Photo Credit Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Ben Vereen on stage in a rare evening of conversation and music. This unique evening is presented in Los Angeles by Reprise Theatre Company for one night only on Monday, September 8, 8pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.

Ben Vereen will be joined by award-winning playwright and director Charles Randolph Wright (“Blue”, “Cuttin' Up”) who will sit down with him for a candid conversation about his extraordinary career. Mr. Vereen will also perform selections from his most memorable roles.

Following the conversation, the audience will get a chance to speak with Mr. Vereen in a special question and answer session. There will also be a special appearance by Levar Burton. Tickets go on sale August 2, 2008. For tickets, priced at $75 or $150 for premium seats, please call the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101 or visit www.reprise.org.

From his Tony Award-winning performance in “Pippin” to “I'm Not Rappaport,” “Fosse “and “Wicked,” Ben Vereen's Broadway performances are renowned. His versatility extends to television, with his Emmy Award-winning network specials and many guest appearances, and to film where his amazing performances range from “All That Jazz” to “Funny Lady” to “Idlewild” (with Outkast) and the upcoming “Mama, I Want To Sing.” His concerts and lectures have taken him all over the world as well as his boundless humanitarian efforts.

Calendar Listing for

BEN VEREEN: Up Close & Musical
The Freud Playhouse at UCLA conveniently located in Macgowan Hall
Monday, September 8, 2008, 8pm
$75 and $150 for premium seats
UCLA Central Ticket Office: 310/825-2101 or www.reprise.org

Acting legend Lynn Redgrave and four-time Tony Award-winner Boyd Gaines will kickoff the new theatre season at the 12th Annual Broadway Blessing on Monday, September 8th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street), Manhattan.

Broadway Blessing, a program conceived and directed by Retta Blaney, is a service of song, story and dance that has been bringing the theatre community together every September since 1997 to bless the new theatre season.

In addition to live performances from Redgrave and Gains, Adam Jacobs, last seen on Broadway in the revival of Les Miserables, will sing a selection from the new musical Amazing Grace: The True Story, scheduled to debut in Spring 2009 and opera singer Jerry Curry will sing a piece from The Student Prince.

The evening will also feature a number of dance performances from the internationally recognized group Project Dance and the New York-based troupe, The Essentials.

The Broadway Blessing Choir, under the direction of Cathedral organist Timothy Brumfield, will sing show tunes and lead the audience in a sing-along at the end of the service.

Admission is free and all are invited to attend. For more information, please call (212) 316-7449.

Author Ellis Nassour will be hosting an event to celebrate his book, Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline, updated edition (Chicago Review Press, 2008), and to honor the birthday and life of a country music legend. The event will take place from 7:30–9 p.m. on Monday, September 8, 2008 at Barnes & Noble (Lincoln Square, 972 Broadway, New York, NY 10023). Nassour will be interviewed about Cline’s life and his book Honky Tonk Angel by respected theater critic Peter Filichia. There will also be entertainment from professional singers performing a selection of Patsy Cline songs, including award winning cabaret artist and actress Lisa Asher and actress Kayce Glasse, the original star of “Always, Patsy Cline” (a musical tribute to Cline derived from Honky Tonk Angel). Refreshments will be provided by the famed Magnolia Bakery and Wine Cellar Sorbet.

At the event there will be a preview of songs from the musical Nassour has adapted that is inspired by the book. Nassour’s event will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the event, please contact Bart Greenberg at crm2628@bn.com.

With a foreword by Dottie West, Honky Tonk Angel chronicles the life and times of Patsy Cline in the words of the people who knew and loved her—such as country music stars Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Roger Miller. Updated and revised from its first original publication in 1981 (then titled Patsy Cline), this definitive biography captures the heart and soul of this country singer whose life tragically ended at age 30 as a result of a plane crash. The new edition includes an afterword that details controversial claims about Cline’s birth, the battle between her siblings for her possessions and the amazing influence she had on a new generation of singers, as well as a complete discography and more than forty new photographs.

