Walter Bobbie News

Today, Monday, February 16, two-time Tony nominee Tom Wopat returns to CHICAGO in the role of slick criminal laywer Billy Flynn.

Melora Hardin, star of the hit NBC comedy 'The Office,' made her Broadway stage debut this winter as fame-hungry murderess Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical CHICAGO. Hardin played a seven-week limited engagement which began Monday, December 29, 2008 at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). Melora Hardin performed her final show as 'Roxie' on on Thursday, February 12th and BroadwayWorld was there to cheer her on as she 'Razzle Dazzled' the crowd one last time!

Shake off the winter doldrums and cut loose!....Footloose! TMP's exciting 15th Anniversary Season continues with an exhilarating stage production of the 1980's pop film phenomenon. Heat up your spring with the electric choreography of Jon Douglas Rake and a cast of over 30 energetic singers, actors and dancers lead by South Sound favorites, Matt Posner and Elise Campello.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company. Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago, New Jerusalem), in his Playwrights Horizons debut, the production will began previews on Friday, February 6, 2009 with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 3 at 7PM. The limited engagement will run through Sunday, March 15 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

On Thursday, February 12, the record-breaking worldwide musical smash CHICAGO will once again razzle-dazzle international audiences as it makes its celebrated Thai premiere engagement at the Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre in Bangkok (through Sunday, February 22). With this latest international premiere, CHICAGO has now played a total of 24 countries in 11 languages since the Tony Award-winning revival first opened on Broadway in 1996.

Designed to provide theatergoers with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of CHICAGO, the nlast 'Talkback Tuesdays' on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 offered a chat with Tony Award winner and the revival's original Velma Kelly, Bebe Neuwirth. BroadwayWorld's cameras were there to capture the post show razzle dazzle!

The Broadway company of CHICAGO is pleased to announce details for the February installment of 'Talkback Tuesdays,' the unique new series offering post-show discussions and audience Q&A sessions with past and present members of the Broadway company of the record-breaking hit musical. Designed to provide theatergoers with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of CHICAGO, the February 'Talkback Tuesdays' offering is set for Tuesday, February 10, 2009, featuring a post-show conversation with Tony Award winner and original Velma Kelly, Bebe Neuwirth. For her performance as Velma Kelly, Neuwirth won the 1997 Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Fred Astaire Award. A decade after originating the role of Velma on Broadway, Neuwirth returned to CHICAGO to great acclaim in the role of Velma's rival, merry murderess Roxie Hart.

Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, concluded its limited run yesterday, Sunday, February 8th. Music in the Air, a rarely seen 1932 musical, was directed by Gary Griffin with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The production ran for five performances at City Center, West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). BroadwayWorld's camera caught the final curtain call of the Encores! treat. The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Douglas Sills, Dick Latessa, Marni Nixon, Tom Alan Robbins, Sierra Boggess, Walter Charles, Anne L. Nathan, David Schramm, Ryan Silverman and Robert Sella. Music in the Air, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, has been restored by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and has not been seen in New York in its original form since its premiere Broadway engagement at the Alvin Theatre in 1932. Opening on November 8th of that year, it played for 342 performances in a production directed by the authors. A revised version had a brief revival at the Ziegfeld Theatre in 1951. Music in the Air is a musical romance, with the wit and elegance of an Ernst Lubitsch film. It's the story of a Bavarian music teacher (Robbins), his beautiful young daughter (Boggess), and the daughter's suitor (Silverman), who travel to the big, bad city of Munich where they encounter a cast of self-involved, egotistical theater folk who promise them fame, fortune and romance. Kristin Chenoweth and Douglas Sills play a Diva (Chenoweth) and an egotistical operetta librettist (Sills) who take the young couple under their wings (and claws). Songs include 'I've Told Ev'ry Little Star' and 'The Song Is You.' Photos by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

The Empire State Building glows red on February 6th through the 8th in honor of Go Red for Women and National Wear Red Day, a day of action aimed at raising awareness of heart disease, the leading killer of New York City women.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) continues its 2008/2009 Season with the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Remedial English for the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). This will be Mr. Smith's fourth collaboration with the theater company.

