Whoopi - 2004 - Broadway Articles Page 5

MARY TESTA -- the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress -- and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records.

The Laguna Playhouse will present the beginning of 2015 in a most spectacular fashion with the return of superstar comedienne Rita Rudner who will be performing, RITA RUDNER: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE RITA, to start the New Year right with joy and laughter. OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE RITA will perform on Wednesday, December 31 at 7pm at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records. Fresh off her recent starring role on Broadway in Wicked, Mary will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. Music Director Michael Starobin, will join her on piano with Alisa Horn on cello. Since being released earlier this month, Have Faith was called "stunning" by Playbill, "beautifully hypnotizing" by BroadwayWorld and "a sensational CD debut, terrific from first cut to last" by the Connecticut Post. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com. To order the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/havefaith.

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of the new CD from MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress currently starring in Wicked on Broadway - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger. The album will be available in stores and via online outlets today, December 2, 2014. Mary and Michael will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com.

The Broadway community mourns the loss of acclaimed director, producer, writer, and performer Mike Nichols, who passed away on Wednesday evening at age 83. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York were dimmed in his memory on November 21st, at exactly 7:45pm for one minute. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look back at the last 30 or so years of his career.

AnthonyKen LLC and Sheryl Lee Ralph/The Diva Foundation are pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, the musical celebration of the life of the original 1970s "Queen of Disco" Sylvester, will return for a special one-night-only event in New York City at The Gramercy Theater (127 East 23rd Street) on Sunday, January 18th, 2015 at 8 PM. The musical will then take off for a limited engagement in Sylvester's beloved city, San Francisco, where it will play the Brava Theater Center (2781 24th Street) from Wednesday, February 11th - Sunday, March 1at, 2015 (Opening Night: February 14th, 2015). Plans for other engagements in cities across the country - and a return to New York City - will be announced in the New Year.

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of the new CD from MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress currently starring in Wicked on Broadway - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger. The album will be available in stores and via online outlets December 2, 2014. Mary and Michael will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com.

THE LAST SHIP - the new musical with music and lyrics by 16-time Grammy Award-winner Sting and book by Tony Award winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Yorkey opens tonight, October 26. The Last Ship is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello and choreographed by Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Steven Hoggett. Scroll down to learn more about the full cast and watch the company onstage in a commercial for the show below!

MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, a musical celebration of the life of the original 1970s 'Queen of Disco' Sylvester, will end its critically acclaimed, limited Off-Broadway engagement on Sunday, October 5, 2014 at Theatre at St. Clement's (423 W. 46th Street). Presented by AnthonyKen LLC and Sheryl Lee Ralph/The Diva Foundation, the musical was written by and starred Anthony Wayne (Pippin, Anything Goes, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and was co-directed by Mr. Wayne and Kendrell Bowman, who also designed the show's costumes. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Bowman are currently planning a San Francisco engagement for the show, as well as a return to New York City in 2015.

Producer Hal Luftig announced today the first-ever Broadway revival of the Tony Award-winning play Children of a Lesser God. Written by Tony Award-winner and Academy Award nominee Mark Medoff and directed by this year's Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon, Children of a Lesser God will open in the upcoming 2015-2016 Broadway season.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, welcomes the return of Drama Desk Award-winner Jim Brochu in his new show Character Man, following his wildly successful run of Zero Hour in 2011. A musical valentine celebrating the Golden Age of the American Musical, Character Man will be presented at BSC's St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center from tonight, September 18 through 28. The press opening is Saturday, September 20 at 7:30pm.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, announces the return of Drama Desk Award-winner Jim Brochu in his new show Character Man, following his wildly successful run of Zero Hour in 2011. A musical valentine celebrating the Golden Age of the American Musical, Character Man will be presented at BSC's St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center from September 18 through 28. The press opening is Saturday, September 20 at 7:30pm.

Celebrated astrophysicist, author and science communicator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson brings his space-centered and family-friendly U.S. speaking tour to Philadelphia on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Merriam Theater. The Emmy Award winning Tyson is host of FOX's 2014 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey series and radio show StarTalk. Tyson will share his passion for astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology in an evening of engaging conversation on science, exploration, and the world as we know it.

EMMY Award-Winner Bruce Vilanch stars in a staged reading of RUBBLE, a new comedy by 4 time EMMY Award-Winning 'The Simpsons' writer, Mike Reiss at The Provincetown Theater. 'The Sopranos' star and Broadway veteran Jerry Adler also joins the cast. The staged reading of RUBBLE will be directed by James Valletti for one night only to benefit The Provincetown Theater. All proceeds go directly to support The Provincetown Theater.

Controversial THE VIEW host Star Jones, who abruptly left the ABC chatfest in 2006 after a 9-year hosting stint, may serve as a co-host on today's show, filling the seat vacated by Barbara Walters.

Laguna Playhouse will present the return of Rita Rudner who will be performing her award-winning solo comedy, AN EVENING WITH RITA RUDNER and her new dress, for two performances only, today, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Today, the three-time Emmy® award-winning, critically-acclaimed and nationally-syndicated The Dr. Oz Show received its fifth nomination for Outstanding Informative Talk Show

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2014 Season with Noel Coward's witty and poignant tale, 'A Song at Twilight,' directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, tonight, April 29 - May 17, a co-production with Hartford Stage where it ran earlier this year. Broadway veterans Mia Dillon, Brian Murray and Gordana Rashovich will headline; also in the cast is Yale School of Drama graduate Nicholas Carriere. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2014 Season with Noel Coward's witty and poignant tale, 'A Song at Twilight,' directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, tonight, April 29 - May 17, a co-production with Hartford Stage where it ran earlier this year.

The three-time Emmy® award-winning, The Dr. Oz Show will kick-off May Sweeps with all-new, must-see shows to help viewers “Make It Happen” just in time for summer.

Billy Crystal's '700 Sundays,' one of the most-acclaimed and highest-grossing plays in Broadway history, comes to HBO. Taped before a live audience Jan. 3 and 4 at the Imperial Theatre in New York, BILLY CRYSTAL 700 SUNDAYS debuts TONIGHT, APRIL 19 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT).

Laguna Playhouse will present the return of Rita Rudner who will be performing her award-winning solo comedy, AN EVENING WITH RITA RUDNER and her new dress, for two performances only, Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2014 Season with Noel Coward's witty and poignant tale, 'A Song at Twilight,' directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, April 29 - May 17, a co-production with Hartford Stage where it ran earlier this year. Celebrating its 84th season, Westport Country Playhouse was recently named Theater Company of the Year by The Wall Street Journal.

Urban Stages Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director and producer Peter Napolitano, announced the final week of the World Premiere engagement of Character Man. Jim Brochu's new musical memoir at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). This limited run will continue through April 6th only. Robert Bartley directs, with musical direction by Carl Haan. The Final Post-Show Talk will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd with Special Guest Karen Mason (Mamma Mia, Sunset Boulevard, Hairspray), moderated by Peter Filichia.

Billy Crystal's '700 Sundays,' one of the most-acclaimed and highest-grossing plays in Broadway history, comes to HBO next month.