July says goodbye this WEEK AHEAD, as does Harry Connick, Jr. and Al Pacino…Dreaming with Anthony Rapp…Taking it to the streets with Asphalt Orchestra…And the freestyle stylings of Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Stay cool, Blake
Friday, July 30
OPENING (Regional)→ A new musical featuring the songs of four-time Academy Award winners Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, gets its world premiere at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. Robin and the 7 Hoods—A New Musical is inspired by the classic Rat Pack film of the same name and stars Will Chase (Billy Elliot), Eric Schneider (Jersey Boys), Amy Spanger (Rock of Ages) and Kelly Sullivan (Young Frankenstein). The musical is said to be coming to Broadway during the 2010-2011 season. (Through August 22, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, info/tickets)
. Saturday July 31 BEFORE IT CLOSES→ Harry Connick, Jr.’s brief Broadway engagement comes to an end. Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert On Broadway features the Tony nominee singing standards like “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Smile.” (Neil Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd Street, btwn. Broadway and 8th Ave., Click Here for Playbill Club Discount Tickets)
. Sunday August 1
BEFORE IT CLOSES→ Shakespeare in the Park’s Merchant of Venice will take to the stage at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater one last evening before going into hibernation. The critically acclaimed show, starring Tony and Oscar winner Al Pacino, will play a limited engagement this fall at the Broadhurst Theatre. The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare in the Park’s second repertory production this season, will close a day before on July 31. (Delacorte Theater, Mid-Park at 80th Street at the Southwest corner of the Great Lawn, info on how to get free tickets)
. Monday August 2
GO→ Anthony Rapp, John Tartaglia and Liz Callaway make up a tapestry of Broadway stars performing at the benefit concert Free to Dream. The show promises an eclectic mix of pop, rock, country and blues songs penned by Doug Katsaros and William Schermerhorn, the songwriting duo behind the music of the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. Proceeds benefit The New York Pops’ music education programs. (7pm and 9:30pm, Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., $45-$125, info/tickets)
. GO (FREE)→ Emmy-winning comedienne Kathy Griffin makes an appearance in New York to sign copies of her memoir Official Book Club Selection. The no-holds-barred firecracker is sure to be a crowd pleaser—if you’re the kind of crowd that enjoys celebrity dish, dirty words, and shameless self-promotion—guilty! (7pm, Borders Columbus Circle, in the Time Warner Center, call 212.823.9775 for more information)
“Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin” is a new album (to be released Aug. 17) that showcases the Beach Boys front man singing the tunes of George and Ira Gershwin.
The 14-track CD features classic Gershwin tunes like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and “I Got Rhythm” infused with the classic, pop stylings of Wilson that helped make the Beach Boys one of the biggest bands of their time.
After getting a sample of some these songs (which you can hear for yourself at Amazon.com), I got to thinking of other artists who have put their own personal mark on Broadway classics.
The mop-topped Beatles took on Meredith Willson’s “Till There Was You” from The Music Man during this performance in the 1960s.
Liza Minnelli joined forces with the English group the Pet Shop Boys in 1989 for this synthpop (and somewhat bizarre) interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind.”
Punk group Me First and the Gimme Gimmes made a career from covering songs of artists such as Garth Brooks, Madonna, The Eagles and R. Kelly. The group released an album in 1999 of show-tune covers from musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Annie, Cabaret and Evita.
The Jackson 5 lent their ‘70s disco/pop style to Pippin’s “Corner of the Sky.”
Theatre does a body (and mind) good this WEEK AHEAD.
Free outdoor offerings from Lincoln Center, Monty Python and Alvin Ailey…Madame makes you blush…a double dose of Carol Channing…and On A Clear Day gets a makeover courtesy of Michael Mayer.
Hello, Dolly!
