Rocco DiSpirito News

Young Audiences New York (YANY) will recognize four preeminent honorees for their contributions to the arts and advocacy of children's arts education at its 8th annual Children's Arts Award Benefit, to be held Monday, March 9 at Cipriani - Wall Street. The 2009 Children's Arts Awards will be presented to: Artist Honoree Julianna Margulies, Emmy-award winning actor; Media Honoree Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer, GroupM North America & chairman - Mediaedge:cia North America; and Humanitarian Honorees Kathy Eldon (CEO and co-founder) and Amy Eldon Turteltaub, (executive vice president and co-founder) of Creative Visions Foundation.

Young Audiences New York (YANY) Children's Arts Award Honorees made a special visit to P.S. 46 in Upper Manhattan on January 7 to witness a dazzling dance performance by 7- and 8-year-old art students. YANY 2009 honorees Julianna Margulies, Emmy-Award winner; and Rino Scanzoni, Chief Investment Officer, GroupM North America & Chairman - Mediaedge:cia North America, spent the morning observing second grade students during the school's YANY 'Folk Dance Residency.' The honorees met with school administrators and received an in-depth look at the positive impact YANY arts programming has on children in the 180 New York City public schools the organization serves.

Cloris Leachman confirmed this morning on ABC's The View that she did indeed get the offer to reprise her film role of Frau Blucher for the Broadway production of Young Frankenstein.

According to The New York Post's PAGE SIX, Mel Brooks might have changed his 'tune' when it comes to Cloris Leachman reprising her film role of Frau Blucher in his Broadway production of Young Frankenstein. Last year, Mel Brooks, creator and producer of the Broadway musical comedy, told Leachman that, at 81, she was too old for the role of Frau Blucher (the character she originated in his 1974 movie). Despite a stellar audition, Brooks was concerned that Leachman didn't have the 'stamina' for eight shows a week reports the Post.

Dancing with the Stars, will return with a three-night premiere event, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Each week, has announced their new lineup of celebrity dancers. Season seven marks the largest cast assembled to date, the oldest and youngest competitors ever, and includes two Olympic Gold medalists, a Grammy®-winning singer, a television legend, an Oscar® winner, and a Super Bowl champion.

Dancing with the Stars, will return with a three-night premiere event, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Each week, has announced their new lineup of celebrity dancers. Season seven marks the largest cast assembled to date, the oldest and youngest competitors ever, and includes two Olympic Gold medalists, a Grammy®-winning singer, a television legend, an Oscar® winner, and a Super Bowl champion.

Cry-Baby, starring James Snyder and Elizabeth Stanley, opened on April 24th at the Marquis Theatre.

Several Broadway, television and film stars attending the Opening Night performance of A Bronx Tale, starring Academy Award nominated actor Chazz Palminteri in his Broadway debut on Thursday, October 25. Directed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Zaks, A Bronx Tale plays a limited 18 week engagement at The Walter Kerr Theatre

Butley, the Broadway revival of the Simon Gray comedy starring Tony Award-winner Nathan Lane, opened on October 25th!

Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito may be putting down his utensils for a Broadway run in Chicago

The highly-anticipated opening night of Three Days of Rain starring Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper took place on April 19th and BroadwayWorld was there!

Producers of The Creative Coalition met with cast members of The Color Purple on November 16th

Planet Hollywood threw a Tony Awards after-party for the casts of Spamalot, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Pillowman, and Democracy and BroadwayWorld was there!

Off-Broadway's Naked Angels will roast and toast actor Fisher Stevens in Fish Fry, this year's fundraising gala

The Roundabout Theatre Company & The American Airlines Theatre presented a 'Gay & Lesbian Subscription Series' with Twentieth Century and an exclusive post-show party sponsored by NEXT Magazine. Alec Baldwin and Stephen DeRosa were on hand to greet the subscribers.