Sam Rudy News

Actor and author Arthur Wooten has penned a fictional memoir of a Broadway actress struck by a mysterious disease in his new novel DIZZY.

Heller Highwater LLC - a communications company in New York, NY providing a full array of public relations services for its performing arts & entertainment, non-profit, consumer lifestyle and travel/hospitality clients - will relocate its offices to 501 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10017 effective December 1st, 2012, it has been announced by Heller Highwater LLC founder and president, Dale Heller.

'Do you like it in America?' 70-year-old recent immigrant from the Philippines Aying (played by Obie award-winning actress Ching Valdes-Aran) and her new friend and teenage flip Redford (played by former 'Sesame Street' child actor Carlo Albán) had been truthful enough to admit that they didn't seem to like much America. Aying's daughter Vangie (played by young Asian American thespian Tina Chilip) had thought otherwise -- these clashing personal views on family, relationships and cultural assimilation are bluntly thrown at you in Ma-Yi Theater Company's first revival of its critically-acclaimed one act play 'Flipzoids'. Written by Ralph B. Peña and directed and designed by Loy Arcenas, the production runs through Sunday, February 6, 2011 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater of the Playwrights Horizon (416 W 4nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Two-time Tony Award-winning actress Judith Ivey portrays that great woman of American letters -- letters from readers seeking advice, that is -- as she plays the legendary, trailblazing columnist Ann Landers in David Rambo's play The Lady With All The Answers which opened Off-Broadway this fall at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in New York City. B.J. Jones directs. The production will run through November 29. Opening night was October 14.

On Monday, September 14th, The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO. Joe Mantello, the original director of LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! and Stephen Bogardus, a member of the play's original cast, were honorary chairs for the NAATCO benefit performance.

The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, on Monday, September 14 with a 6:00pm cocktail reception and a 7:00pm performance at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO.

The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) will present a one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, directed by Alan Muraoka, on Monday, September 14 with a 6:00pm cocktail reception and a 7:00pm performance at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) to benefit NAATCO.

Actor T. Scott Cunningham, a founding member of Drama Dept. and The Vineyard Community of Artists, died at NYU Medical Center in New York City on Saturday, June 20 from complications due to pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, according to Sam Rudy, a spokesperson for The Vineyard Theatre. Mr. Cunningham was 47 years old.

The Vineyard Theatre -- where Marian Seldes originated her role in Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning play THREE TALL WOMEN in 1993 -- honored the Tony Award-winning actress at the theatre's annual gala on Monday, February 9th at 6 PM at The Rainbow Room (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th floor) in Manhattan.

Gerald Schoenfeld, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of The Shubert Organization, Inc., a theatre organization engaged in the ownership and operation of legitimate theatres in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C. died suddenly at his home in Manhattan on Tuesday, November 25, according to Sam Rudy, a spokesperson for The Shubert Organization. Mr. Schoenfeld was 84 years old.

We meet with Jim Wann, the composer/lyricist/co-author of the book, and with director/producer, Kate Middleton. Daniel Bailey accompanies Mariand Torres and Richard Binder in three songs: 'Tippo', 'Lockdown Blues', and Come on Down to Tippo'. This is Jim Wann's first musical since the award-winning Pump Boys and Dinettes, which launched the career of Debra Monk, among others. A little bit love story, a little bit courtroom drama, the musical comedy is set in Tippo, Geroge. It's about the trial of Mona Mae Kitt, who owns a popular hangout in town, and is charged with her husband's murder. If she's convicted, she will have to go to jail, and her attorney has never won a case against the prosecutor -- who is also his fiancee. This production marks its New York premiere. It is playing at the Abingdon Theatre (312 West 36th Street), and opened July 18th.

Ground UP Productions presents the New York premiere of The People vs. Mona, a new Southern murder mystery musical from Jim Wann

AVENUE Q played its 1,500th performance on Broadway at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street) on Sunday evening, March 4th and BroadwayWorld.com was there!

High Fidelity star and composer Will Chase and Tom Kitt signed the Hilton's Celebrity-Autographed Harmony Piano on November 2nd

A host of talented, hot and hip young stage, film and television actors star in DOG SEES GOD: CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BLOCKHEAD, a new play by Bert V. Royal, which opened December 15th, Off-Broadway at the Century Center for the Performing Arts.