Catch Me If You Can - 2006 - New York Articles Page 14

Broadway stars Emily Padgett and Matthew Hydzik will star as "Alex" and "Nick" in the world premiere of FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL, the stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation. Padgett and Hydzik will be joined on stage by the legendary Rachelle Rak in the role of "Tess." Sergio Trujillo, director and choreographer for the production returned to the home of FLASHDANCE and launch of the world premiere, Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall, to announce the lead casting from a press conference. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Kevin McMahon, CEO of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, were also on hand to welcome the cast and creative team to Pittsburgh and to make a proclamation, naming January 1, 2013 as FLASHDANCE DAY. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary,FLASHDANCE kicks off a national tour January 1-6 at Heinz Hall and continues on to more than 20 cities with additional bookings to be announced:

LES MISERABLES is one of the most beloved stories by theatre fans all around the globe. Based on the book by Victor Hugo, it tells the story of one man's fight for redemption and touches on the universal themes of forgiveness, love, and loyalty. Jason Forbach plays Enjolras in the current U.S. Tour cast. Originally from Kansas, Jason grew up playing music and later went on to earn a Master of Arts in vocal performance. He finally realized his passion for musical theatre and moved to New York to pursue the dream. Jason was kind enough to answer some questions about his experiences defending the barricades.

In the wake of The Nutty Professor's successful premiere run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville remains "Musical City" for the upcoming season as touring shows come to town to entertain theater fans, with the companies of Anything Goes, Catch Me If You Can and Disney's The Lion King headed to the Volunteer State. And we're wondering what show you're most eagerly anticipating this season?

SMASH might not be back on NBC until January, but filming is already in full swing in New York City. BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive coverage of Debra Messing, Christian Borle, and more filming a special scene from season two in Times Square. Check out the photos below!

The Bedford Hills based, much buzzed about and highly acclaimed new band, JAZMO, will host a concert/party at one of America's most revered schools of music to unveil their new 14-song Song List which is being readied for the recording studio. The concert will take place at 6 p.m. tonight, September 9, at The Haven Room at the Lagond Music School, 9 Haven Street, Elmsford, New York (45 minutes from Manhattan).

The Bedford Hills based, much buzzed about and highly acclaimed new band, JAZMO, will host a concert/party at one of America's most revered schools of music to unveil their new 14-song Song List which is being readied for the recording studio. The concert will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 9, at The Haven Room at the Lagond Music School, 9 Haven Street, Elmsford, New York (45 minutes from Manhattan).

Paper Mill Playhouse has just announced the cast for its season opener, A Chorus Line, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical conceived, choreographed and directed by Michael Bennett, with book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, and lyrics by Edward Kleban.

Actress, singer, activist turned hypnotherapist Helen Reddy was named the Queen of 70s Pop. In 1973 she had three No. 1 hit tunes, including of course 'I Am Woman', which she co-wrote herself, not finding at that time a single song to record that satisfied her feminine wiles. Now living in Australia, Reddy seems relaxed, content, but still eager, like Norma Desmond, to 'return' to the biz, singing. In our chat she explains why and talks candidly about the high ... and low points of her life.

StudentsLive, the Premier Broadway Education Company, has announced its first-ever multilingual international and domestic "Passport to Broadway" Program for students from today, July 23, 2012 to August 3, 2012 at Pearl Studios and Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC). The musical theatre intensive final performance takes place over 10 days from approximately 8:30am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday, at Pearl Studios led by Broadway Musical Directors, Choreographers and Interactive Intensives with Broadway Performers and Guest Artists.

Maine State Music Theatre continues its 54th season with everyone's favorite sorority girl, Elle Woods. LEGALLY BLONDE the musical opens at the Pickard Theater tonight, June 27th and runs until July 14th. Tickets are available online at www.msmt.org, over the phone at (207) 725- 8769, or by visiting the box office located in the Pickard Theater lobby at 1 Bath Road in Brunswick. Ticket prices range from $36 to $59.

Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson ('Dreamgirls') will appear in a multi-episode arc on NBC's 'Smash' beginning with the second-season premiere when the musical drama returns to the NBC schedule.

On Thursday, three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Richard Adler passed away at the ripe old age of 90. Responsible for two of the biggest Broadway smash hits of the 1950s, THE PAJAMA GAME and GAMN YANKEES, Adler never quite managed to equal his career-high double-hitter of that era, yet his earlier work with Tony Bennett ('Rags To Riches'), Doris Day ('Everybody Loves A Lover') and Marilyn Monroe (the iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President') surely shall solidify his place in the firmament of entertainment history along with his two classic musicals from the Golden Age. Winning both Best Score and Best Musical for both THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES, Adler's partnership with lyricist Jerry Ross - which began on Broadway in 1953 with JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON'S ALMANAC - was tragically cut short just months after the DAMN YANKEES premiere when Ross was diagnosed with lung disease and passed away soon thereafter. Yet, thanks to the beloved film versions of THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES and continued interest in the entities as expressed in the revivals and reappraisals of both onstage from Broadway to Biloxi to Bombay year after year, the snappy, snazzy tunes of Adler and Ross live on eight times a week all around the world - even now, more than fifty years after they premiered. Unfortunately, Adler's subsequent shows with other collaborators post-1955 failed to capture the early magic of his previous projects with Ross and his earlier musical and theatrical endeavors in the pop arena, with the racially charged KWAMINA flopping on Broadway in 1961 (though he took home a Best Composer Tony Award for his efforts anyway) and the awkwardly titled MUSIC IS failing to recreate the magic of its source material, Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, in 1976. A MOTER'S KISSES, starring Bea Arthur and a young Bernadette Peters, died on the road, as well. In the intervening years, Adler attempted musical adaptations taken from a number of intriguing sources - OF HUMAN BONDAGE and others among them - though only his ballet scores seemed to reach an audience; particularly his last, commissioned for a new production of Lorca's THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA in 1998. Of course, THE PAJAMA GAME has had two Broadway revivals - most recently the rapturously received Kathleen Marshall-directed production starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara; and DAMN YANKEES famously returned to the Great White Way with much ado in 1994 starring Victor Garber. Now seems particularly ripe for remounting YANKEES, as we approach twenty years in its absence - especially given the musical's seriously smashing showing at Encores! in 2007. Who knows, perhaps some risky producer will even take a chance on a new production of KWAMINA, MUSIC IS, A MOTHER'S KISSES or one of the bottom drawer shows someday soon to see if they possess any of the limitless potential shown by Adler's earlier work. Or maybe a stage treatment of his TV musical GIFT OF THE MAGI (originally composed for then-wife Sally Ann Howes)? Or, better yet, how about a revue? What a stupendous songstack Adler created over the course of his career - 'Whatever Lola Wants' to 'Hey There' to 'Hernando's Hideaway' to 'You Gotta Have Heart' to 'Steam Heat' to the aforementioned Bennett, Day and Monroe standards and so many more chestnuts.

REBECCA, the new musical based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel, has found its male and female leads: Jill Paice will play the role of "I" and Ryan Silverman the role of "Maxim de Winter." REBECCA will open on Broadway Sunday, November 18 at The Broadhurst Theatre. Previews will begin Tuesday, October 30.

A clown in a one-man cell. CoHo opens their 'Solo Summer' series with an absolute home run and though THE CENTERING has ended its run, the rest of the shows are only just beginning!

Maine State Music Theatre continues its 54th season with everyone's favorite sorority girl, Elle Woods. LEGALLY BLONDE the musical opens at the Pickard Theater on Wednesday, June 27th and runs until July 14th. Tickets are available online at www.msmt.org, over the phone at (207) 725- 8769, or by visiting the box office located in the Pickard Theater lobby at 1 Bath Road in Brunswick. Ticket prices range from $36 to $59.

