William Finn News

Philadelphia Theatre Company spells F-U-N when it opens its 35th Anniversary mainstage season with the multiple Tony Award winner The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and conceived by Rebecca Feldman, running November 12-December 12 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

The "godmother to cabaret," Jamie deRoy, will celebrate the 20th Anniversary Season of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends on Tuesday, October 19th (8PM) at the cabaret hotspot The Triad (158 West 72nd Street ~ between Broadway & Columbus)----the same cabaret room (formerly Steve McGraw's) where she premiered her first show!

Join celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy as she celebrates the 20th Anniversary Season of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends on Tuesday, October 19th (8PM) at the cabaret hotspot The Triad (158 West 72nd Street ~ between Broadway & Columbus)----the same cabaret room (formerly Steve McGraw's) where she premiered her first show!

It's a season of laughs, tension and a classic fairytale this year for Dundalk Community Theatre, in residence at the Community College of Baltimore County, Dundalk, 7200 Sollers Point Road. Individual tickets for 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee', 'Twelve Angry Men' and 'Cinderella' are $22 for adults, $19 for senior adults and $14 for students/DCT Actors/Children 12 and under. For tickets and information, call the CCBC Box Office between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 443-840-2787, or visit www.ccbcmd.edu/performingarts/dct.html . The CCBC Box Office is open two hours before each production for ticket sales. Spelling Bee runs October 29th - November 7th.

Ready to have some F-U-N? Then come to the Costa Mesa Playhouse this fall when the theater presents the hit Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee October 16 - November 16, 2010.

Few stars - or even legends, like this one - boast a resume that includes a Tony Award, the leading role on one of the most cherished sitcoms of the early eighties, a star-making film debut in one of the greatest horror films ever made (with one of the most exciting casts ever assembled), as well as an unparalleled career on the concert and cabaret stages around the world - in addition to a dozen or so leading roles in musicals on Broadway and in the West End, and just as many notable film roles, ranging from intimate indies to big-budget behemoths. Yes, Betty Buckley has conquered every arena of entertainment and it is a rare thrill to reveal such exciting news as Ms. Buckley revealed to me in our comprehensive conversation last week. In this BroadwayWorld Exclusive InDepth InterView we discuss her upcoming albums, BOOTLEG: BOARD MIXES FROM THE ROAD and GHOSTLIGHT - the latter produced by Oscar and Grammy-winning producer extraordinaire T Bone Burnett - both in connection to her Town Hall concert on October 16th. Here you will also find the first news of working with Jason Moore, Jake Shears and the rest of the cast and crew of the hotly anticipated new musical based on Armistead Maupin's TALES OF THE CITY premiering next Spring in San Francisco where Ms. Buckley is creating the lead role of Anna Madrigal. We also talk the recent big Emmy-winner out of all of TV this year, HBO's miniseries THE PACIFIC. In this illuminating conversation, Ms. Buckley bares all and reveals that it is the supreme dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to craft that has helped her to become one of the biggest Broadway names of our age with an astoundingly accomplished career almost beyond any comparison. And if all of this breaking news weren't enough, this is the complete unedited conversation where we also look back and talk about everything from CARRIE to TENDER MERCIES, CATS to SUNSET BLVD, William Finn to WYATT EARP, Roman Polanski to Robert Duvall, cabaret to country concert stage and much, much more. Now is the very best time of all to let the memory live again, so it's all eyes (feline and otherwise) on the extraordinary future in the life and career of the legendary Betty Buckley!

It is with great pleasure that The West Bank Café announces upcoming performances to be presented in The Laurie Beechman Theatre.

In a career that has consisted of everything from voicing Howard the Duck to originating the roles of The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical INTO THE WOODS and Marvin (and Dr. Mendel) in the FALSETTOS trilogy by William Finn, as well as some DePalma and numerous stage roles in between, Chip Zien is a character actor extraordinaire who now is trying out a new role - that of book writer - in the New York Musical Theater Festival's new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR. Last week we spoke to one of the stars of the show, Max Von Essen, and today we shine some light on the process of bringing the show to the stage as well as a look back at many of the notable film and theatre appearances that Zien has made over his nearly four decades in show business. Working with Stephen Sondheim, William Finn, Dustin Hoffman and Nicolas Cage is just the tip of the iceberg, as Zien also opens up about his unusual career and the many friendships he has built along the way. All that, and what it was like to be at the birth of a brand new Sondheim song written just for him in the form of 'No More' from INTO THE WOODS. Marvin to Mendel, Baker to book writer, Chip Zien is an authority of all the glitters and the gold of having a true collaborative breakthrough as he has had on FALSETTOS, INTO THE WOODS and, now, THE HISTORY OF WAR. Tickets are on sale at the link below! Only three performances left, tonight and tomorrow only!

Brush off your dictionary and let the spelling begin! Join Playful Theatre Productions at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre for the irreverently endearing musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Fridays, Nov. 5 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Nov. 6 and 13 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, Nov. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m.

Tony Award®-winning producer Arielle Tepper Madover announced today that Tony Award®-winner James Lapine will direct the new production of the beloved Tony Award®-winning musical ANNIE. The production will open in fall, 2012 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced.

