Vincent Gardenia News

Elliot Martin, renowned Broadway producer and Tony Award winner passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 21st, in Connecticut, surrounded by his family. He was 93.

'On the twenty-third day of the month of September in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence. And this terrifying enemy surfaced, as such enemies often do, in the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places.' And so goes the prologue to the popular small cast musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Based on the 1960 movie directed by Roger Corman, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS by writer Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, is the marriage of a 60's love story and the apocalyptic sci-fi films of the era set to music. The result is a crowd pleasing intimate campy black musical comedy. Its success led to the musical being produced as a movie in 1986 with Rick Moranis, Vincent Gardenia, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin in the lead roles.

Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, tonight, November 18-22 in the Decio Mainstage Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Directed and choreographed by guest artist Nathan Halvorson, who previously helmed FTT's production of Cabaret (2013), LITTLE SHOP will also feature puppets by special effects makeup artist and puppeteer RJ Haddy, who was a finalist on Season 2 of the Syfy channel's reality competition series FACE OFF.

Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, November 18-22 in the Decio Mainstage Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Directed and choreographed by guest artist Nathan Halvorson, who previously helmed FTT's production of Cabaret (2013), LITTLE SHOP will also feature puppets by special effects makeup artist and puppeteer RJ Haddy, who was a finalist on Season 2 of the Syfy channel's reality competition series FACE OFF.

BroadwayWorld has learned the sad news that playwright Jerome Kass has died. A Tony nominee for penning the book of the 1978 musical BALLROOM, Kass passed away in his Manhatta home on Thursday, Oct. 22 from prostate cancer. He was 78.

Movies filmed in New York City that tapped into the turmoil, chaos, and social and cultural energies of the late 1960s and early 1970s are the subject of the screening series Fun City: New York in the Movies 1967-75, curated by film critic and historian J. Hoberman. The series, which will be accompanied by a new monograph written by Hoberman, includes nineteen films, and will be presented by Museum of the Moving Image from August 10 through September 1. The films include established classics such as Rosemary's Baby, The French Connection, Midnight Cowboy, and Dog Day Afternoon, as well as lesser known films such as The Angel Levine, Bye Bye Braverman, and Cotton Comes to Harlem.

Movies filmed in New York City that tapped into the turmoil, chaos, and social and cultural energies of the late 1960s and early 1970s are the subject of the screening series Fun City: New York in the Movies 1967-75, curated by film critic and historian J. Hoberman. The series, which will be accompanied by a new monograph written by Hoberman, includes nineteen films, and will be presented by Museum of the Moving Image from August 10 through September 1. The films include established classics such as Rosemary's Baby, The French Connection, Midnight Cowboy, and Dog Day Afternoon, as well as lesser known films such as The Angel Levine, Bye Bye Braverman, and Cotton Comes to Harlem.

Below, check out recently discovered deleted scenes from the 1986 film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Included in the videos are cut lines, alternate shots and extended scenes, as well as a cut verse of 'The Meek Shall Inherit.'

Sometimes once is just not enough, so, today, we have a super-special encore conversation with a recent InDepth InterView participant who shares even more candid tales from her impossibly colorful, genre-spanning career on Broadway and in Hollywood - star of properties as diverse as the Broadway musicals MR. PRESIDENT, KELLY and THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, to movies like MOONSTRUCK and SHALL WE DANCE to her numerous TV appearances on everything from MATCH GAME to QUINCY to 30 ROCK - chameleon-like comedienne and actress Anita Gillette. Discussing some of the more ribald and hilarious stories from her idiosyncratic showbiz career - such as the riotous backstage goings-on out of town at the tryout of one of Broadway biggest bombs, KELLY - as well as spine-tingling "you had to be there"-type memories of the Golden Age - like Irving Berlin stopping by the Winter Garden every Wednesday just to see her Act One showstopper in ALL AMERICAN - Gillette paints a vivid picture of an era gone by, and, also, looks ahead to exciting future endeavors - especially the upcoming Ed Burns-directed feature film, THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS, opening wide later this year. Of course, Gillette returns to the NYC stage the next two Mondays - September 24 and October 1 - with her new Birdland show, AFTER ALL, so in this all-encompassing conversation we also discuss the themes, style, songs and stories we can anticipate from that intimate solo piece, as well, and she generously shares her recollections of working with some of the men who penned many of the sensational songs she will be performing and figure in to some of the tales she will tell - Charles Strouse, Marvin Hamlisch, Jule Styne, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and the aforementioned Irving Berlin included. All of that and much, much more!

