The Book of Merman - Articles Page 6

'Let us entertain you!' That's just what the award-winning J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, is getting ready to do as they prepare to stage the third show in their musical theatre line up for its 20th Anniversary Season tribute to Barbra Streisand.

On April 24, American Theater Group, New Jersey's newest professional theater company, will present, direct from its success at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival, Jonathan Brielle's new musical Himself and Nora at its new home, Hamilton Stage in Rahway, New Jersey.

In an age where union-bashing is all the rage, Performance of the Century: 100 Years of Actors' Equity Association and the Rise of Professional American Theater by Robert Simonson is a powerful chronicle of excellence achieved by union professionals.

"Let us entertain you!" That's just what the award-winning J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, is getting ready to do as they prepare to stage the third show in their musical theatre line up for its 20th Anniversary Season tribute to Barbra Streisand.

Five of the entertainment world's leading ladies will perform in New Orleans in 2013 as Seth Rudetsky's popular Broadway Concert Series makes the leap to NOCCA's Lupin Hall from its summer home at The Art House in Provincetown, MA. Patti LuPone, two-time Tony winner for Gypsy and as the legendary original Evita, will appear for two shows only on January 7th at 6:30 and 8:30. Sutton Foster, two-time Tony-winner for this year's Anything Goes and previously for Thoroughly Modern Millie and star of the ABC Family series Bunheads arrives for one show only on March 2nd at 7:30. Megan Mullally, two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will and Grace and star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein performs two shows only on April 6th at 7:30 and 9:30. Audra McDonald, a five-time Tony Award winner and recent star of Porgy and Bess on Broadway and TV's Private Practice will make her New Orleans debut with two shows only on May 18 at 7:30 and 9:30. Betty Buckley, the Tony winning legendary star of Cats and Sunset Boulevard will close the series on June 1 with two shows only at 7:30 and 9:30. The visiting Broadway artists will also be giving master classes for the NOCCA Institute's high school-aged musical theatre students. All five concerts are produced by Mark Cortale, long time producer/manager of Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman, and will be hosted by Sirius/XM radio star Seth Rudetsky at the piano. The series is sponsored exclusively by the New Orleans Hotel Collection and Gambit. Tickets can be purchased at www.broadwaynola.com or by calling 800-838-3006.

Five of the entertainment world's leading ladies will perform in New Orleans in 2013 as Seth Rudetsky's popular Broadway Concert Series makes the leap to NOCCA's Lupin Hall from its summer home at The Art House in Provincetown, MA. Patti LuPone, two-time Tony winner for Gypsy and as the legendary original Evita, will appear for two shows only on January 7th at 6:30 and 8:30. Sutton Foster, two-time Tony-winner for this year's Anything Goes and previously for Thoroughly Modern Millie and star of the ABC Family series Bunheads arrives for one show only on March 2nd at 7:30. Megan Mullally, two-time Emmy-winning star of TV's Will and Grace and star of Broadway's Young Frankenstein performs two shows only on April 6th at 7:30 and 9:30. Audra McDonald, a five-time Tony Award winner and recent star of Porgy and Bess on Broadway and TV's Private Practice will make her New Orleans debut with two shows only on May 18 at 7:30 and 9:30. Betty Buckley, the Tony winning legendary star of Cats and Sunset Boulevard will close the series on June 1 with two shows only at 7:30 and 9:30. The visiting Broadway artists will also be giving master classes for the NOCCA Institute's high school-aged musical theatre students. All five concerts are produced by Mark Cortale, long time producer/manager of Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman, and will be hosted by Sirius/XM radio star Seth Rudetsky at the piano. The series is sponsored exclusively by the New Orleans Hotel Collection and Gambit. Tickets can be purchased at www.broadwaynola.com or by calling 800-838-3006.

Call Me Madam/music & lyrics by Irving Berlin/book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse/directed by John Bowab/Alex Theatre, Glendale, November 19/ 7:30pm/ Thousand Oaks Plaza, November 25/ 2 pm matinee

If I were to die very soon, there's no doubt that I would go to heaven, because Rachel York and the all-singing/all-dancing company of Anything Goes took me and a couple of thousand other people up to the heavenly gates with their spectacular opening night performance of "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."

The award-winning J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, has announced the musical theatre line up for its 20th Anniversary Season.

