Lovely soprano Shana Farr and her family – husband Jeffrey and very grown up son Austin – are now sequestered in the country at a friend’s house in Ct.  Back to nature, Shana offers up this Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner song “On A Clear Day You Can See...

  FIRST IN THE BRIEFING: The Outer Critics Circle has announced its plans for honoring the 2019-2020 season of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. In lieu of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards will celebrate...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 10: “Sometimes You Have to Goose up the Production so It’s More Wonderful.”   As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the tenth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John...

  by Alix Cohen   Rock, Blues, Country and…     The Doors- The Doors 1991 Directed by Oliver Stone. With Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison and Meg Ryan as his “companion.” A sensationalized, psychedelic look at the group, its infamous leader and his obsession with death,...

    Vivian Reed is one of the great iconic jazz artists who is offering up this song from her Vivian Reed Sings Lena Horne show, which she created. She also has a new show called Little Bit of Soul, Little Bit of Pop – which she says is “more for mature audiences” –...

  A Song for Now: Sean Patrick Murtagh, winner of the 2020 MAC Award for “NY Debut—Male,” sings “A Day at a Time.”  Music by Steven Silverstein, lyric by Michael Colby. With special thanks to: Erin Soler; James Ludwig and Kristen Beth Williams; Lisa and Jerry...

  By Ron Fassler   There were tributes ready and raring to go in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday last month. For starters, the gender-bending revival of his 1970 landmark musical Company was scheduled to open on March 22nd at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre on Broadway,...

Getting to Know Clint Edwards: Composer/Pianist/Musical Director       The best way to get to know this talented man was to do a short Q & A and have the pleasure of listening and watching his video featurette of the musical Carousel, including history and photos, and...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 9: “Oh, Gee, I Just Thought It Would Be Pretty”     As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the ninth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which is...

Moving Women Center Stage in Bryony Lavery’s Adaptation of Treasure Island   by Hazen Cuyler   In the beginning, Jim’s grandmother effortlessly lifts a treasure chest onto her shoulder. And the audience laughs. Although we imagine the riches within, we know it must be an empty...

Crooner Todd Murray has a deep baritone, sexy voice that is easy on the ears. He’s a great jazz interpreter who loves to sing the Great American songbook standards, along with some of his own originals. Here’s his advice from his home in L.A. during our stay at home time. You can...

  VARIETY: “Hugh Jackman Talks ‘Bad Education,’ Quarantine and ‘The Music Man’ Revival” by Variety’s Marc Malkin – ““I speak with [producer] Scott Rudin every other day and we’re due to start rehearsals on June 29 and that hasn’t changed,” Hugh...

    By Brian Scott Lipton   There are some songwriters most of us can name pretty easily – Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Jimmy Webb, Marvin Hamlisch – but most of the men and women behind both popular and Broadway music are truly the “unsung heroes” of our lives. Take Holly...

  There can never be enough of Mark Nadler. Here’s a song that brought up lots of memories for Mr. Nadler from his teenage days playing piano at the Long Straw Saloon, with real saloon girls, back in his home town in Iowa. www.MarkNadler.com  ...

  by Carole Di Tosti   During this time of sheltering in and staying safe from the Covid 19 pandemic, I checked in with Tony nominee, actor, director, playwright and instructor Austin Pendleton. Austin Pendleton most recently portrayed Mr. Oldfield in Steppenwolf’s production of The...

    If you were a Happy Days fan (as I was) you’ll remember seeing Don as Ralph Malph, the jokester, through its final season. More recently, Don has a CD out “D Most Mostly Swinging” which is on ITunes and Amazon, and a new CD that will be out in a few months. He’s currently in the...

    The fearless illustrator-artist Joan Chiverton, hearing that Brian Stokes Mitchell appears on his balcony on the Westside of Manhattan nightly to sing for the healthcare workers after all the clapping and honking ends, made her way uptown to record the moment. What a treat to...

Ariana Grande and Broadway star Shoshana Bean (Hairspray) will join composer Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, 13) for a special virtual concert to benefit the staff and musicians from famed Manhattan venue SubCulture. The intimate theater is currently shut down due to the coronavirus...

Brooklyn-based Target Margin Theater is distributing 100 face masks created by designers Dina El-Aziz, Ásta Bennie Hostetter, and Normandy Sherwood as part of a new “performative action” titled We Will Care for You. The initiative, launched in partnership with The Academy of...

