Contestant Bridget Sindelar shares more about her charity, a fond memory from a past production, and a theater educator that had an impact on her
Education non-profit Inside Broadway is giving back to NYC-area public high school students and teachers with a live concert featuring performers from Moulin Rouge!, Diana, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked, The Lion King, and Chicago. The 70-minute concert will be held at Marseille restaurant May 26 at 11:30 AM for an audience of 25 vaccinated educators. A live stream of the event will be available to view for students and teachers across all five boroughs for 30 days.
The event will be hosted by N’Kenge (Broadway’s upcoming Caroline, or Change) and will feature performances from Tony nominee Sahr Ngaujah (Moulin Rouge!), Holly Ann Butler (Diana), Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen), Jennifer DiNoia (Wicked), Nteliseng Nkhela (The Lion King), Haley Swindal (Chicago), and Jeremy Stolle (The Phantom of the Opera).
The concert, titled Broadway’s Back, follows two challenging school years touched by a pandemic and distanced learning. Inside Broadway hopes this “virtual field trip” will provide entertainment for students and teachers both in schools and remotely.
Inside Broadway was created by Michael Presser in 1982 in collaboration with The Shubert Organization. The non-profit today reaches more than 70,000 students in more than 100 public schools in New York City each year. Programs include an annual musical production that tours schools, plus many educational programs that offer students a chance to interact with industry professionals.
The Broadway production of Girl From the North Country will resume performances October 13 at the Belasco Theatre. The Bob Dylan jukebox musical opened March 5, 2020, before the theatre industry shuttered for 13-months-and-counting.
The announcement was made the morning of May 24—Dylan’s 80th birthday.
Returning to the production will be original cast members Todd Almond, Jeannette Bayardelle, Jennifer Blood, Law Terrell Dunford, Matthew Frederick Harris, Caitlin Houlahan, Robert Joy, Marc Kudisch, Luba Mason, Ben Mayne, Matt McGrath, Tom Nelis, Jay O. Sanders, John Schiappa, Austin Scott, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Rachel Stern, Chiara Trentalange, Bob Walton, Chelsea Lee Williams, and Mare Winningham. Colin Bates will join the company, replacing Colton Ryan as Gene Laine.
Tickets are now on sale, with seats to any show before January 17, 2022, available to be refunded or exchanged into any other date until two hours before the performance. All reopening plans will be done in compliance with state and local government COVID-19 protocols and are subject to the approval of the NY State Department of Health and the Governor.
“At the heart of Girl From The North Country is the Depression-era story about a community coming together to find hope while facing hardships during difficult and uncertain times,” said producers in a statement. “After the turbulent past year of experiencing great pain, suffering, and loss, the global pandemic has tested our resolve and resilience in countless ways, revealing in the process the deep divides and inequities in our society, and strengthening our commitment to change and moving forward.”
Featuring a book by director Conor McPherson and music from Dylan’s catalog, the musical offers a slice-of-life look at a small community in Duluth, Minnesota, where the Laine family operates a rundown guesthouse.
READ: Do You Need to Know Bob Dylan Music to Love Girl From the North Country?
Girl From The North Country features scenic and costume design by Rae Smith; orchestrations, arrangements, and music supervision by Simon Hale, with additional arrangements by Hale and McPherson; lighting design by Mark Henderson; sound design by Simon Baker; movement direction by Lucy Hind; and music direction by Marco Paguia.
The Broadway staging is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Steven Lappin, Sony Music Entertainment/Sony ATV, David Mirvish, Len Blavatnik, The Dodgers, Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Dianne Roberts, John Gore Organization, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Tommy Mottola, Independent Presenters Network, Rod Kaats, Diana DiMenna, Mary Beth O’Connor, Barbara H. Freitag, Patrick Catullo, The Old Vic, and The Public Theater, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.
Additionally, the cast recently reunited for the first time in over a year to film a video on Broadway, directed by Kimber Elayne Sprawl. Check out “Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” below.
Today’s top stories Chuck and Lilli Cooper perform with Seth Rudetsky, Bernadette Peters talks Broadway Barks and more on Live With Kelly and Ryan, and more
Due to the pandemic, the 23rd annual Broadway Barks, the dog and cat adoption event co-founded by Bernadette Peters and the late Mary Tyler Moore, is held virtually on YouTube May 23 at 7 PM ET.
