Fringe Festival Info.

Fringe Festival!

North America's Largest Arts Fest Returns
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
** 11th Annual Festival runs August 10 - 26 **

New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), the largest multi-arts festival in North America, will present the 11th Annual Festival from August 10 - 26, 2007. Each year the festival presents programming by 190 of the world's best emerging theater troupes and dance companies.

The Festival will present work representing 9 countries (including Sweden, Japan, Australia, France, Ireland, England and Romania) and 17 US states (including Iowa, Utah, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Florida and Illinois). FringeNYC will offer performances covering a wide range of disciplines, including theater, performance art, dance, children's theater, spoken word, puppetry, and multimedia. Shows include Cancer! The Musical, Jazz Hand: Tales of a One Armed Woman, Face-Off With Ugliness, The Winter's Tale Project, Myles The HypoAllergenic Superhero, Mr. Baseball, Bucharest Calling, Enough About Me…Let's Talk About Jew, Dressing Miss Julie, I Dig Doug, Chekhov Jazz, and Lost! How a Certain TV Mega-Hunk Stole My Identity.

In 2007, twenty of New York City's most prominent downtown performance venues will host productions from around the globe as part of FringeNYC. Host venues, ranging in size from 50 to 500 seats, include The Lucille Lortel, Soho Playhouse, Players Theatre, Bleecker Theater, Lafayette Theater, CSV Cultural and Educational Center, and Cherry Lane Theater. FringeCentral is located at 80 Carmine Street, at the corner of Varick.

FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy.

In 1997, New York City became the seventh US city to host a fringe festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco. In its first decade FringeNYC presented nearly 2000 performing groups from the U.K., Canada, Poland, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Germany, the Czech Republic and across the U.S., prompting Switzerland's national daily, The New Zurich Zeitung, to declare, “FringeNYC has become the premiere meeting ground for alternative artists.” The festival has also been the launching pad for numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown hits, and regional theater productions including Urinetown, Never Swim Alone, Debbie Does Dallas, Dog Sees God, 21 Dog Years, and Matt & Ben. This fall, FringeNYC alumni Silence! The Musical and Walmartopia are scheduled to open Off-Broadway.

Tickets are $15 each at 212-279-4488 (inside NYC) or 1-888-FRINGENYC (outside NYC). Discount passes to multiple shows are also available. For more information, including a complete list of shows and show descriptions, visit www.FringeNYC.org.

Some highlights of the Festival include:

Asking For It
What happens when you ask for what you think you want, then get kicked in the ass over and over? Can you figure out what it is you really should be asking for … DARK comedy with sex and music. Directed by Tony Award nominee Lynne Taylor-Corbett (who also choreographed the original 1984 film Footloose.)

An Air Balloon Across Antarctica
One air balloon. Contents: One explorer, exceptional. One hamster, obese. One urn, full. Green-Room Award Nominee for Best New Writing, Melbourne, Australia, 2004.

And Somewhere Men Are Laughing
Time - 1955. Place - Brooklyn, NY. As the Dodgers and the Yankees battle it out on the field, a Brooklyn family is battling for its own survival. A funny, gritty and poignant tale of a city... fighting for redemption and forgiveness. Directed by Tony Award nominee Bill Russell (Side Show).

Bash'd! - A Gay Rap Opera
Two gay hip hop artists, Feminem and T-Bag, chronicle the tale of a pair of lovers. When one of the duo is bashed, the other is prompted to take revenge. Toronto hit makes NYC debut.

Bucharest Calling
17 years after the fall of communism, young people in Bucharest struggle to define new identities and overcome failure. A fresh & edgy Romanian play by Peca Stefan makes its US Premiere. Performed in English by Bucharest, Romania’s much acclaimed Monday Theatre.

Bye Bye Big Guy
An irreverent, raunchy musical spoof of celebrity memorial services. Fractured fairy tale characters, ridiculous tributes, inappropriate singing, ill-advised dancing, and a multitude of dwarfs come together to pay their last respects to a giant of a man, Rumplestiltskin. The book is by Michael Slade, whose writing credits include the soaps Another World, One Life to Live, Passions, and Days of Our Lives, plus the book for the children’s musicals Superfudge, Where’s Waldo? and Pokemon Live! (which premiered at Radio City). He is currently working on a new musical with Melissa Manchester.

The Commission
The seduction of war. The casualties of passion. This world premiere by acclaimed writer Steven Fechter ("The Woodsman") spins backward in time to reveal the fragments, both personal and political, left behind in the wake of a bloody civil war.

Elephant in the Room!
Present day Manhattan: The globe is warming, glaciers are leaving (along with the bees) and we're up to our eyeballs in cow farts. And now, people are turning into elephants; so what are you gonna do?........ man, we're screwed. Written and directed by Dan Fogler (Spelling Bee), inspired by Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros.'

The End
Gus and Jacob are starving in a post-apocalyptic netherworld. Then the last woman alive stumbles into their midst, prompting a new hope: the revival of the endangered species of man. A tragic comedy about the decay of mankind. Directed ny hot up-and-coming Broadway actor Christopher Denham (Master Harold…and the boys, The Lieutenant of Inishmore).

Hillary Agonistes
Spring 2009. Hillary in the White House. 65 million people disappear. Is the Rapture upon us? Pat Robertson, Stephen Hawking, Chelsea and the Antichrist weigh in. Can Madame President avert Armageddon. Starring Priscilla Barnes (TV’s Threes Company) as Mrs. Clinton.

I Dig Doug
A teenager’s world is turned upside down when she discovers the presidential election is the ultimate reality television. It’s a journey that leads her from New York to Iowa, from MTV to C-Span, and from hot, young popstars to pot-bellied politicians. Directed by Bert V. Royal (Dog Sees God).

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
The award winning creators of The Exorcist and Song of Singapore team up for a new musical comedy about love, spy planes, harem girls, and the Notre Dame football team, complete with belly dancing and a Middle Eastern score. Book by William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist, A Shot in the Dark, Gunn, and Darling Lili) based on his novel.

Kiss & Makeup
It's opening night for a smalltown community theater, and now the President is coming! The leading lady cracks under pressure, forcing the leading man to play BOTH parts! Sometimes showbiz is a drag! Starring David Sabella (Little Mary Sunshine in Broadway’s Chicago) and Stephanie D’Abruzzo (Avenue Q).

Ladies of Eola Heights
Move over Tyler Perry -- this blockbuster hit cross-dressing dramedy direct from Orlando (where it has even inspired sequels) makes its NYC debut. Three estranged southern sisters reunite to bury their daddy AND discover their brother has become a sister. All hell, and one Christian, breaks loose.

Lights Rise on Grace
Grace falls for Large. Riece falls for Large. Large... falls. First love. Lost love. New love. Tough love. "Lights Rise On Grace" follows three desperate New Yorkers as they defy tradition, uncover and recover secrets. A new play by Chad Beckim, one of NYC’s most promising young writers (a Princess Grace finalist), directed by Robert O’Hara (In The Continuum).