Blake
Friday, July 23 GO (FREE)→ The great Carol Channing will make a public appearance in support of the release of her latest album entitled “For Heaven’s Sake,” a collection of the Tony winner’s favorite gospel songs including “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” (6pm, Barnes and Noble Lincoln Triangle at 66th Street and Broadway, info)
Saturday, July 24 GO (FREE)→ The company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will take over Central Park’s SummerStage with a free show featuring two classic Ailey works and a piece by Ronald K. Brown—with music by Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis—that pays tribute to Judith Jamison, current artistic director of the famed dance troupe. (Central Park Main Stage at Rumsey Playfield, enter at 69th St. and 5th Ave., July 23 and 24, 8pm, info)
Sunday, July 25 GO→The kids from American Idiot take a break from the stage at the St. James Theatre and head downtown for a concert to benefit Broadway Impact, a group that mobilizes the theatre community and others to support equal rights for the LGBT community. (9:30pm, Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., $25-$100, info/tickets)
Monday, July 26 GO→ Town Hall’s Summer Broadway Festival continues with All Singin’ All Dancin’, a show featuring some of Broadway’s up-and-coming choreographers and performers. This Broadway revue is said to be inspired by the work of legendary performers/choreographers like Fred and Adele Astaire, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and Bill Robinson. (8pm, Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., btwn 6th and 7th Aves., $40-$50, info/tickets)
GO (FREE)→ The movie that helped introduce the hilarious troupe Monty Python to the world (and later, Broadway), “Monty Python and The Holy Grail,” enjoys a free, outdoor screening as part of the HBO Bryant Park Film Festival. One, two, five! (Begins at sunset btwn. 8-9pm, Bryant Park, btwn. 40th and 42nd Sts. & 5th and 6th Aves., info)
Tuesday, July 27 GO→ Before there was Avenue Q’s Lucy the Slut, there was the original raunchy puppet, Madame. Madame, along with the late puppeteer Wayland Flowers, gained fame in the ’60s for their antics on TV shows like the “Andy Williams Show” and “Rowan & Martin.” Lady M returns to NYC to crack wise in her new show It’s Madame with an E, featuring Rick Skye at her side. (Through August 19, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, 540 Park Ave., at 61st St., $33-$50 with food/drink min., info/tickets) (more…)
The other day, my co-worker Ari and I had a very important conversation. It went a little something like this:
Ari: “Remember Lauren Bacall in those funny beef commercials in the ’80s?”
Blake: “What?! Lauren Bacall was never in a beef commercial.”
Ari: “Oh yes she was! It’s the one where she’s laying on a couch and purring to a waiter about a burger.”
Blake: “You’re nuts!”
Ari: “I’ll bet you $5.”
Like any modern-day argument, a simple Google search was all that was needed to declare a winner. And, one minute later, I was five bucks poorer.
This got me thinking about celebrity commercials. Almost every celebrity today has been featured in an advertisement of some sort. It seems like everyone from Liza Minnelli to Brad Pitt to Catherine Deneuve to Bob Dole has, at one point or another, tried to sell consumers candy bars or beer or perfume or even that “little blue pill.”
For today’s WEBway Wednesday, we look at some of Broadway’s best featured in commercials.
Before he won a Tony Award, Nathan Lane was desperately seeking some NyQuil so he could rest.
Nancy Walker was in over a dozen Broadway shows in her day, and was nominated for two Tony Awards. She was also the “Quicker Picker Upper” lady in these old Bounty paper towel commercials from the ’70s.
What Wheaties are to athletes, Wheat Thins are to Broadway actors. Tony nominee Sandy Duncan was the face of the popular snack for years. Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz was later seen (but not heard) in a commercial for the chip. (more…)
This WEEK AHEAD is dedicated to Shannon Tavarez! Shannon, former young Nala in Broadway’s The Lion King was diagnosed with AML leukemia last April. She now has to undergo regular chemotherapy treatments, which prevent her from performing. Shannon’s chances of beating this horrible disease will greatly increase with a bone marrow transplant.
The Lion King, Disney Theatrical Productions and DKMS are holding two special donor drives in the hopes of finding a match for Shannon and other patients like her.
Sunday, July 18, 10AM-4PM (St. Malachy’s – The Actors’ Chapel, Encore Senior Center, 239 West 49th Street)
Friday, July 23, 10AM-3PM (The Minskoff Theatre, home of Disney’s The Lion King, 200 West 45th Street).
