Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called "The Dreams", who become music superstars. It was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, and won six. It was later adapted into a motion picture from DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures in 2006.
The Gallery Players will present this holiday season a gift to musical theater lovers, a revitalized production of Jerry's Girls. A musical revue of one of Broadway's most successful composers, Jerry's Girls is a celebration of Jerry Herman's work, including songs from Hello Dolly!, La Cage Aux Folles, Mame and Milk and Honey.
The Gallery Players will present this holiday season a gift to musical theater lovers, a revitalized production of Jerry's Girls. A musical revue of one of Broadway's most successful composers, Jerry's Girls is a celebration of Jerry Herman's work, including songs from Hello Dolly!, La Cage Aux Folles, Mame and Milk and Honey.
Primary Stages in association with Susan Dietz (Fela!, Mothers and Sons), presents the world premiere of While I Yet Live by the Tony-winning star of Kinky Boots and Angels in America, Billy Porter, and directed by Tony Award nominee Sheryl Kaller (Mothers and Sons, Next Fall, Adrift in Macao). While I Yet Live plays a limited, six-week engagement, tonight, September 24, through October 31 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street - a NEW 42ND STREET project (229 West 42nd Street). Opening night is Sunday, October 12 at 5PM.
Primary Stages has announced that the world premiere of While I Yet Live will begin performances on Wednesday, September 24 at 7PM. Producers have decided to delay the start of previews due to technical issues.
Today in 1987, the FIRST Broadway revival of Dreamgirls opened at the Ambassador Theatre, where it ran for 177 performances. Dreamgirls features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called 'The Dreams', who become music superstars. The musical opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre, and was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, and won six. It was later adapted into a motion picture from DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures in 2006. The 1987 cast featured Lillias White as 'Effie.'
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has announced the third season for the 2014-2015 TRUST Cabaret Series. Enjoy the rare opportunity to experience the finest cabaret artists at the intimate Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, in downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The 2014-2015 TRUST Cabaret Series will showcase performers Linda Eder, Brian D'Arcy James, Norm Lewis, Ann Hampton Callaway & Broadway Showstoppers.
Original star Eddie Murphy will reprise his role as as police officer Axel Foley, with Brett Ratner on board to direct.
Even the legendary Broadway gods and goddesses have come face to face with failure. On May 31, June 1, and 2, Lyrics & Lyricists pays tribute to musical theater's most thoroughly panned musical bullion as artistic director and Tony Award-winning lyricist and director David Zippel closes the season with Panning for Gold: Great Songs from Flop Shows. Vocalists Brent Barrett, Christiane Noll, Lorna Luft, Jessica Lea Patty, Lillias White and Tony Yazbeck sing numbers like "All the Things You Are," "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore," "As Time Goes By" and "He Touched Me" that - despite their origins in such failures as Very Warm for May, How Now Dow Jones, Everybody's Welcome and Drat The Cat!, respectively - have become American Songbook standards.
The Tony winner talks about her Brooklyn upbringing, her Broadway triumphs and her brand-new cabaret show.
Higgins in Harlem, a modern reimagining of George Bernard Shaw's social commentary masterpiece, Pygmalion, which was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady, makes its world-premiere at Playhouse on Park. This comedic and endearing classic is reset in Harlem in 1938, during the Harlem Renaissance, a time when the affluent Black society of Sugar Hill found itself at odds with the uneducated Blacks of Harlem struggling through the Great Depression. With the energy of the Jazz Age and an entirely African American cast, Higgins in Harlem promises to be a fresh and entertaining twist on a classic.
Higgins in Harlem, a modern reimagining of George Bernard Shaw's social commentary masterpiece, Pygmalion, which was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady, makes its world-premiere at Playhouse on Park. This comedic and endearing classic is reset in Harlem in 1938, during the Harlem Renaissance, a time when the affluent Black society of Sugar Hill found itself at odds with the uneducated Blacks of Harlem struggling through the Great Depression. With the energy of the Jazz Age and an entirely African American cast, Higgins in Harlem promises to be a fresh and entertaining twist on a classic.
Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre's 44th anniversary will culminate with a special Gala at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers Street) on Sunday evening March 16th. This special event saluting NFT, for over 40 years a seminal force in Black Theater, will be hosted by Danny Glover and Debbi Morgan. Honorary Chairmen are Harry Belafonte and Hon. Mayor David N. Dinkins. The celebration will kick off at 4pm, and feature performances from Daniel Beaty, Impact Repertory Theater (Academy Award Nominee, 'Raise It Up' from the film August Rush), Chuck Jackson, and Valerie Simpson.
Amas Musical Theatre, New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968, will celebrate its 45th Anniversary at a gala benefit on Monday, March 31st, 2014 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues). Honorary Chair for the event is veteran Broadway virtuoso Maurice Hines.
