Ben Strothmann News

As BroadwayWorld.com continues to celebrate the site's landmark 10th anniversary, with a variety of special features, today we're turning our spotlight on the wonderful photography of Linda Lenzi.

Shirley Herz, a legendary theatrical press agent, died on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The cause was complications from a stroke suffered on July 18, said Sam Altman, a longtime friend.

Soho Rep has announced that the celebrated stage and screen actor Larry Pine will star in the world premiere production of Lucas Hnath's adrenaline-charged odyssey A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. Directed by Soho Rep Artistic Director Sarah Benson, Pine will play the title character - the man who forever changed the American Dream. Hnath's fictional play centers around the reading of a screenplay Walt Disney has written about his last days on earth. The script is about a city he is going to build that is going to change the world; about his brother; about everyone who loves Disney and how sad they are going to be when he is gone.

The York Theatre Company concludes the Winter 2013 Musicals in Mufti Series with the 1955 musical gem, Silk Stockings that has book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath and Abe Burrows and music & lyrics by Cole Porter. Directed by Stuart Ross, and with music direction by David Snyder, the production will feature Erin Davie, Ben Davis, Erick Devine, Erica Dorfler, David Garrison, Leah Hocking, Andrew Kluger, Mark Price, Kilty Reidy, Danny Rutigliano, Alet Taylor, and Stephen Wallem. Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

York Theatre Company's Winter 2013 Musicals in Mufti Series presentation of the 1956 musical hit, Happy Hunting, with book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, lyrics by Matt Dubey and music by Harold Karr, is currently in rehearsals to prepare for an opening tomorrow, March 15. Directed by David Glenn Armstrong and with music direction by David Andrews Rogers, the cast stars KLea Blackhurst, and will feature Janine DiVita, Joy Franz, Jessica Grove, Sean Martin Hingston, Michael McCormick, Heather Parcells, Andrew Samonsky, Eric Sciotto, Michael Sharon and Lynne Wintersteller. Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

Soho Rep has announced that the celebrated stage and screen actor Larry Pine will star in the world premiere production of Lucas Hnath's adrenaline-charged odyssey A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. Directed by Soho Rep Artistic Director Sarah Benson, Pine will play the title character - the man who forever changed the American Dream. Hnath's fictional play centers around the reading of a screenplay Walt Disney has written about his last days on earth. The script is about a city he is going to build that is going to change the world; about his brother; about everyone who loves Disney and how sad they are going to be when he is gone.

Kittin Withawhip (So You Think You Can Drag, The Ultimate Drag Off, Last Comic Standing) hosted the opening night of Boylesque!, a new all-male burlesque revue at the new Lucky Cheng's Drag Cabaret in Times Square. Christine Pedi (Newsical) headlined the opening night line-up, joined by Reyscandalo De La Verga (Broadway After Dark, RENT), Jake Haynie (Broadway After Dark, SMASH), Darrel T. Joe (Damn Yankees, National Tour), Michael McArthur (A Chorus Line at Paper Mill Playhouse, Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, SMASH), and Matt Anctil (La Cage Aux Folles, Broadway Beauty Pageant). Boylesque! is set to play Wednesdays at 11:00pm. Lucky Cheng's is located at 240 West 52nd Street. Check out photos from the event below!

The York Theatre Company continues the Winter 2013 Musicals in Mufti Series with Hollywood Pinafore, with book & lyrics by George S. Kaufman and music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. Hollywood Pinafore was originally produced in 1945. Directed by Mark Kaufmann and with music direction by Beth Falcone, the cast features Susan Blommaert, Claybourne Elder, Jennifer Evans, Sara Jean Ford, Tom Galantich, Julie Kotarides, Dennis Parlato, Andrew Ragone, Kilty Reidy, Danny Rutigliano and Mary Stout. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action onstage below!

Due to the overwhelming success of the one-night performance of the hit Off-Broadway musical revue, Starting Here, Starting Now, with lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire, The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) has added two encore performances on Sunday evenings, December 9th & 16th at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

Composer/lyricist Charles Bloom's debut recording, titled Music and Lyrics by Charles Bloom: IN HERE was just released by Sonic Landscapes. Check out photos from the release party below!

The Obie Award-winning Clubbed Thumb recently held a kickoff for its 17th annual program of new plays by emerging writers -- SUMMERWORKS 2012, running today, May 26 through June 30 at the HERE Arts Center in Soho. Actors, playwrights, directors and designers joined Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director Maria Striar at the SUMMERWORKS launch party. See photos from the event below!

The Obie Award-winning Clubbed Thumb recently held a kickoff for its 17th annual program of new plays by emerging writers -- SUMMERWORKS 2012, running May 26-June 30 at the HERE Arts Center in Soho. Actors, playwrights, directors and designers joined Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director Maria Striar at the SUMMERWORKS launch party. See photos from the event below!

A few selections from Broadway's beloved videographer Bradshaw Smith.

The award-winning York Theatre Company presents the second production of its Fall 2011 Musicals in Mufti Concert Series-the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. This October, the York will continue its Off-Broadway Celebration with the Mufti concert production of Tomfoolery this weekend (October 28-30) directed by Pam Koslow (The Musical of Musicals)

The Adaptations Project presents their inaugural production, Kaddish (or The Key in the Window), based on the poem by Allen Ginsberg. Kaddish (or The Key in the Window) is created and performed by Donnie Mather and directed by Kim Weild.

York Theatre Company Oh, Coward! and The Mad Show, the next titles in its Summer 2011 Musicals in Mufti Series-the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. The concerts will run from July 15-17 and July 29-31, respectively. Individual tickets are $39.50 and available at the York box office (12-6 PM, Mon-Fri), by phone ( 212-935-5820 ), and at yorktheatre.org. Check out photos of the cast of The Mad Show in rehearsal below!

OFF THE KING'S ROAD, a new full-length play by Neil Koenigsberg, will be given a staged reading at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street) on Thursday, February 4th at 2pm.

Splash's Musical Mondays is proud to present a very special edition of 'Curtain Call' with Broadway's Karmine Alers. On January 31st, directly following the video clip extravaganza, host Emily McNamara welcomes Karmine as she makes her 'Curtain Call' debut.

OFF THE KING'S ROAD, a new full-length play by Neil Koenigsberg, will be given a staged reading at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street) on Thursday, February 4th at 2pm.

Splash's Musical Mondays is proud to present a very special edition of 'Curtain Call' with Broadway's Karmine Alers. On January 31st, directly following the video clip extravaganza, host Emily McNamara welcomes Karmine as she makes her 'Curtain Call' debut.