Howard Kagan News

The Met announces the new season of MetLiveArts, the Museum's performance series that, over the past five seasons, has emerged as a vital part of the contemporary live-arts scene in New York City and a leader in genre-defying performance work.

Josh Groban, Denee Benton, and the cast of the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 will perform at Culture for One's Fifth Annual Benefit to further their mission to improve the lives and futures of New York City children living in foster care by providing them with access to the arts and cultural opportunities.

CONCERT FOR AMERICA: STAND UP, SING OUT! announced today that music icon Barry Manilow will be kicking off the fourth edition of the benefit concert series, which will take place on Tuesday April 18th at 8pm at The Town Hall in NYC (123 W. 43rd Street).

The new musical NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 just had a starry Broadway opening Monday night, at the Imperial Theatre. Featuring the Broadway debuts of 24 cast and creative team members, including Josh Groban as 'Pierre' and Denee Benton as 'Natasha,' the new musical is created by Dave Malloy (Ghost Quartet, Preludes) and directed by Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown, Artistic Director of The TEAM), also making their Broadway debuts. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the sacred Gypsy Robe ceremony and below, check out photos of recipient Katrina Yaukey with the company!

The new musical NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 just had a starry Broadway opening last night, at the Imperial Theatre. Featuring the Broadway debuts of 24 cast and creative team members, including Josh Groban as 'Pierre' and Denee Benton as 'Natasha,' the new musical is created by Dave Malloy(Ghost Quartet, Preludes) and directed by Rachel Chavkin(Hadestown, Artistic Director of The TEAM), also making their Broadway debuts.

A potential legal battle that has been brewing for weeks over at the Broadway engagement of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 has come to a head this evening, as the team of Ars Nova, the non-for-profit theatre company responsible for developing the piece, has announced plans to file suit against the show's producer, Howard Kagan, for a breach of contract regarding a dispute over billing.

Just in! BroadwayWorld has just learned that producer Howard Kagan has announced that NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 will begin Broadway performances this October at the Imperial Theatre. Grammy-nominated multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban will make his long-awaited Broadway debut as 'Pierre' alongside Denee Benton as 'Natasha.'

On the heels of being named the first female African-American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre, The New York Times is reporting that Misty Copeland will be joining the cast of Broadway's ON THE TOWN next month. After New York City Ballet principal dancer Megan Fairchild departs the show, Copeland will take over the role of Ivy for two weeks, beginning August 25th. 

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) just honored internationally acclaimed theatre designer and six-time Tony Award Winner Bob Crowley at the NYTW 2015 Spring Gala last night. The event, which was held at the Edison Ballroom (240 W 47th St.) was chaired by Disney Theatrical Production President Thomas Schumacher, Sherie Rene Scott, Jack O'Brien, and John Barrett. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the big night below!

We are yet another day closer to the biggest night on every theatre-lover's calendar- the 69th Annual Tony Awards, which will be co-hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on Sunday, June 7 (8PM on CBS). Earlier this month, the 2015 Tony nominees gathered to meet the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big day. Below, we bring you an exclusive interview with Howard Kagan, Best Revival of a Musical nominee for On The Town.

Just yesterday, the 2015 Tony nominees gathered for the annual press event and brunch - and BroadwayWorld was on hand. Below, check out portraits of each nominee, courtesy of BWW's own photographer, Walter McBride!

The New York Times revealed in an article profiling ON THE TOWN's producers that one of them -- Howard Kagan -- wants to mount Dave Malloy's off-Broadway hit electropop opera NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 on Broadway 'soon'. Kagan produced the musical event's off-Broadway run.

NYU SKIRBALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS celebrated ten years of NYU Skirball with The Skir-BALL: a festive evening to celebrate the international artists and audiences who have made a decade of NYU Skirball such a great success on November 10. BroadwayWorld brings you an inside look at the event below!

On October 21, Joan and George Hornig hosted the launch of the second season of the Sundance Institute Theatre Club, a series of private dinners in New York for Institute supporters. Guests joined playwright Heidi Schreck for dinner at Chez Josephine before a performance of Schreck's play Grand Concourse at Playwrights Horizons. Schreck's work was supported by the Sundance Institute Theatre Program. Scroll down for photos from the event!

I have been so impressed by the tremendous support and camaraderie in the Broadway community. Many from across the theater spectrum already have come to enjoy ON THE TOWN in previews. It's been inspiring to see cast members and creatives from WICKED, IF/THEN, PIPPIN, NEWSIES, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, LITTLE DANCER, NBC's live telecast of PETER PAN, and so many others in our community excited and eager to show their support. We can always tell when our audiences are speckled with others who work on the 'Great White Way'. From the moment the house lights dim, a friendly buzz radiates onto the stage.

This fall, one of America's classic musical comedies is back on Broadway - On The Town, featuringTony Yazbeck, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Clyde Alves. ON THE TOWN, the classic musical comedy love letter to New York City, will return to Broadway this fall in a critically acclaimed production directed by John Rando (Tony Award® for Urinetown) and choreographed byJoshua Bergasse. On The Town will begin previews on Saturday, September 20, 2014 and officially open on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at Broadway's Lyric Theatre (213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036). The cast of ON THE TOWN just reopened the Lyric Theatre with a special ribbon cutting ceremony on this afternoon, September 19th, along with producers Howard and Janet Kagan, in advance of the show's first preview performance tomorrow, September 20th. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special event below!

I experienced my first Broadway Sitzprobe this past weekend! The nerdy Asian boy in me needs to explain what a sitzprobe is, for those who don't already know. Sitzprobe (pronounced zits-probe) is a German-derived term literally meaning 'seated test or seated trial.' Of course, the sitzprobe process is widely used across the various performing arts. In the musical theater world, it is when the orchestra members and the actors meet for the first time and do a seated run-through rehearsal of the show. Up until Saturday, we had been listening to our rehearsal pianists and drummer. From what I understand, the score is tremendously difficult to play on the piano, as it was written to be performed by a huge orchestra. So here's a shout-out to our talented rehearsal musicians who have been holding down the fort for us during the past several weeks.

Maxolev Productions (led by Howard & Janet Kagan) announces the launch of a new online investment platform (www.invest.maxolev.com) offering equity in Broadway productions, beginning with the upcoming revival of ON THE TOWN.

Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced today that the Museum will designate the space occupied by The Costume Institute as the Anna Wintour Costume Center. The complex has been completely redesigned and renovated and will reopen on May 8 with the inaugural exhibition Charles James: Beyond Fashion. The Anna Wintour Costume Center will house the Department's exhibition galleries, library, conservation laboratory, research areas, and offices. The curatorial department itself will continue to be called The Costume Institute.