Alex Hopkins

An Equity staged reading of "The Book Of Merman", a new play with music tracing the ups and downs of the famed Broadway star affectionately known as "the Merm", is currently rehearsing for private presentations to industry producers and insiders.

At Birdland this past week, Jim Caruso's Cast Party was a jam-packed, sold-out crazy-quilt of talent. The weekly 'extreme' open mic night was the place to hear Broadway tunes, jazz standards, an Italian pop tune, a Beyonce hit, the blues, and a few original tunes that defied description. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

The award-winning Broadway at Birdland concert series and Jim Caruso's Cast Party have been constants on the New York scene for the past eleven years. Every week, performers from the Great White Way and beyond are showcased in the concert series, followed by the always-extreme open mic.

Last weekend the 37th annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, gave out dozens of awards and scholarships to drama, dance and music students. The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in the country, and this was a record-breaking year with over 3,000 students from 118 schools. Students came from junior high and high schools in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wisconsin, and California.

Five 10-minute plays are created and rehearsed in twenty-three hours.

Five 10-minute plays are created and rehearsed in twenty-three hours.