Night
A runaway bride hides out in a laundromat. A couple celebrates their anniversary with new lovers. A hotshot realtor makes a deal with a ghost. Is it a dream, or just another night in NYC? Playwright Philip Gerson wrote numerous scripts for the TV shows Murder She Wrote, Dr Quinn Medecine Woman and Christy. The production stars Grant Aleksander (The Guiding Light and All My Children) and Laurence Lau (One Life to Live, Another World, and All My Children).

Pogo & Evie: A Zydeco Musical
Violent secrets from generations past threaten the star-crossed romance of one Zydeco boy and his Cajun lady. Can Pogo and Evie betray their families? Can they resist the love that threatens to boil over in the steamy Louisiana heat? Written by Aaron Latham (Urban Cowboy, the movie screenplay and Broadway musical book). Co-starring Keith Johnston (Chris Rock Show, Ave X, Spunk.)

Reader
Reader tells the story of a censor forced to confront the sins of his past when a mysterious unfinished manuscript turns up bearing an uncanny resemblance to his life. Suddenly, the future is dictated by every word he allows. The NYC Premiere of a new play by Ariel Dorfman (Death and The Maiden, Mascara).

Slammer!
Go on a wild ride with innocent Tabitha…thrown into a women’s prison! Reverend Mama protects. Smiley preys. Warden Eva Danka punishes. The Corporation crushes. The captives revolt! All in the Slammer! This new musical stars Saverio Guerra (TV’s Becker).

Stand Up Black Britain
A trio of acclaimed Black British comedians present their sharp, funny & sideways take on modern life. Featuring Gina Yashere (finalist on NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’), John Simmit (Dipsy in BBC’s Teletubbies), and Curtis Walker, (UK comedy’s Don, from hit Britflick Bullet Boy).

Victor Woo - The Average Asian American
1980’s preteen Victor Woo dreams of becoming a pop star “sensation”. His Chinese-born parents see a different future. Confronting cultural expectations and media stereotypes, “The Average Asian American” reconciles his duty to his family, his heritage, and himself.

HOT FEET! ALL SINGIN! ALL DANCIN!.

I will post photos soon. I just had to post a quick blog about the show last evening at Town Hall. In my opinion it was the best production Town Hall has ever produced.
Noah Racey choreographed one of the finest evenings at Town Hall that I have ever seen. It was impressive.

Some of my favorite numbers:

Nancy Anderson: "That Means Nothing To Me"
John Bolton- "Tonight at Eight"
Kendrick Jones_ "HOT FEET"
Joyce Chittick- "I've Got You Under My Skin" with: David Baum, Luke Hawkins, Noah Racey, Kevin B. Worley and Jason Yudoff.

The dancing was incredible as was the singing and there were tons of famous people in the audience: Jerry Mitchell, Tommy Tune, Harriett Harris and many more.
Noah Racey is up for a lot of exciting things and I hope he does one of these every year.

Broadway Cares News!

BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS EXECUTIVE

RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

FOR STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM



Joe Norton, Associate Director of Education and Outreach for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the recipient of the 2007 President’s Award from the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and its student honorary division – the International Thespian Society (ITS). The award was recently accepted by Norton at the International Thespian Festival, on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.



The President’s Award is selected by the EdTA board president and given to an individual whose exceptional contributions have been an extraordinary benefit to the Association, the governing board, and/or volunteer leadership of EdTA.



BC/EFA's Schools Outreach Program empowers students of all ages to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in their own communities by raising funds for BC/EFA through campaigns in their high school, middle school and college theatre programs. Since 1999, more than 300 schools across the country have raised nearly $500,000 for BC/EFA by modeling their own efforts on how the Broadway community raises awareness and funds for BC/EFA each year. The program’s largest supporters in schools are the International Thespian Society, whose troupes have raise over $300,000 to date, along with groups like the New York State Theatre Education Association and the national theatre fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega."



Mr. Norton became involved with Etta and ITS in 1999 to assist Thespian troupes in their fundraising efforts on behalf of BC/EFA. He is a regular workshop presenter at EdTA and ITS events. Most recently, he has served on the EdTA board of directors and the finance committee.



“Joe Norton is a global thinker and a passionate person for EdTA,” says Gail Burns, EdTA board president. “Joe has a long history of dedication to EdTA, giving his time and talent selflessly. He continues to have a positive impact upon the lives of thousands of students and adults.”



"To be singled out like this, with the highest honor, for simply doing the work that I love makes me so happy,” says Mr. Norton. “I was truly surprised to receive the President’s Award. Every teacher in EdTA deserves this award more than I do."



The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) is a professional organization for theatre education founded in 1929. EdTA’s mission is to create a network for theatre arts educators, students, professionals, and enthusiasts to share ideas and support the effort to have theatre arts education (including film, television, and other related media) recognized in all phases of education and lifelong learning. EdTA operates the International Thespian Society (ITS), an honorary organization for middle school and high school theatre students. The organization also publishes Dramatics magazine, a monthly magazine for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre journal, a quarterly magazine for theatre education professionals.

New Version Of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY!

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY:RUDE AWAKENING
25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

OPENS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd

AT THE 47TH STREET THEATRE

PREVIEWS BEGIN AUGUST 31ST

Gerard Alessandrini’s FORBIDDEN BROADWAY will mark its 25th Anniversary with a brand-new edition FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: RUDE AWAKENING opening Sunday, September 23rd at the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47 Street). A recent recipient of the Tony Honors, the show will begin previews August 31st.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: RUDE: AWAKENING will feature spoofs of the season including Spring Awakening, Curtains, A Chorus Line, Grease: You’re The One That We Want, Legally Blonde, Frost/Nixon, Mary Poppins, and The Disney Musicals in addition to Company and Grey Garden, among others.

This edition is created and written by Gerard Alessandrini and directed by Phillip George and Mr. Alessandrini. Featured in the cast are: Jared Bradshaw, Janet Dickinson, Valerie Fagan and Michael West, with David Caldwell on piano. Costumes are by the legendary Alvin Colt, who was just honored with an exhibit at the Museum of the City of York. Sets are by Megan Halpern and lighting is by Mark Janowitz.
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has been an unstoppable force in New York theatre since 1982 when Gerard Alessandrini created the first parody that lampooned the Broadway shows and stars of the day. It has been a favorite among theatre lovers, as well as the Broadway stars themselves (Carol Channing, Kathleen Turner, Raul Esparza, Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters, Tommy Tune, Stephen Sondheim, Patti Lupone, Cameron Mackintosh, and Hal Prince, to name a few) who often stop by to laugh at themselves alongside their public. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has won numerous awards in its history in addition to the Tony Honors, which include Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY is produced by John Freedson, Harriet Yellin and Jon B. Platt.


The playing schedule for FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: RUDE AWAKENING is as follows: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15pm and Sundays at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesdays at 2:30pm, Saturdays at 4:00pm, and Sundays at 3:30pm. Tickets are $65 on Saturdays, at 8:15pm, Sundays at 7:30pm and Mondays at 8:15pm and are $60 for all other performances. For tickets and information call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.
For Group Sales call (212) 840-5564.

www.forbiddenbroadway.com

Masked!