You can also sign up for a DKMS registration kit online at GetSwabbed.org
Friday, July 16 GO→ The summer’s hottest dance party, the Fire Island Dance Festival returns to the isle of fire with a slew of performances from the hottest dancers in the world including, Marcelo Gomes (Principal, American Ballet Theatre), Travis Wall and members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Proceeds from the fest benefit BC/EFA and Dancers Responding to AIDS. (Through July 18, Click here for a full schedule of events)
GO (FREE)→ Talk about an enchanted (and romantic) evening! The annual Concert in the Park (the Brooklyn edition) features the New York Philharmonic and the sweet sounds of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. (8pm, Prospect Park, enter at Bartel-Pritchard Circle or 9th St., Brooklyn, info)
GO→ Fondly Do We Hope…Fervently Do We Pray features the stunning and emotional choreography of Tony winner Bill T. Jones, with original music by Jerome Begin, Christopher Antonio William Lancaster and George Lewis, Jr. This new dance piece explores some key moments in the life of Abraham Lincoln and the struggle for civil rights throughout American history. (Through July 17, $30-$75, Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th St., info/tickets)
Saturday, July 17
GO→ With Superman flying high above the Dallas Theater Center on the songs of Strouse, and Spider-Man slowly spinning his web toward Broadway, what better time to get out and learn all you can about the history of these and other caped crusaders? Take the “Superhero Tour of New York” and visit places like the Green Goblin’s mansion and the apartment of Leonore Lemmon (who is suspected of killing the original Superman, George Reeves). (Starts at Jim Hanley’s Universe, 4 W. 33rd. St., opposite the Empire State Building, advance bookings only, $25, info) Sunday, July 18
GO→ Alice Ripley will play her last Broadway performance in the show that gave her a Tony Award, Next to Normal. Tony nominee Marin Mazzie will take over starting Monday, July 19. Ripley will resume the role of Diana this fall for the national tour. (Booth Theatre, 222 West 45th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Ave., Click here for Playbill Club discount tickets)
GO→ Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham and Wicked’s Mandy Gonzalez will join host Neil Berg for songs from Berg’s songbook, including tunes from The Prince and the Pauper, The 12 and the upcoming Grumpy Old Men. Berg’s wife, Rita Harvey, will also perform, as will Rob Evan, Laurence Clayton, Sophia Ramos and William Michals. (8:30 PM, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, 540 Park Ave., at 61st St., $50-$71 with food/beverage minimum, info/tickets or call 212.339.4095)
Monday, July 19 BUY→ Addams Family matriarch, Morticia (aka Bebe Neuwirth) has designed a limited-edition, specialty trio of nail polishes based on her character’s love of the glamorously ghoulish. The box set will debut July 19 with only 5,000 pieces available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund. ($30, purchase/info)
Tuesday, July 20 GO→ Rufus Wainwright takes to the stage at Prospect Park along with dad, folk legend Loudon Wainwright III. The younger Wainwright is said to be including songs from his Judy Garland tribute show and subsequent Grammy-nominated album. (7pm, Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th St & Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY, Click here for $20 Playbill Club discount tickets)
GO (FREE)→ Rising opera star, soprano Susanna Phillips will perform as part of The Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Recital Series. (7pm, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, info/directions)
Wednesday, July 21 GO→ Theatrical designers partnered with scientists to create the arena spectacular Walking with Dinosaurs. More than 15 life-sized dinosaurs come alive to help tell the story of the reptiles’ 200 million-year domination on earth. It’s like “Jurassic Park” come to life! The show will continue on a national tour hitting Chicago, IL, Green Bay, WI, Duluth, MN, Anchorage, AK, Anaheim, CA, and Los Angeles, CA. (Through July 25, Madison Square Garden, $35-$99, info/tickets)
Thursday, July 22
GO (FREE)→ The third installment of the popular lunchtime event “Broadway in Bryant Park” will include performances by Chicago, Rock of Ages A Little Night Musicand Falling for Eve. (12:30pm-1:30pm, Bryant Park, btwn. 40th and 42nd Sts. & 5th and 6th Aves., info)
July 13 was the re-launch of the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch as the ladies Armfeldt. (Just in case you didn’t know, in which case I’ll assume you live in a cave.)
There has been tons of buzz about this celebrity re-casting. When Playbill.com first broke the news back in May, it was one of our most-read stories. Ever since then, this news has been the source of countless excited conversations, from the boards of All That Chat, to the line at TKTS, to the cubicles here at Playbill.