Ellis Nassour is a veteran of The New York Times and an entertainment writer who has devoted the past 25 years to promoting the legacy of Patsy Cline and has been involved in two musicals of her story, including Always, Patsy Cline. His web site, www.patsyclinehta.com, is also dedicated to Cline’s legacy. He lives in New York City.
Calendar of Events Alert Author to celebrate the legacy of a country music legend New York City, September 8, 2008

September 8 marks what would be Patsy Cline’s 76th birthday.

Kayce Glasse was an original cast member of Always, Patsy Cline, derived from Mr. Nassour’s Honky Tonk Angel. New York City stage credits: Ring of Fire Broadway workshops, Cumberland Blues (Nadine), The Adding Machine (Mrs. Zero). She has performed for the Houston Grand Opera, Alley Theatre, numerous regional theaters, does voiceover and jingle work and is a current resident troupe member of Turtle Shell Productions. The title of Glasse’s CD is Smooth As Glasse.

Lisa Asher is the recipient of a New York Nightlife Award, a MAC Award and a Back Stage Bistro Award for her solo cabaret work. Off-Broadway credits: Woody Guthrie’s American Song [Drama Desk nomination, Outstanding Musical]. Regional credits: premieres of I Married Wyatt Earp and Almost Heaven [and cast CD]; John Denver's America at the Denver Theater Center; national tour of The Who's Tommy; the East Coast premiere of the musical Bingo; and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Lisa appeared with Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie in a Woody Guthrie tribute produced by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She can be heard singing TV show themes, audio books and Sesame Street children’s educational products.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com announce “THE JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ SONGBOOK” Monday, September 8, 2008 at 7:00p.m., as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland.

Broadway stars will join acclaimed Tony-nominated composer JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ to sing “THE JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ SONGBOOK." BLUMENKRANTZ’s work has been heard in the New York productions of Urban Cowboy, The Audience, and Audra McDonald's song cycle "The Seven Deadly Sins" at Carnegie Hall. His songs have been recorded and performed by such notable singers as Audra McDonald, Victoria Clark, Lauren Kennedy, Megan Mullally, Maria Friedman, and Sutton Foster.

BLUMENKRANTZ's career as a songwriter began at Northwestern University, where he was a four-year contributor to the celebrated Waa-Mu Show. While pursuing a career as an actor in New York, he joined The BMI Workshop and participated in the Dramatists Guild's Musical Theatre Development Program and Jonathan Larson Fellowship and is the 2001 recipient of the BMI Advanced Workshop Harrington Award. His one act musicals, “Woman with Pocketbook,” written with Annie Kessler and Libby Saines, and “Precious Little Jewel,” written with Libby Saines, have been performed at regional theatres and have both won the Ten Minute Musical Competition.

2005 marked the publication of The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook, a piano/vocal folio of twenty songs, and the first episode of The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Podcast, a performance and interview show featuring Jeff's songs sung by some of musical theatre's great talents.

In 2008, Jeff produced The BMI Workshop Songbook Podcast, which featured twenty new songs from the members and alumni of the famed musical theatre writers' workshop. He is currently collaborating with lyricist/librettist Beth Blatt on a new musical entitled Hashi.

Created by acclaimed performer, writer, producer & presenter Jim Caruso, BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND is a weekly concert series on Sunday and Monday evenings, showcasing legendary Broadway performers and composers, as well as up-and-coming musical theater talents. Started as a companion piece to the hugely popular and hilarious weekly impromptu variety show Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (which follows Mondays at9:30pm).BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND has recently hosted such diverse performers as Jason Robert Brown, Lucie Arnaz, Christine Ebersole with Billy Stritch, and Melissa Errico – as well as the benefit concert CHITA RIVERA LOVES BROADWAY CARES, which sold out two shows in record time.

The Peccadillo Theater Company is pleased to announce the cast for their production Charles MacArthur's classic screwball comedy JOHNNY ON A SPOT. The play tells the story of a politician who dies in a whorehouse on the eve of his election to the United States Senate; his campaign manager's frantic efforts to cover up the story should seem very familiar in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Peccadillo Artistic Director Dan Wackerman (Room Service, Counsellor-At-Law) will direct. Performances at Theatre at St. Clement's will begin on Thursday, September 4th, continuing through Saturday, October 4th. Opening night is scheduled for Monday, September 8th at 7pm.