There are no bystanders in the war at home…


Ami Dayan / Maya Productions, Inc., Ronald Guttman / Highbrow Entertainment, Inc., and Seth A. Goldstein / The Splinter Group present Masked (www.MaskedThePlay.com), a play by Ilan Hatsor, translated by Michael Taub and directed by Ami Dayan. Masked begins previews at The DR2 Theatre (103 E. 15th Street) on July 20th with the official opening night set for August 2, 2007.


An explosive play about three Palestinian brothers, Masked tackles the cultural divide at the heart of the Middle East conflict. Masked depicts the tragedy of one family torn between obligations, kinship, principles and survival. It is the first play by an Israeli playwright about the Intifada (Palestinian uprising).


Masked won first place in Israel's prestigious Akko Festival for writer Ilan Hatsor (then a first year theater student). Since then, Masked has been performed continuously across Israel and has been mounted in over 100 productions worldwide.


Masked is directed by Ami Dayan (The Man Himself, A Tale of a Tiger, The End). Scenic design is by Wilson Chin (Dark Matters, The Dear Boy) & Aleksandra Maslik, and costume design is by Jennifer Caprio (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Striking 12). Lighting Design is by Thom Weaver (Thrill Me, King Headley II).


The cast of Masked is: Sanjit DeSilva, Daoud Heidami, and Arian Moayed.


Tickets for Masked are $35.50 - $55.50. Masked plays Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 4pm. Tickets can be purchased by calling Telecharge (212) 239-6200 or going to www.Telecharge.com. Tickets can also be purchased by going to the DR2 Box Office (103 E 15th Street). The box office opens 2 hours prior to each performance and is open on Saturdays from 2-8pm. For more information, please visit: www.MaskedThePlay.com

MY FIRST TIME-

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THE DAY BEFORE SPRING- MUFTI!

YORK THEATRE COMPANY BEGINS PERFORMANCES FOR

THE DAY BEFORE SPRING

BY FREDERICK LOEWE AND ALAN J. LERNER

FINAL PRODUCTION IN SUMMER MUSICALS IN MUFTI SERIES;

FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY, JULY 27-29;

DAVID GLENN ARMSTRONG DIRECTS

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) begins performances Friday, July 27, 2007 for THE DAY BEFORE SPRING , which has book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe (My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Camelot, Gigi). THE DAY BEFORE SPRING is the last of the four shows in York’s Summer 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series -- the York’s acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. The show will play July 27, 28 and 29 at the Theatre at Saint Peters (54th Street, Just East of Lexington Ave). Tickets are $35. The show plays five performances only: Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2:30 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm. Audience discussions with the company follow the matinees. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.yorktheatre.org or call York’s Box Office at 212-935-5820.



THE DAY BEFORE SPRING features: Amanda Watkins (Urinetown, Cabaret, Beauty and the Beast), Richard Todd Adams (The Pirate Queen, The Woman in White), Ed Watts (NYCO’s The Most Happy Fella, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers tour), Hunter Bell ([title of show]) and Tia Speros (The Taffettas). The show also stars David Abeles (upcoming My Fair Lady tour), Summer Broyhill (Hairspray tour), Janine DiVita (Muny’s Annie Get Your Gun), Ashlee Fife (Encore’s Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Robyn Kramer (Paper Mill’s Pirates!), Daniel C. Levine (Rocky Horror, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago), Orville Mendoza (Adrift in Macao, Pacific Overtures), Lindsay Packard and Mark York (Sweet Charity, Busker Alley). THE DAY BEFORE SPRING will be directed by David Glenn Armstrong (Plain & Fancy, (mis)Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story, Isabelle and the Pretty-Ugly Spell). Aaron Gandy (Busker Alley, Fine and Dandy, Jule Styne in Hollywood) is the Music Director. Mark York is the Associate Music Director/Pianist and Daniel Haley is the Associate Director.



THE DAY BEFORE SPRING is the first show that Lerner and Loewe wrote together without another collaborator. The show opened on Broadway at the National Theatre (now the Nederlander Theatre) in 1945 where it ran for 167 performances. It was directed by Edward Padula, choreographed by Anthony Tudor and had a cast that included Lucille Benson, John Archer, Bert Freed and Irene Manning. The show is about a married woman who, at a college reunion, meets the man with whom she almost eloped ten years before. She becomes so touched by a novel he has written about her, she considers leaving her husband and reuniting with this former love of hers. The Journal-American said the show was “a welcome addition to the town’s top musicals...fresh and delightfully disarming!”



THE DAY BEFORE SPRING follows It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s a Superman and I and Albert both by Charles Strouse & Lee Adams, and Bajour by Ernest Kinoy and Walter Marks.



Beginning Friday, September 14th, The York Theatre Company will begin performances for its Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series, which will be comprised of another four shows, with an off week in between each show. The York will be soon be announcing those shows and schedule.



For ticket information visit www.yorktheatre.org or call 212-935-5820.

THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY in Saint Peter’s Theatre

54th Street Just East of Lexington

E train to Lexington Avenue or 6 train to 51st Street

MY FIRST TIME.

THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEW SHOW!
AS FEATURED ON JAY LENO, TMZ, CNN, CBS, MY9 NEWS!

KEN DAVENPORT PRESENTS
MY FIRST TIME,
THE NEW PLAY IN THE STYLE OF THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
OPENING SATURDAY JULY 28TH *
AT NEW WORLD STAGES

NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS NOW ON SALE!



Ken Davenport, producer of the Off-Broadway hits Altar Boyz and The Awesome 80s Prom, today proudly announced the opening of MY FIRST TIME (www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com), the new play in the style of The Vagina Monologues featuring four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people . . . just like you.

Even before its opening, MY FIRST TIME is already the most talked about show in town, having been featured in TMZ.COM, the New York Times, Daily News, Associated Press, and on television in “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” as well as news programs on CBS, CNN and MY9 (formerly WOR-TV).

Featured in the cast are Bill Dawes, Josh Heine, Kathy Searle, and Cydnee Welburn.

In 1998, a decade before blogging began, a website was created that allowed people to anonymously share their own true stories about their ‘First Time.’ The website became an instant phenomenon as over 40,000 stories poured in from around the globe that were silly, sweet, absurd, funny, heterosexual, homosexual, awkward, shy, sexy and everything in between. And now, these stories and the unique characters in them are all brought to life in MY FIRST TIME.

Opening night is Saturday July 28th, kicking off an open-ended run Off-Broadway at New World Stages/Stage 5 (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). For tickets from as low as $25, call Telecharge.com at 212/239-6200. For more information and group sales, call 1-888-MY1-TIME or visit www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com

*Anniversary of Ken Davenport’s actual first time! I can’t make this stuff up!





Actor/comic/writer who BILL DAWES has appeared on and Off-Broadway in numerous productions. Films include: "Evenhand" (www.evenhand.com), MGM’s "Just for Kicks" and "Recipe for Disaster," and the upcoming "How to Seduce Difficult Women." TV includes: "Law and Order," "Sex and the City," "OZ," "Criminal Intent." As a comic, Bill has performed in Baghdad for the USO, the HBO comedy festival, and currently at the Laugh Factory on 42nd and 8th (www.laughfactory.com.com). Read his musings at www.billdawes.net .