“When I’m stuck with a day, that’s grey and lonely, I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say…. The sun’ll come out tomorrow, so ya gotta hang on till tomorrow, come what may… Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya, tomorrow, it’s only a day, away…..”   Charles Strouse recorded this message to...

  By Tania Fisher   Music, theater and creativity never take a break, even when the rest of the world tells us we have to stop. Thanks to modern technology, we’ve been able to stream Broadway musicals and theater productions and anything else that takes our fancy. It’s also made...

TDF (aka Theatre Development Fund), the not-for-profit organization that has been serving audiences and productions since 1968, has just launched the TDF Lifeline Campaign: Protect Today, Rebuild Tomorrow to raise $500,000 by June 30. This fundraising initiative will help TDF sustain critical...

    Spider Saloff is a Chicago-based jazz vocalist who performs worldwide. Critics have praised her as having a “wicked way with a lyric. . .” (NY Times); “being slyly sophisticated, easily accessible. . .” (Chicago Tribune) and “dynamic, a powerhouse...

  TOMMY TUNE AWARDS: “Theatre Under The Stars Will Present the Tommy Tune Awards as an Online Show” by BroadwayWorld – “The annual celebration of high school musical theatre in the Greater Houston area, the Tommy Tune Awards, is going online. In response to Harris...

  Drama Desk partnered with Stars in the House Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley who announced the 65th Drama Desk Award Nominees today on live stream. The 2020 Drama Desk Nominees Are: Outstanding Play Cambodian Rock Band, by Lauren Yee, Signature Theatre Greater Clements, by Samuel D....

  The Actors Temple was to hold their 103rd Annual Benefit Gala on Monday April 27 until the world tumbled and crumbled before us to the tune of coronavirus. Not the tune planned for the always delightful benefit evenings that have preceded COVID-19. Now, of all times, is the time to...

“TAKE ME TO THE WORLD: A SONDHEIM 90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION”   AIRS LIVE SUNDAY, APRIL 26 AT 8:00 PM ET  BROADWAY.COM AND YOUTUBE – IN SUPPORT OF ASTEP (ARTISTS STRIVING TO END POVERTY)   Jaw-dropping all-star company will perform in a special virtual concert in celebration of...

  Broadway On Demand, the all new membership-based streaming service that offers an extensive and wide-ranging library of video on demand content, exclusive livestream events, interactive platforms, and educational resources, is set to officially launch in mid-May with a star-studded...

    I do believe it is times like this that . . . anyone could use a dog! A friendly fuzzy face staring up at you with a woof, woof, arf, arf  – time to go out! Mark and Mom can tell you all about...

  by Marcina Zaccaria   With the theaters closed for over a month, Artistic Teams have created home viewing.  TheaterPizzazz.com’s Marcina Zaccaria posed four questions to Artistic Directors, Managing Directors, and Producers about how they built a digital landscape. Here are...

  The 65th Annual Drama Desk Award Nominations will be streamed live through ‘Stars in the House’ at 2 pm today EST, April 21 and will be announced by ‘Stars in the House’ hosts Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, hosts of their daily talk show. Tune in at...

RALPH FIENNES, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, LEA DELARIA AND MORE TO JOIN IRONDALE FOR 456 MINUTE VIRTUAL SONNET MARATHON THIS WEEK IN CELEBRATION OF SHAKESPEARE’S 456th BIRTHDAY     Artists from all disciplines will participate in this free epic live event held on ZOOM, on April 23 from noon...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 8: “From Realist Extraordinaire to Mr. No-Scenery”   As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the eighth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which is being...

Jazz, Rock and Blues Musicians Part II with more to come.   by Alix Cohen   Based on a composite of Lester Young (sax) and Bud Powell (piano.) Round Midnight 1986 Written and Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. Drawn from Dance of the Infidels written by Francis Paudras, who befriended...

    You know Nicholas King as one of today’s top jazz performers seen regularly at Birdland with Mike Renzi at his side on piano. Nicolas and Mike are happy to perform for fans during Covid 19 to help lift spirits . . . and they do! Nicolas has been performing since he was 4...

  By Sandi Durell   There’s a new kind of concert about to begin . . . one that helps out of work performers in the theatrical and cabaret communities get paid during this unique time in our history. . . the first one taking place on Thursday, April 23 at 8 pm on YouTube. Scott...

    by Carol Rocamora   The first thing you noticed about Brian Dennehy was his bear-like frame and shaggy, grey head – you couldn’t miss him anywhere. I recognized him instantly, standing at the cash register of Ernest Klein’s supermarket on 6th Avenue and 55th on a wintry...

  Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce “The VT Show,” a weekly online series featuring Vineyard artists sharing conversation, insight and material from celebrated Vineyard productions as well as work in development for future seasons, Tuesdays at...

  The Early Night Show with Joshua Turchin- Virtual Edition (Corona Cabaret) continues with the release of a new episode featuring special guests: Makayla Connolly (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, White Christmas) and Luke Naphat (Trevor the Musical). You can watch the video here:...

  The concept album of Within Earshot: Anthems for the In-Between (previously titled Arrowhead), a new musical with music and lyrics by Jackson Teeley and a book by Sarah Galante, will be available for streaming on all streaming platforms, beginning Monday, April 20, 2020. Preorder is...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 7: “Realist Extraordinaire”   As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the seventh installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which is being serialized in Theater...

  With theaters around the world dark and the transition of live entertainment to online platforms, Temple Emanuel Streicker Center will commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) with the PBS/WNET film of Jeff Cohen’s acclaimed drama The Soap Myth. The staged “concert reading,”...

  Walter Willison wrote this note accompanying the video that he sent that has never been published: “Thank you for asking me to be part of your kind and worthy effort for Theater Pizzazz to bring special performances to the fans during this most challenging time in our lives....

      Songwriters Hillary Rollins and Michele Brourman have just released a new song and video, WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME, to raise money for DirectRelief. (www.directrelief.org) Performed by gifted recording artist Maude Maggart, with a video created by folk legend Christine...

  The Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation has announced the final guests for the first season of their popular “Live at the Lortel” podcast. In accordance with social distancing guidelines, the podcast was recorded online rather than in-person with an audience at the Lortel Theatre....

    The New York Drama Critics’ Circle has named Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning best play of the 2019-20 season, while the award for best musical went to Michael R. Jackson’s A Strange Loop. Both shows were presented at Playwrights Horizons. The awards will be...

John Meyer is a composer-pianist and says: “I’ve always believed the best way to keep your sanity in the face of tragedy is to laugh. Seems to place it in perspective. Accordingly, I offer this parody of a popular Streisand tune”. You may know him as the author of “Hearbreaker: A...

Snippets From My Book “I’ve Slept With Everybody“ – A Memoir on Amazon.com   by Sondra Lee   I am in awe of people who save articles, reviews and photos from important periods of their lives. Most were given to me by friends. Over the years I tossed them carelessly into a...

  If you haven’t seen any of this series, it’s time for you to take a look at The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues – a fifth series of memorable performances released last night on IGTV @24hourplays and at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/. 24 actors were paired...

  TICKETING: “Why you can’t get a refund for a postponed show from Ticketmaster” by CNBC’s Sarah Whitten – “There’s a reason you can’t get a refund from Ticketmaster for a postponed concert — the online ticket seller doesn’t have your money. The venue does....

  The above Video Slideshow – Eric Michael Gillett singing Larry Kerchner’s song   The above Video by Magda Katz at the National Arts Club in 2010   by Sandi Durell As I search through the years, I find I’ve met and had friendships with some of the most...

  American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Ken Ascher is active in jazz, rock, classical, and musical theater genres — in live venues, recording studios, and cinema production. With Paul Williams, he wrote the song “Rainbow Connection” for The Muppet Movie which he...

  Nominations for the 35th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were announced today April 14, by theatre veterans Jeremy Jordan and Ashley Spencer. The Awards will be presented during a special online event on Sunday, May 3, broadcast on the official...

PART I     by Alix Cohen   Edith Piaf – La Vie en Rose 2007 Co-written and Directed by Olivier Dahan. Starring Marion Cotillard. Despite liberties, the film will give you a fairly good sense of “The Little Sparrow” from street urchin childhood, to booed music hall...

    From Mark William: I originally put these two iconic songs together for a concert entitled “Songs of Hope”, so I thought they would be a perfect choice to boost our morale. I love the reminder that paradise is all around us, just waiting to be discovered, and that we can achieve...

  Broadway.com will livestream a benefit performance of Jonathan Tolins’ hilarious play Buyer & Cellar, starring Michael Urie, who is set to reprise his acclaimed turn live from the living room of his apartment. The event, benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’...

