Lee Tannen News

San Francisco’s revered 42nd Street Moon kicks off its 2021 “Moonbeams” season with Jason Graae in Perfect Hermany, a tribute to the late, great Jerry Herman, writer of such classic musicals as Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles. The title Perfect Hermany is an unusually apt one as Graae is the perfect interpreter of Herman’s work, having starred in a much-lauded production Herman’s The Grand Tour in LA and toured for years with Herman in Hello, Jerry!, a revue of Herman’s work. Perfect Hermany is available for streaming on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through May 2, 2021. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit 42ndStreetMoon.org. Among his many credits, Graae has appeared on Broadway numerous times, toured extensively as The Wizard in Wicked, performed with major symphonies across the country, recorded dozens of musical theater albums and has enjoyed a long association with 42nd Street Moon. He is known for the improbable combination of his antic, go-for-broke comedic style and the impeccable musicianship of his soaring tenor. He is the type of performer who can make you bust a gut one moment, and then melt your heart the next.   BroadwayWorld caught up with Graae last week from his home base in LA soon after he had completed filming Perfect Hermany. We talked about his long association with both Herman and 42nd Street Moon, his favorite Herman songs, a couple of key roles that somehow got away from him and a few he still hopes to have a go at. Graae is always a blast to talk to. It seems the guy just is incapable of not being funny, but he is also thoughtful and kind, and sort of a walking treasure trove of theatrical lore. The following conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

A co-production of San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon and Long Beach's Musical Theatre West, PERFECT HERMANY will be available to stream online through May 2, 2021 as part of Moon’s 2021 Moonbeams season. This homage to legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman stars the versatile Jason Graae, directed by Lee Tannen with musical direction by John Boswell.

'I Loved Lucy,' a theatrical memoir adapted for the stage by Lee Tannen, author of the book of the same title, gets a one-night-only staging at Club Helsinki Hudson on Saturday, August 24, at 8:30pm. The two-character play, celebrating show-biz icon Lucille Ball, stars Sandra Dickinson in the title role. Tannen will play himself.

Multi-faceted, creative hyphenate Charles Busch will be appearing in his latest reincarnation of his 1999 classic cult-fav DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! for four performances May 17 through May 19, 2019 for L.A. Theatre Works. Dazzlingly filling out the crazy cast of characters of DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! - Mark Capri, Willie Garson, Ellis Greer, Jeffrey Self and Ruth Williamson. I had the wonderful chance to revisit Charles' gracious wit after almost two decades previous.

Audiences are in for a rare treat when theatrical legend Charles Busch and playwright/performer Lee Tannen team up for a special two-performance concert staging of Tannen's I LOVED LUCY on Friday March 22 and Saturday March 23 as a benefit for Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre. This delightful stage adaptation of Tannen's own 2001 memoir, directed by Carl Andress, stars the fabulous Charles Busch as Lucille Ball, Lee Tannen as … Lee Tannen, and also features the multitudinous talents of actor/pianist Tom Judson.

Had Lucy's family stayed in Trenton, history might have been very different, but the Garden State stayed peripherally involved the Queen of Comedy's life and work.

A party hosted by Jamie deRoy, Board member of Primary Stages was attended by some of the most esteemed members of the theatre community last night. Primary Stages is an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company dedicated to inspiring, supporting, and sharing the art of playwriting. The kitchen of Ms. deRoy, the 'hostess with the (theatre) mostess' was also recently used by Rita Moreno for a cooking demonstration for a PBS American Masters series and featured in this weeks New York Times.

Sandra Dickinson has had a long and diverse career, spanning stage and screen. An American who has lived in the UK for over four decades, she was recently seen in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One and as Lucille Ball in I Loved Lucy at the Arts Theatre. She is currently starring opposite Jonathan Chambers in the European premiere of The Unbuilt City at the King's Head Theatre.

In addition to producing great theatre works, Primary Stages produced one of this season's most exciting Galas. The 2017 event, celebrating Artistic Honorees Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Producer Honorees Janet B. Rosen & Marvin Rosen, and Corporate Honorees Jose Mendez and Katie Graziano, was a glamorous and talent-filled evening at Tribeca 360 with a full view of lower Manhattan as a backdrop to the festivities.

Monty Hall could not have offered a more spectacular deal. Four women had the right price and were the top bidders at last year's Primary Stages Gala's Silent Auction. As a result, Tony Award-Winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley came through door #1 at Jamie deRoy's apartment and sang at a private party organized by the winners . Jamie, Catherine Adler, Paula Kaminsky Davis and Christina Rose.

On Monday Linda Lavin performed her show titled 'My Second Farewell Concert' in New York City at the legendary Birdland. Last night she said a great musical hello to the Hudson Valley at Helsinki Hudson.

I Loved Lucy returns to the West End with a change in tone, but retaining its charm and its pathos with another incandescent star performance from Sandra Dickinson.

Showered with rave reviews and following two sold-out London runs in 2016, Lee Tannen's incredibly personal, funny, bitter-sweet play 'I Loved Lucy', directed by Anthony Biggs, about Lee's 10-year relationship with TV comedy legend Lucille Ball is to transfer to London's Arts Theatre for a strictly limited 7-week season from Wednesday 19 July.

So, exactly how much fun are 'I Loved Lucy' stars Sandra Dickinson & Matthew Scott having in rehearsals?

Showered with rave reviews and following two sold-out runs in 2016, Lee Tannen's incredibly personal, funny, bitter-sweet play "I Loved Lucy" about his 10-year relationship with TV comedy legend Lucille Ball is to transfer to London's Arts Theatre for a strictly limited 7-week season from Wednesday 19 July.

Jermyn Street Theatre in collaboration with Upstart presents the UK premiere of MAXIM GORKY'S THE LAST ONES, translated by CATHY PORTER and directed by ANTHONY BIGGS.

It was announced today that Anthony Biggs will step down as Artistic Director of leading Off West End venue Jermyn Street Theatre this summer to pursue new projects, after nearly five years in the post. His final production will be the UK Premiere of Maxim Gorky's The Last Ones, in a revised translation by Cathy Porter, which will play 6th June-1st July.

Gary Naylor looks back on 148 shows reviewed in 2016 and picks his Christmas turkeys and Christmas crackers.

Direct from two sold out critically acclaimed London productions I Loved Lucy gave a one night only benefit performance for Abingdon Theatre Company at The Lucille Lortel Theatre on July 21 and BroadwayWorld was there.

Gary DiMauro, Therese Steiner, and Showstoppers NY present a special engagement of I LOVED LUCY, Lee Tannen's loving and candid play about his friendship with Lucille Ball, on Thursday, July 21 at 8pm at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Direct from the play's critically acclaimed London premiere at the Jermyn Street Theatre, Sandra Dickinson reprises her celebrated performance as Lucy. Jermyn Street Theatre's Artistic Director Anthony Biggs is set to direct.