JOSH HEINE’s recent credits include Jewtopia (Chris, Off-Broadway), Diving Normal, (Fulton, Outstanding Ensemble Award), Third (Lincoln Center). Other NY theater: Sick, Places Like Here. Tour: The Graduate (Benjamin). Regional: Picnic (Centerstage) and Women and Wallace (Williamstown). Film: Exposed (2006) and A Night in the Hill (2005). TV: "Law & Order: CI." NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Atlantic Theater Company, RADA, and Stonestreet School.

KATHY SEARLE has appeared Off-Broadway in The Awesome 80s Prom and Carrie. TV credits include "New Amsterdam", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent","Hope & Faith", MTV's "Damage Control", "As The World Turns", "All My Children". Film: "Baby Mama", "Being Michael Madsen", "Frost". Numerous commercials and voiceovers, including the animated series "Starveillance" on E! Entertainment.

CYDNEE WELBURN makes her NYC professional debut after earning most of her living on camera. Native to Washington, DC; B.F.A. Acting graduate from Florida State University. New York: Lady of Copper, Romeo & Juliet with Theater Garden. TV: “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Dawson’s Creek”, national commercials. Co-Host of Real Simple (PBS).

Writer/director KEN DAVENPORT is currently represented Off-Broadway and around the country by the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winner for Best Musical, Altar Boyz, which he co-conceived and produced (www.AltarBoyz.com), and The Awesome 80s Prom, which he created and directed (www.Awesome80sProm.com). Ken’s Broadway and National Tour management credits include My Fair Lady, Grease, Show Boat, Candide, Ragtime, Parade (workshop), Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Cinderella, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Gypsy, among others. Ken taught “Acting as a Business” for AOL and was the Director of Creative Development for NETworks. He received the Acclaim Screenwriting Award for his TV pilot, “I.C.A.” A member of the BMI Librettist workshop, Ken is currently developing a musical version of the film Somewhere in Time for Broadway. More at www.DavenportTheatrical.com

Fringe- BYE, BYE BIG GUY.

Orville Mendoza (He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Adrift In Macao this past year. He cracked me up. I can't wait to see him in this!)

THE 2007 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
and
14 HUSKY PRODUCTIONS
PRESENT


BYE, BYE BIG GUY


A NEW MUSICAL BY DAVID EVANS,
FAYE GREENBERG AND
MICHAEL SLADE

DIRECTED AND
CHOREOGRAPHED BY DEVANAND JANKI

AUGUST 20TH – 25TH

AT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE


The 2007 New York International Fringe Festival and 14 Husky Productions present Bye, Bye Big Guy (http://byebyebigguy.com), a new musical with music by David Evans (Birds of Paradise, A...My Name is Alice), lyrics by Faye Greenberg (High School Musical) and book by Michael Slade (Thanksgiving at MCC). Directed and choreographed by Devanand Janki (Zanna, Don’t), Bye, Bye Big Guy plays at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. (between Bleecker St. and Hudson St.) on Monday, August 20th at 11:00 p.m.; Tuesday, August 21st at 8:15 p.m.; Thursday, August 23rd at 3:45 p.m.; Friday, August 24th at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday August 25th at noon.


An irreverent musical satire, Bye, Bye, Big Guy, is a memorial to the late, great, gold-spinner, Rumplestiltskin. Snow White, Dr. Jack Sprat, Goldilocks and a multitude of dwarfs are just a few of the guests who gather to pay their last respects and find out if they might win the Stiltskin fortune. Be forewarned, this is not a musical for children...


The cast features Danielle Lee Greaves (Hairspray, Rent); Carly Jibson (Hairspray); Jill Abramovitz (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me); Orville Mendoza (Pacific Overtures, Adrift in Macao); Christopher Youngsman (Grease) and Michael Gerrard. Musical direction is by Torquil Munro (Blood Brothers), set designs are by David Newell with costuming by Karen Ann Ledger.


After attending one too many celebrity memorial services whose sole purpose seemed to be to entertain and had precious little to do with the dearly departed, the creators began writing Bye, Bye Big Guy as a comment on our national obsession with celebrity.


Tickets for Bye, Bye Big Guy are $15. Bye, Bye Big Guy plays August 20th – 25th at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. (between Bleecker St. and Hudson St.). For tickets, call (212) 279-4488 or visit www.fringeNYC.org. For more information, please visit http://byebyebigguy.com.




About the Creative Team




David Evans (Music) As a composer, Off-Broadway productions of Birds of Paradise (Drama Desk nomination) and Children’s Letters To God have been followed by many regional productions of those shows. Another, Love Comics, has had several regional productions, and he has written songs for several Off-Broadway revues, including A...My Name is Alice, and for television shows, including "Sesame Street" and "Square One TV." Also, nine family musicals for Theatreworks/USA and two for Tada. Currently Associate Conductor of Wicked, his piano/conducting credits include recent revivals of Flower Drum Song and Bells Are Ringing, Marie Christine and Hello Again at Lincoln Center, and As Thousands Cheer at the Drama Dept.


Faye Greenberg (Lyrics) was part of Disney”s enormously successful television musical “High School Musical” as well as a contributor to “Cheetah Girls 2”. She has worked extensively in television and theater and her songs have been performed by Eric McCormack, Ann-Margaret, Rebecca Luker, Randy Graff, Earth, Wind & Fire and Loretta Devine to name but a few. She and long time collaborators David Evans & Michael Slade have written many shows for Theatreworks/USA and she is currently working with Blake Edwards and composer/orchestrator David Lawrence on the musical Big Rosemary as well as completing new songs for “High School Musical 2” and Hallmark’s “Bert & Becca”.


Michael Slade (Book) is a playwright, librettist, children’s author, Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award-nominated writer. Plays includes: Thanksgiving (MCC, EST, Edinburgh Festival); Christmas, New Years (2nd Street Theater, Bend, OR); And A Child Shall Lead (Lamb’s Theatre, NYC; Tower Theatre, Bend, OR); Gingerbread Children (Lark Theatre, NYC); Pokemon Live (Radio City, National/International Tours); Nine Theatreworks/USA musicals. His novel, The Horses of Central Park was awarded the Isar Children’s Literature Award. Television credits include: “Charles Schulz: A Charlie Brown Life” for A&E’s biography for kids. He is currently working with composer Melissa Manchester and lyricist Sharon Vaughn on a new musical, Blue.


