Ethel Merman News

Today’s subject Stephen Cole is an accomplished lyricist, performer, and book writer. You can now add novelist to that already impressive list of accomplishments. Stephen Cole’s latest literary endeavor takes us back to the Golden Age of Broadway with his first novel entitled Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who?. The book is now available everywhere for purchase in both hardcover and digital versions.

Watch Audra McDonald discuss imposter syndrome, stage fright, and GYPSY on Today with Hoda and Jenna in the video here!

It's official! six-time Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald will return to Broadway this fall, taking on what is widely regarded as the greatest role in musical theatre, “Rose” in GYPSY. We have all of the details!

Deeply mining the scores of four musicals Jerry Herman is best known for (Hello, Dolly, Mame, Mack & Mabel, La Cage Aux Folles), with a handful from others like Dear World and Parade, this will appeal to Herman devotees and musical generalists alike.

This time, the reader question was: How often do shows like The Wiz start on tour before coming to Broadway?

Chelsea Table + Stage continued its 'Box Set' of shows by Klea Blackhurs. With the May installment, she finds joy and pow with Jerry Herman's show tunes. Jerry Herman's lively life-affirming songs are a perfect fit for Blackhurst.

Irving Berlin's songs continue to fill the air. Let's toast him on the anniversary of his birth, May 11.

Comedian John Franklin, Paper Bag Players, Between Broadway Variety Hour, and more will grace the Hoboken stage at Mile Square Theatre.

Barrington Stage Company has revealed the 2024 Summer Series of Mr. Finn’s Cabaret. See who is performing and learn how to purchase tickets.

I live in Florida, and I love Florida; Florida has amazing people and an amazing LGBTQ community, but, as you know, the government really isn't on our side there. When the drag bans started to happen, it really freaked you out because it happened like suddenly you weren't allowed to perform outside in Florida. People didn't know this happened, but many of the Pride Celebrations in Florida were canceled.

Drag icon Varla Jean Merman brings her latest one-woman show Stand By Your Drag to the Catalina Jazz Club for one night only April 23, 2024. Varla Jean found time after her Palm Springs engagement to answer a few of my queries. 

At Chelsea Table + Stage, Klea Blackhurst 'Box Set' shows are continuing to draw crowds and bring smiles. Songs of Vernon Duke were on the bill in April, and May 5 will find her saluting Jerry Herman.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE will present the return of Klea Blackhurst in “The Box Set,” a fantastic season-long retrospective of the celebrated theater and concert artist’s acclaimed shows. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Singer Klea Blackhurst has long been doing tribute shows rich in song and Broadway history. Now, starting this Sunday, April 14th at 7 pm, Blackhurst will be revisiting each of these shows in a season-long series of “The Box Set” at Chelsea Table + Stage, starting this Sunday with “Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke’s Broadway.”

THE GREEN ROOM 42 will present international NYC Glam Award-winning drag star Sutton Lee Seymour for two shows in May. Learn how to purchase tickets.

FOLLIES, Stephen Sondheim, and James Goldman’s legendary production will be brought to life in a spectacular performance featuring a 45-person cast, including 12 of Las Vegas’s original showgirls. The limited-run engagement will be a star-studded affair at Access Showroom at Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa, April 11-14.

The Depression and World War II eras didn't stop Broadway from being filled with big shows and songs worth hearing again and again. Hear about what can be heard in a BroadwayWorld write-up.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE will present the return of Klea Blackhurst in “The Box Set,” a fantastic season-long retrospective of the celebrated theater and concert artist’s acclaimed shows. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Lizzy & the Triggermen, a 10-piece jazz band helmed by Lizzy Shapiro, delights in infusing swing era music with a modern sound – “Duke Ellington meets Amy Winehouse,” as Shapiro describes it. They’ll be making a stop at Joe’s Pub for a double-header on April 6th. Shapiro and I spoke about the upcoming show, the origins of the band, and more.

This time, the reader question was: How often is a musical revived on Broadway directed by its original director?