Playbill News

Jefferson Performing Arts Society is proud to present the Playbill Stage Production of PRELUDE TO A KISS by Craig Lucas for two performances only Friday, June 24 and Saturday June 25, 2011 with performances at 7:30PM at JPAS Teatro Wego!

The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today the Nominating Committee for the 2011-2012 Broadway season. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Trippy dancing Von Trapps dazzle and delight in FRAULEIN MARIA at Hartford Stage.

Legendary Ellen Greene - who starred as Audrey in ‘Little Shop of Horrors' on Broadway, in the West End and in the subsequent Hollywood film alongside Rick Moranis and Steve Martin - is joining the cast of Betwixt!, a new British comedy musical written and directed by Ian McFarlane, which is getting a West End season at Trafalgar Studios 2 from Tuesday 26th July to Saturday 20th August.

Child Wrangler Felicia Velasco is the guardian for a show's young cast members while they're at the theatre for performances and rehearsals. As a combined authority figure and assistant, she ensures the child actors are prepared, are kept safe, and helps to manage their downtime. Seen here working with the girls at The People in the Picture, she compares it to previous wrangling assignments, and finds the upsides to a career as a child wrangler.

Chris Isaacson and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center proudly present the premiere of Jennifer Leigh Warren in "DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey," which will make its Los Angeles debut on June 16 at The Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood, with acclaimed Director Richard Jay-Alexander (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler 'Kiss My Brass' Tour, Bernadette Peters) at the helm.

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley will offer a special Summer Workshop of Song Interpretation and Scene Study beginning June 13. The Fort Worth native will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

Who among us doesn't love a suspenseful yet wickedly entertaining melodrama about an eight-year-old sociopath who lets nothing stand in the way of her lifelong quest to get exactly what she wants? Whether it's a penmanship medal, a crystal ball, a garnet from a necklace - or even to prevent a trip to the electric chair - young Rhoda Penmark, who is the very picture of sweetness and light and old-fashioned manners and deportment, has for more than 50 years mesmerized audiences, delighting them with her larcenous, murderous ways. Let's face it: Who among us hasn't had flashes of going all Rhoda Penmark on the people who are obstacles in our own lives?

Alfred Uhry is a wonderful writer who perfectly captures the tone and cadence of the Southern accent, infusing his works for the theater with a pervasive appreciation and respect for his native region. Among contemporary Southern playwrights, he is in the upper echelons, creating compelling stories about interesting people in a way that audiences the world over can find accessible.

Yet next week, on Tuesday, June 14, the curtain is scheduled to 'rise above' on Spider-Man, thanks in no small part to the efforts of a hard-working creative team that includes Paul Bogaev of Weston.

Academy Award-winning actor and multiple Grammy-winning performer Robin Williams has teamed up with leading charity auction site charitybuzz.com to auction off a pair of tickets to the final performance of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo on Broadway to raise funds for an organization close to his heart. The winner will also meet Robin Williams himself backstage, pose for a photo with him, and have him sign their playbill.

THE LEAGUE OF BROADWAY SUPER FRIENDS - a five-part harmony-singing group featuring Broadway's brightest stars and biggest talents, held their inaugural concert on Tuesday, June 7. At the event, Kelli O'Hara, Lindsay Mendez, Gavin Creel, Greg Naughton and Sherie Rene Scott performed at Le Poisson Rouge, to raise funds in the fight against Pancreatic Cancer. Check out photos from the evnt below!

Theatre World Awards for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut performances during the 2010-2011 theatrical season will be presented by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Tammy Blanchard (Gypsy, 2003), Gabriel Byrne (A Moon for the Misbegotten, 2000), Zoe Caldwell (Slapstick Tragedy, 1966), Billy Crudup (Arcadia, 1995), Blythe Danner (The Miser, 1969), Edie Falco (Side Man, 1998), Tovah Feldshuh (Yentl, 1976), Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, 2007), Rosemary Harris (The Climate of Eden, 1953), Kevin Kilner (The Glass Menagerie, 1995), and Andrea McArdle (Annie, 1977). There will also be performances by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Karen Akers (Nine, 1982), Ernestine Jackson (Raisin, 1974), and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, 2006).

Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records is proud to reveal the secret identities of THE LEAGUE OF BROADWAY SUPER FRIENDS -- a five-part harmony-singing group featuring Broadway's brightest stars and biggest talents. Their inaugural concert will present Kelli O'Hara, Lindsay Mendez, Gavin Creel, Greg Naughton and Sherie Rene Scott, joining forces and voices for good: a June 7th benefit concert at Le Poisson Rouge, to raise funds in the fight against Pancreatic Cancer. Tickets will go on-sale at 10am on Monday, May 16h. More details here: http://sh-k-boom.com/leagueofbroadwaysuperfriends/

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Board of Governors announceed that Des McAnuff will continue as Artistic Director through the 2013 season. 'Mr. McAnuff is a very gifted director and leader who is much in demand, and we are delighted that he has agreed to continue as our Artistic Director for an additional two years,' says Dr. Lee Myers, Chair of the Board of Governors.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, presents FLY BY NIGHT, developed at TheatreWorks and making its world premiere as the centerpiece of this year's New Works Festival.

Theatre World Awards for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut performances during the 2010-2011 theatrical season will be presented by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Tammy Blanchard (Gypsy, 2003), Gabriel Byrne (A Moon for the Misbegotten, 2000), Zoe Caldwell (Slapstick Tragedy, 1966), Billy Crudup (Arcadia, 1995), Blythe Danner (The Miser, 1969), Edie Falco (Side Man, 1998), Tovah Feldshuh (Yentl, 1976), Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, 2007), Rosemary Harris (The Climate of Eden, 1953), Kevin Kilner (The Glass Menagerie, 1995), and Andrea McArdle (Annie, 1977). There will also be performances by former Theatre World Award winners, including: Karen Akers (Nine, 1982), Ernestine Jackson (Raisin, 1974), and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, 2006).

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley will offer a special Summer Workshop of Song Interpretation and Scene Study beginning June 13. The Fort Worth native will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

Associate Lighting Designer Caroline Chao takes care of all the details for a lighting designer, including handling the production schedule, helping to draft the lighting plot, and keeping track of notes, follow spots, and the cue list. She takes us through her role in the production process, and points out the advantages of being a lighting associate and assistant. Chao has worked on multiple shows at once with lighting designer Don Holder, and is seen here teching Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.

As a super-special Spring extension of BroadwayWorld's SOUND OFF column, every day until the Tony Awards on June 12 we will be presenting a spectacular new entry in the SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS series featuring a particularly entertaining, interesting, relevant and exciting Tony Awards-related clip from the last sixty-three years of the ceremonies (and subsequent seasons on Broadway) with a rundown and commentary on the sights, sounds and showmanship on display in each carefully chosen selection - all, of course, coming in anticipation of Broadway's biggest night, which will be broadcast on CBS this year, as always. Once again this year, BroadwayWorld is the official home of the 2011 Tony Awards and we will also be featuring exclusive interviews, articles, photos, video content, interactive features and more in the coming days and weeks leading up to the event so be sure to check back daily for your theatre fix!