Devanand Janki (Director/Choreographer) directed and choreographed the Off- B’way hit Zanna, Don't! winner of the Lortel, Callaway & GLAAD Media Awards. Other credits: Junie B. Jones (Lortel nomination), Cupid & Psyche and Henry & Mudge (Lortel nomination). Broadway concerts of Funny Girl featuring 16 Fanny Brices including Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth and Jane Krakowski; the Grammy nominated Hair with Jennifer Hudson and the 20th Anniversary production of Dreamgirls. He conceived and directed the 25th anniversary original cast reunion of A Chorus Line at the Palace Theatre and created the opening number for BC/EFA's Nothing Like a Dame VI, featuring Chita Rivera and 24 other Anitas. Lincoln Center credits: Amahl and the Night Visitors and Babes in Toyland at Avery Fisher Hall; Anything Goes in concert at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Regional: Man of La Mancha (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), The Full Monty (Foothills Theatre), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Gateway Playhouse), How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back? (Chicago Shakespeare) and the World Premiere of Andrew Lippa’s Asphalt Beach (AMPT); One Man's Dream II for Tokyo Disney; 9 years as artistic associate for Broadway Bares. Corporate industrials for Coca-Cola, MAC Cosmetics, Ben Moore Paints and Dove. Most recently, he directed Annie: The Concert starring Andrea McArdle and Rosie O’Donnell for R family Cruises. As a performer Dev has appeared on Broadway in Miss Saigon, Cats, The King & I, Side Show and tours of A Chorus Line and West Side Story. www.devanandjanki.com

The Event Of The Year!!!!!!!

THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS
THE SONG & DANCE OF THE GREAT WHITE WAY
SUMMER BROADWAY FESTIVAL FINALE


ALL SINGIN! ALL DANCIN!
MONDAY, JULY 30 at 8pm

STARRING A CAST OF 36 INCLUDING

Nancy Anderson, Joyce Chittick, Harvey Evans, Edward Hibbert, Kendrick Jones, Julia Murney, Jim Newman, Jack Noseworthy, Noah Racey, Rachelle Rak and Karen Ziemba

Featuring more than 20 Broadway Songs

Written, Directed and Choreographed by Noah Racey
Created & Hosted by Scott Siegel



(NEW YORK, NY) The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street) presents an exhilarating extravaganza of Broadway song and dance that encompasses traditions from George M. Cohan to Susan Stroman and beyond as the first-ever Summer Broadway Festival presents ALL SINGIN! ALL DANCIN! on Monday, July 30, at 8pm. This season finale is created and hosted by Scott Siegel for The Town Hall, choreographed, written and directed by Noah Racey (Curtains, Never Gonna Dance and numerous Broadway By The Year Concerts) with musical direction by Ross Patterson. ALL SINGIN! ALL DANCIN! features today’s Broadway performers as they put their own singing and dancing stamp on the music of the Great White Way.

Join an all-star cast in the most ambitious one-night only song and dance concert this city has seen in decades. From Broadway darling Karen Ziemba to the show-stopping young phenomenon Kendrick Jones, and from the clarion voiced Julia Murney to the dazzling Nancy Anderson, the concert will feature a total of 36 sensational performers – including Noah Racey himself. Together, this amazing cast will rediscover the glory of Broadway at its swinging, waltzing, tapping, leaping and light-hearted best!

“I am incredibly proud to be hosting this show for Town Hall and presenting the work of Noah Racey via the talents of this stunning cast. It’s going to be a night to remember.” said Scott Siegel.

Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, the stage has been graced by Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Billie Holiday, Igor Stravinsky, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis. Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including Billy Joel, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, Liza Minnelli, Cyndi Lauper, Norah Jones, Andre Watts, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.

In The Town Hall tradition as The People’s Concert Hall, tickets are available at $30 and $25 for this all-star show through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting the Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824.








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Broadway's Rising Stars- Photo Coverage.

Stephen Bel Davies

Don't Rain on her parade- Abby Baum

Natalie Hall- Don't Defy Chenoweth.(Girl in 14g)

Reggie Headon
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
Captions and comments by Corine Cohen

Part 2:
The second half of Broadway's Rising Stars was much stronger than the first half of the show. Some of my favorite numbers:

1. Reggie Headon singing New Man from Grind. He has a fabulous stage persona and a great voice.
2. Natalie Hall did a funny impersonation of Kristin Chenoweth doing Jeanine Tesori's Girl in 14g. She looks like Kristin and seems to be type casting herself for Wicked. (She does it well but she should develop her own voice)
3. Abby Baum blew the house down singing "Don't Rain On My Parade"
4. Stephen Bel Davies has an incredible voice and he blew me away singing" What'll I do"

Broadway's Rising Stars

Photo Coverage by Maryann Lopinto
Captions and Review: By Corine Cohen
First Half
Cast: Alexander Arroyo, Michael August, Katie Babb, Stephanie Barnum, Abby Baum, Stephen Bel Davies, Kirby Burgess, Darcie Champagne, Mike Cruz, Laura D'Andre, Elizabeth Daniels, Chris DiCristo Jr, Dayna Garber, Stacie Greenwell, Natalie Hall,
Reggie Headen, Paige Hutchison, Erica Jacob, Lauren Marcus, Justin McConnaughy, Sara Sawyer and Jared Weiss.

The cast worked very well together considering the small amount of time they had to prepare for this show. Some of the standouts in the first half:

Chris Di Cristo stole the crowd with his hilarious take on "Beauty School Dropout"
Transforming the song into the next American Idol competition. He has a lot of spunk and edge and most of the audience loved it. (I personally prefer the old way of singing which does not include screaming) But the crowd went wild for him.

I went wild for the following numbers:

Till There Was You- Performed by Stephanie Barnum
Sailing- Performed by Michael August
Mister Snow- Performed by Lauren Marcus.

Part 2 coming later.

SEAPORT SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL.

TWELFTH NIGHT and SNAPSHOTS ‘07
LAUNCH THE FIRST ANNUAL
SEAPORT SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL

TWELFTH NIGHT
DIRECTED BY JEFF COHEN,
FEATURES A CAST LED BY STEPHEN LARGAY (LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO) AS SIR TOBY BELCH

SNAPSHOTS ‘07
IS AN EVENING OF ONE-ACT PLAYS FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES
BY PATRICK BLAKE, CLAY McLEOD CHAPMAN AND JEFF COHEN

LATE-NIGHT COMEDY WILL ALSO BE FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT

SEAPORT SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL RUNS AUGUST 2 THROUGH AUGUST 26
OFF-BROADWAY AT THE S-P-A-C-E GALLERY & PERFORMANCE SPACE
207A FRONT ST at BEEKMAN ST at the SOUTH STREET SEAPORT

--------------------------------------


TWELFTH NIGHT, SNAPSHOTS ’07 and LATE-NIGHT COMEDY will launch the first annual Seaport Summer Theatre Festival. The Festival will run from August 2nd through August 26th at the S-P-A-C-E Gallery and Performance Space (a project of the Seaport District Cultural Association), 207a Front Street at Beekman Street, South Street Seaport, NYC.

The performance schedule is as follows:




Twelfth Night – Thursdays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm.
Snapshots – Fridays and Sundays at 7pm, Saturdays at 3pm.

Late Night Comedy – Saturday nights at 11pm.