This month, the record-breaking worldwide musical smash CHICAGO will welcome two favorite leading ladies to headline the Broadway company. First, direct from the London and South Africa companies of CHICAGO, Amra-Faye Wright joins the Broadway cast as Velma Kelly on Monday, February 2. And on Friday, February 13, two-time Tony Award nominee Charlotte d'Amboise steps back into the role of Roxie Hart on Broadway, prior to headlining the upcoming engagement of the CHICAGO National Tour at Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts (February 26 - March 8).

This month, the record-breaking worldwide musical smash CHICAGO will welcome two favorite leading ladies to headline the Broadway company. First, direct from the London and South Africa companies of CHICAGO, Amra-Faye Wright joins the Broadway cast as Velma Kelly on Monday, February 2. And on Friday, February 13, two-time Tony Award nominee Charlotte d'Amboise steps back into the role of Roxie Hart on Broadway, prior to headlining the upcoming engagement of the CHICAGO National Tour at Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts (February 26 - March 8).

Broadway In Chicago and the producers of CHICAGO The Musical are thrilled to announce that Charlotte d'Amboise will star as Roxie Hart in a limited engagement of the hit musical. Starring with Ms. d'Amboise will be John O'Hurley as Billy Flynn. The award-winning show will play Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) February 25 - March 8, 2009.

As of this morning, Wednesday, January 28, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to its next production, the New York premiere of THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION, a new play by Evan Smith (Psych and The Uneasy Chair at Playwrights Horizons, Servicemen at The New Group). At least 50 tickets will be available via the online lottery. A ticketing initiative created last season as part of the theater company's Arts Access program, LIVEforFIVE makes $5 tickets available for the first preview performance of each Playwrights Horizons production through a lottery via the company's website (www.playwrightshorizons.org). The LIVEforFIVE lottery for THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION will be for tickets to the first preview on Friday, February 6 at 8:00 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The Broadway company of CHICAGO is pleased to announce details for the February installment of 'Talkback Tuesdays,' the unique new series offering post-show discussions and audience Q&A sessions with past and present members of the Broadway company of the record-breaking hit musical. Designed to provide theatergoers with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of CHICAGO, the February 'Talkback Tuesdays' offering is set for Tuesday, February 10, 2009, featuring a post-show conversation with Tony Award winner and original Velma Kelly, Bebe Neuwirth. For her performance as Velma Kelly, Neuwirth won the 1997 Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Fred Astaire Award. A decade after originating the role of Velma on Broadway, Neuwirth returned to CHICAGO to great acclaim in the role of Velma's rival, merry murderess Roxie Hart.

Now celebrating ten glorious years of girls, glitz and glamour across the country, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO is BACK IN TOWN and its PURE ENTERTAINMENT! Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the return of CHICAGO The Musical for a limited run February 24 ? March 1, 2009 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.). Group tickets are currently available by calling (312) 977-1710.

A recent 'Talkback Tuesdays' featured a post-show conversation with actress Melora Hardin. BWW TV was there to share in the fun as Melora discussed being a part of the hit Kander & Ebb musical!

The Broadway company of CHICAGO is pleased to announce additional offerings for its expanded 'Talkback Tuesdays' program, the new series offering a post-show discussion and audience Q&A session with members of the Broadway company of the record-breaking hit musical. Designed to provide theatergoers with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of CHICAGO, the nlast 'Talkback Tuesdays' on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 offered a chat with Tony Award winner and the revival's original Amos Hart, Joel Grey. BroadwayWorld's cameras were there to capture the post show razzle dazzle! Tickets for performances are available by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Ambassador Theatre Box Office, located at 219 W. 49th St. Regular Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Now celebrating twelve glorious years of girls, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO is currently the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival...and it shows no sign of ever slowing down!

The Broadway company of CHICAGO is pleased to announce additional offerings for its expanded 'Talkback Tuesdays' program, the new series offering a post-show discussion and audience Q&A session with members of the Broadway company of the record-breaking hit musical.

McCarter Theatre Center announces the complete cast of George Bernard Shaw's still provocative Mrs. Warren's Profession, the third show of the theater's 2008-2009 season. Directed by McCarter Artistic Director Emily Mann, the production will feature Suzanne Bertish, Robin Chadwick, Edward Hibbert, Madeleine Hutchins, Michael Izquierdo, and Rocco Sisto. Mrs. Warren's Profession begins performances in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, January 9 and runs through February 15. (Press opening Friday, January 16).