This fast-paced satire of American politics by a master of farce concerns the machinations of a particularly inventive campaign manager to elect Governor Johnny, a devout drunk and skirt-chaser, to the U.S. Senate. When he drops dead in a whorehouse, the manager conspires to keep him "alive" long enough to win the election. This political satire has not been revived in New York City since a limited engagement at BAM almost thirty years ago; that production was well received, as were more recent stagings in London and at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. “With the elections coming up, MacArthur’s play should really strike a nerve,” said Wackerman. MacArthur is the author of many plays and screenplays, and is perhaps best known for his classic The Front Page.

The cast for JOHNNY ON A SPOT will be Margery Beddow (many Broadway credits including Redhead, understudying Gwen Verdon, and Little Me), Dale Carman (Strange Interlude and The Beauty Part for Peccadillo), Jerry Coyle, Laura Daniel (The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun at NYMF), Michael E. Lopez (New York Classical Theatre), Marc Ginsburg (Oliver! National Tour), Wayne Henry (“Saturday Night Live"), Kevin Kolack ("Guiding Light", "Law & Order: SVU"), Mark Manley, Bergin Michaels (All God's Chillun Got Wings for Peccadillo), Robert O'Gorman (The Peccadillo's hits Counsellor-At-Law and Room Service), Carter Roy (Translations on Broadway), Christian Rummel (Antony & Cleopatra at TFANA), Raymond Thorne (Annie on Broadway, Annie Warbucks off-Broadway), and Ellen Zolezzi (recent Seussical revival).

Director Dan Wackerman is the artistic director of The Peccadillo Theater Company. Most recently, he directed Sylvia Regan's Morning Star. Other credits include the critically acclaimed off-Broadway revival of John Murray and Alan Boretz’s Room Service and a revival of Dorothy Parker & Arnaud d’Usseau’s The Ladies of the Corridor at the 13th Street Theatre. His production of Elmer Rice’s Counsellor-at-Law at Theatre at Saint Clement’s earned him an OBIE Award for Outstanding Direction; the show also received the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival, and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Outstanding Direction & Revival. Other directing credits for Peccadillo include S.N. Behrman’s Jane, John Colton’s The Shanghai Gesture, and Eugene O’Neill’s All God’s Chillun Got Wings, Desire Under the Elms, and Strange Interlude, and the original musical The Talk Of The Town.

The Peccadillo Theater Company is in its second decade of producing forgotten American classics - "forgotten" in the sense that most of the work they do has seldom, if ever, been revived in New York City, and "classic" in the sense of enduring theatrical value. Their production of Room Service transferred from Bank Street Theatre and played for more than six months off-Broadway. Other successes include Counsellor-At-Law (two Lortel Awards, OBIE Award) and The Talk Of The Town, which ran for over a year in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel.

JOHNNY ON A SPOT will begin performances on Thursday, September 4th and will continue until Saturday, October 4th. The schedule will be Thursday through Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Opening night is scheduled for Monday, September 8th at 7pm; this is the only Monday performance. Tickets will be $20.00 and may be purchased by calling Theatermania at 212-352-3101, or online at www.thepeccadillo.com.

Steppenwolf Traffic presents Dream Chicago, a collection of short stories and songs exploring the “Chicago Dream.” Dream Chicago will be presented Monday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion as part of the 4th annual Blockbuster Week. Admission is FREE.

Dream Chicago will feature seven pieces by contemporary Chicago writers performed by Steppenwolf ensemble members Alana Arenas, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler, K. Todd Freeman, Frank Galati, Ora Jones and Martha Lavey. Writers include Sandra Cisneros, Elizabeth Crane, Stuart Dybek, Tony Fitzpatrick, Idris Goodwin, Billy Lombardo and Dawn Tuner Trice. Chicago Jazz singer Maggie Brown will also perform several songs that represent the spirit of Chicago, written by her late father – musician, playwright, poet and civil rights activist Oscar Brown, Jr. – and others. Dream Chicago highlights the visionary dreams from the past that gave character to the “City of Big Shoulders” and inspired its people to imagine a collective future. Dream Chicago is directed by Steppenwolf associate artist Jessica Thebus, with story adaptations by Laura Eason and produced by Sylvia Ewing.