UPDATE: RAY HAIR – PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFM REVERSES DECISION AND MUSICIANS’ UNION IS NOW IN SOLIDARITY WITH ACTORS EQUITY AND SAG-AFTRA. THE STREAM WILL NOW BE RESCHEDULED!       “Labor Dispute Sinks Broadway Benefit for Pandemic Assistance” by...

  The winners of the 2020 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards will be announced Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 10am. The selections, which mark the start of this year’s theater awards season, will be made at the organization’s 85th annual voting meeting. The awards include a cash...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 6: “I Don’t Like to Be Noodged”     As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the sixth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which is being serialized...

  By Brian Scott Lipton   While Janet Dacal may not be a household name, theatergoers around the country certainly know her name – from starring in such Broadway shows as In The Heights, Wonderland and Prince of Broadway to the recently aborted national tour of The Band’s Visit....

    Julie Budd’s been in the business of show since the age of 12, when she won a talent contest while vacationing in the Catskills with her family, and has had an amazing career as a song stylist since then. She speaks from her heart here, offering words of gratitude,...

Ali Stroker (April 13),  Lilli Cooper, Teal Wicks, Ciara Renee, Eric William Michael, Danny Gardner join this week’s lineup for Seniorly Presents: Curtain Up! a live show entertaining isolated seniors , created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.    Seniorly Presents: Curtain Up! airs...

      by Hazen Cuyler   We’re isolated. Locked inside wrapping our heads around this strange new world. Live theatre hovers in limbo and its immediate course remains difficult to predict. To help us heal, The National Theatre has provided audiences around the world free...

  Photos/Video: Magda Katz Mario Buatta, nicknamed the “Prince of Chintz,” was a household name for those who followed interior design – and even if you didn’t, somehow his name always seemed familiar. This article brings Marvelous Marilyn Maye into focus especially today on her 92nd...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 5: “You Have to Have a Little Charm to Do This Work”     As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the fifth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which...

   “How Can Broadway Recover From This Pandemic?” by Vulture’s Mark Harris – “It’s an unequal love affair: We want theater, but theater needs us. And in this pandemic, it is simply gone. It’s a vastly expensive creative, financial, and marketing ecosystem at...

  This is a story of how out of work Broadway Costume Designers are making a difference lending their skills to help during Covid-19. Meet Beverly Law, Karyn Tomczak,  Annick Vuissoz, as well as other crafty New Yorkers Veena Mosur and Ashley Cannon who responded to the call for help....

Magda Katz unearthed some added treasures – this video and photo of a Tribute to Alec Wilder at 54 Below on April 8, 2017.   Many of your favorites performed that night hosted by Klea Blackhurst, directed by Walter Willison including Barbara Fasano, Adam B. Shapiro, Karen Ziemba,...

  Easter in the time of coronavirus will not be the same without family and friends attending Church services together or gathering for Easter Sunday Brunch or Dinner. Even the Easter Bunny might have to wear a face mask these days. So it’s up to the internet and technology and...

  By Beatrice Williams-Rude   When playwright and director George S. Kaufman was asked to define satire he opined “what closes on Saturday night.” Frequently true, especially where there is an anti-intellectual bias. Although seen as an amusement of educated and upper classes,  some of...

      Tovah Feldshuh sends this video to her fans and friends during COVID-19. Tovah is Leona!, directed by Jeff Harnar and musical direction by James Bassi, performed at 54 Below. The song is “My New York!” and it is from the (hopefully) Broadway-bound...

  by Carole DiTosti   Every now and then the stars align and I am in the right place at the right time and all is well with the planet, as my inner stars shine brilliantly to guide me into a serendipitous memorable moment. Such was an experience I had chatting with Ian McKellen...

  This week’s schedule of performances will feature AJOYO’s sophomore album EP release party at Joe’s Pub on Thursday, April 9 at 8PM; immigrant storytelling series This Alien Nation on Friday, April 10 at 8PM;  and Ghanaian-American singer, songwriter, and producer Jeremiah...

  By Brian Scott Lipton   For most of us, it’s been nearly a month — or more — since we last saw a live musical on Broadway, and there’s no telling when the Great White Way will be ready to turn its lights back on. To satisfy our cravings, many of us have turned to...

  Bernie Furshpan, the Booking Director at the Triad Theater, has come up with a great idea! Since it’s music that gets people through hard times, it’s now, more than ever, that we make the best of a bad situation and deal with the coronavirus by hitting the ground running....

In accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and under the continued direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Broadway shows in New York City will extend the current suspension of all performances through June 7, 2020. “Our top priority continues to be the health and...

  Stephen Cole is an award winning musical theatre writer with 14 produced musicals including After the Fair, The Road to Qatar, Merman’s Apprentice, The Night of the Hunter and Inventing Mary Martin. He is also a performer and director with five published books including Marni...

  The Drama Desk organization announced today that the 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which celebrate outstanding theater on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, will adopt a revised season end date of March 11, and move forward with the release of nominations on April 21, and...

This John Wallowitch song -“Cosmetic Surgery” – a cautionary tale explained by Mr. Showbiz himself Mark Nadler, was dedicated as one of Mark’s daily song offerings, to those on the front lines – the heroes in our hospitals and health care system.    ...

Part Two in a Two-Part Series   By Cooper Lawrence   Joe Iconis is sitting at a piano on stage at 54 Below describing a scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He tells us that Steve Carell’s character, Andy, is riding through town pissing everyone off. He’s setting us up to hear his...

  This year Jews will celebrate the Passover gathered around computers, laptops and other devices reading an e-version of the Haggadah finding ways to connect with family and friends via FaceTime or Zoom as they tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt eating symbolic Seder foods. The...

  The Paley Center for Media announced a new schedule of weekly offerings for its Paley@Home on YouTube channel, a curated collection of programming of acclaimed Paley Center events. These new programs screen for free on the Paley Center’s YouTube channel, and each week will feature a...

Magda Katz Reaches into her Treasure Trove of Photos and Video to Remember Mickey Rooney. Sandi Durell Looks Back at her Interview with Jan and Mickey Printed Below – The Bickersons!     Thinking back to the most memorable times of my career (and I know for Magda as well),...

  The American Theatre Wing has announced that the 65th Annual Obie Awards, originally scheduled to be held at Terminal 5 on Monday, May 18, will be postponed and reconceived as a virtual event, with awards being handed out for shows that opened between May 1, 2019 and March 12, 2020....

  Young  up and comer Mark William is singing for fans during Covid-19. He’s found this Jerry Herman treasure “I’ll Be Here Tomorrow” (The Grand Tour) and offers it to all. His email to me says: “The note at the top of this song says “With insistent...

 Just in Time For Marilyn Maye’s Upcoming Birthday   By Larry Kerchner   Marilyn Maye.  The mention of her name makes me smile.  The smile is usually followed by a slow head shake — one of those “shakes of disbelief,” as if to say, “Wow. How can anyone be that good...

  Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is taking its April 10th opening night online with a free “virtual opening night” co-hosted by two-time Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Winner Beth Leavel, and SiriusXM host Julie James. The production,...

  By Brian Scott Lipton   Taylor Dayne has long been one of pop music’s most distinctive voices –- which may be why she has sold over 70 million albums and singles worldwide, including her mega-hits “Love Will Lead You Back” and “Tell It to My Heart.” She’s also a devoted single...

JOHN LEE BEATTY, PORTRAIT OF THE DESIGNER AS A YOUNG MAN: A LOST INTERVIEW Part 4: “Nails Rammed Into My Fingernails”     As told to Samuel L. Leiter   This is the fourth installment in my previously unpublished 1980 interview with designer John Lee Beatty, which is being...

  Broadway’s Christine Andreas is back with her songwriter husband Marty Silvestri who just wrote “Cover Me” with his writing partner Joel Higgins. Christine and Marty are happy to offer this song to their fans and friends. www.ChristineAndreas.com  ...

  SHUTDOWN: “When Will Broadway Theatre Reopen, Based on COVID-19 Infection Data?” by NYTix’s Karen Carter – “Based on all the available infection data, information on the virus, mortality charts and insider political chatter about the Governors appetite to...

All of 25, Veronica Swift has quickly moved up the ladder of success as a sought after international jazz artist. After all, she was probably singing before she was walking having jazz vocalist Stephanie Nakasian as her Mom and great bebop pianist Hod O’Brien as her dad. By age nine she...

FROM THE STREETS TO MOMA     If you visit this page of Arts and Culture, you’ll find an amazing array of art right on the streets, walls and buildings of New York City, Brooklyn, Bronx, and in New Jersey. From Keith Haring to Kobra and Bansky. And since you’re not...