Pearl Bailey News

A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine is a musical double feature as hilarious as any presented in Hollywood's heyday.

Over the last 40 years, PHILADANCO (the Philadelphia Dance Company) has grown from a small community arts organization into a world-renowned troupe that mixes African-American cultural traditions with ballet, modern, jazz and other dance forms.

Amas Musical Theatre will host a benefit performance of Tappin' Through Life, An Evening with Maurice Hines on Monday March 1 at 7PM. This wonderful evening will take place at Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and Third Ave).The performance will benefit Amas Theatre and Education Programs.

MetroStage is pleased to welcome Bernardine Mitchell, S. Renee Clark and William Hubbard back to MetroStage to reprise their roles in MetroStage's award-winning production of Mahalia, a gospel musical, by Tom Stolz, opening January 21 and running for eight weeks through March 14, 2010.

MetroStage is pleased to welcome Bernardine Mitchell, S. Renee Clark and William Hubbard back to MetroStage to reprise their roles in MetroStage's award-winning production of Mahalia, a gospel musical, by Tom Stolz, opening January 21 and running for eight weeks through March 14, 2010.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall celebrates its 40th anniversary in grand style Tuesday, Jan. 5-kicking off with an 8 p.m. concert by superstar Tony Bennett followed by a party with wine, cake and fireworks.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, is pleased to announce casting for the remainder of its 35th Anniversary Season.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall celebrates its 40th anniversary in grand style Tuesday, Jan. 5-kicking off with an 8 p.m. concert by superstar Tony Bennett followed by a party with wine, cake and fireworks.

As we wait for the first snowflakes to transform our nation's capital into a winter wonderland, the DC area theatres are giving families so many holiday-themed shows to choose from. Here are some productions which will make the holidays very jolly indeed!

Pearl Bailey...By Request A Night in the Life of this Legendary Songstress and 'Ambassador of Love' Returns to MetroStage for the Holidays Nov. 19-Dec. 20

Pearl Bailey...By Request A Night in the Life of this Legendary Songstress and 'Ambassador of Love' Returns to MetroStage for the Holidays Nov. 19-Dec. 20

The fall temperatures may be getting colder, but the DC area theatre scene is heating up with many musicals, including a new "intimate" production of a 1927 American classic, a Tony-Award Winning family saga, and so many choices - well - take a look for yourself at what this diverse theatre community has to offer in November. This is a great time to celebrate the upcoming holidays with your family, so bring the kids, grandparents, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins to see that Orphan girl and her dog, a Disney heroine, and enjoy an early Christmas, and many more shows to bring in the cheer and joy of the holiday season. We have so much to be thankful for this month, so come to our nation's capital and celebrate the joy of theatre with us!

I mean it with the most sincere amount of respect and admiration for both gentlemen when I write that Peter Gallagher seems to have morphed into Jerry Orbach.  At least in his portrayal of Bernie Dodd, the hard-driving Broadway director convinced that when the star of his new play suddenly leaves for a Hollywood gig he can get a great turn out of the washed-up alcoholic actor whose performances twIce Thrilled him many years ago.  He's the best part of Mike Nichols' new production of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl (which has undergone some text tweaking by Jon Robin Baitz).  His tough, but passionate mannerisms and gruff speaking voice bring out a sense of urgency to the proceedings as he convinces a skeptical producer (Chip Zien), a reluctant actor and his long-suffering wife that his high-stakes risk can pay off big.  By the end of the evening I was half expecting the man to send his star on stage with an exhilarated, 'Think of musical comedy!'

New musical LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman to be performed for one-night-only at Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC Monday, October 19 at 7 p.m.

New musical LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman to be performed for one-night-only at Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC Monday, October 19 at 7 p.m.

Film and television actor and former Broadway star Byron Palmer died last week of natural causes in Los Angeles. Palmer, who launched his acting career in the 1940s with Broadway's Where's Charley, went on to have a prolific career on screen, most notably starring on television in This Is Your Music.

The first song I thought of after seeing this thoroughly enjoyable evening of theater was the following: 'Wonder of Wonders, Musical of Musicals'. With apologies to Fiddler on the Roof, theater aficionados must visit the little theater that could in Alexandria, VA and play the game Name that Show? as you listen to new lyrics applied to some of the wondrous melodies you've ever heard.

Tony Bennett, the epitome of cool, brings his smooth vocals and interpretive artistry to the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Segerstom Hall on September 25 at 7:30 p.m. Bennett's fourth visit to the Center will feature all the great songs and that impeccable style that have earned him multiple Gold and Platinum albums, Grammy and Emmy awards, Billboard's Century Award and a Kennedy Center Honor. Frank Sinatra called him 'the best singer in the business.'

Star of stage, television and film Maurice Hines makes a special, week long visit to D.C. this October to lead two FREE master classes and hold an open dance audition to kick off work as the choreographer and lead performer in Arena Stage's musical revue Sophisticated Ladies, running April 15 - May 30, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre.

'Alice in Wonderland' has never been more magical than in the world premiere musical kicking off the performance season at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre in September. Appearing for the first time at Kelsey, Twenty Minutes to Curtain Productions, under the wing of legendary costume designer and show producer Arthur Gerold, presents this professional production of a literary and family classic.