Tony Award nominee Chad Kimball took his final bow in the Tony Award-winning production of Memphis at the Shubert Theatre Oct. 23. Original Rent star Adam Pascal succeeds Kimball and takes over the role of Huey Calhoun Oct. 25.
Before shouting his last “Hockadoo,” cast and creatives of Memphis said their final goodbyes to the leading man, who has been seen in the musical since its developmental run in 2003 at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. Following North Shore, Kimball was seen in the pre-Broadway engagements at the La Jolla Playhouse and the 5th Avenue Theatre.
Kimball earned a 2010 Best Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Award nomination for Memphis. His co-star, Montego Glover, who continues with the Broadway production, also earned a Best Leading Actress in a Musical Tony Award nomination for her work as singer Felicia Farrell.
To watch Kimball’s final bow at Memphis, look below:
Broadway hit the ballroom on the Oct. 24 broadcast of the ABC reality series "Dancing With the Stars." Popular showtunes backed the celebrity contestants throughout the evening and, in between performances, the series welcomed the stars of Broadway’s Sister Act and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth.
Kicking off Broadway Week on the ABC hit reality show, Tony Award nominee Patina Miller and the cast of Sister Act took the dance floor to perform “Raise Your Voice.” At the end of the evening, Chenoweth performed a medley of “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady.
Also, for the Broadway Week finale, the “Dancing With the Stars” contestants performed their first group number—a medley of “Hey Big Spender” from Sweet Charity and “Money, Money, Money” from Cabaret.
To check out the Broadway Week performances on “DWTS,” look below:
Tony Award nominee Patina Miller, along with her Sister Act co-stars, visited the "Wendy Williams Show" Oct. 21 and offered a performance of "Fabulous, Baby!" from the Tony Award-nominated musical currently playing the Broadway Theatre.
Here’s how the stage adaptation of “Sister Act” is billed: “When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier (Miller) witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place cops are sure she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior (Victoria Clark). Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community, but in doing so blows her cover. Soon the gang are giving chase, only to find themselves up against Deloris and the power of her new found Sister Hood.”
After the “Wendy Williams” appearance, the cast of Sister Act gave Williams a special shout out from backstage at the Broadway Theatre.
To watch Miller and the cast of Sister Act perform “Fabulous, Baby!,” look below:
Tony Award winner Robert Lopez reunited with his Book of Mormon collaborators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. This time, the Mormon team is bringing Broadway to "South Park" in an episode entitled "Broadway Bro Down," written by the trio.
Lopez, also a Tony winner for Avenue Q, recently tweeted that he would be writing for the Emmy-Award winning series. According to his Oct. 18 Twitter post, Lopez said, “Going to LA tomorrow to help write an episode of South Park!” Here is a first look into the episode that is set to air on Comedy Central Oct. 26.
In “Broadway Bro Down,” according to the series website, “Sharon is thrilled that Randy is making an effort to do more things that she enjoys. But, after he takes her to see a hit musical in Denver, Randy becomes Broadways biggest fan. Sharon is whisked away to New York and treated to every musical on the Great White Way.”
“South Park” creators Parker and Stone authored the Tony-winning hit musical Book of Mormon with Avenue Q songwriter Lopez. The Book of Mormon earned Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical.
To watch the clip of the “South Park: Broadway Bro Down” episode, look below:
Idina Menzel, who took home the Tony Award for her performance as Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, was seen over the weekend at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA, where she performed a few of the songs that earned her the award back in 2004.
Although the performer had to cancel some of her upcoming tour dates due to conflicts from filming her multi-episode arc on the Fox hit series “Glee,” Menzel’s scheduled performance in Los Angeles remained. Here, the Tony winner sings “I’m Not That Girl” and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, as well as “Life of the Party” from Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party.
Menzel has also been seen on the Broadway stage as Maureen in the original company of Rent and as Amneris in Aida. Her other theatrical credits include the City Center Encores! production of Hair, the Public Theater’s See What I Wanna See and the benefit Funny Girl concert. Menzel’s screen credits include “Ask the Dust,” “Rent” and “Enchanted.”
For more information on her concert tour, visit www.idinamenzel.com.
Tony Award nominee Nina Arianda (Born Yesterday) stars opposite Emmy Award nominee Hugh Dancy (Journey’s End, "The Big C") in Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of David Ives’ Venus in Fur at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie directs the production that began previews Oct. 13 and will officially open Nov. 8. The production will play a limited ten-week engagement through Dec. 18. Here, the show’s stars and the Manhattan Theatre Club creative team discuss the production and the journey to opening night.
In Venus, “Vanda (Arianda) is a preternaturally talented young actress determined to land the lead in Thomas’ (Dancy) new play based on the classic erotic novel, ‘Venus in Fur,’” according to press notes. “Her emotionally charged audition for the gifted but demanding playwright/director becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex.”
Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman (The Boy from Oz) is making a return to Broadway in his solo show Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway, which is scheduled to begin previews Oct. 25, prior to an official opening Nov. 10, at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Jackman will play a limited engagement through Jan. 1, 2012. The show will include an 18-piece orchestra and feature the stage and screen star performing a personal selection of his favorite musical numbers that reflect on his life and career.
Here, Playbill Video stopped by Jackman’s rehearsal for a sneak peek at the show, which included “Luck By a Lady,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “I’ve Got Rhythm.” Jackman also takes some time out of rehearsal to chat about the numbers he’s picked for the show and returning to Broadway.
To check out the “Boy from Oz” in rehearsals, look below:
Patti Murin, who will again play the title role in Lysistrata Jones when the musical hits Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre Nov. 12, is offering her play-by-play on "Fierce Females" in a new video series that will pave the way for the musical’s Broadway debut.
In her latest “Play-by-Play,” Murin talks about “Fierce Female” Lyssie J., the character at the center of Lysistrata Jones, which will officially open on Broadway Dec. 14. In the musical, according to press notes, “The Athens University basketball team hasn’t won a game in 30 years. But when spunky transfer student Lysistrata Jones dares the squad’s fed-up girlfriends to stop ‘giving it up’ to their boyfriends until they win a game, their legendary losing streak could be coming to an end.”
Prior to the Broadway opening, Lyssie J. has started her own Tumblr blog, which can be found at www.lyssiej.tumblr.com. In her blog, she discusses high school, cheerleaders, college life, texting etiquette and, of course, fabulous females. In the first video of her “Fierce Females” webseries, Lyssie J. paid tribute to Amelia Earhart.
To check out Lyssie J.’s latest video entry, look below:
