Ben Harney News

'So what are you seeing next?' is a question I'm frequently asked and every year around this time when I answer, 'Broadway's Rising Stars.  It's a concert at Town Hall with recent college and theatre school graduates singing showtunes,' I often get that look of pity that presumes that sitting through stuff like this is the price I pay for getting comps to see Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in A Little Night Music.

There's something very endearing about watching a couple of old pros like Bernie Kopell and Lou Cutell exercise their finely tuned comedic chops as a pair of elderly widowers looking for a night of excitement; especially when that excitement comes in the form of Teresa Ganzel, who displays ample comic skills herself as the shapely blonde goodtime girl with a heart of gold.  Add another actor and this trio could deliver a very enjoyable production of The Sunshine Boys.  But alas, the vehicle they ride into the Little Shubert, Viagara Falls, is an anaemic sex comedy that wastes their talents and the audience's patience.

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents staged readings of the musical ROSA PARKS on November 5-7, 2009 at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are FREE. Reservations are required at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents staged readings of the musical ROSA PARKS on November 5-7, 2009 at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are FREE. Reservations are required at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents staged readings of the musical ROSA PARKS on November 5-7, 2009 at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are FREE. Reservations are required at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

Theatergoers will have a last chance to see Dreamgirls, the celebrated award-winning musical, in a limited run at the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts before the highly publicized release of the film version in December

Audiences at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France will have a sneak peek of 20 minutes from the upcoming Dreamgirls film on May 19th

John Lithgow has been cast as a new character--a ruthless producer--in the upcoming film version of Dreamgirls

The smash Prince Music Theatre production of Dreamgirls in Philadelphia, which will welcome new cast members on February 7th, may have a commerical future in the wings

The Dreamgirls film now has a fuller creative team, with a production designer, costume designer and others on board

The Dreamgirls film is set to be unveiled in theatres nationwide on December 22nd

Tony Award-winning lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer have joined the creative team of the Dreamgirls film

The Prince Music Theatre's hit production of Dreamgirls will now close on February 26th

Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger will show up for an informal discussion after the January 10th performance of the musical at the Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia

The Prince Music Theatre's production of Dreamgirls will play an extra week from January 4th through 15th

DreamWorks Pictures is encouraging productions of Dreamgirls by waiving fees for amateur stagings of the show

American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson will play Effie in the upcoming film version of Dreamgirls

Danny Glover has been cast as Marty Madison in the upcoming film version of Dreamgirls

Anika Noni Rose has been cast as Lorrell Robinson in the upcoming film version of the musical Dreamgirls

The film version of Dreamgirls, starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, will commence shooting in January of 2006 for a December release that year