The invitation proclaimed An Evening of Pure Joy and the Barrington Stage Company's NYC Benefit held at The Friars Club last night surpassed all expectations. A star studded roster from the BSC actors bench filled the Friars Club with song as Tony Award Winning Composer/Lyricist William Finn presented Joe Iconis with the William Finn Award for Innovation and Excellence in Musical Theatre. Julianne Boyd, artistic director and founder of Barrington Stage Company, Mary Ann Quinson, Board Chair, and Marita O'Dea Glodt, opened the evenings festivities. The SRO guests in the legendary Friars Club were entertained by BSC performers, Jennette Bayardelle, Allison Blackwell, Ellen Harvey, Lauren Marcus, Kyle Dean Massey, Jeff McCarthy, Anastasia Mccluskey, Anne L. Nathan, Will Roland, Scarlett Strallen, Will Swenson,Jason Sweetooth Williams,Eric William Morris, and Stephanie Umoh. Musical direction was by Darren Cohen.
Last night Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle performed her cabaret show titled Frances Ruffelle Live(S) in New York at The Green Room 42 and there was no doubt the audience was ecstatic this Englishwoman, Broadway and West End star lives in New York. The produces of the show promised a widely entertaining ride straight through the core of the most tender hear, fiery passion and loose comic confidence of a seasoned performer at the height of her game and they were spot on with that prediction. Francis created the iconic role of Eponine in Les Miserables and turned On My Own into one of Broadway's most beloved standards. She has made 5 solo albums and has performed countless West End Shows including her most recent critically acclaimed performance as Queenie in the U.K. Premiere of Michael LaChusa's infamous Wild Party .
Just last night, the Drama League honored Steve Martin - whose prolific body of work has earned him an Academy Award, five Grammy Awards, an Emmy, the Mark Twain Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors - at its fall gala at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue).
Monty Hall could not have offered a more spectacular deal. Four women had the right price and were the top bidders at last year's Primary Stages Gala's Silent Auction. As a result, Tony Award-Winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley came through door #1 at Jamie deRoy's apartment and sang at a private party organized by the winners . Jamie, Catherine Adler, Paula Kaminsky Davis and Christina Rose.
Even If you have premium seating at a Broadway musical or nightclub you still will not be able to feel that the beautiful girl with the spectacular voice performing on stage is singing just for you, and in your living room! Laura Osnes at Cafe Carlyle last night was acting and singing a few feet away from all of us in The Carlyle's legendary living room with her show called Cockeyed Optimists and as they say, you had to see it to believe it . Together with Ted Sperling and Laura's special guest Ryan Silverman they created The World of Rodgers and Hammerstein and it probably would be nominated for a Tony Award if it were in a theatre. The lucky audience that got to be up close and personal with Broadway royalty in Cafe Carlyle were at times overwhelmed with the beauty of the music being made by these three artists, who possess many theatre awards between them. So if you can join them, like all good hosts they are going to make sure there's plenty of good food, wine and conversation during your visit. You will even get to give them a hug and say goodnight to Laura, Ted, and Ryan after the show.
The Tony Award winner (The Sisters Rosensweig) Madeline Kahn was lovingly remembered on what would have been her 75th Birthday by some of her show business friends at the Friars last night and Broadwayworld was there.
Photographs of America's most treasured composers are on the walls of the Friars Club. By some oversight David Friedman's is not. After an evening of David and friends performing his music he will take his rightful place among the music greats who have had their music echo through the hallowed rooms of the club.
CAGNEY The Musical has played to sold out audiences for 473 performances at the West Side Theatre in New York City. The big question posed to enterprising producer Riki Kane Larimer at the closing night celebration was 'where will Broadway's Robert Creighton, (in the role he was born to play) and cast be bringing the story of James Cagney to next?'
Broadway Producer and three time Tony Award winner Jamie deRoy held her annual Jamie deRoy & friends Tony Award show last night and the Red Carpet was rolled out at Birdland for the star studded event. Jamie's fans and friends had their cell phone cameras at the ready as one by one Jamie introduced her award-winning cast which included, Chuck Cooper (The Life) Penny Fuller (Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret), Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, In the Heights), Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) with special guest, Patti Cohenour (War Paint, The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Doreen Montalvo (On Your Feet, In the Heights) and Paulo Szot (South Pacific) with Billy Stritch.
Tony Award-nominee Norm Lewis, off-Broadway's newest Sweeney Todd, to spend Friday evening, April 28th at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street.
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chairman of The Actors Fund and Joe Benincasa it's CEO came to Palm Beach for the the 8th Annual Heart & Soul Gala which was started by Anka Palitz. Anka, for the past 20+ years has been the FundraIsing Chair of CTFD. BroadwayWorld was at the event which honored philanthropist Sydell Miller. Marcelo Gomes received the organizations Dance Award, and the capacity crowd at The Breakers were entertained by Liz Callaway and local Palm Beach dancers.
Show business tour de force Jamie deRoy brings her star-packed Jamie deRoy & friends cabaret show to New York's famed Birdland, Sunday, October 16, at 6 p.m.
Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director JuliAnne Boyd and Managing Director TriStan Wilson, hosted its annual New York City Benefit, BSC In NYC last night to celebrate the acclaimed BSC Musical Theatre Lab and honor its co-founder and Artistic Producer William Finn and Broadwayworld was there.
Horton Foote's The Roads To Home opened last night at the Cherry Lane Theatre and Broadwayworld was there for the festivities. The Roads To Home is a Primary Stages production in association with Catherine Adler and Jamie deRoy. It's run has been extended throughSunday, November 27, 2016.
The Dozen Divas (Dorothy Bishop) performed at at the Metropolitan Room last night and Broadwayworld was there. This was a special show to celebrate the birthday of Sandra McFarland and all the divas present came wrapped up in one person: international performer and 'America's Got Talent' finalist Dorothy Bishop.
Together with a band of the most exciting musicians in NYC, David Yazbek performed songs from his albums and shows- old, new and at Feinstein's/54 Below last night and BroadwayWorld was there.
Last night, May 2, 2016, The New York Pops celebrated its 33rd birthday with a grand gala evening celebrating the revolutionary collaborations of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, the songwriting team behind LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon, and more. Serving as Honorary Co-Chairs for the event were musical theatre legends Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Patti LuPone. BroadwayWorld takes you inside the dinner following the show below!
If this Jamie deRoy 25th Anniversary Show was competing against some of those great Ed Sullivan variety episodes it would have been no contest. First of all, Jamie knows how to give an introduction, is an entertainer herself, and the best in entertainment business sign up to be in a Jamie deRoy & friends show . The Actors Fund presented this 40th annual 30th Jamie Birthday show and it was truly a spectacular event with some of the most talented performers on the stage at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at the john Jay College of Criminal Justice. The only crime last night was that the event wasn't televised live but I'm sure excerpts will be available on Jamie's cable TV show and through the facilities of The Actors Fund.
The Drama League welcomes Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, Tony Award nominee Marin Mazzie, and lauded director Diane Paulus to the roster of special guest performers for The Drama League Centennial Gala, celebrating the organization's 100 years of service tonight, November 2, 2015.
