Peter James Zielinski - Page 23

Last night, May 28th 2008 BeBe Winans visited the cast and crew of the The Little Mermaid.

With award season in full swing, famed and notoriously private Tony Campaign Manager Cubby Bernstein made a rare public appearance to deliver a much anticipated speech outside the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240West 44th Street on Wednesday, May 28th.

On Thursday May 22, 2008 the 54th annual Broadway Softball league opened their season at the Heckscher Fields in Central Park.

On Tuesday, May 20th the cast and creative team of the upcoming revival of 'The Marriage of Bette and Boo' had a press meet and greet at their rehearsal hall.

ony Award winner Donna McKechnie and noted theatre columnist Michael Riedel joined two-time Tony Award winner Donna Murphy in the eagerly anticipated benefit performance of PAMELA'S FIRST MUSICAL, a new musical with music by Tony Award winner Cy Coleman, lyrics by Tony Award winner David Zippel, book by Tony & Pulitzer Award winner Wendy Wasserstein and directed by Tony Award nominee Graciela Daniele. In addition, Lila Coogan has been cast in the role of 'Pamela.' Coogan is currently appearing as 'Jane Banks' in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. The all-star cast also includes Lynn Ahrens, Christian Borle, Carolee Carmello, Sandy Duncan, Gregg Edelman, Christine Ebersole, Stephen Flaherty, Kathie Lee Gifford, Adam Heller, Richard Kind, Robert Klein, Tommy Tune and many others. Special guest David Garrison made appearance as Producer Bernie S. Gerry. The special concert of PAMELA'S FIRST MUSICAL was held on Sunday, May 18 at 3 PM at Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street) with a reception at Sardi's immediately following. Proceeds will benefit BC/EFA and Theatre Development Fund's Open Doors Program, which Wasserstein founded. This delightful one-act musical, based on Wasserstein's 1996 children's book, tells the story of a young girl from the suburbs who spends an unforgettable birthday with her eccentric, sophisticated Aunt Louise (Murphy) attending a lavish Broadway production and meeting all the glamorous, creative people who made it possible. BROADWAY CARES/ EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it's founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV and other related illnesses. For more information please visit www.broadwaycares.org

Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie and noted theatre columnist Michael Riedel joined two-time Tony Award winner Donna Murphy in the eagerly anticipated benefit performance of PAMELA'S FIRST MUSICAL, a new musical with music by Tony Award winner Cy Coleman, lyrics by Tony Award winner David Zippel, book by Tony & Pulitzer Award winner Wendy Wasserstein and directed by Tony Award® nominee Graciela Daniele.

Yesterday the winners of this years Drama League awards were announced. The awards ceremony was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel (Broadway and 46th Street) in the Broadway Ballroom.

New Dramatists honored Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein with their 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at their 59th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute.

On May 14th, 2008, RENT hosted a benefit event at The Canal Room for Ubuntu Education Fund.

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words,' the acclaimed, long-running L.A-based comedy sensation has taken New York by storm and played its final Spring performance on Monday12th (7:30PM) at The Triad Theater (158 West 72nd Street).

On May 5th and 6th the cast recording of Gypsy took place starting Patti LuPone, Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti.

When HAIR, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, opened on Broadway at the Biltmore theatre on April 29, 1968 the musical, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt MacDermot and directed by Tom O'Horgan, broke new ground in musical theatre and the genre of the 'rock musical' was born.

Edie Falco, Grammy winner Mya, the Cast of CHICAGO and Tons of Adoptable Puppies came to the world-famous FAO Schwarz toy store to help North Shore Animal League America, the world's largest no-kill animal shelter, celebrating the Grand Finale of the 2008 'Tour For Life,' a national initiative saving the lives of more than 600 orphaned pets.

The cast of Broadway's Grease performed at the NBA Store's Annual Spring Jam on Thursday April 24th 2008.

Legally Blonde star Laura Bell Bundy joined the ranks of the many Broadway legends whose portraits hang on the walls of the famous 44th Street restaurant Sardi's, when her caricature was unveiled on April 24th, 2008.

On Monday, April 21st the Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominees were announced at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan. The Outer Circle Awards are chosen by a group a theater critics and writers covering Broadway for publications outside of the New York City area. This year, Young Frankenstein picked up the most nominations scoring a total of ten. The revival of Les Liasons Dangereuses came in at nine, South Pacific just below at eight. Glory Days was the only production in the nominating committee that was unable to attend because they missed the cut-off, and will therefore be considered for next years nominations. On Thursday, May 22 2008 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m the Outer Critics Circle annual awards celebration dinner will be held at Sardi's Restaurant. For a complete list of nominees please visit http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=27109

On Wednesday, April 16th Disney Theatrical Productions (Thomas Schumacher, producer) presented a cabaret featuring the songs of composer Alan Menken. The evening featured performances by Disney on Broadway stars Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Sean Palmer (The Little Mermaid) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan).

Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, and how this group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were 30.

National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) held its Annual Chairman's Awards Gala and benefit on Monday, April 14 at New York's Cipriani's Pegasus (30 Rockefeller Plaza). This year, NCTF Chairman James S. Turley, Chairman & CEO of Ernst & Young, honored Angela Lansbury, the Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays and Bank of America.

Tituss Burgess, currently starring as Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid, performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Room on Monday, April 7 at 9:30PM. Burgess offered tunes from Duke Ellington to Jason Robert Brown as well as songs off of his solo album, 'Here's To You,' which is available now on iTunes and Cdbaby.