Rosemary News

Casting is complete, and rehearsals are underway for the Long Island premiere of "Irving Berlin's White Christmas," playing tonight, Dec. 14-30, at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Amé Groupe Limited launched its digitally-advanced and personalized stylist experience for shoe-lovers in Hong Kong -- Amé -- the first-ever virtual and physical luxury shoe club in Asia.

Twelve distinguished dance figures join the Dance Heritage Coalition's list of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures." These new honorees were nominated by a national survey and vote in 2012 and were confirmed by the Dance Heritage Coalition (DHC) Board of Directors. The 12 figures are celebrated online along with the initial list of 100 in an Online Exhibition of Dance Treasures, through a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Actor/singer Cortes Alexander debuted his delightful Swell Party at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal on Monday August 13, and as I wrote then 'What a uniquely fun evening of anecdote and song!' Alexander worked with Liza Minnelli in Liza at the Palace, but she met him years before when his group The Tonics had a regular gig in NYC. Alexander sings many of his own compositions and has a fine, smooth, easy-going style that pulls you in the minute he opens his mouth. On Monday December 10, Alexander came back to the Federal for the Christmas version of his show called Have a Swell Holiday. His Swell girls were also on hand Melissa Bailey and this time Julie Garnye with musical director John Boswell at piano, Norman Ludwin on bass, Terry Schoenig on percussion, and Paul Landry on guitar. The total effect of these stellar musicians made for a jazzy, swinging evening of musical mirth.

Gary Naylor sees a North London tradition continue.

The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will present the 22nd annual New York Jewish Film Festival at the Film Society's Walter Reade Theater, Jan. 9-24, 2013. The festival's 45 features and shorts from 9 countries - 23 screening in their world, U.S. or New York premieres - provide a diverse global perspective on the Jewish experience. Many film screenings will be followed by filmmakers and special guests in onstage discussions.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit which brought new life to the historic Theatre By The Sea for the past five years, has announced the opening of their first two productions at their new state-of-the-Art Theatre located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick. Something "Naughty & Nice" for the Holidays, which features productions of both SantaLand Diaries and The Winter Wonderettes, opened in previews on Wednesday, December 5.

The Flea Theater's spookiest serialized play is now a full-length musical. The Management (MilkMilkLemonade by Joshua Conkel, Cut by Crystal Skillman) team up with The Bushwick Starr to bring The House of Von Macramé to gory, glamorous life. Performances run January 23 - February 9, Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8pm. Preview performance: Tuesday, January 22nd at 8pm.

Voting is now underway for the Inaugural Cabaret Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.

Lisa Lambert is turning 50 and she's opening her trunk...of songs. Tonight, December 10 at 7pm, Lisa and her guests Jonathan Crombie, David Cromer, Cole Escola, Cady Huffman, Troy Britton Johnson, Beth Leavel, and Greg Morrison visit The Drowsy Chaperone, "Slings & Arrows," "Skippy's Rangers: The Show They Never Gave," and an assortment of her other delightful, sometimes misguided, musical comedy ventures. This concert will be part of the long-running Broadway at Birdland concert series, with all proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Repertory Dance Theatre's 'Ring Around the Rose' program presents the Hatch Academy of Magic & Music today, December 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Palm Beach Dramaworks, which mounted its first productions of works by Edward Albee in 2002, renews its exploration of his remarkable career with two important presentations. A Delicate Balance, the first of his three Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, opens tonight, December 7 and runs through January 6.

Following their recent sold-out, critically acclaimed run of The Pirates of Penzance, Charles Court Opera are to swash and buckle their way through The Three Musketeers, their 6th 'boutique' pantomime at the Rosemary Branch Theatre, with their legendary esprit de corps and joie de vivre.

Five of the entertainment world's leading ladies will perform in New Orleans in 2013 as Seth Rudetsky's popular Broadway Concert Series makes the leap to NOCCA's Lupin Hall from its summer home at The Art House in Provincetown, MA. Patti LuPone, two-time Tony winner for Gypsy and as the legendary original Evita, will appear for two shows only on January 7th at 6:30 and 8:30. Sutton Foster, two-time Tony-winner for this year's Anything Goes and previously for Thoroughly Modern Millie and star of the ABC Family series Bunheads arrives for one show only on March 2nd at 7:30. Megan Mullally, two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will and Grace and star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein performs two shows only on April 6th at 7:30 and 9:30. Audra McDonald, a five-time Tony Award winner and recent star of Porgy and Bess on Broadway and TV's Private Practice will make her New Orleans debut with two shows only on May 18 at 7:30 and 9:30. Betty Buckley, the Tony winning legendary star of Cats and Sunset Boulevard will close the series on June 1 with two shows only at 7:30 and 9:30. The visiting Broadway artists will also be giving master classes for the NOCCA Institute's high school-aged musical theatre students. All five concerts are produced by Mark Cortale, long time producer/manager of Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman, and will be hosted by Sirius/XM radio star Seth Rudetsky at the piano. The series is sponsored exclusively by the New Orleans Hotel Collection and Gambit. Tickets can be purchased at www.broadwaynola.com or by calling 800-838-3006.

Casting is complete, and rehearsals are underway for the Long Island premiere of "Irving Berlin's White Christmas," playing Dec. 14-30, at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Palm Beach Dramaworks, which mounted its first productions of works by Edward Albee in 2002, renews its exploration of his remarkable career with two important presentations. A Delicate Balance, the first of his three Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, opens on December 7 and runs through January 6. Following that, on January 8, will be the Southeastern premiere of The Stages of Edward Albee, the acclaimed new documentary that examines the playwright's life and work.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit which brought new life to the historic Theatre By The Sea for the past five years, has announced the opening of their first two productions at their new state-of-the-Art Theatre located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick. Something "Naughty & Nice" for the Holidays, which features productions of both SantaLand Diaries and The Winter Wonderettes, will open in previews tonight, December 5.

Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The 2013 Short Film program is comprised of 65 short films selected from a record 8,102 submissions (427 more than for the 2012 Festival).

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Good People, the humor-filled Broadway hit about class, fate and economic hardship from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole). Esteemed Canadian director Jackie Maxwell, now in her 11th season as Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, makes her D.C. directorial debut and returns to direct in the United States after five years. Named Best Play by the New York Drama Critics' Circle during its Broadway run, Good People runs February 1-March 10, 2013 in the Kreeger Theater.

XSR: Die! (Cross Stage Right--Die!) by Kurt Kleinmann will be presented by Pegasus Theatre, opening December 31, 2012, and running through January 20, 2013, at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts, 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson.