William Ivey Long News

The New Mel Brooks MusicAl Young Frankenstein, a new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award-winning smash The Producers, opened on Broadway November 8th 2007 at the Hilton Theatre and opened its national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center on September 29th, 2009.

Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical.

The Alliance for the Arts will partner with the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) to host the annual Friends of the Arts Party at Christie's, opening the galleries for an exclusive preview of the much-heralded Latin American Art show, cocktails and music on Friday the 13th of November, 6:30-8:30 pm.

Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical. The national tour of Dreamgirls will kick-off at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street) beginning previews Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opening Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 4 weeks only, through Sunday December, 6, 2009.

Though Julie Wilson was certainly not the first and by all means not the last great singer to have her heart stomped upon by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's 'Surabaya Johnny,' there is no one I can name more deserving to claim it as their signature song.  (Okay, maybe Lotte Lenya, but you know that's a special case.)  Though for many years now the 83-year-old beloved cabaret star has been singing songs less and less and speaking them more and more, there are few who can match her for painting vivid word pictures and bringing complex dramatic subtext to a lyric.  With pianist Christopher Denny doing a marvelous job of softly supporting her many pauses and tempo changes, Wilson's crushing performance of Marc Blitzstein's translation, played to a pin-drop silent crowd on opening night of her new show at The Metropolitan Room, is an emotionally striking portrayal of a woman who can explode with anger at the mistreatment she endures from her faithless lover while moments later barely control a sob at the admission that she still loves him.  Through the years I've seen Julie Wilson sing 'Surabaya Johnny' many times but her performance that night was the best I've ever seen or heard from anyone.  (And as is typical of her modesty, she actually introduced the song by complimenting Donna Murphy's performance of it on Broadway in LoveMusik.)  She follows it with a devilishly humored 'Mack the Knife' (also Blitzstein's translation) that builds so slowly and precisely that she goes through the entire song twice in order to hit the climax.  I heard no complaints.

Parsons Dance presents REMEMBER ME, an all-new version of last season's collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band at The Joyce Theater from February 2-14, 2010.

Producer John Breglio and Time Warner Broadway at the Marcus Center announced casting today for the national tour of DREAMGIRLS, coming to Milwaukee January 5-10, 2010. Tickets go on sale on November 8 at Noon at the Marcus Center Box Office.

With its newest production Store Trek, Princeton's famed Triangle Club boldly goes where no musical comedy has gone before to the crass crossroads of corporate greed and American consumerism. The production will run Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14 at 8pm on the Matthews stage of McCarter Theatre Center (91 University Place, Princeton).

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, the internationally acclaimed revival of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's Tony Award-winning, smash-hit musical CHICAGO will celebrate its 13th anniversary on The Great White Way.

The producers of 'HAIRSPRAY' have announced that Phill Jupitus, Belinda Carlisle and Sharon D Clarke have all signed to join the cast of the hit musical, currently running at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. The new cast open on Monday 26 October, with Sunday performances beginning on Sunday 8 November.

The Tony-nominated musical Grey Gardens, will make it's debut across the Pacific in Japan at Tokyo's Theatre Creation from November 7 - December 6. The production is being directed by Tony-nominated Amon Miyamoto (Pacific Overtures).

The West End cast of HAIRSPRAY visited The Paul O Grady Show and you can watch the interview right here on STAGE TUBE!

The producers of 'HAIRSPRAY' have announced that Phill Jupitus, Belinda Carlisle and Sharon D Clarke have all signed to join the cast of the hit musical, currently running at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. The new cast open on Monday 26 October, with Sunday performances beginning on Sunday 8 November.

International singing sensation Marti Pellow will return to star as ‘Billy Flynn' in the UK National tour of the smash-hit musical 'CHICAGO' for six weeks only from Monday 18 January until Saturday 26 February 2010. Marti first played the role to great acclaim in the West End, subsequently repeating his performance in New York and on the UK national tour, playing to sell-out houses. Emma Barton, currently starring in the show on tour as ‘Roxie Hart', will continue to play the role opposite Marti Pellow.

The Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee has nominated 60 theater artists for recognition of their outstanding work in 46 productions presented during the 2008-2009 New York theater season. The awards will be presented at a luncheon to be held late this fall.

On Monday, October 5, Broadway's Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back Broadway favorite Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn for an eight-week return engagement (through Sunday, November 29).

On Monday, October 5, Broadway's Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back Broadway favorite Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn for an eight-week return engagement (through Sunday, November 29).

The Frankel Baruch Viertel Routh Group and NETworks Presentations LLC are pleased to announce that Tony Award winners and original stars of the Broadway production of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley will reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster respectively in the eponymous national tour, opening at PPAC, September 29 - October 4, 2009.

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, a new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award-winning smash The Producers, opened on Broadway November 8th 2007 at the Hilton Theatre and opens its national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center, September 29 - October 4, 2009.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley will reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster in the first national tour of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein. The Chicago engagement will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited six week engagement November 3 - December 13, 2009.