Paul Williams News

'Mad Men' star Vincent Kartheiser and Broadway's Larry Pine (CASA VALENTINA) play Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, respectively, in BILLY & RAY, Mike Bencivenga's new play -- directed by the legendary director/writer/producer Garry Marshall. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos of Marshall and Bencivenga, as taken on opening night, in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride!

Any visit by celebrated chanteuse Barb Jungr to a New York cabaret stage or theatre is a cause for jubilation. Slightly less than a year since she rocked 59E59 with her week long run of Dancing In the Dark, Jungr was back on that stage with a new show based on her recently released, highly-acclaimed CD, Hard Rain: The Songs of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen. But where Dancing In the Dark was Jungr's introspective take on some classic pop songs (including some Dylan and Cohen), her Hard Rain set is truly dark and Jungr doesn't apologize for that. In fact, often during this collection of songs written by two of pop music's foremost dark poets of the soul (with stirring arrangements by Jungr and her CD Producer Simon Wallace), Jungr readily admits the set is depressing because her intent was to focus on Dylan and Cohen songs that were at once powerful, personal, political, philosophical, and often prophetic.

Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack and the original score by Gustavo Santaolalla for the film, The Book of Life. The original film soundtrack is available now digitally and will be released on CD today, October 27.

Featuring a catchy, swinging score and an abundance of tongue- in-cheek humor, Bugsy Malone Jr. is good, clean, comedic fun. The second show in The Rose's Teens 'N' Theater season runs Nov. 1 - 2, 2014, and features 22 Omaha area students in an energetic musical that pokes fun at 1920s gangster flicks.

Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack and the original score by Gustavo Santaolalla for the film, The Book of Life.

VH Theatrical Development Foundation proudly announces the Off-Broadway premiere of THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAVEN, a new play by acclaimed author Laura Pedersen, directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser. THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAVEN will be performed tonight, October 16th through Sunday, December 14th at the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street, Manhattan). The Press Opening is Sunday, October 26th, 2014 at 3PM.

Chosen by the press as a 'Favorite Play of 2012' when first presented at Provincetown Theater, Reasons To Live will now make its West Coast debut in Los Angeles at the Skylight Theatre. Two like-minded theatre companies join together to present this thought provoking comedy on overcoming adversity.

When Gaston Leroux published THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA back in 1911, little did he realize the numerous chandeliers that would come crashing down through the decades, and I've witnessed a good number of them. First, in 1925, there was 'the Man of a Thousand Faces,' Lon Chaney, Sr., who frightened poor Mary Philbin (a well-done version, even IF the film was silent); then, for Universal in 1941, Claude Rains (Bette Davis' favorite co-star) was a more subdued vocal coach for soprano Susanna Foster (a wooden Nelson Eddy, alas, is a greater impending horror as 'Raoul'). I could go on - even Herbert Lom, the actor who was the harried police superior to Peter Sellers' 'Inspector Clousseau,' took a swing on the old light fixture. (And let us not forget diminutive Paul Williams in the slightly askew PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE.) All of these pale, of course, in comparison to the legendary interpretation by Michael Crawford in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which first brought the audience to its feet in 1986.

Oprah sits down with seven-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette in an all-new episode of 'Super Soul Sunday' airing today, September 21 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the first production in its 2014-2015 season with the Tony Award-winning GOOD PEOPLE, written by David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Fuddy Meers) and directed by Jeff Maynard (Broadway Bound, Boeing-Boeing). GOOD PEOPLE will feature Katie MacNichol, Anne Gee Byrd, Gigi Bermingham, Wyatt Fenner, Sophina Brown and Martin Kildare.

Oprah sits down with seven-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette in an all-new episode of "Super Soul Sunday" airing this Sunday, September 21 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Today we are thrilled to be the very first to review the new duets album from legendary stage and screen icon Barbra Streisand, PARTNERS.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the first production in its 2014-2015 season with the Tony Award-winning GOOD PEOPLE, written by David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Fuddy Meers) and directed by Jeff Maynard (Broadway Bound, Boeing-Boeing). GOOD PEOPLE will feature Katie MacNichol, Anne Gee Byrd, Gigi Bermingham, Wyatt Fenner, Sophina Brown and Martin Kildare.

Those confirmed to receive this prestigious accolade are ASCAP members Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Stephen Sondheim and Stevie Wonder.

A fully-loaded collector's edition Blu-ray/DVD combo back of Brian De Palma's celebrated cult rock movie musical PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is out today.

Variety just premiered a love song composer, singer-songwriter, director and actor Paul Williams wrote for the late, great Elaine Stritch last year after watching her documentary ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME. It's called 'Looking for Love in the Dark', and you can listen to it HERE!

A who's who of Hollywood's music elite is coming out to play with Michael Feinstein at the Pasadena POPS' August 16th Hooray for Hollywood concert, presented in partnership with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) at the LA Arboretum. Four of ASCAP's top film composers and lyricists will perform their hit music with the POPS: Alan Bergman ('Windmills of Your Mind,' with Marilyn Bergman and co-written with Michel Legrand, 1968 Oscar winner from The Thomas Crown Affair), Michael Giacchino (music from Up, winner of the 2010 Oscar for best original score), Bruce Broughton (music from Silverado, 1986 Oscar nominee for best original score) and Paul Williams ('Evergreen,' co-written with Barbra Streisand, 1976 Oscar winner from A Star Is Born).

The organizers of ¡VivaFest!, San Jose's Latino destination festival, announced today its 2014 schedule.

The Board of Directors and Artistic Director, David Leidholdt, have announced the Millbrook Premiere of Happy Days with music by Paul Williams, based on the book by Garry Marshall, on the Ryan Main Stage tonight, June 27th.

The Board of Directors and Artistic Director, David Leidholdt, have announced the Millbrook Premiere of Happy Days with music by Paul Williams, based on the book by Garry Marshall, on the Ryan Main Stage this Friday, June 27th.