Playbill Presents Broadway Legend Barbara Cook Preps Tunes for 54 Below Run Broadway Legend and Tony winner Barbara Cook ran through set highlights to prep for her two-week run at cabaret room 54 Below. For a change of pace, Cook has selected jazz, swing and torch songs to populate her set. Here, Cook performs classics "Let's Fall in Love" and "The Nearness of You" and chats with Playbill about how her show came to be. Performances run through May 4. For details visit 54Below.com.
Playbill Presents OBSESSED!: Meet Alli Mauzey's Invisible Friend Although she appeared in Hairspray and Wicked, Alli Mauzey made her name in Cry-Baby as Lenora, a character quite out of touch with reality. Here, Mauzey joins Seth in studio to recreate a signature moment from the show that features an invisible — but very real to her — friend. Read Seth's weekly column. Check out SethTV.com, the online home for all things Rudetsky.
Playbill Presents Leslie Kritzer Brings Her Beautiful Disaster to Joe's Pub Broadway's Leslie Kritzer (Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Sondheim on Sondheim) returns to Joe's Pub April 29 for the next installment of her current show Beautiful Disaster. The one-woman comedy features Kritzer revisiting her life circa 1995 and performing songs from the likes of Alanis Morissette, Nirvana and Jule Styne while channeling a colorful array of New Jersey characters. Written by Randy Blair (Fat Camp, Spidermusical) and Kritzer, Beautiful Disaster is directed by Blair, with music direction by Vadim Feichtner (Spelling Bee, Little Miss Sunshine). Visit joespub.com for details.
Playbill and the Players Bette Midler Always First Choice for I'll Eat You Last Playbill was joined by star Bette Midler and playwright John Logan on the opening night of the new one-person play I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers. The 80-minute show features Midler channeling the late great agent (she represented Burt Reynolds, Cher, Steve McQueen and Barbra Streisand amongst others) as she charts her path through the man's world of Hollywood. Here, Midler talks about what Mengers means to her and Logan reveals what it took to convince Midler to return to Broadway after more than 30 years. See highlights from the production.
Playbill Presents Laura Osnes, Betsy Wolfe, Will Chase, Anthony Warlow, Nick Adams and Max Von Essen Celebrate the NY Pops 30th Anniversary Broadway stars of today will celebrate three Broadway icons of yesteryear — namely, songwriters Frank Loesser and Jule Styne and actor Danny Kaye — at Carnegie Hall on April 29, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the New York Pops. Under the baton of music director Steve Reineke and hosted by Paula Zahn, the lineup includes Laura Osnes, Anthony Warlow, Nick Adams, Will Chase, Max Von Essen, Betsy Wolfe, Laura Benanti, James Naughton, Kelli O'Hara, Rob McClure, Donna Murphy, Stephanie J. Block, Liz Callaway, Megan Hilty, Marilyn Maye and Leslie Uggams. Playbill caught up with six of the stars rehearsing songs from Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella and Funny Girl, and spoke to them about why they were excited to perform at the gala. For more information on the New York Pops 30th anniversary gala, click here.
Playbill Presents EXCLUSIVE: Joe Iconis, Krysta Rodriguez and the Family in Rehearsal for 54 Below A 2006 recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award, composer and lyricist Joe Iconis always has several irons in the fire. Currently, he is busy with commissions for the likes of the La Jolla Playhouse, continued work on his musical Bloodsong of Love: The Rock'N'Roll Spaghetti Western and ongoing collaboration with a group of artists simply called the Family. Here. Iconis is joined in studio by Family members Krysta Rodriguez, Jason SweetTooth Williams, Jeremy Morse and Jared Weiss to run through tunes in preparation for their upcoming 54 Below gigs Aprl 20, 26 and May 5. For tickets and infor visit 54Below.com. Read the Playbill story about the newly released album titled "The Joe Iconis Rock and Roll Jamboree."
Playbill Presents EXCLUSIVE: In Rehearsal with Josh Young, Jen Cody and Andy Mientus for Kerrigan-Lowdermilk American Songbook Concert Josh Young, Jen Cody, "Smash"'s Andy Mientus and Carrie Manolakos took to the rehearsal studio to run through tunes for the April 19 Lincoln Center American Songbook Series concert featuring the songs of Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk. Audiences can expect to hear tunes from the duo's coming-of-age musicals The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown and Tales from the Bad Years as well as new material from Republic, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV set in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Read the Playbill story.
