The Day the Bronx Died

Anyone that has read my reviews or columns over the years knows that I always pay attention to the orchestrations and orchestrator of any given musical. Let’s face it, without the orchestrator, the score is only a piano. Today’s subject Doug Besterman has been living his theatre life for many years as an orchestrator for Broadway, regional, and West End theatre as well as doing scoring for films and TV.

Excited for FUNNY GIRL's return to Broadway? We've got casting news today about Ramin Karimloo, Jane Lynch and Jared Grimes joining the cast for the first Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL.

American Composers Orchestra (ACO) announces its complete 2017-2018 season, Dreamscapes, under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Bermel, Music Director George Manahan, and President Edward Yim, featuring ten world, U.S., and New York premieres by a diverse set of composers. ACO continues its concerts at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall (December 8, 2017 and April 6, 2018) while expanding its presence in New York to include performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center (November 7, 2017) and as part of the 2018 PROTOTYPE Festival (January 12-14, 2018). ACO continues to take its commitment to fostering new work beyond the stage in its annual Underwood New Music Readings (June 21 and 22, 2018) for emerging composers, now in its 27th year, and through EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, which brings the Readings experience to orchestras across the country.

The Kennedy Center Honors announced today that its honorees for 2016 will be Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, rock band the Eagles, screen and stage actor Al Pacino, gospel and blues singer Mavis Staples and musician James Taylor.

The schedule for this summer's Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival, which runs from July 20 to August 10, was announced today by Bill Bragin, Lincoln Center's Director of Public Programming. Nearly 100 free performances will take place across the plazas of Lincoln Center during three weeks. A special Memorial Concert for Pete and Toshi Seeger on July 20 will be followed by the official opening concert on July 23 with Larry Harlow's Hommy: A Latin Opera, the landmark work's first performance in 40 years. Complete festival details and a chronological listing of events follow.

Tomorrow is one of the most exciting mornings of the year for any theatre fan. The 2014 Tony Award Nominations will be announced from The Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel. The Tony Nominations can be viewed LIVE (8:30am ET) on BroadwayWorld.com. Be sure to follow us throughout the day for reactions from the nominees, analysis and much more. With only hours left until the big moment, catch up on all of this year's eligible shows and how they fared with the critics (including BroadwayWorld's own Michael Dale) in BroadwayWorld's Season Wrap-Up!

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections, as well as the selections for the Storyscapes program.

Dr. Sherwin Nuland, author of award-winning book 'How We Die,' has died at age 83 of prostrate cancer at his home in Hamden, CT.

Famed singer, actress and Broadway star Eydie Gormé has died at age 84. Spokesperson Howard Bragman said 'Legendary singer and performer Eydie Gorme passed away peacefully today at Sunrise Hospital following a brief illness. She was surrounded by her husband, son and other loved ones at the time of her death.' In his own statement, Steve Lawrence said: 'Eydie has been my partner on stage and in life for more than 55 years. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and even more the first time I heard her sing. While my personal loss is unimaginable, the world has lost one of the greatest pop vocalists of all time.'

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) will begin previews for KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald, on Tuesday, October 18. KING LEAR will run through Sunday, November 20 in The Public's Newman Theater with an official press opening on Tuesday, November 8.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald, beginning preview performances on Tuesday, October 18. Kristen Connolly (Cordelia), Bill Irwin (The Fool), and Frank Wood (Cornwall) will join the company that includes the previously announced Che Ayende (Duke of Burgundy/Knight/Servant), Craig Bockhorn (Doctor), Michael Crane (Oswald), Herb Foster (Old Man/Knight), Seth Gilliam (Edmund), Enid Graham (Goneril), Michael Izquierdo (King of France), Michael McKean (Gloucester), Arian Moayed (Edgar), Kelli O'Hara (Regan), John Douglas Thompson (Kent), Richard Topol (Albany), and Sam Waterston (Lear).

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) announced additional casting today for KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald, running October 18 - November 20 in the Newman Theater with an official press opening on November 8. Che Ayende (Duke of Burgundy/Knight/Servant), Craig Bockhorn (Doctor), Michael Crane (Oswald), Herb Foster (Old Man/Curan), Seth Gilliam (Edmund), Michael Izquierdo (King of France), Arian Moayed (Edgar), Kelli O'Hara (Regan), and Richard Topol (Albany) will join the previously announced Enid Graham (Goneril), Michael McKean (Gloucester), John Douglas Thompson (Kent) and Sam Waterston (Lear). Single tickets, priced at $75-$85, go on sale Tuesday, August 9. Member tickets are $40 and are on sale now.

Despite the acclaimed revival's premature closing, Michael X. will soldier on in this biz, as he has for 30-plus years.

Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing will be revived by Lincoln Center Theatre in spring 2006, with the production to open on April 17th at the Belasco Theatre