Millennium Park’s 4th annual Blockbuster Week runs from September 3 – 11, featuring free performances by Chicago’s world-renowned performing arts organizations The Joffrey Ballet (Sept. 11), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Sept. 6) and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Sept 8.) along with a live taping of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! (Sept. 4) and Andrew Bird in Concert (Sept. 3).

Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. Convenient parking is located in the Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus at Monroe or Randolph) and at the Grant Park North and East Monroe Garages, all located within a short walking distance to Millennium Park.

Steppenwolf’s Traffic Series brings together artists of all disciplines and casts them as storytellers in one night only presentations on the Steppenwolf stage. Traffic provides an intimate and unique intersection of language, lyrics, poetry and music, creating a fresh perspective on expressing the American story.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon. The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.

Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of forty-one artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation. For more information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park’s prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture. Since its opening in July 2004, Millennium Park has welcomed more than 12 million people, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago. For more information about Millennium Park, call 312.742.1168 or visit www.millenniumpark.org.

The Donmar Warehouse will present Piaf by Pam Gems. The cast will feature Shane Attwooll, Phillip Browne, Lorraine Bruce, Luke Evans, Michael Hadley, Katherine Kingsley, Leon Lopez, Stuart Neal, Elena Roger, Steve John Shepher. The director is Jamie Lloyd with set design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Christopher Shutt and original composition by Ben and Max Ringham. Nigel Lilley is the musical director. The show will run from August 8th – September 20th with an official opening on Wednesday August 13th .

From the streets of Paris to worldwide fame, Edith Piaf continues to be remembered and revered for her exceptional voice and her equally extraordinary life. In this new production of Piaf, Pam Gems has reworked her 1978 play vividly capturing the glamour and squalor, the rise and fall, of this complex, fragile and enigmatic performer. Newly appointed Donmar Associate Director Jamie Lloyd is reunited with Elena Roger ‐ following his role as Associate Director to Michael Grandage on the recent revival of Evita at the Adelphi Theatre in which Elena Roger played Eva Peron. English playwright Pam Gems was born in 1925. Her principal works include Franz Into April (1977), Queen Christina (1977), The Blue Angel (1991), the book for the musical Marlene (1996) and Stanley (1996).

Shane Attwooll plays Bruno/Jacques Pills. His theatre credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida Theatre), Glengarry Glen Ross (Apollo Theatre) and Death of a Salesman (Lyric Theatre). For television, his credits include Foyle’s War, Aberfan, The Commander, The Brief and Spooks; and for film, Kingdom of Heaven, This Filthy Earth and Porgy and Bess. Phillip Browne plays Marcel/Inspector. This theatre credits include Carmen Jones (Royal Festival Hall), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre), Anything Goes (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Porgy and Bess (Savoy Theatre). Browne’s television credits include Love Soup, According to Bex and Roger Roger.

Lorraine Bruce plays Toine. Bruce’s theatre credits include Vernon God Little (Young Vic), A Model Girl (Greenwich Theatre), Scuffer (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Bad Girls The Musical (Garrick Theatre). For television, her work includes Me and All Other Mothers, Dalziel and Pascoe, 11th Hour, Holby City and Party Animals; and for film, Eden Lake, Dark Corners and Provoked. Luke Evans returns to the Donmar ‐ following his role as Vincent in the recent production of SmallChange – to play Yves/Raymond/Jacques. ’ theatre work includes Rent Remixed (Duke of York’s Theatre), Dickens Unplugged (Edinburgh Festival), Avenue Q (Noel Coward Theatre) and Minor Irritations (White Bear Theatre).