Well, last night, the pair finally made their debut! I myself have yet to see it, but I will soon, and will be sure to wear my “I Heart Bernadette” t-shirt when I go. Which leads me to the purpose of this posting. I have a true confession to make. Ever since I was a little theatre geek on Long Island, I’ve been obsessed (in a “I-have-all-your-albums” kinda way, not in a “I-want-to-go-through-your-garbage” kinda way) with the fabulous Miz Peters.
When I was 13 years old, my best friend Ashley asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told her an autographed picture of Peters would do just fine, thank you very much. She did me one better, and took me to meet her (gasp!) at a taping of “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.” It. Was. Amazing.
Cut to a few (more like “many”) years later, and the obsession has stayed with me. In fact, as I’m typing this I’m listening to her wrap her lavish cords (to steal a phrase from our Diva Talk columnist Andrew Gans, a fellow Bernadette-oholic) around “Children and Art.”
So, in honor of the Peters Party I am throwing for myself in my office, here is your WEBway Wednesday: The Best (or so I say) of Bernadette!
Sondheim’s “Not a Day Goes By”: No one does the phrasing of “After Day/After Day/After Day!” like her. (2:16 is where her genius really kicks in)
Sondheim’s “Beans” in the Prologue of Into the Woods: Ah, I think this may be my favorite of the favorites.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Unexpected Song”: From Song & Dance, the show that helped Peters nab her first Tony Award.
Kander & Ebb’s “All That Jazz”: Here we have Bernadette ina black studded jumpsuit singing the classic Chicago tune. I can’t tell what TV appearance this is from (if you know, please tell!), but it’s vintage ’70s-style Bernadette, and it’s amazing!
And this one is just for fun because it features another one of my most favorite actresses, the great Carol Burnett!
New Yorkers lost an institution today. George Steinbrenner, famed owner of the New York Yankees passed away. Along with his seven World Series trophies and 11 AL pennants, Steinbrenner had another title under his belt, he was a Tony nominee.
His long and sometimes tumultuous relationship with baseball has been well documented, but some people are unaware of “The Boss’” history in the theatre. Steinbrenner invested in six shows on Broadway, including the 1970 Tony Award-winning musical Applause and the1974 Best Musical Tony Award nominee Seesaw.
It began with a working relationship with James Nederlander in the ’60s. Steinbrenner and Nederlander produced several road-show productions, including Funny Girl and On a Clear Day. In 1967, they produced The Ninety Day Mistress on Broadway. It ran for only 24 performances, but they had better luck with their involvement in the 1970 Tony winner, Applause.
In 1973, Nederlander and his brother Robert joined a slew of other investors to help Steinbrenner purchase the Yankees. Robert had a short tenure as the Yankees’ managing general partner in 1990.
In a 1977 issue of Sports Illustrated, Nederlander was quoted as saying, “If George were in the theater exclusively, he’d be another Mike Todd or Ziegfeld.”
Steinbrenner’s involvement in the theatre ended in 1988 with Legs Diamond.
Steinbrenner’s other non-Yankees related interests included a stint as vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1989-1998 and was an avid horse breeder, entering six horses in the Kentucky Derby.
Summer time, and the livin’ is easy this sweltering WEEK AHEAD.
Start off with Bernadette Peters’ and Mary Tyler Moore’s favorite four-legged pals…Broadway spends its last night with Denzel…Sting goes symphonic…and The Big Easy gets a dose of Celebrity.