Philadelphia Theatre Company kicks off its 35th Anniversary Season with PTC@PLAY, a new play festival running October 5-21 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). The Festival, with staged readings of works by established playwrights as well as new voices, features Casa Cushman, by Leigh Fondakowski in conjunction with the Tectonic Theater Project, Strongman's Ghost by Jeffrey Hatcher, What We're Up Against by Theresa Rebeck, How To Write A New Book For The Bible by Bill Cain and Milk Like Sugar by Kirsten Greenidge. All readings are free with curtain time at 7:00 PM.

After last month's debut, TheStage Repertory Company and The Palace Theatre in Danbury, CT will continue the new monthly series, Musical Mondays!, by featuring the music of Robert Rokicki. The concert is scheduled to play at The Palace Theatre on Monday, October 11, 2010 at 8:00pm.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Producing Director Richard M. Parison, Jr., concludes the 2010 Mainstage season with Arthur Miller's American classic The Crucible, with performances beginning October 6 and running through October 24, with a Press Opening on Sunday, October 10 at 3pm. Barrington Stage Artistic Director Julianne Boyd directs.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is celebrating 13 years of producing a full season of professional theatre in downtown Frederick, MD. The 2010/2011 season will consist of classics as well as some new work. More information can be found at www.marylandensemble.org.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre presents the funny, irreverent musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from September 10 through Oct. 9th at 31 W. Patrick St., in Frederick, MD.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) has announced the selections for its 22nd Annual Festival of New Musicals taking place on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22, 2010 in New York City.

Few stars - or even legends, like this one - boast a resume that includes a Tony Award, the leading role on one of the most cherished sitcoms of the early eighties, a star-making film debut in one of the greatest horror films ever made (with one of the most exciting casts ever assembled), as well as an unparalleled career on the concert and cabaret stages around the world - in addition to a dozen or so leading roles in musicals on Broadway and in the West End, and just as many notable film roles, ranging from intimate indies to big-budget behemoths. Yes, Betty Buckley has conquered every arena of entertainment and it is a rare thrill to reveal such exciting news as Ms. Buckley revealed to me in our comprehensive conversation yesterday. In this portion of the forthcoming BroadwayWorld Exclusive InDepth InterView we discuss her upcoming albums, BOOTLEG: BOARD MIXES FROM THE ROAD and GHOSTLIGHT - the latter produced by Oscar and Grammy-winning producer extraordinaire T Bone Burnett - both in connection to her Town Hall concert on October 16th. Here you will also find the first news of working with Jason Moore, Jake Shears and the rest of the cast and crew of the hotly anticipated new musical based on Armistead Maupin's TALES OF THE CITY premiering next Spring in San Francisco where Ms. Buckley is creating the lead role of Anna Madrigal. We also talk the recent big Emmy-winner out of all of TV this year, HBO's miniseries THE PACIFIC. In this illuminating conversation, Ms. Buckley bares all and reveals that it is the supreme dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to craft that has helped her to become one of the biggest Broadway names of our age with an astoundingly accomplished career almost beyond any comparison. And if all of this breaking news weren't enough, be sure to stay tuned to BroadwayWorld next week for the complete unedited conversation where we also look back and talk about everything from CARRIE to TENDER MERCIES, CATS to SUNSET BLVD, William Finn to WYATT EARP, Roman Polanski to Robert Duvall, cabaret to country concert stage and much, much more. We'll wait until next week to let the memory live again - for now, it's all eyes on the extraordinary future in the life and career of the legendary Betty Buckley!

After his early triumph in some truly troubled musicals - among them the most notorious of twenty-first century cult Broadway musicals, the infamous DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES - this dashing and terrifically talented Broadway leading man went on to star in the most successful production to date of Stephen Schwartz's delicate Gallic musical THE BAKER'S WIFE - causing even the WICKED composer himself to be taken aback by the sheer power of this tenor's voice - and is now singing the most talked about song of the New York Musical Theater Festival - from the new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR - the captivatingly charming and charismatic Max Von Essen. In this thorough discussion we go into his experiences working with Jim Steinman, Roman Polanski, Michael Crawford, John Rando, Mandy Gonzalez and the rest of the cast and creative team of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and how that flash of brilliance of a Broadway debut prepared him for the plight of the working actor making his way on Broadway today. We also discuss the details of his new NYMF musical and singing his star-making solo and adding another notable entry to his pristine performance record. Additionally, we talk about playing Enjorlas in the LES MISERABLES revival co-starring Lea Michele and Daphne Rubin Vega as well as his upcoming appearances and events - such as BROADWAY UNPLUGGED - plus how he keeps his voice in shape to traverse the treacherous vocal territory required of the tenor rock ballads he excels at enacting in song - and thoroughly slaughtering.(He'd be the last to admit he has cords of steel, but he does.) He may be known for 'For Sarah', but this interview is all Max.

The OBIE Award-winning National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) - now in its 21st season - presents the Off-Broadway, World-Premiere of Jordan Harrison's play FUTURA, with previews beginning October 23, prior to an official opening of October 26 at the TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street - between 8th and 9th Avenues) in Manhattan.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Producing Director Richard M. Parison, Jr., concludes the 2010 Mainstage season with Arthur Miller's American classic The Crucible, with performances beginning October 6 and running through October 24, with a Press Opening on Sunday, October 10 at 3pm. Barrington Stage Artistic Director Julianne Boyd directs.