Stephen Bogardus News

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 1962's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical, March 16 to 28 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Directed by David Lee, the production's book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

The Reprise Theatre Company's production of CAROUSEL will close on February 7, 2010.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Audra McDonald in Concert for one performance only on Monday, February 1 at 8:30 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Audra McDonald is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel,' January 26 to February 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Alexandra Silber stars as Julie Jordan, direct from her critically acclaimed portrayal of Julie Jordan in 'Carousel' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End (TMA Award - Best Actress).

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel,' January 26 to February 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Alexandra Silber stars as Julie Jordan, direct from her critically acclaimed portrayal of Julie Jordan in 'Carousel' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End (TMA Award - Best Actress).

Reprise Theatre Company presents Audra McDonald in Concert for one performance only on Monday, February 1 at 8:30 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Audra McDonald is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The 2009-2010 season of Reprise Theatre Company continues with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel,' January 26 to February 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Alexandra Silber stars as Julie Jordan, direct from her critically acclaimed portrayal of Julie Jordan in 'Carousel' at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End (TMA Award - Best Actress). Silber is joined by Robert Patteri as Billy Bigelow ('Scarlet Pimpernel,' 'Beauty and the Beast'.) Veteran character actor M. Emmet Walsh appears as the Starkeeper. Michael Michetti, co-artistic director of The Theatre at Boston Court, will direct, with choreography by Lee Martino and musical direction by Darryl Archibald.

I originally saw Paul Blake and David Ives' adaptation of the 1954 movie WHITE CHRISTMAS back in 2006 at the Muny. There have been some minor changes made to it since then, but it still follows the basic plot of the movie fairly closely. In fact, most of the changes center on the inclusion of additional tunes by Irving Berlin. But, any time a film is reworked for the stage it's going to draw the inevitable comparisons to its original source material, and this version, which features some outstanding moments of song and dance, falls a bit short of expectations.

Those four Jews were in a room bitching again last Sunday afternoon. No, I don't mean The Marvelous Wonderettes. I mean Whizzer, Jason, Mendel and Marvin, also known as Stephen Bogardus, Jonathan Kaplan, Chip Zien and Michael Rupert. As any fan of neurotic, gay musical theatre will tell you, they were the quartet who first opened the 1992 Broadway production of Falsettos with William Finn's frenetic patter, 'Four Jews in a Room Bitching.'

While there isn't anything terribly wrong with the new Broadway adaptation of the 1954 movie musical smash, White Christmas, hitting New York after four years of holiday season engagements across the country, there's also quite a bit that isn't especially right about it either. Yes, it's got those glorious Irving Berlin songs like 'Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep', 'Let Me Sing and I'm Happy' and 'Blue Skies' - the kind of stuff that turns wearing your heart on your sleeve into a hip fashion statement - and Larry Blank's swing orchestrations provide choreographer Randy Skinner's dancers with a red carpet of sizzle, but too much of director Walter Bobbie's perfectly pleasant production settles snugly into a groove of innocuous entertainment that is swift, professional and rarely exciting.

Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, the acclaimed songwriting duo, make an exciting studio recording debut with the release of Marcy & Zina: The Album on November 3, 2009 from Yellow Sound Label. Best known for their romantic comedy songs, hit musicals and sold out concerts, Marcy and Zina step into the studio with this self-titled album, which offers a definitive collection of their work together.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to announce the return of songwriters Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich to the Broadway at Birdland stage on Monday, November 2 at 7pm.

Celebrating of the release of 'Marcy and Zina: The Album,' created by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Tony Award winner Alan Cumming, Jill Abramovitz, Stephen Bogardus, and Elena Shaddow will perform in a November 2nd concert at the Birdland.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Saturday, October 24, 2009.

The Abominable Showman got his due in a rousing celebration at Town Hall last week.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to announce the return of songwriters Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich to the Broadway at Birdland stage on Monday, November 2 at 7pm.

The Town Hall, Broadway's landmark concert venue, presented the fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival, October 16th- 18th. This three-concert series, created, written an hosted by Scott Siegel, took place over one weekend and included A Tribute to David Merrick, staring Corbin Bleu of High School Musical, on Friday October 16th at 8pm, All of Me staring Linda Eder on Saturday October 17th at 8pm and Broadway Originals on Sunday October 18th at 3pm.

The Town Hall, Broadway's landmark concert venue, presented the fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival, October 16th- 18th. This three-concert series, created, written an hosted by Scott Siegel, took place over one weekend and included A Tribute to David Merrick, staring Corbin Bleu of High School Musical, on Friday October 16th at 8pm, All of Me staring Linda Eder on Saturday October 17th at 8pm and Broadway Originals on Sunday October 18th at 3pm

The Town Hall, Broadway's landmark concert venue, presents the fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival, October 16th- 18th. This three-concert series, created, written an hosted by Scott Siegel, takes place over one weekend and includes A Tribute to David Merrick, staring Corbin Bleu of High School Musical, on Friday October 16th at 8pm, All of Me staring Linda Eder on Saturday October 17th at 8pm and Broadway Originals on Sunday October 18th at 3pm.

The Town Hall, Broadway's landmark concert venue, presents their fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival October 16th - 18th. The festival showcases the talents of award-winning Broadway veterans and rising stars in a celebration of the Great White Way.