Fish are jumpin’…
Blake
Saturday, July 10 GO (FREE)→ Broadway is going to the dogs (and cats!) this Saturday for Broadway Barks 12, the annual pet adopt-a-thon thrown by Broadway Barks’ founders Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore. Pets from citywide animal shelters will get the star treatment in the form of celebrity handlers like Corbin Bleu, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelsey Grammer, Sean Hayes, Jackie Hoffman, Katie Finneran, Jan Maxwell, Tony Shalhoub and Richard Thomas. Peters will sign her second children’s book, “Stella is a Star!” after the event in the lobby of the Schoenfeld Theatre. (3:30-6:30pm, Shubert Alley, 44th-45th Sts., btwn. Broadway and 8th Aves., info) BEFORE IT CLOSES→ The Rochester City Ballet visits Manhattan with a delightful evening of contemporary ballet classics choreographed by the group’s artistic director Jamey Leverett. (Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center, 3 Spruce Street 1 Pace Plaza, btwn Park Row and Gold St., $10-$30, info/tickets)
Sunday, July 11 BEFORE IT CLOSES→ August Wilson’s masterpiece, Fences, featuring the Tony-winning performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, has been one of the hardest tickets to nab this season. If you can manage to find a seat at the Cort, do so before this exquisite production closes on Sunday. (Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th Street, btwn 6th and 7th Aves., info) BEFORE IT CLOSES→ Sherie Rene Scott stars in Everyday Rapture, a kinda true story, about a kinda big star, with a very big voice, and a huge amount of talent. Scott’s trusted backup girls, the Mennonettes, and the very funny Eamon Foley join her on stage for this cabaret-esque look at the life of this self-proclaimed “semi-star.” (American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., btwn. 7th & 8th Aves., Click here for Playbill Club discount tickets)
GO→ Ryan Reynolds, John Goodman, Anthony Mackie, Bryan Batt, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Coolidge and others will take the hit show Celebrity Autobiography to the Big Easy for a special performance to benefit the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund. (7pm and 9pm, Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 Saint Peter St., New Orleans, LA, $69-$99, info/tickets)
Monday, July 12 GO→ Elaine Stritch stars in The Pretty Trap, a one-act precursor to The Glass Menagerie. The show is the first part of the three-part series Recipe for Life, proceeds of which benefit the theatre company Cause Célèbre. Marian Seldes, Tony Roberts and Danny Aiello have signed on to star in the series’ other offerings: A.R. Gurney’s A Cheever Evening and Susan Charlotte’s The Shoemaker. (8pm, Acorn Theatre, 416 W.42nd St., btwn 9th and 10th Aves., info/tickets)
GO→ Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti (the subject of the hit Broadway show Fela!) brings his father’s classic funk style of music mixed with his own contemporary beats and lyrics to Lincoln Center. Maija Garcia (associate choreographer of Fela!) will teach choreography from the musical an hour before the show begins. (7:30pm, Damrosch Park, 62nd St. btwn. Columbus and Amsterdam, $17, info/tickets) (more…)
Before there was Kathy Griffin, Hollywood had another feisty, silver-tongued comedienne to fear: Joan Rivers.
No one is safe from the wrath of Rivers (well, the onstage Joan Rivers that is). Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Lindsay Lohan — and even Helen Keller and Anne Frank — get a whack or two Rivers-style in the legend’s stand-up show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.
As per usual, Rivers’ candid take on everything from “your ugly children” to how annoying blind people are, is not for the faint of heart.
Offstage however, Rivers is a whole other ball of wax.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous to visit her backstage after the show. After all, she did just mention (in a long, expletive-laced tirade) how annoying she found people from the 5 Towns (my hometown), and that she thought all skinny people should “go die!”
But, I’m happy to report that she didn’t greet me with a verbal kick-to-the-gut. Quite the contrary.
“How great was that crowd?” the legendary mouth-that-roared said to my pals and I backstage after the show (in what was more of a purr than a roar). Greeting us with a big hug, we chatted for a while about Lady Gaga, how much she loves performing, and about how she’s heading off to L.A. to film a TV show with her daughter Melissa called “Mother Knows Best.”
It will come as no surprise to those who saw the documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” that she is not the hard-nosed woman she is onstage. In my few moments with her, I found her pleasant, warm and incredibly humble.
“Ah, I love it when they just want to have a good time,” she said, teetering back and forth on her three-inch heels.
The standing ovation she received after her hour-long set proved they did…and then some.
Me with Frank and Chris DiLella and the great Joan Rivers!
Joan Rivers returns to the Laurie Beechman on July 14. Click here for tickets and more information.
Back in the days of an 8:30 PM curtain, 11 o’clock was about the time when the audience needed a little musical pick-me-up in the form of a paramount show-stopper. That song, the one that exemplified a critical development in a character’s narrative, became known as the 11 o’clock number (aka, the theatre’s version of “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings,” only the “lady” doesn’t have to be fat—or even a lady).
The original Rose, Ethel Merman
Perhaps the mother of all 11 o’clock numbers (pun intended) is “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy. All the greats, from Ethel to Patti to Bernadette to Bette to Kirt on “Glee,” have conquered it.
