Whoopi Goldberg News

Berkeley Repertory Theatre welcomes comedian and radio talk-show host Brian Copeland for the 10th anniversary presentation of his critically acclaimed show, Not a Genuine Black Man. After over 700 performances in its initial seven-year run in more than 30 cities, the longest-running solo show in San Francisco history comes to Berkeley Rep this April for a limited engagement. In Not a Genuine Black Man, Copeland recounts his story of growing up black in the 1970s in San Leandro, California, a city once nationally known as one of the most racist in America. With wit and heartfelt passion, he explores the themes of racial identity and, ultimately, belonging. 'Very funny,' raves the San Francisco Chronicle. 'Copeland is a winning, magnetic performer. More than that, he's got an important tale to tell!' Directed and developed in part by David Ford, Not a Genuine Black Man previews on April 23, 2014, opens April 25, 2014, and plays through May 31, 2014.

For the first time in its 48-year history the Alhambra Theatre & Dining in Jacksonville (FL) will perform The Color Purple. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2006, the show will open at the Alhambra on March 26 and run through April 27, 2014.

Hamburg hat jetzt seinen ersten Broadway-Export. Am 13. Marz 2014 feierte das von Stage Entertainment in Deutschland entwickelte Musical ROCKY glanzvolle Premiere am New Yorker Broadway. Zahlreiche Stars gingen bei dieser Veranstaltung uber den roten Teppich vor dem traditionsreichen Winter Garden Theatre. Neben Rocky-Schopfer Sylvester Stallone kam viel Prominenz wie zum Beispiel der Regisseur James Cameron, Hollywoodstar Whoopi Goldberg oder Modeschopfer Ralph Lauren. Ein besonders sentimentales Zusammentreffen gab es zwischen Sylvester Stallone und Schauspieler Burt Young, der im Original Kinofilm von 1976 die Rolle des Paulie verkorperte.

ROCKY hit Broadway last night, officially opening with stars Andy Karl and Margo Seibert at Broadway's historic Winter Garden Theatre. The show features an original score by Stephen Flahertyand Lynn Ahrens and a book by Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1976 Oscar-winning Best Picture, Rocky.The production is directed by Alex Timbers, with choreography by Steven Hoggett, and Kelly Devine. BroadwayWorld was on the windy and frigid red carpet and you can check out photo coverage from the star-studded theatre arrivals below!

Sharon Bush, Philanthropist & Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Teddy Share, Arianna Huffington, Chair, President & Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and Joan Vail Thorne, playwright and director, were Women's Project Theater's 2014 Women of Achievement, who were inducted at its 29th Annual Gala Celebration at the Mandarin Oriental, 80 Columbus Circle, on Monday, March 10. Veanne Cox and Doug Wamble lead a musical tribute to lyricist Dorothy Fields. Also on hand throughout the evening were presenters David Hyde Pierce and Stanley Zareff. Check out a look back below!

BroadwayWorld's Richard RIdge was on the red carpet to chat with the evening's attendees, including Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Orfeh, Michael Urie and more. Check out what they had to say before the curtain went up below!

Chester Gregory is currently in Nashville with the national tour of Sister Act: The Musical. He plays Sweaty Eddie, one of the lead characters in the show. Chester originated the role of Sweaty Eddie on Broadway, and has joined the touring cast to revisit the role. Despite his busy schedule, Chester took some time from his day to answer a few questions for us here at Broadway World, and to share a little about himself and about Sister Act: The Musical.

Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway returned to New York in February at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with Forbidden Broadway: Alive and STILL Kicking. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, over the course of the spring, Alessandrini had planned on adding new material to reflect the season's openings. Now, the time as come to unveil the new edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY COMES OUT SWINGING! According to The New York Times, this version will begin performances March 17.

Previews begin tomorrow night, Saturday, March 8, for the return to Broadway of Tony Award-winner and two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington, starring as Walter Lee Younger in Lorraine Hansberry's A RAISIN IN THE SUN. This new production begins previews nearly 55 years to the day that A RAISIN IN THE SUN had its Broadway premiere (March 11, 1959) at the same theatre, the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street). Scroll down to learn more about the cast!

Fire Island Dance Festival, the most anticipated event of the season on Fire Island, returns July 18-20, 2014, for its stunning 20th anniversary edition, featuring some of the most exciting and talked-about dance companies in the industry. The festival, produced by and benefiting Dancers Responding to AIDS, is performed outdoors against the dazzling backdrop of the Great South Bay.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will continue its engagement at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, March 16 at 9:30 PM with a celebration of the celebrated TV program 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' After a highly-successful season at 54 Below, the show has returned to its downtown roots this year with shows through May. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post, and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A recent story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The March show will feature special guests Kim Smith, Christian Coulson, Diana Kazakova, Chris Tyler and Mark Dommu with others to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as Music Director.

Great Performances presents a look at the British invasion 50 years after both the Dave Clark Five and the Beatles hit our shores.

Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe(R) winner Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, The Color Purple, The View) and Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible) headline the Lifetime Original Movie A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Justin Sayre's Play, The Click of the Lock, will be presented at The Player's Club as part of a new play reading. The cast will feature Tony Nominated Downtown Performer Justin Vivian Bond, Zachary Booth (Damages, Keep the Lights On), Rob Maitner (Urinetown, NY Fringe Festival; Bistro Award for Fairy Tales at the WPA Theater), Brian Barefoot, Jax Jackson, Grant Chapman & Chris Tyler. The reading will be held at the Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South in Manhattan) at 8:00 PM, with a cocktail reception starting at 7pm. To reserve a seat, please contact clickofthelock@gmail.com.

In celebration of Oscars Sunday, BroadwayWorld.com's Linda Lenzi is inviting readers to step back with her 20 years ago, to the 1994 Oscars.

Actress Susan Sarandon and Filmmakers Thomas Morgan and Jonathan Bricklin announced the launch of their film company, Reframed Pictures, at the Sedona International Film festival today. Reframed Pictures mission is to create and support films that are not only entertaining, but also raise awareness about human rights and social justice issues. But Reframed Pictures plans to take awareness raising one step further by creating opportunities for action associated with each film.

Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and producer Peter Napolitano present the World Premiere of Character Man as part of its 30th Anniversary season. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir begins an Off-Broadway run at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street) tonight, February 28th, with opening night set for Wednesday March 5th. This limited run will continue through March 30th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. Character Man will have scenic & video design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Meghan Santelli and sound design by Sean Hagerty.

The national tour of SISTER ACT comes to Hershey Theatre with a heady mix of nunsense and the sound of Philadelphia as filtered through Alan Menken. The music -- and the Mother Superior -- are worth the trip.

Sister Act, the family friendly, over the top spectacle with nuns that rock, opens at Detroit's Fisher Theatre on April 22 for a limited engagement! The Broadway In Detroit show will run through May 4, 2014. Tickets will go on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.broadwayindetroit.com on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. and at the Fisher Theatre box office on Monday, March 10, 2014 at 10 a.m.