Rue McClanahan News

The Del Shores Foundation will present a one-night-only event to tell stories, show clips and share memories of the lives well-lived of SORDID LIVES cast members Carole Cook, Sarah Hunley, Leslie Jordan, Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John.

P3 THEATRE COMPANY, in association with the Del Shores Foundation and Beard Collins Shores Productions, presents the world premiere of THE RED SUITCASE, written by Jiggs Burgess, directed by Del Shores, and starring Emerson Collins.

Now in it’s 18th year, The eagerly-awaited San Francisco tradition, The Golden Girls Live: The Holiday Episodes, will return to the Victoria Theater, Opening November 30th. Directed by D’Arcy Drollinger

'RuPaul's Drag Race' luminary Ginger Minj can lean on her own southern accent when she brings her version of sex positive southern belle Blanche Deveraux to Golden-Con, a three day fan convention which organizers boast is 'the world's largest event for 'Golden Girls' fans.'

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actor Jered Barclay has died at age 91. Barclay may be best known for his television and voiceover work, but he got his start in showbusiness at age 3, performing in vaudeville shows.

Nunsense premiered off-Broadway in 1985 with music, lyrics, and a book by Dan Goggin. The show ran for 3,672 performances and became the second longest-running off-Broadway show in history. Nunsense was then adapted for television starring everyone’s favorite Golden Girl Rue McClanahan and has since produced six sequels and three spin-off adaptations. Nunsense A-Men, more recently produced at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, a “Straz Produced” production, brings to the stage a group of local bay area performers to tell the story of the Little Sisters of Hoboken. As the leader of the Merry Band of Nuns is none other than the Enigmatic, and truly Exceptional Matthew McGee as Sister Mary Regina, Mother Superior. For the first time in 22 years, Matthew McGee makes his Jaeb stage debut as a performer in the musical. Dubbed a “Life-Long, bucket list opportunity”, Matthew is just downright Heaven-sent in the role. From his first entrance to the final bow Matthew, along with the rest of the cast present a side-splitting, laugh-filled evening that will make your cheeks hurt even the next day.

Tom D’Angora and Michael D’Angora, the award winning producing team behind some of off-Broadway’s longest running hits like NEWSical The Musical and Naked Boys Singing, are celebrating a major milestone on February 20th, 2022: the couple's 20th anniversary (10 years married) as a couple and as producing/directing partners. 

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

While the large-scale musical tends to receive the most attention from audiences, oftentimes it's the small musicals that speak to us in the most impactful ways. For fans of emotional one act musicals and cult-classic Off-Broadway shows, we're rounding up what we think are some of the best small cast musicals out there!

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced its return to live performance with its 27th season that includes the 2021 – 2022 Mainstage, Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway seasons. 

Star of TV's Sordid Lives and 5-Time Top 40 Billboard recording artist Jason Dottley's Life on the Gay-List livestreams for the first time Friday, May 21, 8pm (CST) from his now-extended run at Incanto Theatre in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The uncommonly versatile actor/writer/musician Darryl Van Leer has made it his mission to provide inspiration to others. It would therefore be hard to think of a more perfect way for The Marsh to launch Black History Month than with a live performance of his electrifying one-man play, Mandela: Let Freedom Reign, which it will present on MarshStream on Saturday evening, February 6th. From his early life to his epic struggles against apartheid, Nelson Mandela comes to vivid life in this life-affirming performance. An icon of democracy and social justice, Mandela’s life-long dedication to promoting forgiveness and equality are celebrated in this stirring reminder of one man’s incredible impact. Mandela: Let Freedom Reign will be presented at 7:30pm PST on Saturday, February 6th on MarshStream. Van Leer will also appear two days prior to that on Stephanie’s MarshStream at 7:30pm PST on Thursday, February 4th to discuss the play and perform a brief excerpt. For more information, visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. Also, please note that the performance on February 6th will be live only, and not archived for later viewing. Van Leer is a man of many talents who has enjoyed an exceptionally wide-ranging career. While his theater work has focused primarily on his one-man shows about iconic historic and musical figures, he has also racked up some impressive film and TV credits in ensemble projects, sharing the screen with acting luminaries such as James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Rue McClanahan. BroadwayWorld spoke with Van Leer last week from his home base in Nashville, Tennessee.  In conversation, he is instantly and effortlessly engaging, warm and upbeat, and clearly thankful for the opportunity to create and perform works of inspiration. His Kentucky roots are evidenced by the delightfully musical lilt in his speech patterns.

The Marsh welcomes a diversified line-up of guests for Stephanie's MarshStream – from an acclaimed playwright to a leader at the forefront of curriculum education, Bay Area-based actors, a longtime public radio journalist, and more.

Baring It All with Call Me Adam returns today, Thursday, January 7, 2021 when Season 2 of the entertainment podcast begins. This season, Baring It All host Adam Rothenberg focuses on his guest’s legacy and lessons learned.

Piano Bar Live! (PBL!) A Night at Rose's Turn, Part 2, streams tonight Tuesday, November at 7:15 pm ET, with hosts Scott Barbarino and Leslie Anderson. PBL! will continue the long-established tradition of the piano bar-that special place where we can gather, entertain, support and create, as we connect with live music.

In the play,THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB, a group of female swimmers return each year to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a weekend rendezvous of drinking and playing catch-up on each other's lives. Curtain Players' season-opening production of this five-women play feels much the same way.

The Golden Gays NYC have taken their act online in a successful 13-week run of shows and this week Broadway World found out why they are called The premiere Golden Girls drag show in the country.

The Del Shores Foundation presents a one-night-only benefit reading of the original SORDID LIVES play by Del Shores for a #SordidLiveStream. The reading will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook on Sunday, May 31 at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern, hosted and produced by Emerson Collins and Del Shores.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best TV episodes from the 1950's to 2020; see if your favorites made the list!