Through the years (and ever changing curtain times), the placement of the 11 o’clock number has changed. Some people now redefine the 11 o’clock song as simply meaning “a big number.”
But no matter the hour, or the definition, if you’ve got one of these songs, be prepared to bring it!
On this WEBway Wednesday, we tip our hats to the best of the 11 o’clock show-stoppers. Here are some selections from your pals at Playbill:
Playbill.com senior editor Andrew Gans: “If ‘Rose’s Turn’ is already taken, then I will choose ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset Boulevard.” Here’s the version sung by the first lady of the British stage, Elaine Page.
Playbill.com managing editor Kenneth Jones chooses: “Back to Before” from Ragtime
Playbill.com staff writer Adam Hetrick chooses: “Another Winter in a Summer Town” from Grey Gardens
And my selection? ”And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going” by Jennifer Holliday. The result? A Tony Award, and a crying audience.
Sure, I’m technically breaking the rules. This number closes the first act of Dreamgirls, so I guess you could call it a 9:30 number. But to me, this performance can close any show at any time!
OPENING (Regional)→ A new musical featuring the songs of four-time Academy Award winners Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, gets its world premiere at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. Robin and the 7 Hoods—A New Musical is inspired by the classic Rat Pack film of the same name and stars Will Chase (Billy Elliot), Eric Schneider (Jersey Boys), Amy Spanger (Rock of Ages) and Kelly Sullivan (Young Frankenstein). The musical is said to be coming to Broadway during the 2010-2011 season. (Through August 22, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, info/tickets)
BEFORE IT CLOSES→ Harry Connick, Jr.’s brief Broadway engagement comes to an end. Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert On Broadway features the Tony nominee singing standards like “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Smile.” (Neil Simon Theatre, 250 W. 52nd Street, btwn. Broadway and 8th Ave., Click Here for Playbill Club Discount Tickets)
GO (FREE)→ Emmy-winning comedienne Kathy Griffin makes an appearance in New York to sign copies of her memoir Official Book Club Selection. The no-holds-barred firecracker is sure to be a crowd pleaser—if you’re the kind of crowd that enjoys celebrity dish, dirty words, and shameless self-promotion—guilty! (7pm, Borders Columbus Circle, in the Time Warner Center, call 212.823.9775 for more information)
GO (FREE)→ The great Carol Channing will make a public appearance in support of the release of her latest album entitled “For Heaven’s Sake,” a collection of the Tony winner’s favorite gospel songs including “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” (6pm, Barnes and Noble Lincoln Triangle at 66th Street and Broadway, 
GO (FREE)→ The company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will take over Central Park’s SummerStage with a free show featuring two classic Ailey works and a piece by Ronald K. Brown—with music by Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis—that pays tribute to Judith Jamison, current artistic director of the famed dance troupe. (Central Park Main Stage at Rumsey Playfield, enter at 69th St. and 5th Ave., July 23 and 24, 8pm, 
GO→The kids from American Idiot take a break from the stage at the St. James Theatre and head downtown for a concert to benefit Broadway Impact, a group that mobilizes the theatre community and others to support equal rights for the LGBT community. (9:30pm, Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., $25-$100, .jpg)
GO→ Town Hall’s Summer Broadway Festival continues with All Singin’ All Dancin’, a show featuring some of Broadway’s up-and-coming choreographers and performers. This Broadway revue is said to be inspired by the work of legendary performers/choreographers like Fred and Adele Astaire, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and Bill Robinson. (8pm, Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., btwn 6th and 7th Aves., $40-$50,
GO (FREE)→ The movie that helped introduce the hilarious troupe Monty Python to the world (and later, Broadway), “Monty Python and The Holy Grail,” enjoys a free, outdoor screening as part of the HBO Bryant Park Film Festival. One, two, five! (Begins at sunset btwn. 8-9pm, Bryant Park, btwn. 40th and 42nd Sts. & 5th and 6th Aves., 
