Whoopi Goldberg News

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Jeff Award nominations, Tony Award nominations, 'Nunset Boulevard,' 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' 'The Phantom Of The Opera,' 'A Little Night Music,' 'Alien Queen,' more....

Joe's Pub Announces the following line up for May: LADY RIZO: AN UNESCORTED TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE Friday, May 20 at 9:30 PM; $15 in advance / $20 at the door 'I've always been drawn to Nina Simone's music- the strength, versatility, the raw emotion. She is, simply put, a badass diva and did something with popular music that I aim to do today- to mix, separate and explore.' - Lady Rizo

'I congratulate my cast and the crew and everyone that put it together. And, you know there's going to be a performance from the Tony nominated SISTER ACT on THE VIEW this Thursday. Bring the baby, bring the grandma and see SISTER ACT!'

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Past Tony winners Anika Noni Rose and Matthew Broderick announced the 2011 Tony Awards nominees live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City. BroadwayWorld.com will be talking to all of the nominees to hear their exciting stories of how they heard, who they told and more!

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting held the Sixth Annual Stella by Starlight Benefit Gala last night, May 2, at the home of songwriter and philanthropist, Denise Rich. This year's honorees included Annette Bening, Liza Minnelli, Muriel 'Mickie' Siebert and Donald Katz. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the event and brings you photo coverage below.

Talk show listings Tuesday, May 3

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting announced today that the Sixth Annual Stella by Starlight Benefit Gala will be held on May 2nd at the home of songwriter and philanthropist, Denise Rich. This year's honorees include Liza Minnelli, Annette Bening, Muriel 'Mickey' Siebert and Donald Katz.

Talk show listings Tuesday, May 3

Reviews likes hers last week usually only come once in a lifetime and there is no question whatsoever that the brightest new star on Broadway is none other than SISTER ACT's own Patina Miller. She is a superstar of the highest order singing one of the strongest scores on Broadway in years - from the gifted, gilded pen of six-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken. In this extensive, exclusive conversation we discuss her long history with the role, her recent performance in the Encores! staging of Weill's LOST IN THE STARS, as well as her work with Henry Krieger on both his recent musical ROMANTIC POETRY and being a runner-up on the DREAMGIRLS movie when the role of Effie White went to Jennifer Hudson. Additionally, we discuss HAIR, working with Sondheim on BEING ALIVE, her own favorite recent shows, her close friendship with fellow West End/Broadway criss-crosser Jonathan Groff, her soap stint on ALL MY CHILDREN, what her solo album would sound like, and much, much more!

We chat with Broadway baby Kritzer, who relives her 1990s Jersey high school years in her new cabaret act.

In the upcoming concert version of Funny Girl, set for April 29-May 1 at Franklin's Boiler Room Theatre, director Scott Logsdon has cast 12 very different, very funny and somehow uniquely qualified women to take on the iconic role of Fanny Brice, first brought to national, then worldwide, acclaim by the inimitable Barbra Streisand. For the past year or so, we've been giving you a chance to get to know each of Nashville's Funny Fannys, one by one, starting with Alex Maddox, and continuing through the whole list of Fannys, including Cori Laemmel, Corrie Miller, Bonnie Keen, Erica Haines Cantrell, Lindsay Terrizzi Hess, Catherine Mai Holder, Nancy Allen, Sondra Morton, Heather Trabucco and Laura Thomas Sonn. But today, gentle readers, with the curtain about to go up on Keeping Scores' Funny Girl in Concert, I'm delighted to introduce you to the most wonderful Fanny of them all...the one and only Stephanie Jones Benton. She's bright, beautiful and, I daresay, brilliant, particularly when it comes to sucking up to the guy at the keyboard. Read about her and you will understand exactly what I mean...

'Soft-spoken but not without bite, and all delivered with exquisite timing,' says the New York Times. 'A wildly successful show...an endless chain of jokes and one-liners,' says Los Angeles Times. 'The funniest female performer on earth,' says Las Vegas Weekly.

On Monday, April 25, the cast of White Noise were the featured performers at the famed 'Musical Monday's' concert series presented at Sidetracks in Chicago. Click below to check out 'Blood Brothas' Rodney Hicks and Wallace Smith in performance!

Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade, 13, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World) and Tony Award-winning stage and screen star Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) and The Caucasian Rhythm Kings begin a special three-night concert engagement tonight at the Henry Street Settlement - Abrons Arts Center (466 Grand at Pitt). The concerts will also be filmed for future broadcast on PBS.

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine founder and director, Lee Brian Schrager, who also serves as the vice president of corporate communications and national events at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., is pleased to unveil the 2011 Festival program. Taking place September 29 - October 2, 2011 at locations across New York City, the program gets a makeover with a plethora of new events to complement the returning favorites. Mark your calendars - tickets go on-sale Monday, June 20, 2011! Once again, 100% of the net proceeds from the Festival will benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®.

Recently, I had the pleasure of taking my seven-year-old daughter to her very first Broadway show. (I don't count the time was so graciously invited by a friend's grandmother to enjoy full-price, orchestra seats to Lion King and ended up watching from the monitors in the lobby after running out of the theatre in fear. She was only four.) After months of eagerly co-piloting her mother through the New York children's theatre scene, it was finally time to break into the majors. What better first Broadway show could there be for a nice Jewish girl and her mother than Sister Act the musical!

On Monday, Norbert Leo Butz and Kathleen Chalfant announced the nominations for The 77th Annual Drama League Awards in the categories of Distinguished Production of Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical and the Distinguished Performance Award. Both actors are previous winners of The Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will hold the Sixth Annual Stella by Starlight Benefit Gala on May 2nd at the home of songwriter and philanthropist, Denise Rich. This year's honorees include Annette Bening, Liza Minnelli, Muriel 'Mickie' Siebert and Donald Katz.

In celebration of the Royal nuptials of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Elizabeth 'Kate' Middleton at Buckingham Palace, the hosts of ABC's popular talker 'The View' will observe this special occasion with 'A Royal Wedding - The View,' a live, one-hour special edition, Friday, April 29 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), covering all the pomp and circumstance. This marks the first time 'The View' has broadcast live on Friday since Sept. 12, 2008. Regularly featured co-hosts Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd will be joined in-studio by Hollywood royalty Goldie Hawn, a featured guest co-host for the day. Barbara Walters, on assignment in London for ABC News, will join the program live via satellite.