Jennifer Holliday is undeniably one of R&B and Broadway's greatest voices. Endowed with a commanding and irresistible voice, immeasurable range and artistry that few can rival, Holliday has long stood in a class by herself. The dynamic songstress' now legendary show-stopping, heart-wrenching performance of the torch ballad "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" in the smash hit Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, made her a household name and introduced her big soulful voice to the world. Her portrayal of Effie "Melody" White, a role she co-created, not only brought theatergoers to their feet for eight performances a week, but also garnered her a Tony-Award for Best Actress in a Musical and her first Grammy-Award for Best R&B Female Vocalist. From Broadway to major TV appearances including (Ellen, Ally McBeal and Touched By An Angel) and half-a-dozen soundtrack credits, Jennifer Holliday is one of the most distinctive, enviable and revered voices in modern music. Through the years, Holliday has collaborated with everyone from Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, David Foster and Paul Simon, to Michael Jackson, Maurice White and Foreigner. She has also sung with the Boston Pops and The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra with Peter Nero, among numerous other esteemed orchestras. She considers herself to be a Broadway Baby and theater continues to be a significant part of her career. Her illustrious resume includes such theatre credits as Sing Mahalia Sing: The Mahalia Jackson Story, Downhearted Blues: The Bessie Smith Story, Harlem Suite (with Aretha Franklin), Chicago (starring as "Mama Morton"), Grease (starring as "Teen Angel") and Black Nativity (starring as the "Angel of God"). The in-demand star has also been invited to participate in Chaka Khan's induction into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame ceremony to take place June 10 at the Apollo Theatre and broadcast later on BET. Considering herself a "bi-partisan songbird," Jennifer is both honored and grateful to have performed at the White House for President Ronald Reagan, President George Bush, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) announced today that Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, Dreamgirls, The Color Purple) will be honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award at this year's Film Festival, taking place December 5-13. Glover will be on hand for the special tribute and presentation at the Atlantis Theater on the evening of Friday, December 6th. The announcement was made by BIFF Founder and Executive Director Leslie Vanderpool.
HBO Films presents in association with SAF Films West MUHAMMAD ALI'S GREATEST FIGHT, starring Academy Award(R) winner Christopher Plummer ('Beginners'), Academy Award(R) nominee Frank Langella ('Frost/Nixon') and Benjamin Walker ('Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'); directed by Academy Award(R) nominee Stephen Frears ('The Queen') from a script by Shawn Slovo ('A World Apart'); and executive produced by Emmy(R) winner Frank Doelger (HBO's 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Gathering Storm'), Emmy(R) winner Tracey Scoffield (HBO's 'The Gathering Storm'), Jonathan Cameron and Stephen Frears.
HBO Films presents in association with SAF Films West MUHAMMAD ALI'S GREATEST FIGHT, starring Academy Award(R) winner Christopher Plummer ('Beginners'), Academy Award(R) nominee Frank Langella ('Frost/Nixon') and Benjamin Walker ('Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'); directed by Academy Award(R) nominee Stephen Frears ('The Queen') from a script by Shawn Slovo ('A World Apart'); and executive produced by Emmy(R) winner Frank Doelger (HBO's 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Gathering Storm'), Emmy(R) winner Tracey Scoffield (HBO's 'The Gathering Storm'), Jonathan Cameron and Stephen Frears.
Berkeley Playhouse closes its fifth season with the Tony Award-winning musical THE WIZ. Kimberly Dooley(Lucky Duck, Seussical, The Musical, Once On This Island) directs and choreographs this soulful re-imagining of L. Frank Baum's family classicThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz, featuring a cast of 46. THE WIZ plays today, July 13 through August 25 (Press opening: July 13) at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley.
Today in 1987, the FIRST Broadway revival of Dreamgirls opened at the Ambassador Theatre, where it ran for 177 performances. Dreamgirls features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called 'The Dreams', who become music superstars. The musical opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre, and was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, and won six. It was later adapted into a motion picture from DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures in 2006. The 1987 cast featured Lillias White as 'Effie.'
Berkeley Playhouse closes its fifth season with the Tony Award-winning musical THE WIZ. Kimberly Dooley(Lucky Duck, Seussical, The Musical, Once On This Island) directs and choreographs this soulful re-imagining of L. Frank Baum's family classicThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz, featuring a cast of 46. THE WIZ plays July 13 through August 25 (Press opening: July 13) at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley. For tickets ($17-60) and more information, the public may visit berkeleyplayhouse.org or call 510-845-8542x351.
Chris Isaacson Presents and Upright Cabaret have announced that American Idol's Michael Orland will be the musical director for the West Coast club return of Broadway diva and Tony Award-winner Lillias White's new show, A Woman On Love, at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. There will be two performances only, on Mondays, tonight, June 3 and the 10th at 8:30pm, with cocktail and dinner service beginning at 6:30pm. The June 10 show also marks the second anniversary of The Night After The Tonys, a tradition begun in 2012 by Ms. White and Upright Cabaret.
Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's 2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown with a special spotlight focused on two of the most memorable musicals of the 1980s, DREAMGIRLS & NINE!
Chris Isaacson Presents and Upright Cabaret have announced that American Idol's Michael Orland will be the musical director for the West Coast club return of Broadway diva and Tony Award-winner Lillias White's new show, A Woman On Love, at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. There will be two performances only, on Mondays, June 3 and 10 at 8:30pm, with cocktail and dinner service beginning at 6:30pm. The June 10 show also marks the second anniversary of The Night After The Tonys, a tradition begun in 2012 by Ms. White and Upright Cabaret.
And this Monday, May 20th, John Bantay will do his farewell SPIN as he leaves to continue pursuing his career and becomes a stage manager at the long-running musical, Avenue Q. Speaking to John Bantay, I, of course, was curious as to what his favorite video clips have been over the years. He was reticent to put them in 'Top 10' format because, to him, he considers them all number 1's. So here's his hit list, in no particular order:
The annual Broadway League Awards, honoring excellence and achievement for Touring Broadway, were announced today during the Broadway League's 2013 Spring Road Conference. First presented in 1992, the Broadway League Awards recognize the contributions of those who have displayed exemplary service to the Broadway industry and are considered innovators of their craft.
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