Michael Hadley returns to the Donmar, where he appeared in Othello and The Vortex, to play the Leplee/Vaimbert. His other theatre credits include Coriolanus and The Canterbury Tales (RSC), The Seagull (Mercury Theatre Colchester), and Don Carlos (Sheffield Crucible and West End). His television credits include Churchill at War, Strange, Paradise Heights and Rough Justice; and for film, Three Blind Mice and An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. Katherine Kingsley plays Marlene/Madeleine. Her theatre credits include Black and White Ball (The King’s Head), Hobson’s Choice (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Trojan Trilogy (Tristan Bates Theatre) and High Society (Shaftesbury Theatre and national tour).

For television her credits include Hollyoaks, Jane Hall and Operation Good Guys; and for film, Weekend, Days of the Siren, and 100 Second Marriage. Leon Lopez plays Theo/Lucien. His theatre credits include Rent Remixed (Duke of York’s), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (national tour) and Macbeth (Liverpool Everyman); and for television, Hollyoaks in the City and Brookside.

Stuart Neal returns to the Donmar to play Charles/Georges/Little Louis – he previously appeared in Nine. His theatre credits include Lord of the Rings (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Evita (Adelphi Theatre), Aladdin (Old Vic), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre) and Cats (national tour). Elena Roger plays Edith Piaf. As well as Evita, her other theatre work in the UK includes Boeing, Boeing (Comedy Theatre). In her native Buenos Aires, Elena Roger’s credits include the original productions of Nine, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables and Saturday Night Fever.

In 2003 Elena Roger and director Valeria Ambrosio devised Mina, che cosa sei. This musical, based on the life of the Italian singer, won five awards including the ACE (Critics’ Award) for Best Actress for Elena Roger. Steve John Shepherd plays Louis Barrier. His theatre credits include Five Wives of Maurice Pinder and Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre).

For television his credits include Plus One, Cold Blood, Bad Mother’s Handbook, Bonkers, Lilies, Real Men, The Knock, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, Maisie Raine and This Life; and for film, Too Much Too Young, Layer Cake, Boudicca, Star Wars Episode II, Me Without You and From Hell. Jamie Lloyd’s credits include The Lover and The Collection (Comedy Theatre), The Caretaker (Sheffield Crucible and Tricycle Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Michael Grandage’s Donmar production currently running in Australia, and as Associate Director for the run at the Piccadilly Theatre) and Elegies Elegies: A Song Cycle (Arts Theatre).

Fleece the Flock, a new musical, will have a special reading at the Theatre Artist Workshop in Norwalk, CT on Thursday September 8th at 8PM. Admission is free.

Come meet Pastor Clem and his zany family, wife Prissy Mae and son Jimmy Bob – and foxy church secretary, Sheila, freshly delivered from the slimy grasp of Satan. As part of the congregation, you will be involved in the subterfuge and intrigue as the Pastor attempts to collect millions to build his Bible Theme Park. This pulpit pounding romp with the wickedly snappy lyrics and music by Two Guys from Tennessee will hopefully have you anxiously awaiting your chance to empty your wallets into Pastor Clem’s collection plate. But wait -- maybe not so fast?

Fleece the Flock is directed by Joel Vig. He is perhaps best known for creating the starring role in the Off Broadway cult hit, Ruthless. He was one of the original stars of the Broadway mega hit Hairspray which won the Tony for best musical and the Grammy for best cast album. He has recently developed new works for Academy Award winner Patricia Neal and two time Tony winner Tammy Grimes.

The toe-tappin’ score of Fleece the Flock covers a wide range of musical style, everything from a tango to a boot scootin’ two-step. Based in Tennessee, composer Kelly Moore and lyricist Bruce Peterson, otherwise known as Two Guys from Tennessee, have been collaborating for over 20 years. They are currently at work on their next project, a rock opera based on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt.

The show is under development for a future regional presentation as well as an Off Broadway production. Elizabeth Fuller wrote the book for this musical spoof. Her last play, Me & Jezebel ran Off-Broadway and is currently being performed in cities throughout the U.S. This past year it has had three productions in Europe and two in Sydney, Australia. The Argus News in Brighton, England wrote, “For an evening of high-quality theatre, it would be surprising if there is anything in the Festival Fringe to beat this witty two-hander.”