The Old Globe will open its 2012-13 Winter Season with the World Premiere of Allegiance - A New American Musical. Created by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione with music and lyrics by Kuo, the original musical tells the story of a Japanese American family forced into an internment camp during World War II. Directed by Stafford Arima (Carrie, Altar Boyz, West End premiere of Ragtime), the production features musical direction and arrangements by Lynne Shankel (Cry-Baby, Company). Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), television and film icon George Takei ("Star Trek," "Heroes") and Telly Leung (Godspell, Rent) will star. The production has just announced that Allegiance will also feature costumes by Alejo Vietti, choreography by Andrew Palermo, and projections by Darrell Maloney.

As per TonyAwards.com, the Creative Arts Awards portion of the 2012 Tonys will be hosted by Norbert Leo Butz and Beth Leavel. Several of the Creative Arts Awards will be presented immediately before the Tony telecast begins; the remaining ones will be presented during commercial breaks throughout the evening. All winners will be acknowledged on the CBS broadcast.

Lorinda Lisitza may be one of the best-kept secrets in the New York musical theater community, but with her standout cabaret show, Triumphant Baby (running for six shows this month at the Metropolitan Room), this terrific actor, singer, comedian--and inveterate poker--player may finally be dealt a winning hand.

The Old Globe's 2012-13 Season will feature the World Premieres of two new musicals: Allegiance - A New American Musical by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak. The season also includes George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in celebration of the classic play's 100th anniversary and the World Premiere of a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt. Two recent Broadway hits will make their San Diego debuts at the Globe: David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People and Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities. Rounding out the season are the West Coast Premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's Be a Good Little Widow and the Southern California Premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brothers Size.

'Not the Same Old Song' presents singer/songwriter, pop and folk performances at Joe's Pub in April and May. Tickets on sale now online at joespub.com, by phone at 212-967-7555 or in person at The Public Theater Box Office (1 PM to 6 PM) located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of NEWSIES is now available digitally today on Ghostlight Records. The album has debuted at #1 on the iTunes Soundtracks chart and #15 on the iTunes album chart.To purchase the album, visit iTunes here. The recording is set for physical release on May 15th, 2012. The physical release will feature three special bonus tracks including an exclusive version of "Santa Fe" performed by lead Jeremy Jordan accompanied by Alan Menken on piano. The full track listing is below. For more information on the cast recording, visit: http://newsiesthemusical.com/music

Tennessee Performing Arts Center has announced the six Broadway titles visiting for its 2012-13 HCA/TriStar Broadway Series, plus two Broadway specials. In a presentation to season ticket holders, special guests, and press on Tuesday, President and CEO Kathleen O'Brien unveiled the new season, which will conclude in 2013 with a four-week run of the Tony Award®-winning hit Disney's The Lion King. The season includes beloved classics like Cole Porter's Anything Goes and Irving Berlin's White Christmas, the acrobatic off-Broadway smash Traces, plus new favorites Flashdance and Catch Me If You Can.

The Nutty Professor, the Jerry Lewis-helmed musical based on his successful film comedy, takes up residence at the James K. Polk Theatre in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for a July 24-August 19 run, ahead of the production's anticipated November 15 opening on Broadway.

Entertainer of the Year nominee Jason Aldean, Album of the Year nominee Luke Bryan, four-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, rising country music star Eric Church, two-time Male Vocalist of the Year Toby Keith, reigning Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert and 14-time ACM Award winner Tim McGraw are scheduled to perform at the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, co-hosted by Reba and Blake Shelton.

Entertainer of the Year nominee Jason Aldean, Album of the Year nominee Luke Bryan, four-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, rising country music star Eric Church, two-time Male Vocalist of the Year Toby Keith, reigning Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert and 14-time ACM Award winner Tim McGraw are scheduled to perform at the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, co-hosted by Reba and Blake Shelton.