Due to overwhelming popular demand, the producers of Gerard Alessandrini's brand- new FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING have announced the show will be extending its run at the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street - just west of Eighth Avenue) through April 28th, 2013. The production is co-directed by Phillip George. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING opened on September 6th after a three-year absence from New York.

Much like Dixie Wilson-the character she played in Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's Turn of the Century at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2008-actress Rachel York, the clarion-voiced leading lady whose timeless appeal has made her one of Broadway's most beloved stars, might be a time traveler. For certain, the woman who now plays Reno Sweeney in the national tour of Roundabout Theatre's acclaimed revival of Anything Goes, readily admits she could very possibly have been born in the wrong era, any and all science fiction possibilities notwithstanding.

Today, with musicals such as The Book of Mormon enjoying phenomenal box office success, revivals like The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess delighting new generations, and musical stage versions of popular films such as Once and Newsies dominating the Tony Awards, Broadway is proving yet again that its vitality and magic endure. Nominated for five 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards and winner of two, including Outstanding Nonfiction Series, THIRTEEN's landmark Broadway: The American Musical returns tonight, October 7 at 10 p.m., and continues on six consecutive Sundays through November 11 (check local listings).

According to the Daily Mail, Imelda Staunton will play Mama Rose in the Chichester Festival production of Gypsy, directed by Jonathan Kent, next fall in 2013. The show has not been seen on the West End for more than 30 years.

American Theater Group is a new performing arts company at the new Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts in Rahway, New Jersey. They begin their season with Jim Brochu's ZERO HOUR: a one-man tour-de-force about the life and times of the famed, talented and controversial actor Zero Mostel.

Thirteen's acclaimed BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL will return to PBS for a show-stopping encore on Sunday, October 7 at 10 pm/ET.

Today, with musicals such as The Book of Mormon enjoying phenomenal box office success, revivals like The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess delighting new generations, and musical stage versions of popular films such as Once and Newsies dominating the Tony Awards, Broadway is proving yet again that its vitality and magic endure. Nominated for five 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards and winner of two, including Outstanding Nonfiction Series, THIRTEEN's landmark Broadway: The American Musical returns Sunday, October 7 at 10 p.m., and continues on six consecutive Sundays through November 11 (check local listings).

Producer Matt Murphy (Memphis, Thurgood, Altar Boyz) today announced that he will present the world premiere of Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, a new three-character comedy written by Murphy and Drama Desk Award winner Jim Brochu, based on the best-seller by Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman (It Books/HarperCollins). The popular "how to" book is currently featured in the Sony film Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell.

Certainly programming a piece such as this is a major risk, especially for a community theatre, but Stage Door Inc. has put together a genuinely entertaining and completely enjoyable theatrical experience for their audiences.

Musicals Tonight has announced its 2012-2013 Season-it's 15th-which begins October 2 with Red, Hot and Blue at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street. The season continues with Fade Out - Fade In, Strike Up the Band, Same Time, Next Year and Leave It to Jane. More details below!

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, will welcome back acclaimed entertainer Lypsinka for a special two-week engagement from tonight, September 4 to 16 to celebrate Lypsinka's 30th anniversary. She will recreate the widely popular show 'The Passion of the Crawford' - a fab fantasia about the refraction of celebrity and addiction to fame - for the first time in the Bay Area in more than five years.

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, will welcome back acclaimed entertainer Lypsinka for a special two-week engagement from September 4 to 16 to celebrate Lypsinka's 30th anniversary. She will recreate the widely popular show 'The Passion of the Crawford' - a fab fantasia about the refraction of celebrity and addiction to fame - for the first time in the Bay Area in more than five years.

The award-winning J*Company Youth Theatre, a program of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, has announced the musical theatre line up for its 20th Anniversary Season.

Charles Busch, the author and drag star of many Broadway and off-Broadway hit plays and feature films, makes a highly anticipated return this summer after his sold-out Provincetown debut at The Art House a year ago.

Imelda Staunton, the actress who earned rave reviews for her work in the new West End production of SWEENEY TODD, may be headed back to the stage in another Stephen Sondheim show not long after SWEENEY TODD closes its doors on September 22.

The Hollywood Bowl's production of THE PRODUCERS ended its limited run on July 29, 2012. The cast featured Richard Kind as Max Bialystock, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Leo Bloom, Roger Bart as Carmen Ghia, Gary Beach as Roger De Bris, Rebecca Romijn as Ulla and Dane Cook as Franz Liebkind.