The Most Deserving - - Off-Broadway Articles Page 17

This week's topics: Performances at Tony Awards, Should win/will win, Best/Worst Touring Units, Better in London, Congrats Laura Osnes, Was Anyone at Nominated Shows Tonight, Shows going stale...

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE with Emmy Award-winning host Meredith Vieira, will present 'American Pride Week' (tonight, April 30 - May 4 and Monday, May 7), a specialty series devoted to celebrating everything that makes America great!

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has named Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Arts Professor Anne Bogart to the first class of Doris Duke Artists.

Twenty-one of America's most vital and productive performing artists in contemporary dance, jazz, theatre and multidisciplinary work were announced today as the first class of Doris Duke Artists, sharing a total of $5.775 million awarded in an unprecedented new initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF).

City Parks Foundation and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation today announced the winners of the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater performing arts grant, a one-time $25,000 award intended to attract premier arts presenters to produce works at the recently constructed Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park in historic Harlem.

Director Michael Wilson, straight from the Broadway opening of "The Best Man," has lined up a cast of New York veteran and major regional performers for the preview presentation of a "new" William Inge play on April 18. Wilson helms "Off the Main Road" on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m., in the William Inge Theatre at Independence, Kansas. The Inge work will be the opening night event of the 31st Annual William Inge Theatre Festival at the playwright's alma mater Independence Community College.

Stage plays customarily undergo long periods of development-though not as long as a half century. Yet such is the case for the opening presentation at the 31st annual William Inge Theatre Festival in Independence, Kansas.

After last week's shocking elimination of fan-favorite Sherri Shepherd, the DANCING competitors were widdled down to nine. Going into the halfway point of the competition, the remaining dancers and their partners were tasked with creating routines for the designated 'Latin Week.' The broadcast featured a performance by Santana, with sure-fire frontrunners emerging.

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE with Emmy Award-winning host Meredith Vieira, will present 'American Pride Week' (April 30 - May 4 and Monday, May 7), a specialty series devoted to celebrating everything that makes America great!

Director Michael Wilson, straight from the Broadway opening of "The Best Man," has lined up a cast of New York veteran and major regional performers for the preview presentation of a "new" William Inge play on April 18. Wilson helms "Off the Main Road" on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m., in the William Inge Theatre at Independence, Kansas. The Inge work will be the opening night event of the 31st Annual William Inge Theatre Festival at the playwright's alma mater Independence Community College.

Velocity, Discovery Communications' network for the upscale male audience, today announced its 2012-2013 Upfront programming slate. Seven months after its on-air launch, Velocity announced its plans to roll out more than 250 premiere hours between fourth quarter 2012 and third quarter 2013, representing the best of adventure, history, sports, travel and vehicle programming.

SARTA presents various classes, workshops, playwright groups and reading groups this spring and summer in the Sacramento region.

Amas Musical Theatre will celebrate its 43rd Year with a Gala evening on Monday, April 2th, featuring a special concert by Tony-Winner, Lillias White. The Amas Benefit Event honors the iconic restaurateur, author and transcultural lifestyle pioneer B. Smith with the "Rosie Award." The event takes place at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues, at 7pm.

James Gaffigan comes to Walt Disney Concert Hall for the first time to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances of music by Ottorino Respighi, Bela Bartok and Edvard Grieg, Friday, March 30, at 8 pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, at 2 pm. Andre Watts plays Grieg's Piano Concerto, a piece he put into his active repertoire in the 2007/08 season and has played several times a season since.

Stage plays customarily undergo long periods of development-though not as long as a half century. Yet such is the case for the opening presentation at the 31st annual William Inge Theatre Festival in Independence, Kansas.

Back for a third season, GEORGE TO THE RESCUE finds home improvement guru George Oliphant tackling home renovation projects across America, offering help and hope to deserving families. George's first 'renovation rescue' revolves around the Clark family in Brooklyn, N.Y

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), will celebrate its 43rd Year with a Gala evening on Monday, April 2th, featuring a special concert by Tony winner Lillias White. The event takes place at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues, at 7pm.

James Gaffigan comes to Walt Disney Concert Hall for the first time to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances of music by Ottorino Respighi, Bela Bartok and Edvard Grieg, Friday, March 30, at 8 pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, at 2 pm. Andre Watts plays Grieg's Piano Concerto, a piece he put into his active repertoire in the 2007/08 season and has played several times a season since.

Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, telecast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network, due to time constraints.

Fox Valley Repertory today announced that it has selected four playwrights for Fox Valley Repertory's 2nd Annual Collider Project, taking place during the St. Charles' Summer Theater Festival in July. Each of these playwrights from around the country are eager to start their project that ties to Fox Valley Rep's goal of 'developing new works that help us better understand the universe and who we are while illuminating and celebrating the worlds of art, science and technology.'

Back for a third season, GEORGE TO THE RESCUE finds home improvement guru George Oliphant tackling home renovation projects across America, offering help and hope to deserving families. George's first 'renovation rescue' revolves around the Clark family in Brooklyn, N.Y

Exquisite Corps Theatre's mission is to tell stories and draw the audience into the world of the play. The Plaza Black Box Theatre is the ideal venue for this intimate look at what is true and what isn't, what is real and what isn't, and who are you without wounds?

Ian Somerhalder, passionate animal advocate and star of international hit TV series The Vampire Diaries, will receive the Wyler Award at The Humane Society of the United States' upcoming 26th Genesis Awards on Saturday, March 24, at The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills. One of the animal protection organization's highest honors, The Wyler Award is bestowed on a celebrity or public figure for raising awareness of animal issues via the media.

Intiman Theatre has met its pledge goal of $1 million., and as a result the Intiman Board of Trustees has voted to reopen Intiman and move forward with production of the 2012 Intiman Theatre Festival.

Beautifully conceived by an ambitious, driven director and artfully brought to life by a stellar cast of actors, Pacific Overtures-the musical by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman-seems, at first, an unlikely choice for the sophomore season of Nashville's Blackbird Theater. Yet when you consider the company's prior offerings (which include Twilight of the Gods, an original play by Wes Driver and Greg Greene, the company's co-founders; Tom Stoppard's intellectually compelling Arcadia; and G.K. Chesterton's rarely produced Magic), it fits perfectly into the Blackbird canon. And, like those earlier productions, Pacific Overtures is another artistic triumph, the realization of a long-held dream by director Greene to bring his favorite work for musical theater to the stage.