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston has announced the full cast of BYE BYE BIRDIE, the Tony Award-winning 1960s rock 'n' roll-inspired musical parody of what happens to a small Midwestern community when an Elvis-like singing sensation swings through town looking for one last kiss before entering the Army. Bye Bye Birdie runs today, July 13 through July 22 in the Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham.

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston will present BYE BYE BIRDIE, the Tony Award-winning 1960s rock 'n' roll-inspired musical parody of what happens to a small Midwestern community when an Elvis-like singing sensation swings through town looking for one last kiss before entering the Army. Bye Bye Birdie runs July 13-22 in the Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham.

Gennaro Productions in association with The Midtown International Theatre Festival present Vincent Gorliormella's new outrageous comedy WHATTA YA NUTS! directed by Charles Messina, choreographed by Tricia Brouk, with musical Direction by Ray Naccari and songs by Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler, John Fogerty, Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini, Wham!, Tom Jones, Les Reed, Geoff Stephens, and Neil Diamond. The show stars Al Sapienza, Ernest Mingione, Alex Ishkanian, Gina Ferranti, Autumn Ready Potter, Steven LaChioma and Valerie Smaldone. WHATTA YA NUTS! plays July 19 - August 5 at the June Havoc Theatre (312 West 36 Street - between Eighth & Ninth Avenues).

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston has announced the full cast of BYE BYE BIRDIE, the Tony Award-winning 1960s rock 'n' roll-inspired musical parody of what happens to a small Midwestern community when an Elvis-like singing sensation swings through town looking for one last kiss before entering the Army.

Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Damian Arnold, has announced casting for the Broadway premiere of Marc Camoletti's classic farce Don't Dress For Dinner, starring Ben Daniels as "Robert," Melora Hardin as "Jacqueline," Adam James as "Bernard" and Jennifer Tilly as "Suzanne" with Spencer Kayden as "Suzette." Don't Dress For Dinner is adapted by Robin Hawdon and directed by John Tillinger.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Damian Arnold, is pleased to announce the Broadway premiere of Marc Camoletti's classic farce Don't Dress For Dinner, adapted by Robin Hawdon, directed by John Tillinger. The cast will be announced soon. Don't Dress For Dinner will begin previews on March 30 and open officially on April 26, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). This will be a limited engagement through June 17, 2012.

Infinity Theatre Company continues to present the longest-running hits in New York City theatre history. 'Little Shop of Horrors', written by the team behind Disney's 'The Little Mermaid', 'Aladdin', and 'Beauty and the Beast', is a blend of Broadway musical magic and edgy satire, spoofing 1950's sci-fi movies. Songs from the rock score include 'Downtown,' 'Grow for Me,' 'Somewhere That's Green,' and 'Suddenly Seymour.'

Infinity Theatre Company continues to present the longest-running hits in New York City theatre history. 'Little Shop of Horrors', written by the team behind Disney's 'The Little Mermaid', 'Aladdin', and 'Beauty and the Beast', is a blend of Broadway musical magic and edgy satire, spoofing 1950's sci-fi movies. Songs from the rock score include 'Downtown,' 'Grow for Me,' 'Somewhere That's Green,' and 'Suddenly Seymour.'

Timely, relevant, bittersweet, and scathingly funny, The Prisoner of Second Avenue by the prolific Neil Simon gets the all-star treatment at ACT Theatre, April 29-May 29, with director Warner Shook at the helm and a cast that reads like a Who's Who in Seattle Theatre.

Timely, relevant, bittersweet, and scathingly funny, The Prisoner of Second Avenue by the prolific Neil Simon gets the all-star treatment at ACT Theatre, April 29-May 29, with director Warner Shook at the helm and a cast that reads like a Who's Who in Seattle Theatre.

Timely, relevant, bittersweet, and scathingly funny, The Prisoner of Second Avenue by the prolific Neil Simon gets the all-star treatment at ACT Theatre, April 29-May 29, with director Warner Shook at the helm and a cast that reads like a Who's Who in Seattle Theatre.