Pump Boys and Dinettes News

The 2012 World Science Festival opens its 5th anniversary season with two star-filled nights dedicated to Science and the Arts: The 5th Anniversary Gala Celebration, "A Performing Arts Salute to Science" on Tuesday, May 29th, The Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, 7:30 pm. The 5th Anniversary World Science Festival Gala will feature Broadway and Classical Music stars in a performing arts salute to science. Broadway celebrities and classical music stars will perform. In addition to the starry musical performances, Festival co-founder Brian Greene will conduct two mind-blowing and rarely-seen-in-public Physics experiments: the "Quantum Levitation" and "Double-Slit" experiments.

Tonight, May 21, 2012 marks the third production of BC Beat at Cielo (18 Little West 12thStreet). Produced by Jennifer Jancuska and The BringAbout Productions, BC Beat offers the Broadway and dance communities another unique and exciting way to experience dance. Focused on storytelling and set in a club with the best sound system in NYC, BC Beat will feature new work by eight highly anticipated choreographers from genres including musical theatre, contemporary, jazz and tap. Smack in the middle of the club, with the audience surrounding the sunken stage and close enough to touch the dancers, choreographers will present their unique way of storytelling and vision for Broadway's future.

The 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theatre will celebrates its tenth anniversary by bringing previous recipients back to the stage to present the next generation of musical theater stars with awards and accolades. The acclaimed program, sponsored by Wells Fargo, is a high school version of the Tony Awards, and allows theater students from across Washington to meet, celebrate, and honor the exceptional musical theater productions presented during the 2011-12 school year. The 5th Avenue Awards will be held at 7:00 PM, Monday, June 4, at The 5th Avenue Theatre.

Monday May 21, 2012 marks the third production of BC Beat at Cielo (18 Little West 12thStreet). Produced by Jennifer Jancuska and The BringAbout Productions, BC Beat offers the Broadway and dance communities another unique and exciting way to experience dance. Focused on storytelling and set in a club with the best sound system in NYC, BC Beat will feature new work by eight highly anticipated choreographers from genres including musical theatre, contemporary, jazz and tap. Smack in the middle of the club, with the audience surrounding the sunken stage and close enough to touch the dancers, choreographers will present their unique way of storytelling and vision for Broadway's future.

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the world premiere of EASTLAND: A NEW MUSICAL, written by Artistic Director Andrew White with music by Ben Sussman and Artistic Associate Andre Pluess and directed by Amanda Dehnert. The production runs June 6 - July 29, 2012 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

One Direction step aside, there's a new kind of boy band on the circuit! The all male string quartet Well-Strung features classical musicians who sing putting their own spin on the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Rihanna, Adele, and more. Directed by Donna Drake and starring Edmund Bagnell; first violin, Christopher Marchant: second violin, Daniel Shevlin; cello and Trevor Wadleigh; viola, the show debuts at Joe's Pub tonight, May 1st at 7:30PM. Well-Strung was workshopped this past winter at Ars Nova and the group will be playing The Art House in Provincetown this July and August.

Nominations for the Chicago-based Non-Equity Jeff Awards were announced today; Theo Ubique leads with 14 nominations

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The non-Equity Jeff Award nominations, a 'Jersey Boys' benefit, 'Cats' now and forever, the market for 'Motherhood,' Roosevelt lands 'Lysistrata Jones,' and much, much more....

The Jeff Awards today announced 124 nominations in 25 categories for Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff Awards judges covered opening nights of 154 productions offered by 71 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 64 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty-two theatre companies received nominations.

WaterTower Theatre's August: Osage County, running March 30 - tonight, April 22, 2012 at the Addison Theatre Centre, features Pam Dougherty as Violet Weston; Cliff Stephens as Beverly Weston; Sherry Jo Ward as Barbara Fordham; James Crawford as Bill Fordham; Ruby Westfall as Jean Fordham; Kristin McCollum as Ivy Weston; Jessica Cavanagh as Karen Weston; Nancy A. Sherrard as Mattie Fae Aiken; Tom Lenaghen as Charlie Aiken; Clay Yocum as Little Charles Aiken; Sasha Truman-McGonnell as Johnna Monevata; Chris Hury as Steve Heidebrecht and Stan Graner as Sheriff Deon Gilbeau.

One Direction step aside, there's a new kind of boy band on the circuit! The all male string quartet Well-Strung features classical musicians who sing putting their own spin on the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Rihanna, Adele, and more. Directed by Donna Drake and starring Edmund Bagnell; first violin, Christopher Marchant: second violin, Daniel Shevlin; cello and Trevor Wadleigh; viola, the show debuts at Joe's Pub on Tuesday, May 1st at 7:30PM. Well-Strung was workshopped this past winter at Ars Nova and the group will be playing The Art House in Provincetown this July and August.

WaterTower Theatre today announced the cast for August: Osage County, running March 30 - April 22, 2012 at the Addison Theatre Centre.

The 2012 season, sponsored by Empire Toyota of Oneonta, will feature the world premier of a new play specifically commissioned for Chenango River Theatre by Artistic Director Bill Lelbach.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to New York. The latest on the big musicals in Aurora, Oakbrook, Munster and Lincolnshire, two retro-60s jukebox shows, season announcements from Porchlight, Boho, Chicago Shakes and Court, plus the Light Opera Works gala!

Happy Birthday, Debra Monk! The Tony Award winner made her Broadway debut in PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES in 1982. Her Broadway credits include PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, PRELUDE TO A KISS, NICK & NORA, REDWOOD CURTAIN, PICNIC, COMPANY, CHICAGO, STEAL PIER, AH, WILDERNESS!, THOU SHALT NOT, RECKLESS, CHILDREN AND ART, and CURTAINS. Monk won the Tony Award in 1993 for REDWOOD CURTAIN and was nominated for Tony Awards in 1997 and 2007 for both STEEL PIER and CURTAINS.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'A Catered Affair,' 'Barnum,' new musicals by Mark Messing and Leo Schwartz, 'Little Shop...' and a fall 'Assassins,' plus more!!!

StudentsLive, the Premier Broadway Education Company, has annouced its first-ever multilingual international and domestic "Passport to Broadway" Program for students from July 23, 2012 to August 3, 2012 at Pearl Studios and Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC). The musical theatre intensive final performance takes place over 10 days from approximately 8:30am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday, at Pearl Studios led by Broadway Musical Directors, Choreographers and Interactive Intensives with Broadway Performers and Guest Artists.

Festival Stage of Winston-Salem continues its second season with a revival of the Off-Broadway hit musical "Oil City Symphony," playing through Feb. 19 at the Hanesbrands Theatre in downtown Winston-Salem.

Mc Coy Rigby Entertainment & Fox Operator Bill Malone of FX Arts have announced the third in its brand new 'Broadway Series' of shows, with the songs of one of the most iconic figures in the history of music, RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH, with musical direction by Jeff Lisenby, choreography by Jane Lanier and directed by and starring from the original New York production, Jason Edwards.

Mc Coy Rigby Entertainment & Fox Operator Bill Malone of FX Arts have announced the third in its brand new 'Broadway Series' of shows, with the songs of one of the most iconic figures in the history of music, RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH, with musical direction by Jeff Lisenby, choreography by Jane Lanier and directed by and starring from the original New York production, Jason Edwards.