William Finn News

Celebrated producer and cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will be hosting a special edition of her multi-MAC Award-winning Variety Show, Jamie deRoy & Friends, on Monday, January 27 at 7pm at Birdland. Jamie's special guests will be Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kevin Meaney (Hairspray), singer-songwriter Dee Snider, known worldwide as the frontman for Twisted Sister, and Lauren Worsham, who is currently starring in A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder.

Tickets are now on sale for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Drama Learning Center in Columbia. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee centers around a fictional spelling bee in Putnam Valley Middle School. Quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by equally quirky grown-ups. The 2005 Broadway production was nominated for six Tony Awards, and won two, including Best Book. As with the original Broadway production, this iteration will also involve audience participation. Select audience members will be brought up on stage to round out the cast as spellers each performance.

Freud's Last Session will run today, January 17 through February 23, 2014 at TheaterWorks in Downtown Hartford.

In honor of the fast-approaching day of love, BroadwayWorld.com thought we'd take a little time out of our busy schedules to go back a few decades. We caught up with Jill Iverson, who is playing Olive Ostrovsky in the Bloomington Civic Theatre production of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. Even though they're only 12-years-old, these characters and certainly Olive, know quite a bit about the 'L' word.

On March 21, 2014, The New York Pops continues its 31st season at Carnegie Hall with On Broadway, an evening celebrating some of Broadway's most unforgettable hits from the past and present, featuring Tony Award nominees Stephanie J. Block and Andrew Rannells. Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley were previously slated to perform but are unable to appear due to scheduling conflicts.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. News about the 'Phantom' and 'Cinderella' tours, suburban theaters mount 'Cabaret,' 'Young Frankenstein,' 'Ring Of Fire' and more, plus 'A New Brain,' Hollis Resnik's Milwaukee turn as Judy, and more this month from Circle Theatre!

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that Bill Army, Will Brill, Laurel Casillo, Chuck Cooper, Steven Kaplan, Will LeBow, Mimi Lieber, Charlotte Maier, Andrea Martin, Deborah Offner, Matthew Saldivar, Matthew Schechter, Bob Stillman and Amy Warren will join Santino Fontana and Tony Shalhoub in the cast of its upcoming production of ACT ONE, a play written and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart. The production is scheduled to begin previews Thursday, March 20 and open on Thursday, April 17 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street).

Second Stage Theatre will continue to celebrate its 35th Anniversary Season by once again offering its popular retro prices ($19.79 - the year in which the Company was founded) as well as audience perks for all of the productions this season. When these tickets went on sale for the season's first production, Little Miss Sunshine, the entire allotment sold out in under 2 hours.

Pace University's Pace New Musicals (PNM) program (est. 2007 by Program Head Amy Rogers), dedicated to the discovery of new theater works, and Ryan Scott Oliver, composer- lyricist and producer, will present a staged reading of Little Miss Fix-It (book and lyrics by Kirsten A. Guenther and music by Joy Son) on January 23-27, 2014.

Muny Executive Producer Mike Isaacson announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for the Muny's 2014 Season, which opens on June 16 with Billy Elliot The Musical. "We're so happy these exciting artists are creating our 2014 season," said Isaacson. "This is a challenging season, one with incredible variety and power. We're fortunate that such extraordinary talents will be creating our 'Muny Magic.'"

It's a New Year's tradition that doesn't get old. For the third year in a row Marilyn Maye brings back her exciting 'By Request' format for a week of raucous revelry after ringing out 2013 with back-to-back shows on New Year's Eve. Maye's remarkable performances will be accompanied by pianist/conductor Billy Stritch, bassist Tom Hubbard, and drummer Ray Marchica. The party doesn't stop until Sunday January 12. Check out more photos from the concert below!

Curtain Call Productions will present a special one weekend only performance of Tony-winner William Finn's hilarious The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Flagler Place in Historic Downtown Stuart from today, January 9th-12th.

The Alexander Children's Theatre School (ACTS) of Concord, MA is hard at work preparing two productions slated to open this February: The delightfully nostalgic Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. (February 7 and 8) and the Tony Award-winning hit, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (February 14-16). Both musicals will be performed in the theatre at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts (40 Stow Street, Concord, MA).

Kelrik Productions will present THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE playing February 14 - March 1 at the Monroe Forum Theatre, bringing children's programming to the historic El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in the heart of the NoHo Arts District.

The Brown Paper Box Co. is excited to announce the cast for their upcoming production, A NEW BRAIN, with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine. The show will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM from February 21-March 9 at Rivendell Theatre in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood (5779 N. Ridge Ave.). Ticketing information and more will be posted at www.brownpaperbox.org.

Robert Creighton, David Garrison, Harriet Harris, Judy Kaye, Lewis J. Stadlen, Lee Wilkof, Tony Yazbeck and Rachel York will join Christian Borle in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh¹s Little Me, the opening production of New York City Center¹s 2014 Encores! season, running for seven performances, February 5 - 9. The show will be directed by John Rando with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Joshua Bergasse.

The Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) presents a showcase production of THE DISAPPEARING MAN, a new folk opera with book, music, and lyrics by Jahn Sood. This production follows a sold-out concert at Joe's Pub and a standing-room-only development reading in the spring of 2013 . THE DISAPPEARING MAN takes place backstage at a small-time travelling circus in 1936. When the headliner is offered another job, the motley troupe must decide whether to adapt to the change or fight to keep the family together.

Freud's Last Session will run January 17 through February 23, 2014 at TheaterWorks in Downtown Hartford.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is delighted to announce its spring schedule of major events. The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents nearly 150 major public performances from Jan. 12 through May 18, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

Doug Williford splashes onto the New York cabaret scene with his newest show The Best Is Yet To Come at The Metropolitan Room (24 West 22nd Street) January 14, 2014 at 7:00 pm.