Vic Damone News

42nd Street, the tap dancing musical extravaganza makes it's way to Peachtree Street at the Fabulous Fox Theatre July 28 - August 2. Starring the legendary Loretta Swit as Broadway diva Dorothy Brock, 42nd Street brings it's show stopping and foot tapping story to the Fabulous Fox by way of Theater of the Stars.

Chris Davis for Norwell Lapley in assocation with That's Entertainment Productions presents Bobby Crush in LIBERACE LIVE FROM HEAVEN, written and directed by Julian Woolford.

42nd Street, the tap dancing musical extravaganza makes it's way to Peachtree Street at the Fabulous Fox Theatre July 28 - August 2. Starring the legendary Loretta Swit as Broadway diva Dorothy Brock, 42nd Street brings it's show stopping and foot tapping story to the Fabulous Fox by way of Theater of the Stars.

Peter Nero and the Philly Pops has pulled out all the stops for its 30th anniversary concert on Friday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. Two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist/conductor Peter Nero is joined by special guests Jack Jones, Lucie Arnaz, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Christiane Noll for an unforgettable night of music. Celebrate 30 years of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops and toast 'the best orchestra of its kind in the entire cosmos!'

Michael Feinstein's Salute to the Stars of MGM scheduled for Thursday, March 26 adds Jane Russell with Arlene Dahl and host Robert Osborne (Turner Classic Movies) for a joyous tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals and the stars that made them great. Due to scheduling conflicts Vic Damone will not be able to attend this performance. Tickets to the 7:30 show are $50-$80.

Last night in Beverly Hills, Monday January 26th, The Paley Center for Media saluted the work of award-winning composer Charles Strouse in the third of its concert & conversations series, PaleyAfterDark. The composer of such great Broadway hits including Bye Bye Birdie, Golden Boy, Applause, Annie, and Rags, Strouse with special guests Bonnie Franklin (who nominated for a Tony award for Applause) and cast members of Minsky's shared a rare evening of story and song which celebrated his illustrious career and the Los Angeles debut of his latest musical triumph, Minsky's. The program was illuminated by archival footage of rare Strouse material from the Paley Center's collection and finished with a musical performance by the composer singing an arrangement of favorites from 'Put on a Happy Face' to 'Tomorrow.'Minsky's is based on the Bud Yorkin-Norman Lear production of 'The Night They Raided Minsky's.' Charles Strouse has touched the life of almost every American in the last half century with his musical works. There may be no other living composer from America's popular songbook whose work is as integrated into the popular culture as that of Charles Strouse.His music has attracted top recording artists from the last half-century with covers of his songs recorded by such diverse pop artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby Rydell, Jay Z, Vic Damone, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Grace Jones and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.Strouse has written the score to over 30 stage musicals, 14 scores for Broadway, four Hollywood films, two orchestral works and an opera.He has been inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Minsky's is the second new musical playing the Ahmanson this season, boasting a book by Bob Martin and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, who both crafted the U.S. premiere of the musical The Drowsy Chaperone at the Ahmanson in 2005. Composer Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie) will join lyricist Susan Birkenhead (Triumph of Love) on the musical, which begins performances January 21 through March 1, 2009.

Minsky's is a big, racy, new musical comedy set in a time when entertainment was about legs and laughs, and you had to push the limits to keep the customers buying tickets. A rollicking backstage story, set in Prohibition Era New York City. Tony Award winning costume designer Gregg Barnes talked about his creations for MINSKY'S on the show's official site in a wonderful audio/video essay that we are excited to bring you here on BWW TV!

Former SNL genius, Celebrity Autobiography mainstay and gifted comic actress Rachel Dratch is a member of the cast of the currently in rehearsal musical Minsky's, she reveals her joy of working with composer Charles Strouse and her hope of it continuing to Broadway in the future to NYMag.com's Diana Scholl.

Minsky's is the second new musical playing the Ahmanson this season, boasting a book by Bob Martin and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, who both crafted the U.S. premiere of the musical The Drowsy Chaperone at the Ahmanson in 2005. Composer Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie) will join lyricist Susan Birkenhead (Triumph of Love) on the musical, which begins performances January 21 through March 1, 2009.

This September, Charles Strouse's year-long 80th birthday celebration continues in the United Kingdom. Following tributes at venues ranging from New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Chicago's Theatre Building and Washington DC's The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center, Strouse will cross the Atlantic where he will celebrate his 80th birthday, his 50 years of composing for the theatre, film and television and the release of his new book, Put On a Happy Face - A Broadway Memoir.

This week, Charles Strouse's year-long 80th birthday celebration continues in the United Kingdom. Following tributes at venues ranging from New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Chicago's Theatre Building and Washington DC's The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center, Strouse will cross the Atlantic where he will celebrate his 80th birthday, his 50 years of composing for the theatre, film and television and the release of his new book, Put On a Happy Face - A Broadway Memoir.

This September, Charles Strouse's year-long 80th birthday celebration continues in the United Kingdom. Following tributes at venues ranging from New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Paley Center for Media, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Chicago's Theatre Building and Washington DC's The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center, Strouse will cross the Atlantic where he will celebrate his 80th birthday, his 50 years of composing for the theatre, film and television and the release of his new book, Put On a Happy Face - A Broadway Memoir.

Atlanta's Theater of the Stars presents 'Oklahoma!' from June 24th to the 29th.

On Monday June 16th at the 21 Club there was a cocktail reception celebrating Charles Strouse, his 80th birthday, his 50-year career and the launch of his new book, Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir. The evening included a musical tribute, the reading of a proclamation from the city of New York, and a performance by Strouse from behind the piano.

Atlanta's Theater of the Stars presents 'Oklahoma!' from June 24th to the 29th.

On June 7, 2008, Charles Strouse, the award winning composer of Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and some of the most popular music from the last 50 years of Broadway, film and television, turns 80. To mark the occasion, a year-long celebration of events including concerts, international tributes, revivals of popular favorites and premieres of new works will take place across the United States and around the world.

Gary Griffin - fresh from the success of his recent Broadway production, 'The Color Purple' - has returned to London (where his Donmar Warehouse production of Sondheim's 'Pacific Overtures' won him a richly deserved Olivier Award in 2003) to present a revival of the 1950s musical, 'Kismet' at the London Coliseum for the ENO. The show, originally staged at the Ziegfield theatre in New York in 1953, has music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from musical themes by Borodin. The original book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis has been reworked by Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Griffin's colourful, energetic and beautifully paced production, magnificently complemented by the set design by Ultz and Wolfgang Gobbel's lighting design, breathes new life into a classic.

Baritone Tony Richards has rescheduled his new show, 'Tony Richards - The Glory of Love,' for Sunday, April 22nd, at 9PM at the Triad.

Turtle Shell Productions is announcing the world premiere of new musical Fritz & Froyim, with book and lyrics by Norman Beim (Success) and music by Mark Barkan (writer for Nat King Cole, Vic Damone, Elvis Presley and Paul Anka) and Rolf Barnes (composer, conductor for Volpe). The show is based on Romain Gary's novel The Dance of Genghis Cohn, and will be directed by Turtle Shell Productions Artistic Director John W. Cooper.