Tickets are $18 per show, or all three shows for a special Festival Pass of $30. Tickets can be purchased by calling SMARTTIX.COM at 212/868-4444

TWELFTH NIGHT is the ideal Shakespeare play for the Seaport and Gallery setting. The comedy of love and longing begins with a tragic shipwreck off the coast of the seaport town of Illyria. The S-P-A-C-E Gallery’s eclectic collection of painting, sculpture and photography by Downtown Manhattan artists creates the perfect scenic environment for Illyria, a “Through-The-Looking-Glass” world that is, to quote the Bard, “high fantastical.” The TWELFTH NIGHT cast is led by Stephen Largay as Sir Toby Belch. Mr. Largay originated the role of Peachy Weil in the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award winning play The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry. He is a recipient of the Elliott Norton “Best Actor” Award for Equus. Mr. Largay also starred in the 1998 CBS Drama series To Have and To Hold. Also featured in the principal cast of TWELFTH NIGHT are Danny Bruckert, Gene Gallerano, Jesse Gavin, Adam Hirsch, Mari Howells, Margaret Nichols, Patrick Pizzolorusso, Joli Tribuzio and Maxwell Zener. The ensemble cast features Sarah Bowles, Madeleine Burns, Rosalynd Darling, Jane Elliot, Manuel Fihman, Christopher Gooley, Jenna Harder, Rachael Hip-Flores, Claire Kenny and Tracy Weiler.

SNAPSHOTS ‘07 continues the popular SNAPSHOTS series of One Acts presented by the Worth Street Theater Company that included notable work by Richard Greenberg, John Patrick Shanley and Tom Disch and featured premieres of work by Keith Reddin and Robert O’Hara. The 2007 edition of SNAPSHOTS will include world premieres of: First Date by Patrick Blake, two monologues by acclaimed playwright and novelist Clay McCleod Chapman, Bridesmaid and The Interstate and On, and Jeff Cohen’s In These Times – scenes from the aftermath of September 11.

Patrick Blake is best known as producer of the acclaimed Off Broadway productions of The Exonerated (2003 Drama Desk Award) and the 2006 Obie Award winning In The Continuum (selected Ten Best Plays of 2005 by The New York Times). His First Date, featuring Hilary Bettis, is a series of first dates as an aspiring actress gets sucked into the vortex of New York City life.

Clay McLeod Chapman’s first book of short stories, Rest Area, was published in 2002 and his novel, Corpus, was published in 2003 by Hyperion. His plays have been performed at the Culture Project, PS 122, The Red Room, and The Fringe Festival. Bridesmaid and The Interstate and On, featuring Kira Sternbach and Tracy Weiler, can best be described as contemporary Southern Gothic. The former is a drunken wedding reception send-off where some particularly unsavory bridal secrets are revealed, the latter is a rumination on a prom-night tragedy. Jeff Cohen’s plays include Men Of Clay (Best New Play 2005, the Baltimore City Paper) and his adaptation of Chekhov, Uncle Jack (published in the anthology Playing With Canons edited by Martin Denton).

In These Times is a collection of snapshots depicting New York life in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks. Mr. Cohen’s Tribeca Playhouse was the closest theatre to Ground Zero and his Tribeca Playhouse StageDoor Canteen performances in the attack’s aftermath made headlines around the world. In These Times, with a cast that includes Madeleine Burns, Rosalynd Darling, Jenna Harder, Gabrielle Maisels and Mark M. Thomas, is an especially poignant tribute to the cultural life of the South Street Seaport and its proximity to Ground Zero as that day’s 6th anniversary approaches.

LATE NIGHT COMEDY will take over the Festival every Saturday night, featuring some of New York’s most exciting established and up and coming comedy acts.

Artistic Director Jeff Cohen continues to have an indelible association with Downtown and the events of 9/11. With The Seaport Summer Theatre Festival, he continues his commitment to bringing theatre and entertainment to Lower Manhattan. Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Mr. Cohen’s Tribeca Playhouse proved to be one of New York’s brightest artistic lights. As Artistic Director of the acclaimed Worth Street Theater Company and founder of the tiny Tribeca Playhouse, Mr. Cohen created the internationally renowned Tribeca Playhouse Stage Door Canteen, a 10 week performance series of stars from Broadway, Film and Television – a roster that included Phylicia Rashad, Colin Quinn, Mario Cantone, Lea DeLaria, Sandy Duncan, Joey Fatone, Sara Ramirez, Kristen Chenoweth and many others. The Canteen was conceived as an old-style USO-type show to entertain the Ground Zero rescue and construction workers who were literally rebuilding New York. The show was profiled by Associated Press, on every major TV network news program and was honored to receive a special 2002 Drama Desk Award.

TWELFTH NIGHT, SNAPSHOTS ’07 and LATE-NIGHT COMEDY will launch the first annual Seaport Summer Theatre Festival. The Festival will run from August 2nd through August 26th at the S-P-A-C-E Gallery and Performance Space (a project of the Seaport District Cultural Association), 207a Front Street at Beekman Street, South Street Seaport, NYC.

The performance schedule is as follows:



Twelfth Night – Thursdays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm.
Snapshots – Fridays and Sundays at 7pm, Saturdays at 3pm.

Late Night Comedy – Saturday nights at 11pm.



Tickets are $18 per show, or all three shows for a special Festival Pass of $30.

Tickets can be purchased by calling SMARTTIX.COM at 212/868-4444.

Broadway's Rising Stars

(Mon) July 23, 2007 at 8 pm
Event: Broadway’s Rising Stars

Description: Do you like show tunes? Do you like success stories? Then you’re in for a treat!


New York City is the place where young actors come to study and train for a life in musical theatre, dreaming of seeing their name in lights and fulfilling their desire to perform on a Broadway stage. It’s only fitting then that The Town Hall, which has a reputation for protecting the legacy of Broadway’s past with its critically acclaimed series Broadway by the Year®, and the annual Broadway Cabaret Festival, offers future Broadway stars a chance to make their Town Hall debut. By spotlighting their gifts in a special concert, The Town Hall hopes to speed them on the way to their dreams.

Be a part of history on July 23rd when a group of talented young performers chosen for their voices, acting skills and ability to command the stage by a distinguished panel of judges perform in Broadway Rising Stars, a concert directed by the award-winning Joel Froomkin.

Some you may even know, as they come from university and performing arts schools across the City.

Ticket Price: $30 & 25

Producer: The Town Hall
Tickets can be purchased at the Town Hall box office. 123 West 43rd.

Drama Desk Party At Tony's.

Photo Coverage: Maryann Lopinto

At the last minute Bob Blume threw together a party to celebrate the Summer and give some of the winners their Drama Desk Award. Sadly, not many of the winners showed but it gave the Drama Desk members a great event and a chance to enjoy themselves.

Photo 1: A Drama Desk Award
Photo 2: Barbara Siegel, Beth Leavel
Photo 3. The cast of In The Heights

MY FIRST TIME.