GO→ Before there was Avenue Q’s Lucy the Slut, there was the original raunchy puppet, Madame. Madame, along with the late puppeteer Wayland Flowers, gained fame in the ’60s for their antics on TV shows like the “Andy Williams Show” and “Rowan & Martin.” Lady M returns to NYC to crack wise in her new show It’s Madame with an E, featuring Rick Skye at her side. (Through August 19, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, 540 Park Ave., at 61st St., $33-$50 with food/drink min., 
GO→ The summer’s hottest dance party, the Fire Island Dance Festival returns to the isle of fire with a slew of performances from the hottest dancers in the world including, Marcelo Gomes (Principal, American Ballet Theatre), Travis Wall and members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Proceeds from the fest benefit BC/EFA and Dancers Responding to AIDS. (Through July 18, 
GO→ With Superman flying high above the Dallas Theater Center on the songs of Strouse, and Spider-Man slowly spinning his web toward Broadway, what better time to get out and learn all you can about the history of these and other caped crusaders? Take the “Superhero Tour of New York” and visit places like the Green Goblin’s mansion and the apartment of Leonore Lemmon (who is suspected of killing the original Superman, George Reeves). (Starts at Jim Hanley’s Universe, 4 W. 33rd. St., opposite the Empire State Building, advance bookings only, $25, 
BUY→ Addams Family matriarch, Morticia (aka Bebe Neuwirth) has designed a limited-edition, specialty trio of nail polishes based on her character’s love of the glamorously ghoulish. The box set will debut July 19 with only 5,000 pieces available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund. ($30, 
GO→ Rufus Wainwright takes to the stage at Prospect Park along with dad, folk legend Loudon Wainwright III. The younger Wainwright is said to be including songs from his Judy Garland tribute show and subsequent Grammy-nominated album. (7pm, Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th St & Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY, 
GO→ Theatrical designers partnered with scientists to create the arena spectacular Walking with Dinosaurs. More than 15 life-sized dinosaurs come alive to help tell the story of the reptiles’ 200 million-year domination on earth. It’s like “Jurassic Park” come to life! The show will continue on a national tour hitting Chicago, IL, Green Bay, WI, Duluth, MN, Anchorage, AK, Anaheim, CA, and Los Angeles, CA. (Through July 25, Madison Square Garden, $35-$99, 
GO (FREE)→ Broadway is going to the dogs (and cats!) this Saturday for Broadway Barks 12, the annual pet adopt-a-thon thrown by Broadway Barks’ founders Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore. Pets from citywide animal shelters will get the star treatment in the form of celebrity handlers like Corbin Bleu, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelsey Grammer, Sean Hayes, Jackie Hoffman, Katie Finneran, Jan Maxwell, Tony Shalhoub and Richard Thomas. Peters will sign her second children’s book, “Stella is a Star!” after the event in the lobby of the Schoenfeld Theatre. (3:30-6:30pm, Shubert Alley, 44th-45th Sts., btwn. Broadway and 8th Aves., 
BEFORE IT CLOSES→ The Rochester City Ballet visits Manhattan with a delightful evening of contemporary ballet classics choreographed by the group’s artistic director Jamey Leverett. (Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center, 3 Spruce Street 1 Pace Plaza, btwn Park Row and Gold St., $10-$30, 
BEFORE IT CLOSES→ August Wilson’s masterpiece, Fences, featuring the Tony-winning performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, has been one of the hardest tickets to nab this season. If you can manage to find a seat at the Cort, do so before this exquisite production closes on Sunday. (Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th Street, btwn 6th and 7th Aves., 
BEFORE IT CLOSES→ Sherie Rene Scott stars in Everyday Rapture, a kinda true story, about a kinda big star, with a very big voice, and a huge amount of talent. Scott’s trusted backup girls, the Mennonettes, and the very funny Eamon Foley join her on stage for this cabaret-esque look at the life of this self-proclaimed “semi-star.” (American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., btwn. 7th & 8th Aves., 
GO→ Elaine Stritch stars in The Pretty Trap, a one-act precursor to The Glass Menagerie. The show is the first part of the three-part series Recipe for Life, proceeds of which benefit the theatre company Cause Célèbre. Marian Seldes, Tony Roberts and Danny Aiello have signed on to star in the series’ other offerings: A.R. Gurney’s A Cheever Evening and Susan Charlotte’s The Shoemaker. (8pm, Acorn Theatre, 416 W.42nd St., btwn 9th and 10th Aves., 