The cast of Fleece the Flock includes: Jodi Stevens. Jodi’s career spans from Broadway (Jekyll & Hyde and Urban Cowboy) to TV/Film to recording and Cabaret. Thomas Taylor Poarch, recent New York credits include: Eugene Ionesco’s The Lesson (Professor), Blake Edward’s Victor/Victoria (King Marchan), and Euripides’ Iphiginia at Auiis (Menelaus). Currently Off- Broadway in Awesome 80’s Prom. Ellen Muth, cult star of Sci Fi series Dead Like Me. Clayton Wheat started his career in New Orleans as co-founder of “The Storyville Ensemble.” Most recently, he appeared with Keir Dullea in a tribute to Shakespeare. He will be appearing in the soon to be released film, Closers.

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words," the acclaimed, long-running L.A-based comedy sensation has taken New York by storm played will return to The Triad Theater (158 West 72nd Street) on Mondays at 7:30 starting September 8th. Produced by Angelo Fraboni, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel and Peter Martin, the show draws top talent to its rotating cast and bold -faced names to its sold-out audiences.

A line-up of rotating performers interprets the actual words and stories written by the famous and the infamous, in both solo and ensemble "chamber" pieces. Some of the "authors" that are featured include Ivana Trump, Vanna White, Mr. T, Star Jones, Kenny Loggins, Tommy Lee, Sylvester Stallone, 'N Sync, Zsa Zsa Gabor, David Cassidy, Neil Sedaka, Britney Spears, Madonna, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson, as well as the infamous memoirs of Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds, which are edited together to create a Rashomon-esque playlet in the participants' own words.

Performers during the run will include Bob Balaban, Rachel Dratch, Susie Essman, Will Forte, Cheyenne Jackson, Kristen Johnston, Richard Kind, Carson Kressley, Andrea Martin, Dayle Reyfel, Tony Roberts, Seth Rudetsky, Claudia Shear, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, Bruce Vilanch, Kristen Wiig, BD Wong, Karen Ziemba, Alan Zweibel, , and creator/Emmy nominee Eugene Pack.

"Celebrity Autobiography", created by Emmy nominated writer and performer Eugene Pack and co-produced/developed with Dayle Reyfel, has been a monthly event in Los Angeles that attracts celebrities as guest performers and audience members. In 2005, "Celebrity Autobiography" premiered on Bravo-TV as a one-hour comedy special. As Pack explains, "I would listen to a lot of books-on-tape, particularly autobiographies, and was astounded at what people would write about. If I got a hold of one of the books, I'd read it out loud to a friend, and they'd insist I was making it up….but people actually wrote these words. I thought that putting the material up in front of an audience would be extremely entertaining."

A portion of the proceeds of "Celebrity Autobiography" benefit The Actors' Fund, a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals - both performers and those behind the scenes - in performing arts and entertainment. Founded in 1882, The Fund serves those in film, theatre, television, music, opera, and dance with a broad spectrum of programs including comprehensive social services, health services, supportive and affordable housing, emergency financial assistance, employment and training services, and skilled nursing and assisted living care. Administered from offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, The Actors' Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis, or transition. Please visit The Actors' Fund website at www.actorsfund.org.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, will hold its 8th Annual Music Has Power Awards benefit on Monday, September 8, 2008, 6 p.m. at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency – The Nightclub of New York. The event features beloved three-time Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Odetta, accompanied by pianist Seth Farber. This year’s honorees are Tony Award®-winning director, actor, dancer and choreographer Geoffrey Holder; and renowned neurologist Gottfried Schlaug, M.D., Ph.D. For tickets or sponsorship information please contact Teresa Simonetti at (718) 519-5880, fax (718) 519-4240 or e-mail tsimonetti@bethabe.org.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre will welcome Broadway's BARBARA WALSH for a one night only concert, as part of their celebrated Voices from the Great White WaySeries. The series has just kicked off with sold out engagements from Becca Ayers (South Pacific),Donna Lynne Champlin (Sweeney Todd) and Luba Mason (Chicago). This one night only concert takes place on Monday, September 8th @ 7pm. There is a $25 cover, as well as a $15 food or beverage minimum (a full bar and dinner menu is available). The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located at 407 West 42nd St. (@ 9th Ave), in the heart of New York's theatre district. For reservations, which are recommended, please call 212 695 6909.