“I still have the Metallica shirt he wore that night.” -Story #23960

KEN DAVENPORT ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR
MY FIRST TIME,
THE NEW PLAY IN THE STYLE OF THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
PERFORMANCES BEGIN JULY 12TH
AT NEW WORLD STAGES


Ken Davenport, producer of the Off-Broadway hits Altar Boyz and The Awesome 80s Prom, today proudly announced the casting for MY FIRST TIME (www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com), the new play in the style of The Vagina Monologues featuring four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people . . . just like you.
“I remember my first sexual experience. I was alone at the time!” - Story #6509
Featured in the cast will be Bill Dawes, Josh Heine, Kathy Searle, and Cydnee Welburn.
“As I recall, I was pretty good at it (no, really).” – Story #143
In 1998, a decade before blogging began, a website was created that allowed people to anonymously share their own true stories about their ‘First Time.’ The website became an instant phenomenon as over 40,000 stories poured in from around the globe that were silly, sweet, absurd, funny, heterosexual, homosexual, awkward, shy, sexy and everything in between. And now, these stories and the unique characters in them are all brought to life in MY FIRST TIME.
Performances begin Thursday July 12th, for an open-ended run Off-Broadway at New World Stages/Stage 5 (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). For tickets from as low as $25, call Telecharge.com at 212/239-6200. For more information and group sales, call 1-888-MY1-TIME or visit www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com.

MY FIRST TIME . . . I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.




Actor/comic/writer who BILL DAWES has appeared on and Off-Broadway in numerous productions. Films include: "Evenhand" (www.evenhand.com), MGM’s "Just for Kicks" and "Recipe for Disaster," and the upcoming "How to Seduce Difficult Women." TV includes: "Law and Order," "Sex and the City," "OZ," "Criminal Intent." As a comic, Bill has performed in Baghdad for the USO, the HBO comedy festival, and currently at the Laugh Factory on 42nd and 8th (www.laughfactory.com). Read his musings at www.billdawes.net.

JOSH HEINE’s recent credits include Jewtopia (Chris, Off-Broadway), Diving Normal, (Fulton, Outstanding Ensemble Award), Third (Lincoln Center). Other NY theater: Sick, Places Like Here. Tour: The Graduate (Benjamin). Regional: Picnic (Centerstage) and Women and Wallace (Williamstown). Film: Exposed (2006) and A Night in the Hill (2005). TV: "Law & Order: CI." NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Atlantic Theater Company, RADA, and Stonestreet School.

KATHY SEARLE has appeared Off-Broadway in The Awesome 80s Prom and Carrie. TV credits include "New Amsterdam", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent","Hope & Faith", MTV's "Damage Control", "As The World Turns", "All My Children". Film: "Baby Mama", "Being Michael Madsen", "Frost". Numerous commercials and voiceovers, including the animated series "Starveillance" on E! Entertainment.

CYDNEE WELBURN makes her NYC professional debut after earning most of her living on camera. Native to Washington, DC; B.F.A. Acting graduate from Florida State University. New York: Lady of Copper, Romeo & Juliet with Theater Garden. TV: “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Dawson’s Creek”, national commercials. Co-Host of Real Simple (PBS).

Writer/director KEN DAVENPORT is currently represented Off-Broadway and around the country by the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winner for Best Musical, Altar Boyz, which he co-conceived and produced (www.AltarBoyz.com), and The Awesome 80s Prom, which he created and directed (www.Awesome80sProm.com). Ken’s Broadway and National Tour management credits include My Fair Lady, Grease, Show Boat, Candide, Ragtime, Parade (workshop), Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Cinderella, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Gypsy, among others. Ken taught “Acting as a Business” for AOL and was the Director of Creative Development for NETworks. He received the Acclaim Screenwriting Award for his TV pilot, “I.C.A.” A member of the BMI Librettist workshop, Ken is currently developing a musical version of the film Somewhere in Time for Broadway. More at www.DavenportTheatrical.com

Broadway Barks Photo Coverage Part 3!

David Hyde Pierce

Photos by Maryann Lopinto

Mary L. Wilson

Bernadette Peters

Mary Tyler Moore

Broadway Barks Photo Coverage Part 2.

Christian Hoff of Jersey Boys

All of Broadway's greatest talent turned up to support animals. It was a wonderful event for taking photos of the best of the great white way.
Maryann Lopinto was there to snap up all of the action. My favorite photo is of Jo ann Worley's pooch giving the legend a big wet smooch.
All I can say is priceless.


JLY

Jo ann Worley

John L Young


J Robert Spencer

Jersey Boys and Bernadette Peters

Andy Karl from Legally Blonde
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
Captions by Corine Cohen

Broadway Barks Photo Coverage Part 1.

Broadway Barks photo coverage by Maryann Lopinto
Captions: Corine Cohen
Group shot

Legally Blonde Laura Bell Bundy

Orfeh

The hysterical Jackie Hoffman

Pirate Queen Stephanie Block

Cheyenne Jackson and Kerry Butler from Xanadu

Cheyenne Jackson


BERNADETTE PETERS AND MARY TYLER MOORE AND SUCH BROADWAY FRIENDS AS:

Angela Lansbury, David Hyde Pierce, Harry Hamlin, Lisa Rinna, Christine Ebersole, Jo Anne Worley, Jerry Mathers, Jane Carr, John Lloyd Young, Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Cerveris, Debra Monk, Stephanie J. Block, Karen Ziemba, Audra McDonald, Christine Ebersole, Edward Hibbert, Marin Mazzie, Lea Michele, Mary Louise Wilson, Christian Hoff, Charlotte D'amboise, Mary Testa, Laura Belle Bundy with "BRUISER" and "RUFUS", the LEGALLY BLONDE DOGS and many more Broadway Stars To Appear In Special Benefit For New York City Animal Shelters And Adoption Agencies

Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore will host the ninth annual BROADWAY BARKS!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. The event, produced by Broadway Care/Equity Fights AIDS and sponsored by the ASPCA with additional sponsorship by the New York Times, Pedigree, and RCA Small Wonder will take place on Saturday, July 14th in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). The festivities begin at 3:30 p.m.; celebrity presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters will take place between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain, BROADWAY BARKS 9! will be rescheduled for Saturday, July 28 from 3:30p.m. - 6:30p.m.)

Back by "pawpular" demand, BROADWAY BARKS 9! will help many of New York City's shelter animals find permanent homes by informing New Yorkers about the plight of the thousands of "homeless" dogs and cats in the metropolitan area. Last year's BROADWAY BARKS! attracted an audience of more than 6,000 theater fans, pet owners, and animal lovers, and featured the participation of more than 24 animal shelters from the New York City area.

"In 2006, for the first time in New York City's history, the euthanasia rate for dogs and cats in the city's Animal Care & Control shelters fell below 50%. A total of 20, 581 animals were placed into homes. 9,313 were adopted; 9,937 were transferred for eventual adoption to local shelters and rescue groups; and 1,331 were returned to their owners," said Moore.

"This milestone means we are saving more than half of the dogs and cats in our city shelters," said Ed Sayres, president & CEO of the ASPCA. "We are are proud that New York City's efforts to save the lives of adoptable animals has reached this important benchmark."

Peters, who adopted her dogs, Kramer and Stella, from the ASPCA and AC&C, adds, "It's bringing us closer to the day when we will no longer have to euthanize any healthy and treatable homeless cats and dogs because of a lack of space. As a community, we are most effective in helping animals when we pool our strengths to achieve what is, after all, a shared goal -- the elevation and continued welfare of animals in our society."

