Ron Raines News

Today's top stories: Cameron Dallas joins Mean Girls tonight, and more!

This morning, BroadwayWorld was deeply saddened to report that legendary Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Jerry Herman has passed away. Take a look back on his life with a roundup of flashback videos, from past Tony Awards, clips from his shows, interviews, and much more!

A film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Follies has just been greenlit for production by BBC Films and Heyday Films.

The line between Broadway-type musical theatre and opera becomes finer by the year--though I dare say that TOOTSIE is unlikely to be showing up at the Met any time soon. But the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin-Moss Hart LADY IN THE DARK might have morphed in a slightly different, better piece of music theatre if it arrived in the 21st century rather than World War II.

There's an unfortunate guffaw in the otherwise well-calibrated British thriller of '46, 'Dead of Night,' when Mervyn Johns (Glynis' dad), sensing he's sinking into insanity, brings a shaky hand to his forehead and says, 'I've got to get to a mental specialist.'

MasterVoices will conclude its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of a new adaptation of the legendary Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin, Moss Hart musical Lady in the Dark. Presented as part of New York City Center's 75th anniversary season, it is directed and conducted by MasterVoices Artistic Director Ted Sperling, and choreographed by Doug Varone. The musical will star Tony Award winner Victoria Clark in the lead role of Liza Elliott. In addition to the previously announced performances on April 25 and 26, because of high-ticket demand, a matinee has been added for April 27. Opening on Broadway in 1941, Lady in the Dark was groundbreaking in its unusual subject matter psychoanalysis and unconventional structure. It has not been seen in New York in 25 years, since it was presented as part of the inaugural Encores! season at New York City Center in 1994.

MasterVoices will conclude its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of a new adaptation of the legendary Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin, Moss Hartmusical Lady in the Dark. Presented as part of New York City Center's 75th-anniversary season, it is directed and conducted by MasterVoices Artistic Director Ted Sperling, and choreographed by Doug Varone.

I thought throwing out my Annie CDs would be easy--I thought I only had one! Obviously that would be the indispensable Original Broadway Cast Recording with Dorothy Loudon and Andrea McArdle. How wrong I was! I knew that, as a kid, I had the tape of the 1982 movie soundtrack with Carol Burnett and Aileen Quinn (and an all-star supporting cast!), but I didn't remember buying it on CD. And when the hell did I get the CD of the 1999 TV version (with Kathy Bates and an all-star cast)? And, oh yeah... I forgot about this studio album from the 90s with studio cast queen Kim Criswell--I think I bought back in the day somehow convincing myself Ruthie Henshall was playing Annie. (Spoiler alert: She plays Grace.) Oh, and I do remember this '30thAnniversary' deluxe production with Chicago area diva (and original star of the sequel, Annie Warbucks) Alene Robertson as Miss Hannigan plus a lot of bonus material. To add insult to injury, I also have a Blu-Ray of the recent Hollywood remake with Cameron Diaz. I don't even have a Blu-Ray player! This thing is definitely going into the trash along with all the audio, but I will listen to a few tracks online for my edification.

Birdland Jazz Club will present vocalist Lorna Dallas for one night only in Stages, an all new show at The Birdland Theater (315 West 44th Street) on Monday, February 11, 2019 @ 8:30 pm.

Celebrated Producer Michael Childers will bring his latest edition of One Night Only to The McCallum Theatre on April 24, 2019 with a star-studded cast including Christine Andreas, John Barrowman, Liz Calloway and more. This season's ONO is a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber and proceeds will benefit The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center. I had the chance to catch up with Michael as he was crafting this season's sell-out event. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation:

Just last night, Mark William made his solo nightclub debut at The Green Room 42 with the world premiere of 'Come Croon With Me.' Putting his own unique, youthful spin on golden age crooner styling, Mark performed a collection of classic tunes from Broadway and The Great American Songbook. With his sophisticated approach, he glided from Jerry Herman to Peter Allen to Henry Mancini with charismatic ease and a spring in his step.

Tony Award winning maestro Don Pippin will celebrate his sixty plus years on Broadway with the intimate musical revue, WHAT I DID FOR LOVE: THE MUSIC & MEMORIES OF DON PIPPIN, at Feinstein's/54 Below today, October 30th, 2018, at 7:00pm.

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

Tony Award winning maestro Don Pippin will celebrate his sixty plus years on Broadway with the intimate musical revue, WHAT I DID FOR LOVE: THE MUSIC & MEMORIES OF DON PIPPIN, at Feinstein's/54 Below on Tuesday, October 30th, 2018, at 7:00pm.

From small town Indiana to National tour with Jersey Boys. Jonathan Cable is having a dream of a year!

For certain xenophobic East Coast opera lovers, the words 'St.Louis' and 'Opera' could seem like an oxymoron. However, this would be an invalid assumption.

Opera Theatre St. Louis has produced many wonderful productions, and a handful of simply perfect ones. Their production of 'Regina' is among the latter.

On Saturday, May 26, Grammy Award-winning mezzo Susan Graham – “an artist to treasure” (New York Times) – makes her title role debut in Marc Blitzstein's Regina at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. She will be joined by veteran bass-baritone James Morris, Broadway and television actor Ron Raines, and award-winning soprano Susanna Phillips in a new production by Artistic Director James Robinson, with Music Director Emeritus Stephen Lord leading from the pit (May 26–June 24).

Jump For Joy! The Off-Broadway cast recording of the New York premiere production of the new musical Unexpected Joy, with book and lyrics by Bill Russell (Side Show) and music by Janet Hood (Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens with Bill Russell), will be recorded and released by JAY Records. Produced by John Yap, the recording will feature the original cast of The York Theatre Company production who will gather at Sear Sound Studios (353 West 48th Street) on Monday, May 14, 2018 to lay down the tracks for the recording.