BARBARA WALSH was most recently seen on Broadway in her=2 0tour de force performance as Joanne in John Doyle's celebrated revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company,for which she received a Drama Desk nomination. Other Broadway credits include Hairspray(Velma Von Tussle), Big (Mrs. Baskin), Blood Brothers (Mrs. Lyons), her Drama Desk and Tony nominated performance as Trina in William Finn's Falsettos and Rock 'n Roll, The First 5,000 Years. Off Broadway and regional credits include A Little Night Music, The Most Happy Fella, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ra gtime (original Chicago 'Mother'), Asylum, Stars in Your Eyes, Houdini, A... My Name Will Always Be Alice, Birds of Paradise and her recent turn in Transport Group's Normal.Television credits include Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and a recurring role onOne Life to Live.

Voices From the Great White Way continues with:
0A

September 15th
My Fair Lady/Oklahoma/The Scarlet Pimpernel's
Christine Andreas

September 22nd
The Producers/The Little Mermaid's
John Treacy Egan

September 29th
The Secret Garden/Gypsy's
 Alison Fraser 20
      
October 13th
In The Heights/The Ritz/The Full Monty's
 Andrea Burns

October 20th
Xanadu/42nd Street/On The Town's
Mary Testa

October 27th
Sweeney Todd/Les Miserables/Sunday in the Park with George's
Alexander Gemignani

November 3rd
Mamma Mia/Chess's
Judy McLane

New York:  Babel Theatre Project (Geordie Broadwater, Artistic Director, Jeremy Blocker, Producing Director) will kick off its new season with the World Premiere of A Great Place to Be From, by Norman Lasca, directed by Geordie Broadwater. A Great Place to Be From will begin performances on Thursday, September 4; opening on Monday, September 8 and will run through September 27 at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th  Street)

In heat like this, the world gets louder and rules don't apply.  You can't trust anyone and sometimes, suddenly, everything becomes clear. The Midwest is struck by a monstrous heat wave -- the kind that makes cows keel over and chickens explode.  In A Great Place to Be From, four people tell the stories of how their lives change forever in ways so absurd, tragic and transporting that they only make sense through a haze of scorching sun bouncing off the asphalt.

The cast includes: Kim Martin Cotton (Mermaid, States of Undress), Matthew Johnson (American Buffalo, Oleanna, Camino Real – Edinburgh Fringe), Jacques Roy (NY: Julius Caesar, The Dumb Waiter), Andrew Zimmerman (Babel’s Stomp and Shout, Medea on the Argo/Medea in Iolcos).

Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at Theatermania.com  or  (212) 352-3101

For more info please visit www.babeltheatreproject.org

 
BIOS

NORMAN LASCA (Playwright,)  holds an MFA in playwriting from Brandeis University and has had plays work-shopped and produced in Boston, Milwaukee and New York.  While at Brandeis, he was a finalist for the Heideman Award, as well as a winner of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Award for Best Original Play.  Two of his plays are published in anthologies of the best of the Boston Theater Marathon.  Norman’s play “Dogs” was selected for a “New Voices” fellowship at the Ensemble Studio theatre and work-shopped at the Director’s Lab at Lincoln Center before being produced off-off Broadway by the Grid Theater Company in December, 2007.  Norman also has poetry appearing in the Spring 2008 edition of Karamu.

GEORDIE BROADWATER (Director) is the co-founder and artistic director of the Babel Theatre Project.  Directing credits include: Macbeth, Othello, Death and the Maiden, The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket for the Brown/Trinity Consortium, Temptation, The Conduct of Life, Much Ado About Nothing, and Baal at Harvard University.  In addition to his productions with Babel, Geordie has directed the following new plays: Food Porn by Andy Bragen, Big John and Little Ben by Sam Marks, The Passion Sell by Emily Carmichael.   Favorite acting roles include: Guildenstern (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead), Constantine (Big Love), Marty (The House of Yes), Larry (Closer) and the title role in Strindberg’s The Father.  Geordie has a BA from Harvard and an MFA in Directing at the Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium.

