Rebecca Luker News

A cast of Broadway veterans will converge on a small Kansas town April 13 to perform a new musical comedy by Sheldon Harnick, co-creator of "Fiddler on the Roof."

On April 11, 2011, Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre will honor esteemed stage and screen actress Bernadette Peters with the company's second Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The 2011 Sondheim Award Gala is chaired by Ted and Mary Jo Shen; Honorary Hosts include Stephen Sondheim, Helen Henderson, His Excellency Gary Doer and Ms. Ginny Devine, The Honorable James Moran, His Excellency Giulio Terzi and Ms. Antonella Cinque, and The Honorable Jim Webb and Mrs. Webb. The Sondheim Award Gala will help to benefit Signature Theatre's numerous artistic, education, and community programs. Last year's recipient was stage, screen, and television icon Angela Lansbury.

Our Lady J: LIVE at Ivan Kane's Cafe Was SUNDAY at 930pm 1521 Vine Street, at Sunset Blvd no cover, just bring your filthy soul

42nd Street Moon's Ira Gershwin celebration continues in April with STRIKE UP THE BAND, to be presented at the Eureka Theatre in low-priced previews on April 6, 7 and 8, opening on Saturday, April 9, and running through April 24. Heading the cast will be Carson Church as Horace Fletcher with Michael Scott Wells as Jim Townsend, Samantha Bruce as Joan Fletcher and Moon's Producing Director Stephanie Rhoads as Mrs. Draper.

Our Lady J: LIVE at Ivan Kane's Cafe Was SUNDAY at 930pm 1521 Vine Street, at Sunset Blvd no cover, just bring your filthy soul

New York City Center honored Walter Bobbie, Kathleen Marshall and Jack Viertel in a benefit celebration hosted by Christopher Fitzgerald on Monday, April 4 at The Plaza Hotel. Highlights from City Center's acclaimed Encores! series were recreated by a star-studded cast that included Jason Danieley, Christopher Fitzgerald, Rebecca Luker, Marin Mazzie, James Naughton, Bebe Neuwirth and Emily Skinner, accompanied by members of the Encores! Orchestra under the musical direction of Rob Berman. The evening benefited New York City Center's artistic and education programs.

The American Songbook Project will launch a new program called 'The Art of Song Performance,' a workshop on July 10th-15th, 2011, in New York City. The summer intensive features classes in all styles of song performance, including Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and contemporary rock songs, taught by a host of luminaries from the theatre and cabaret community.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, ‘This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

Three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker, Broadway and Encores! music director Rob Berman, and Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization president Theodore S. Chapin will serve as judges for the 2011 Lotte Lenya Competition.

A cast of Broadway veterans will converge on a small Kansas town April 13 to perform a new musical comedy by Sheldon Harnick, co-creator of "Fiddler on the Roof."

Although I'll admit to not being completely familiar with Cole Porter's See America First and George M. Cohan's The Governor's Son, it's quite possible that Frank Loesser's score for Where's Charley? could be considered the finest Broadway debut for a composer/lyricist who would eventually occupy a place on musical theatre's top tier.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Barry Manilow in Concert for one performance only on Tuesday, March 22 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. This special event is presented by Reprise Theatre Company as its Annual Gala Performance. Ticket sales from Barry Manilow in Concert support Reprise's mission to produce musical theatre of the highest artistic quality and to make this art form accessible to new audiences through education and outreach programs.

On April 11, 2011, Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre will honor esteemed stage and screen actress Bernadette Peters with the company's second Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The 2011 Sondheim Award Gala is chaired by Ted and Mary Jo Shen; Honorary Hosts include Stephen Sondheim, Helen Henderson, His Excellency Gary Doer and Ms. Ginny Devine, The Honorable James Moran, His Excellency Giulio Terzi and Ms. Antonella Cinque, and The Honorable Jim Webb and Mrs. Webb. The Sondheim Award Gala will help to benefit Signature Theatre's numerous artistic, education, and community programs. Last year's recipient was stage, screen, and television icon Angela Lansbury.

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham led Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on BranDon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, which ran March 17 - 20, was directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman.

The musical opened at the St. James Theater on October 11, 1948, and hit the right chord with theatre goers, eventually playing 792 performances. Does it still strike the same note with today's audiences? Find out!

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham star in Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on BranDon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, running March 17 - 20, will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman. Broadway Beat got an exclusive sneak peek at the production and here is a video preview!

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham have been cast in Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on BranDon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, running March 17 - 20, will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman.

Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre has announced the artistic team behind the upcoming world premiere of the musical comedy And the Curtain Rises (formerly known as Wheatley's Folly), which begins performances on Thursday, March 17, 2011. And the Curtain Rises marks the third production presented as part of Signature's groundbreaking American Musical Voices Project, the largest commissioning program for new musicals in the country, following Michael John LaChiusa's Giant in 2009 and Ricky Ian Gordon's Sycamore Trees last year.

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham have been cast in Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on BranDon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, running March 17 - 20, will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman.

Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham will starin Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, running March 17 - 20, will be directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman. The cast and creative team met the press and Broadway Beat was there to capture them in rehearsal along with special interviews!