Dancer and Actor Jack Burns Passes Away At Age 14
It has been reported that young actor and ballet star, Jack Burns, has passed away suddenly at age fourteen.
Harry Connick Jr. Offers A Celebration of Cole Porter, Opening on Broadway December 12
Tony nominee Harry Connick, Jr., seen on Broadway in the revivals of The Pajama Game and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, returns to the Great White in Harry Connick, Jr.—A Celebration of Cole Porter, which officially opens a three-week limited engagement December 12 following previews that began December 7 at the Nederlander Theatre.
In the video above Connick, Jr. discusses what audiences can expect from his latest Broadway outing.
The production, conceived and directed by Connick, Jr., features sets by Tony winner Beowulf Boritt and Alexis Distler, projection design by Boritt and Caite Hevner, and lighting design by Tony winner Ken Billington.
“I am beyond excited to be returning to the stage to share my interpretation of the work of a true American genius,” said Grammy winner Connick in an earlier statement. The artist, who also wrote the score for Broadway’s Thou Shalt Not and recently appeared in the world premiere of the musical The Sting, released his first album for Verve Records, True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter, October 25.
The production also recently announced a digital lottery that opens at 9 AM the day of the performance for evening performances, and 8 PM the day prior to matinee performances. Click here for more information.
Producing the engagement are Connick Performances, James L. Nederlander, and Grove Entertainment.
See What Else Is Coming to Broadway in the Near Future!
A Look at Paper Mill Playhouse’s The Sting, Starring Harry Connick, Jr.
(Updated December 12, 2019)
RED BUCKET FOLLIES Raises $5,631,888 For Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Six weeks of enthusiastic fundraising erupted into two extraordinary performances of lighthearted parodies, inspiring calls-to-action and exceptional dance at this year’s Red Bucket Follies. The show, which was performed December 9 and 10, 2019, celebrated the 58 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies that participated in fall fundraising for Broadway CaresEquity Fights AIDS.
2019 Red Bucket Follies Raises $5.6 Million
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ annual fall fundraising efforts crossed the finish line with its annual celebration, the Red Bucket Follies, December 9 and 10 at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
A total of 58 Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring productions took part, raising a collective $5,631,888.
Each season, shows raise funds through collective donations via the namesake red buckets, incentives, and auctions. Named the top overall fundraiser was Hamilton – And Peggy Tour, which made $434,841. Moulin Rouge! The Musical was the top fundraiser on Broadway, raising $315,746.
READ: How Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Red Buckets First Began
As part of the event, casts offer various performances, from skits and parodies to poignant dance pieces. This year, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish was awarded Best Onstage Presentation, for its performance of “The Radio City Chanukah Spectacular.” Second place for onstage performance went to the company of The Great Society, for the weaving of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” with quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and others.
Additional highlights included the cast of Chicago asking “What Would Fosse Do?” if he had choreographed The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, and Hamilton; an homage to the late The Phantom of the Opera director Hal Prince; and the cast of Frozen singing “Into the Unknown” from the recent Disney sequel film; among others.
BC/EFA has become one of the nation’s leading industry-based AIDS fundraising organizations, drawing upon the theatre industry and community to raise over $300 million since 1988. Funds go to men, women, and children around the country for treatments and medication, health care, counseling, emergency financial assistance, and more.
See below for the list of top fundraisers:
Top Overall Fundraiser: Hamilton – And Peggy Tour ($434,841)
Broadway Musical
Top Fundraiser: Moulin Rouge! The Musical ($315,746)
First Runner-Up: Hadestown with ($238,230)
Second Runner-Up: Hamilton ($215,088)
Third Runner-Up: Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations ($185,780)
Broadway Play
Top Fundraiser: Betrayal ($107,827)
First Runner-Up: The Great Society ($67,103)
Off-Broadway (Play or Musical)
Top Fundraiser: Little Shop of Horrors ($74,694)
First Runner-Up: Fiddler on the Roof – in Yiddish ($68,295)
National Tours
Top Fundraiser: Hamilton – Angelica Tour ($339,466)
First Runner-Up: Dear Evan Hansen ($272,609)
Second Runner-Up: Come From Away ($253,071)
Third Runner-Up: Wicked – Munchkinland Tour ($219,780)
Inside the New York Stage and Film Winter Gala With Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and More
New York Stage and Film celebrated its winter gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom December 8, with Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and more honoring of the non-profit.
The event recognized philanthropist and producer Diana DiMenna and Tony Award-winning actor and producer Tom Hulce, who produced the 2006 production of Spring Awakening that launched Michele and Groff (currently Off-Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors) into stardom.
The annual gala served as a fundraiser for NYSF’s coming season and featured an auction and dinner. The event, directed by Sammi Cannold, also featured remarks by Annette Bening, Josh Groban, Michael Mayer, and Heidi Schreck.
The 2019 gala co-chairs included actors Bening and Billy Porter, as well as producers Dasha Epstein, Barbara Manocherian, Ira Pittleman, and Denise and Dean Vanech.
Inside the New York Stage and Film Winter Gala with Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and More
Photo Blast From the Past: Shirley Bassey on Broadway in 1979
Today, we’re flashing back to opening night of Shirley Bassey on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre on September 10, 1979.
Sally Field, Linda Ronstadt, More Celebrated at 42nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors December 8
Two-time Grammy winner and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors recipient LL Cool J hosts the 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors December 8 at the Kennedy Center Opera House.
Actor Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt, R&B collective Earth, Wind & Fire, children’s series Sesame Street, and conductor and musical visionary Michael Tilson Thomas are the 2019 honorees. These artists will be saluted by performers from New York, Hollywood, and the arts capitals of the world.
The evening will be filmed and subsequently broadcast on CBS December 15 at 8 PM ET.
“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates icons who, through their artistry, have left an indelible stamp on our collective cultural consciousness,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in an earlier statement. “Earth, Wind & Fire’s hooks and grooves are the foundation of a seminal style that continues to shape our musical landscape; Sally Field has brought us unforgettable characters, both joyous and poignant, for more than five decades; Linda Ronstadt is the defining voice of a generation, spanning genres, languages and continents; Sesame Street continues to revolutionize how children and adults learn about our world; and Michael Tilson Thomas goes far beyond keeping score – he has shaped American music and musical institutions for the 21st century.”
READ: Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas Talks Mahler, Stravinsky, and the Future of Contemporary Music
The celebration marks the first time a television program is recognized. The co-founders of Sesame Street, Joan Ganz Cooney and Dr. Lloyd Morrisett, will accept the Kennedy Center Honors on behalf of themselves, Muppets creator Jim Henson, Muppets artists Caroll Spinney and Frank Oz, and the thousands of creatives who have built the program’s 50-year legacy.
Earth, Wind & Fire members Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson will be present to accept the Kennedy Center Honors on the band’s behalf.
Oscar winner Field made her Broadway debut in 2002 in Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? and also starred in the 2017 revival of Tennessee Williams‘ The Glass Menagerie, earning a Tony nomination for her work in the latter. Grammy winner Ronstadt made her Broadway debut in 1981 in The Pirates of Penzance; she was also seen in Canciones de mi Padre in 1988.
The Honors recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts and are confirmed by the executive committee of the Center’s board of trustees. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment executive produce the special for the fifth consecutive year. Weiss returns as director.
Look Back at the 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees Sally Field and Linda Ronstadt on Broadway
(Updated December 8, 2019)
Photo Flash: Caroline Bowman, Caroline Innerbichler, and More Celebrate Opening Night of FROZEN on Tour!
The Frozen North American tour officially opened last night, Friday, December 6, in a nine-week engagement at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in LA.