktop' Smith. The musical is being produced by Paul Lambert, Jonas Neilson and Whoopi Goldberg.

Ron Abel, the award-winning composer and arranger, is set to perform his hilarious, unforgettable song, 'All the Good Men are Gay,' at the famous Jazz venue Birdland in New York on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Written with producer Bruce Newberg, Ron will delight the audience with this uproarious melody and perform a bevy of original songs from his musical library.

Ron Abel, the award-winning composer and arranger, is set to perform his hilarious, unforgettable song, 'All the Good Men are Gay,' at the famous Jazz venue Birdland in New York on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Written with producer Bruce Newberg, Ron will delight the audience with this uproarious melody and perform a bevy of original songs from his musical library.

Ron Abel, the award-winning composer and arranger, returns to the famous Jazz venue Birdland in New York on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. for an evening of his spectacular original music and special guest appearances! Ron will perform many of his beloved songs, including his newest showstopper, 'Broadway Blond,' with lyrics by Chuck Steffan. To see some of Ron's sold out performance at the historic Pantages Theater in Los Angeles earlier this year, including stage and television star Joely Fisher performing his classic 'All the Good Men are Gay,' visit here: http://www.hwhpr.com/PR/ron_abel/reel/video.html.

On April 24th, actresses Jessica Hecht, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Amy Brenneman and Kim Raver read excerpts from Hot Flashes, a fictional blog started by writer/producer Mimi Schmir.

Amy Brenneman, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Jessica Hecht are gathering for a special First Wives World live reading of the wildly-popular Internet blog 'Hot Flashes,' a funny, sometimes risqué, but compassionate look at women in the middle of their lives.

The Actors Fund kicked off its third year of intimate Musical Mondays celebrations Monday night in the lobby of Hollywood's Pantages Theatre as Broadway composer and musical director Ron Abel took center stage joined by a handful of all-star friends...

The Broadway-bound musical based on The First Wives Club is gradually coming together, with Francesca Zambello confirmed as director and Rupert Holmes set to pen the book

Variety reports Francesca Zambello is in talks to helm the musical adaptation of the hit film, 'The First Wives Club'

Producer Paul Lambert tells Liz Smith who he has his eye on for the 2006 musical in today's New York Post