Let My People Come - 1974 - West End Articles Page 6

Back in 1974, Pierre Bensusan was cutting his teeth as a performer on the folk scene in Paris and other cities in France when one of his idols, banjo great Bill Keith, offered him his first official paying gig ever touring Western Europe with his bluegrass band.

In a free-wheeling conversation with BroadwayWorld, Baz Luhrmann spoke passionately about adapting the “unfilmable” classic (and what critics thought of his efforts), the best review he received, and his new project, a stage musical adaptation of his 1992 film STRICTLY BALLROOM. I spoke to Luhrmann shortly after he found out that China was going to allow the release of THE GREAT GATSBY in the country, and just hours before he boarded a flight to Beijing opening.

Concert organizer Ovation Productions has announced that they are bringing Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Patti Austin to Manila and Cebu in August 2013.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Jungle Book' reviews, 'Oklahoma!' on the radio, Broadway In Chicago's Park preview, 'Hedwig' and 'Rooms' rock, Team StarKid is back, community theater in Glenview, a children's musical in Mundelein, plus the 'Summer Birthday Showtune Blowout' July 10th!

During the curtain speech of the company's recently closed drama 'Dancing at Lughnasa' (read our BWW Atlanta review), Stage Door Players Artistic Director Robert Egizio announced the plays and musicals that will comprise the company's 40th Anniversary Season. The well-balanced slate of shows features comedies, dramas, musicals, and two regional premieres.

Forslund Theatricals LLC announced today that the 2013 revival of Let My People Come, off-Broadway's controversial smash-hit musical revue, will celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with all tickets priced at $25 for the 8:00pm performance on Friday, May 24th at The Underground Lounge, 955 West End Avenue at West 107th Street in Manhattan. Premium priced tickets, which include dinner and a premium drink, are still available in the front row with guaranteed cast interaction!

The high-flying actress, and former award-winning gymnast, Cathy Rigby ends her decades-spanning reign as 'Peter Pan' in one final run in Boston April 23-28. She brings her relationship with the boy who won't grow up full circle by ending her national tour in the city where it all began in 1990 to rave reviews.

The adapter/director and a featured performer talk about adapting a classic musical for a new generation, and connecting with a new kind of audience.

Sara has been in the first musical of Broadway's fall season two years in a row, 'Follies' last year and now 'Chaplin'.

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.

Tony Award winning triple threat Donna McKechnie will always be remembered as Cassie in A Chorus Line, and of course for her solo within it 'The Music and the Mirror'. This vet of Broadway, TV and film is currently teaching a musical comedy class at HB Studio in New York and in our chat offers some choice anecdotes from her career. She will appear in Original Cast 3, this year's S.T.A.G.E. (Southland Theatrical Artists Goodwill Event) benefit for APLA (Aids Project Los Angeles) Saturday April 28 at the Saban Theatre.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Show Boat' and 'South Pacific' in the Loop, the Grammys, Whitney Houston's showtune connections, 'Charlie Brown,' 'Pippin' and more....

Jeremy Herrin will direct David Armand, Elizabeth Berrington, Katherine Parkinson, Steffan Rhodri, Reece Shearsmith and Kara Tointon in Alan Ayckbourn's classic comedy of manners and social embarrassment Absent Friends, previewing at the Harold Pinter Theatre (formerly the Comedy Theatre).

Imagem Music USA, which represents catalogues ranging from the American songbook (Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin) to classic & contemporary pop & rock (Elvis Presley, Ludacris, Phil Collins & Genesis) has signed a worldwide, multi-year publishing agreement with the Sammy Cahn estate.

Jeremy Herrin will direct David Armand, Elizabeth Berrington, Katherine Parkinson, Steffan Rhodri, Reece Shearsmith and Kara Tointon in Alan Ayckbourn's classic comedy of manners and social embarrassment Absent Friends, previewing at the Harold Pinter Theatre (formerly the Comedy Theatre) from 26 January 2012.

Stage 773 Artistic Director Brian Posen announces the launch of a new musical theatre company, Street Tempo Theatre, debuting at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave. Street Tempo Theatre is committed to creating raw, intimate, thought-provoking musical theatre in Chicago.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The 2011 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award nominations, 'WSS' everywhere, 'The Baker's Wife,' dueling TYA 'Babes In Toyland' shows, a 'Seussical' and more....

Stage 773 Artistic Director Brian Posen announces the launch of a new musical theatre company, Street Tempo Theatre, debuting at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave.

Stage 773 Artistic Director Brian Posen announces the launch of a new musical theatre company, Street Tempo Theatre, debuting at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave.

Appearing with his five member band, Milsap will share some of country classics and bluesy hits during his two concert appearance at the Spencer Theater at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Saturday, August 6.

It's rare that an artist with more than four decades of accolades, 40+ number one hits, sales of 35 million records and seven Grammy Awards to his credit would continue to seek out new challenges, but that's precisely what country soul legend Ronnie Milsap has done.

Appearing with his five member band, Milsap will share some of country classics and bluesy hits during his two concert appearance at the Spencer Theater at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Saturday, August 6.

West Coast Ensemble and director Richard Israel get ready to for a much-anticipated GYPSY that will run May 13 - July 3 at the Theatre of Arts Arena Stage in Hollywood.

Highline Ballroom is located at 431 West 16th Street between 9th Avenue and 10th Avenue.

B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is located at 237 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) New York, NY 10036