Karen Morrow News

The next Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast, hosted by Rob Morrison on 96.5 FM on Tuesday, January 16 will mark the 60th anniversary of the Jerry Herman musical Hello, Dolly!

The saga of the seemingly ubiquitous Charles Kirsch continues: He's everywhere: hosting shows on stage, all over YouTube, in the air or on the air with over 150 podcasts of 'Backstage Babble' with his interviews of show people, and maybe sitting next to you at a cabaret or Broadway theatre or just dashing around New York City.

Barry Pearl and Michelle Elkin, two powerhouse talents in Los Angeles Theatre, gear up to co-direct the energetic musical FOOTLOOSE. Produced by Panic! Productions & BarCinBoo Productions.

The next broadcast of Rob Morrison's Musical Theatre Melodies will pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Steven Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Tony Award winning musical PIPPIN, featuring interviews with Tony Award winner John Rubenstein and songs from the original Broadway cast recording with special narration by Tony Award nominee Walter Willison.

Tuesday June 28th, 2022, marks the 120th Anniversary of the birth of legendary Broadway composer Richard Rodgers, Rob Morrison's Musical Theatre Melodies will commemorate the occasion with the broadcast and streaming premiere of the Museum of the City of New York's A CELEBRATION OF RICHARD RODGERS, recorded live at The Imperial Theatre, New York City, on March 26th, 1972.

Panic! Productions, along with Born To Perform Studios and Boo Boo Productions, have announced that  Barry Pearl will once again direct their late summer teen musical “13”  at Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.  

Panic! Productions, along with Born To Perform Studios and Boo Boo Productions have announced that Barry Pearl will once again direct their late summer teen musical “13”  at Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.  

AJ Freeman closes out the season at Arthur Newman Theatre in a show celebrating the genius of Cole Porter and Noël Coward. Her show will feature some of their most recognizable tunes from their Broadway hit musicals and have become Standards in the Great American Songbook.

Backstage Babble, hosted by 14-year-old theater aficionado Charles Kirsch, is proud to announce the publication of its 100th episode, featuring Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein.

What is it that we’re living for? On Wednesday, September 22nd, the answer will be the reunion of the hit 1970 musical Applause, produced by Backstage Babble and streaming on YouTube starting at 8:00 PM EDT.

The next Musical Theatre Melodies broadcast, hosted by Rob Morrison on 96.5 FM on Tuesday, August 31st will mark the 50th anniversary of Claibe Richardson and Kenward Elmslie's THE GRASS HARP (based on the novel and play by Truman Capote), the 1971 Broadway musical which starred Barbara Cook, Karen Morrow, Carol Brice, Russ Thacker, Ruth Ford and Max Showalter.

What happens when you get five theater celebrities to ask Broadway trivia to four of the biggest theater fans, experts, and professionals around? An evening of laughter, anecdotes, prizes, and of course, trivia.

In celebration of Pride month, Backstage Babble is releasing a series of episodes with LGBT artists that fulfill it's mission-painting a picture of what it has been like to be gay in the theater world from the 1950s up until the present day. It is hosted by 13-year old Charles Kirsch.

How do you spell D-A-N-C-E-R-S O-V-E-R F-O-R-T-Y? (Hint: D-A-N-C-E-R-S-O-V-E-R-4-0!) Well, if you didn't know, you're sure to find out that - and more - by the end of the all-star night of games, clips, and anecdotes that will take place as a benefit for DO40 (easy to spell!) on Monday, May 17th at 7:00 PM EDT.

“The Fabulous Chickies In Concert-a Benefit For The Actors Fund”  will be live streamed on Friday, April 30, 2021 at 5 PM PST/8 PM EST.

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.

This week's list includes a new limited edition orange vinyl of the 2017 revival cast recording of Once on This Island, as well as a purple vinyl edition of the 1964 cast recording of My Fair Lady. Plus, the latest volume of The Untold Stories of Broadway by Jennifer Ashley Tepper is now available!

a?oeTHE FABULOUS CHICKIES IN CONCERT - A BENEFIT FOR THE ACTORS FUNDa?? will be live streamed on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 5 PM Pacific on the Actors Fund YouTube channel.

Dying for a new diversion in the absence of live theatre? Look no further than Old Show Queens- a 13-episode web series that is streaming now!

In this episode, Ben and Daniel discuss the 1982 concert 'Showstoppers: The Best of Broadway.' The evening is hosted by Tom Bosley and features Broadway favorites such as Ethel Merman, Barry Bostwick, Susan Browning, Len Cariou, Nell Carter, Diahann Carroll, Carole Demas, David Haskell, Glynis Johns, Donna McKechnie, Robert Morse, Pamela Myers, Stephen Nathan, Jerry Orbach, Anthony Perkins, Debbie Reynolds, Alexis Smith, and Ray Walston.