Richard Chamberlain News

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Presenters for this year's Tony Awards have been announced, go inside opening night of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and more!

Today, we're celebrating the birthday of star of stage and screen, Brooke Shields!

An industry presentation of RE-WIRE will be held on Thursday, May 9th at 3pm & 7pm in New York City. RE-WIRE is a new play written by Thomas and Judy Heath, under the direction of Karen Carpenter (Love, Loss & What I wore), and starring Geneva Carr (Hand to God, Bull) & Stephen Wallem (Nurse Jackie).

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) 's The Haunted Life by Sean Daniels, adapted from the 'lost' novel, and directed by Daniels and christopher oscar peña, in coordination with The Estate of Jack Kerouac, from March 20 to April 14 - is now on stage!

Currently celebrating its 25th Silver Anniversary Season, The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre is set to bring the most requested show by its audience members to the stage when it presents a brand new production of the classic Lerner & Loewe musical My Fair Lady. The beloved musical will be the dinner theatre's spring 2019 presentation following its area premiere production of Gilligan's Island - The Musical.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) announced that today the cast of the world premiere of Jack Kerouac's The Haunted Life by Sean Daniels, adapted from the "lost" novel, and directed by Daniels and christopher oscar peña, in coordination with The Estate of Jack Kerouac, from March 20 to April 14, according to Artistic Director Daniels and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas.

For one night only, Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti will appear at Long Wharf Theatre in her cabaret show, TALES FROM SOPRANO ISLE featuring songs from her career along with humorous anecdotes and experiences that she has encountered on and off the stage and screen. The presenting sponsor for the gala event is KeyBank.

The Town Hall presents Broadway By The Year©: Broadway Musicals of 1928 and 1935 on Monday, February 25 at 8pm. Created, written, hosted and directed by Scott Siegel for The Town Hall, the evening marks the beginning of Broadway By The Year©'s 19th season at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street).  

Tony Award winner Laura Benanti assumes the role of Eliza Doolittle in its award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe's MY FAIR LADY, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a limited engagement beginning tonight, Tuesday, October 23. She is currently scheduled through Sunday, February 17.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop) has announced that Tony Award winner Laura Benanti will assume the role of Eliza Doolittle in its award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe's MY FAIR LADY, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a limited engagement beginning Tuesday, October 23 and currently scheduled through Sunday, February 17, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Lauren Ambrose, who originated the role in this production, will play her final performance on Sunday, October 21st before leaving to begin work on M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming Apple series.

It was like an entertaining musical mash-up tour of the Tony Award Winner's charmed life, and I didn't want it to end.

Prolific actor Reno Roop passed away Friday morning August 31 at his home in New York. He was 80. The cause of death was Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.

BroadwayWorld checked in with Benanti, who exclusively told us: 'I have been singing 'I Could Have Danced All Night' since I was 4 years old. That I will get to play this role on Broadway, in this production, with this cast is truly a dream come true.'

As BroadwayWorld reported this morning, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti will assume the role of Eliza Doolittle in its award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe's MY FAIR LADY, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a limited engagement beginning Tuesday, October 23 and currently scheduled through Sunday, February 17, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street).

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop) has announced that Tony Award winner Laura Benanti will assume the role of Eliza Doolittle in its award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe's MY FAIR LADY, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a limited engagement beginning Tuesday, October 23 and currently scheduled through Sunday, February 17, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Lauren Ambrose, who originated the role in this production, will play her final performance on Sunday, October 21st before leaving to begin work on M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming Apple series.

In its largest international scale production to date, FX has ordered Shogun, a 10-episode limited series period drama based on Shogun, the best-selling novel by James Clavell, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions.

Farmers Alley Theatre is closing its historic 10th anniversary season with the biggest musical production ever, Mel Brooks' record-setting 12 Time Tony Award Winning comedic masterpiece, THE PRODUCERS. Running July 20th to August 5th at the Little Theatre on Oakland Drive, this pitch-perfect adaptation of Brooks' classic film of the same name will star Stephen Wallem (TV's Nurse Jackie) and Tony Humrichouser (WMU Alum, Jeff Award Winner) as the lovable duo of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, who attempt to produce the worst show in Broadway history!

Charles Dickens' beloved orphan makes his Goodspeed debut in the hope-filled musical set in the dark shadows of Victorian London. Bounced from workhouse to forced labor, Oliver Twist escapes to the streets where he meets Fagin, the Artful Dodger and a band of child pickpockets. Will he find love, home and happiness before it's too late?

A memorial service for beloved five-time Tony Award-nominated actress Jan Maxwell will be held on Monday, June 4 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Columbus Symphony kicks off the 2018 Nationwide Picnic with the Pops on Saturday, June 16, with multi-platinum rock group, Little River Band. The concert will also be the Columbus debut of new CSO Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz, one of the leading pops conductors in America today, who will helm most of the Picnic with the Pops concerts this season.