Three-time Tony recipient Peters hosts Broadway Barks 23 Across America, featuring adoptable pets from shelters presented by animal loving celebrities from across the country.
Celebrity presenters are scheduled to include Sebastian Arcelus, Annaleigh Ashford, Bill Berloni, Stephanie J. Block, Carol Burnett, Lily Collins, Harry Connick Jr., Sheryl Crow, Jason Danieley, Ted Danson, Daveed Diggs, Gloria Estefan, Calista Flockhart, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathryn Grody, Emmylou Harris, Megan Hilty, James Monroe Iglehart, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Jackson, Nathan Lane, Bob Mackie, Audra McDonald, Charlie McDowell, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bebe Neuwirth, Mandy Patinkin, David Hyde Pierce, Randy Rainbow, Kelly Ripa, Chita Rivera, Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo, Mary Steenburgen, Alec Baldwin, Christine Baranski, Victoria Clark, Glenn Close, Ariana DeBose, Harvey Fierstein, Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, and Allison Janney.
The annual fundraiser shines a light on animals from the following shelters and rescue groups: 1 Love 4 Animals, Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniels Rescue, Adopt-A-Boxer, Adopt-A-Dog, Animal Care Centers Of NYC, Animal Haven, Anjellicle Cats, ARF (Animal Rescue Fund Of The Hamptons), ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society Of Los Angeles, Best Friends NYC, Bide-A-Wee, Bobbi And The Strays, Bonapartes Retreat Dog Rescue, City Critters, Dawgs N Texas, Francis’ Friends, Humane Society Of New York, Husky House, Little Shelter Animal Rescue And Adoption Center, Long Island Bulldog, Love Leo Rescue, Manhattan Valley Cat Rescue, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Great Danes, Pet-I-Care, Pet-Res-Q, Save Kitty, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, SPCA Of Westchester, and Urban Cat League.
The stream is produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Paul Wontorek.
Funds raised go to the participating shelters. For more information, visit BroadwayBarks.com.
(Updated May 23, 2021)
Today, we’re getting to know Broadway favorite Aaron Lazar, with whom you can book a shoutout today
The Theatre Channel is back with a sixth episode, available now on demand on Stream.Theatre. Episode six, entitled “Showstoppers,” features performances from Kerry Ellis (Wicked, We Will Rock You), Danny Mac (Sunset Boulevard), and Layton Williams (Rent). The series will be available to stream in a new partnership with Stream.Theatre from April 30, with tickets available now here.
Further talent involved includes sister duo Amber Davies (9 to 5 ) and Jade Davies (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera) as Side Show’s Daisy and Violet, alongside Katie Deacon (Mary Poppins, An American In Paris) showcasing original A Chorus Line choreography by Michael Bennett. The track for this rendition of “Music and the Mirror” has been provided by Antonio Banderas’ Malaga-based Theatre company Teatro del Soho, following their acclaimed Spanish-language revival.
Academy Award and Tony nominee Antonio Banderas also shares his knowledge of the production in an exclusive interview for The Theatre Channel, featured in the episode. The cast will be joined by the revamped resident ensemble, The NewCafé Five, composed of Anthony Starr (Guys & Dolls), Danny Becker (The Prince Of Egypt), Kayleigh Thadani (Aladdin), M-Jae Cleopatra Isaac (Billy Elliot) and Vicki Lee Taylor (A Chorus Line). The Theatre Café manager and performer, Jack Malin, will also be joining the troupe for their number. Thom Southerland directs with choreographey by Ashley Nottingham and lighting design by Aaron Dootson.
Combining the thrill of stage and screen for an episodic musical revue of beloved classics, The Theatre Channel is designed to be an up close and intimate experience from the comfort of your home. The upcoming episode will also feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content, as the original producers of A Chorus Line take a trip down memory lane in memory of Tony Award-winning choreographer Bob Avian.
The previous five episodes of The Theatre Channel will be available to purchase at Stream.Theatre to watch at your leisure. The next installment is set to celebrate the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein, with casting to be announced soon.
The cast of ‘In The Heights’ features Anthony Ramos, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Dascha Polanco, Stephanie Beatriz, Gregory Diaz IV, Olga Meridez, and Jimmy Smits.