BABEL THEATRE PROJECT (Producer) In 2005, Babel produced the World Premiere of Jamie Carmichael’ s Pilgrims The production played both New York and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to warm acclaim. The Scotsman called Pilgrims, “a vivid confidently written play,” and went on to say, “the young ensemble is first rate.” TheaterMania.com said of Babel, “If there’s such a condition as simultaneously seasoned and wet behind the ears, this crowd exemplifies it.” In 2006, the company produced its second season of new work for the stage. The Insomnia Play by Jessica Brickman, of which OffOffOnline said, “Brickman and [Geordie] Broadwater keep the audience members on edge, reeling them in,” and The Calamity of Kat Kat and Willie by Emily Young which NYTheater.com called the “finest piece of choreographed mayhem [they had] ever seen.” Babel opened its 2007-2008 season with Bekah Brunstetter’s Innovative Theater Award-Nominated play, You May Go Now, of which New York Theater.com said, “Babel has lovingly produced this play with skilled direction, a smartly detailed set, and fine lighting; and judging by this play, a writer with the skill and smarts of Bekhab Brunstetter well deserves such fine treatment. The season concluded with James Carmichael’s Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out) of which BroadwayWorld.com said, “Babel has really hit the nail on the head with this hugely exciting piece. Be there or be square.”  Babel is dedicated to supporting playwrights at every stage of their process. The company has given more than a dozen readings to works in development. In the coming seasons, Babel will give writers the opportunity to showcase their works in full productions, workshop productions, and readings.

KIM MARTIN-COTTON NEW YORK:  59 East 59th Theaters;Premier of Mermaid by Ellen McLaughlin, States of Undress. REGIONAL: The Goodman; Goneril in King Lear with Stacy Keach,  Ghostwritten by Naomi Izuka (New Play Workshop Series) Actors Theatreof Louisville; Lady Macbeth in Macbeth,  Bake-off (Humana Festival of New Plays) The Shakespeare Theatre Company DC: Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra  Kansas City Repertory: A Winter¹s Tale, Secret Rapture, The Deputy, Julius Caesar Great River Shakespeare (Company Member);  A Winter¹s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer¹s Night Dream; Perseverance Theatre;  The Crucible Other; The Laramie Project, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi. AWARD: KC Drama Desk Award for Kate in Taming of the Shrew. FILM: Funny Money with Chevy Chase. OTHER: Recent directing includes: Death of A Salesman, Cabaret, Proof and Taming of the Shrew; Assisted Anna Deavere Smith on House Arrest; First Edition.

MATTHEW JOHNSON has appeared in productions of Mamet's American Buffalo and Oleanna, Tennessee Williams' Camino Real (at the Edinburgh Fringe), Pitchfork Disney, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He has performed several readings for Babel Theatre Company.

JACQUES ROY  is excited and honored to be making the leap from the Babel audience to the Babel stage. New York credits: Julius Caesar (Guerrilla Shakespeare Project) The Dumb Waiter (The Mint). Other theatres: Milwaukee Repertory Theater, American Players Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Trinity Repertory Company. Jacques is a founding member of the Guerrilla Shakespeare Project, and serves as resident Technical Director. Jacques holds a BA in theatre from Macalester College and an MFA in theatre from the Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium.

ANDREW ZIMMERMAN  previously for Babel, Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it all Out) by James Carmichael; Fiona Templeton’s Medea on the Argo/Medea in Iolcos on Governors Island, The Relationship; Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Allentown Shakespeare in the Park; Odyssey, Looking Glass Theater; The Trial, Egress Theatre; 365 days/365 plays, Clubbed Thumb (wk 10); Things Beyond Our Control, Grid Theater; Girl Blog from Iraq, Six Figures; Troilus and Cressida. (Chattanooga, TN): Theatre I, Polaroid Stories; directing/design: Edward Bond’s Red Black and Ignorant, WASP (set); current--finance associate, Theatre for a New Audience; past--internship/resident handyperson, New Dramatists; BA, Univ. of TN-Chattanooga.