Stephanie J. Block News

Musical Theater composer Scott Alan has a music video in the works that fans can submit to be a part of. Alan writes on his Tumblr:

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

Just like what he did to celebrate National Coming Out Day in October last year, prolific composer-lyricist Scott Alan has allowed anew the free download of BLESSING, sung live in 2010 by 'American Idol' Season One Finalist RJ Helton, to honor Gay Pride.

VAN DAVIS, the NYC based rock-funk group, announces COME WITH ME, available for purchase today, June 19. In celebration, the band will host a CD launch event at INC Lounge (224 West 49th Street, 2nd Floor, above Time Hotel) tonight, June 19. Doors open at 8PM for cocktails and three 45-minute sets will be performed at 9PM, 10:15PM and 11:30PM. There is no cover for the event and there will be drink specials at the bar.

VAN DAVIS, the NYC based rock-funk group, announces COME WITH ME, available for purchase on Thursday, June 19. In celebration, the band will host a CD launch event at INC Lounge (224 West 49th Street, 2nd Floor, above Time Hotel) on Thursday, June 19. Doors open at 8PM for cocktails and three 45-minute sets will be performed at 9PM, 10:15PM and 11:30PM. There is no cover for the event and there will be drink specials at the bar.

Acclaimed vocal supergroup Broadway Inspirational Voices have surpassed the Kickstarter goal for their new album GREAT JOY II.

Earlier this week, Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti ('The Sound of Music Live!', Gypsy, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) hosted the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). Big winners for the night included Audra McDonald, Bryan Cranston, Jessie Mueller, and Neil Patrick Harris and Jefferson Mays- who tied for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Check out photos of the red crapet fashions below!

Ahrens and Flaherty's 'Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration Live At 54 BELOW' will be released today, June 3rd, 2014.

Just last night, Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti ('The Sound of Music Live!', Gypsy, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) hosted the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). Big winners for the night included Audra McDonald, Bryan Cranston, Jessie Mueller, and Neil Patrick Harris and Jefferson Mays- who tied for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Click here for a full list of winners. Also check out more photos of arrivals and photos of the winners.

Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti ('The Sound of Music Live!', Gypsy, Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) will host the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards tonight, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street). BroadwayWorld will be updating you with winners throughout the night. Check back later for the full list!

Today's featured songwriters are Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell. Here is the fabulous Lilli Cooper singing 'It's the Choice' from their new musical LMNOP at our 54 Below concert.

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: MISS SAIGON returns to the West End and stars gather for a pre-Tonys, outdoor STARS IN THE ALLEY concert!

Vulture.com welcomed actress Stephanie J. Block and composer Jason Robert Brown for 'The Art of Songwriting' at the first Vulture Festival, a weekend of pop culture events in New York City on May 10 and 11. During the event, Brown spoke to New York magazine theater critic Jesse Green about composing for musicals and played and sang some of his tunes with additional vocal accompaniment by Block. Song selections included 'Falling Into You' and 'Another Life' from The Bridges of Madison County and 'Still Hurting' from The Last Five Years. Click below to watch the full performance!

Grammy award and Tony award nominee Michael McElroy and Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV) are gearing up for their second holiday album 'Great Joy II: Around the World'. They are kicking off their fundraising with a Kickstarter campaign, running from May 15th through June 15th. BIV members and friends from the Broadway community who have supported in the campaign include BIV board president Phylicia Rashad, Mario Cantone, Lin Mañuel Miranda, Stephanie J. Block, Leslie Uggams, Angela Robinson, Billy Porter, Adriane Lenox, Alice Ripley, Gavin Creel, Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinosa, Montego Glover, Tom Kitt and many more. Watch the pitch video below!

Just last night, May 19, Broadway stars turned out for a special performance of Terrence McNally's Tony-nominated new play Mothers and Sons, benefitting the Actors Fund. Theatre luminaries and current Broadway stars including Brian Dennehy, Sebastian Arcelus, Adriane Lenox, Tonya Pinkins, Orfeh & Andy Karl, Jessie Mueller, Laura Osnes, and more, helped cheer on Mothers and Sons stars Tyne Daly, Frederick Weller, Bobby Steggert, and Grayson Taylor as they supported the Actors Fund. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special night below!

The 25th anniversary production of MISS SAIGON's Gigi Van Tranh, Rachelle Ann Go ('Little Mermaid,' 'Tarzan'), made a surprise appearance singing 'And There It Is,' written and composed by Scott Alan ('Detour in Los Angeles,' 'Home'), at the celebrated musical theater composer's Wednesday night (May 13) concert at Hippodrome Casino-London. On stage, playing the piano, Scott performed at the Hippodrome for four consecutive evenings from Tuesday, May 13, to Friday, May 16.

For the first time in a decade, Country Music Hall of FamerDolly Parton performed a live concert on Rockefeller Plaza on NBC's TODAY.

If you are even a semi-regular reader of this column of reviews, you know that about every three or four months, I post a compilation of observations of shows from the previous quarter of the year. This cabaret critiquing mash up happens for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I admittedly see too many cabaret shows for the amount of time I have to promptly review them (and then, of course, the usual writer's procrastination sets in). So I have to prioritize the timeliness of the reviews based on the prestige of the performer, the length of a show run, the strength (or lack thereof) of the performance, etc. The quality of the shows in these compilations—which can range from a half dozen to a dozen reviews in one shot—are usually a mixed bag of outright raves, qualified positives, and constructive pans (I'm not a fan of the word “negative” in the reviewer lexicon). With that in mind here are a collection of cabaret show reviews going back to the start of a very harsh winter.

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.

Vulture.com welcomed actress Stephanie J. Block and composer Jason Robert Brown for 'The Art of Songwriting' at the first Vulture Festival, a weekend of pop culture events in New York City on May 10-11. During the event, Brown spoke to New York magazine theater critic Jesse Green about composing for musicals and played and sang some of his tunes with additional vocal accompaniment by Block. Song selections included 'Falling Into You' and 'Another Life' from The Bridges of Madison County and 'Still Hurting' from The Last Five Years. Check out their appearance below!