Stephanie J. Block News

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its September 2014 schedule, featuring Ralph Alessi Baida Quartet, Marilyn Maye, Coltrane Revisited, Bud Powell Birthday Celebration, Barbara Carroll, Christian McBride Trio, Jane Monheit, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

Famed composer Scott Alan recently took part in the Broadway Gets GLAAD: A Benefit Concert on August 4, where he performed a rendition of his song 'Blessing' from his album KEYS: THE SONGS OF SCOTT ALAN. Check out his performance below!

How would you like to join composer Scott Alan on his new BroadwayWorld.com series 'SONGS FROM MY LIVING ROOM'?

Leonard Bernstein titled a book 'The Joy Of Music'. The first time I attended a New York Pops concert with Steven Reineke at the helm that's the first thing I thought of. By the time the last note was played I realized the Pops new music director was much more than that. Steven also represents The Joy Of Life. Then, Steven met Eric, an equivalently matched person with whom to travel on life's journey.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: KING LEAR opens at Shakespeare in the Park, and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE begins in D.C., plus Christopher Fitzgerald returns to CHICAGO in a new role and more!

Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Zoro), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked, Bare), Ashley Moniz (Sister Act, 9 to 5 National Tours), Derek Klena (Bridges of Madison County), Melissa Mitchell (LES MISERABLES), Catherine Ricafort (Cinderella, Mamma Mia!) and Steven Ferezy are among the Cabrillo Music Theatre alumni who will take part in Cabrillo Coast-to-Coast, tonight, August 4, 2014 at The Triad.

FlynnArts Summer Youth Theater opened THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD on Thursday, July 31 at Burlington's FlynnSpace at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

'Dance is a metaphor for expression, for freedom. In Footloose we use dance to express ourselves when we have no words. [As characters] we are all closed off, and finally at the end of the story, we are loosened; we become individuals again.' Speaking is Kristen Martin, who plays Ariel in Maine State Music Theatre's final season production of Footloose, which runs from August 6-23. Her co-star, Eric Sciotto, agrees that his character, Ren, is 'on a journey to find himself after being abandoned by his father. Ren sees in Ariel a troubled soul who reminds him of himself. They recognize immediately that they are kindred spirits.'

Uptown Players closes its 2014 season with the Regional Premiere of the 2003 Tony Award winning musical, The Boy From Oz. This is the first regional theater production announced in the United States since the Broadway production and will run July 25 through August 10, 2014 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. Check out a first look below!

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. With several weeks until the craziness begins, there is plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's WICKED below!

Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Zoro), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked, Bare), Ashley Moniz (Sister Act, 9 to 5 National Tours), Derek Klena (Bridges of Madison County), Melissa Mitchell (LES MISERABLES), Catherine Ricafort (Cinderella, Mamma Mia!) and Steven Ferezy are among the Cabrillo Music Theatre alumni who will take part in Cabrillo Coast-to-Coast, August 4, 2014 at The Triad.

Santino Fontana, 2013 Tony Award nominee for Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Cinderella), visited students of Broadway Artists Alliance Junior Summer Intensive on July 9th. Fontana spoke of his start in school plays all the way to his Broadway career. Fontana relayed some words of wisdom during a Q&A, answering questions ranging from memorizing all those lines to the process of making Frozen.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Capathia Jenkins returns to NEWSIES as 'Medda', we can add two new Original Cast Recordings to our collection -- LADY DAY and HEDWIG -- and Idina Menzel performs at tonight's MBL All-Star Game!

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents the 'It Could Be Worse' Season Two Launch Concert tonight, July 15, 2014.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

Broadway vets Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor's critically-acclaimed "IT COULD BE WORSE," was a humble yet cherished web series amongst our community. After winning a slew of online indie awards and raising over 70K on Kickstarter to shoot a second season, the "awesomely addictive" dark comedy was acquired for cable television.The Washington Post said ICBW was "what Smash might have been…had it found a looser and sharper-witted footing."

The Covenant House has announced the Second Annual Sleep Out: Broadway Edition on Sunday, August 17, 2014, where members of the Broadway community will spend the night sleeping on the streets outside the Covenant House to raise much needed funds for homeless youth. The Executive Committee Members of Covenant House's Sleep Out: Broadway Edition is made up of Stephanie J. Block, Jeff Calhoun, Capathia Jenkins, Denis O'Hare, Tom Schumacher and Keala Settle.

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you the premiere episode of 'Songs from My Living Room'- a new series that goes into the home of one of today's most acclaimed contemporary songwriters, as he explains the stories behind his songs. The monthly series will feature special guests from all corners of the entertainment industry to help bring to life the music and lyrics of Scott Alan straight from his living room into yours.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have had an extensive career, composing music for the stage and screen over the last thirty years. As a team, they captured us with their enchanting work on Anastasia. On Broadway, people clamored for RAGTIME and SEUSSICAL. Now fans of Ahrens & Flaherty have a beautifully produced retrospective of their work so far with Broadway Records' release of the fascinating NICE FIGHTING YOU.

This July and August 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street.