A galaxy of Broadway stars will join Peters and Moore for this special benefit, presenting the animals for adoption. Celebrity presenters include Angela Lansbury (Deuce); Audra McDonald (110 in the Shade); Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna (Chicago); David Hyde Pierce, Edward Hibbert, Jason Danieley, Michael McCormick, Debra Monk, and Karen Ziemba (Curtains); Jerry Mathers and Paul Vogt (Hairspray), Priscilla Lopez and Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights); Christine, Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson, John McMartin and Maureen Moore (Grey Gardens); Cheyenne Jackson, Kerry Butler and Mary Testa (Xanadu); Michael Cerveris (LoveMusik); Jo Anne Worley, Beth Leavel, John Glover, Gerry Vichi and Patrick Wetzel (The Drowsy Chaperone); Ashley Brown, Jane Carr, Daniel Jenkins, and Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins); Marin Mazzie, Jonathan Hadary, David Hibbard and Martin Moran (Spamalot); Xanthe Elbrick (Coram Boy); Charlotte D'Amboise and Michael Berresse (A Chorus Line); John Earl Jelks (Radio Golf); Michael Mulheren (Deuce); Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys); Judy McLane (Mamma Mia); Laura Belle Bundy, Orfeh and Andy Karl (Legally Blonde); Lea Michele (Spring Awakening); Sebastian Arcelus, Jayne Houdyshell, and Kendra Kassebaum (Wicked); Stephanie J. Block (The Pirate Queen); among others.

BROADWAY BARKS 9! will feature a sampling of potential pets from several New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies, including A Cause for Paws, Adopt A Boxer Rescue, Angelical Cat, Animal Haven, ASPCA, AC&C, BARC, Bide-A-Wee, Bobbi & the Strays, City Critters, Humane Society of New York, Husky House, Kitty Kind, Long Island Greyhound Rescue, Loving Touch, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue, NYC Siamese Rescue, Pet-I-Care, PLUTO, Russell Refuge, Staten Island Council for Animal Welfare, Stray from the Heart, and Tigger Foundation. Representatives from these organizations will be on hand to offer educational information on spaying and neutering.

BROADWAY BARKS 9! will also feature an auction of celebrity-autographed memorabilia. Additional auction merchandise will be available via the Internet by visiting www.eBay.com. Proceeds from the auction and other donations received during the day will benefit the shelters and organizations attending BROADWAY BARKS 9!(Broadway Barks press release)

Check Out Southern Comfort at the Metropolitan Room July 27th and August 3rd.

HAIRSPRAY FILM. YOU CAN STOP THE CAMP.

(Jackie Hoffman at Broadway Barks)
Photo by Maryann Lopinto


I have been a fan of the Hairspray Musical since it opened on Broadway several years ago and I adore the music of Marc Shaiman and his writing partner Scott Wittman. It is one of my favorite musicals on Broadway so I was looking forward to the making of this film.

I saw the original award winning cast of Hairspray which included: Harvey Fierstein, Jackie Hoffman, Marissa Winokur, Chester Gregory, Matt Morrison and Kerry Butler. This cast of Hairspray were outstanding and both Harvey and Marissa won Tony Awards for their performances. (Kerry Butler was robbed that year)


Harvey Fierstein brought a lot of himself to the role of Edna Turnblad. It made the character 'EDNA' the star of the show and he made her a Jewish, funny and passionate character. John Travolta on the other hand makes 'Edna' a wholesome mid-western boring housewife with no personality. I have always adored Mr Travolta in films, just not this one. He is miscast in this film and takes all the joy out of the character Edna. Harvey's Edna was a DIVA that captures the audiences funny bone and heart. He played the role like the incredible DIVINE in the first Hairspray film by John Waters.


What I loved about the musical was the edgy, kitschy and hilarious feel that Hairspray was about. It was about being different. About being able to be yourself no matter how geeky, no matter what size or color. It was about being able to tolerate people for being themself. I had a hard time watching this film without the glorious actor Harvey Fierstein. With Harvey this movie would have been the greatest movie musical since Travolta's Grease.(Travolta scored in Grease)

This film has become sweeter with less of an edge. The costumes are not the fantastic creations with the mile high hair in the Broadway show but a more leave it to Beaver feel.

The best thing about this film is the new Tracy Turnblad. Ms. Blonsky is perfect in the role. She has the voice. She has the smile and she can dance. She is positively perfect in every way. The only negative thing I felt about the film was the way they removed my favorite part about the show. They removed the CAMP.
John Travolta brings a new Edna to this film. He is not a man in drag rather Beaver Cleaver's Mother. All he needs to do is ask Wally if he would like a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. They took out some of the funniest gags that remain in the Broadway version. This HAIRSPRAY removed my favorite scene when EDNA says "Tracy hold Mommy's waffles" All the funny lines are removed. Also there is no jail warden scene, there is no funny gym scene with the gym teacher which was played by Jackie Hoffman on Broadway.(Also Julie Halston later on)

Even without the CAMP, Hairspray is still a must see for Ms Blonsky and the fabulous singing and dance numbers.

The two things this film needed to be perfection are Harvey Fierstein and Jackie Hoffman.
Harvey Fierstein added the hilarious campy feel that made Hairspray special. Jackie Hoffman's facial expressions did more in two little scenes than in most of the larger roles. I don't know why all of these fantastic scenes were left out. They also removed Amber singing the "Cooties" song which was a huge part of the story line. No one makes fun of Tracy. She tries out and gets into the show and there is no teasing which was what the show was all about. Without these scenes it lost something.

On another note Queen Latifah was fabulous as Motor Mouth. Hairspray opens at theaters on Friday.


The film is a good film for children ages 5 and up. There is nothing racy in this film. I still prefer the Broadway Musical for the adults. If you are an adult you should really see the Broadway version over the film. I think the film makers removed the racy and campy numbers to appeal to the masses which is terribly sad.

For you campy divas check out the Broadway Musical and you will see the true genius of Shaiman and Wittman.

See you in the BIG DOLL HOUSE.

Corine Dana Cohen

Summer Broadway Festival At Town Hall!

Marvelous Marc Kudisch

The hilarious Karen Murphy


Gavin Lee

Scott Siegel
Last evening was the first of the series of the Summer Broadway Festival.
Last evening was a salute to the Operetta. It starred: Marc Kudisch, Gavin Lee, Christiane Noll, Karen Murphy, Milla Ilieva, Sarah Jane McMahon and Manu Narayan.



It was a thrilling evening. I have always been a fan of Opera but didn't realize my love for the operetta until last evening.

Scott Siegel always gets the best casts for his shows at Town Hall. It made for a thrilling evening with some of the most beautiful voices.

Standouts of the evening were: Karen Murphy singing "Art is Calling For Me" Also Sarah Jane McMahon singing "One Kiss". I also loved Christiane Noll singing "Italian Street Song" and Mark Kudisch singing "Donkey Serenade" to a stick Pony.

Review: Corine Cohen for Corine's Corner
Photos: Maryann Lopinto