The Broadway Collection News for April
Photo by Rebecca Bullene
With so many shows opening in the first couple months of this year and April bringing the opening of Cabaret and Bullets Over Broadway, it’s such an exciting time to get out and see some shows!
Matilda will be celebrating its first year on Broadway in April, and they are starting the year by welcoming four new girls who will be playing the title character. Ava Ulloa, Gabriella Pizzolo, Paige Brady and Ripley Sobo are set to join the cast of Matilda, which is based on the beloved novel by best-selling author Roald Dahl. Meet the new, fearless girls playing Matilda here: http://live.wsj.com/video/newtildas-take-the-stage/498F962B-0801-4521-A56E-E9EF64ABA20D.html#!498F962B-0801-4521-A56E-E9EF64ABA20D
The Phantom of the Opera is proud to introduce their new Phantom and Christine, who will grace the stage beginning May 12, 2014. Norm Lewis (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess) will be the first African American to play the classic role of the Phantom in the longest running show on Broadway! However this season’s Christine, Sierra Boggess, has played the role on both the London and Broadway stages. Producer Cameron Mackintosh said of the new duo “I couldn’t be more thrilled that [Lewis] is now joining ‘Phantom,’ matched with Sierra – one of the finest Christines ever. It’s hard to imagine a more exciting pairing.” http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/20/a-new-phantom-and-christine-are-coming-to-the-opera/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
The producers of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Pippin are pleased to announce that Kyle Dean Massey, fresh off his performance as Fiyero in Wicked, and Ciara Renée (Big Fish) will assume the roles of “Pippin” and “Leading Player”, respectively, in the production beginning Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Matthew James Thomas and Tony Award winner Patina Miller played their final performance on Sunday, March 30, 2014.
Billy Porter, the Tony award winner for his role as Lola in Broadway’s Kinky Boots, will release a solo album showcasing songs handpicked from The Great White Way. He has chosen songs that focus on inspiration, empowerment and hope for his new album named Billy’s Back On Broadway. Porter’s album debuts on April 15, 2014 and one special track will feature the iconic woman who penned the score for Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper.
Big congratulations to Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, for a second consecutive record breaking week in the Stephen Sondheim Theatre for making $913,046.90 for just 8 shows. Make sure to go see this hit and enjoy Carole King’s rise to stardom as so many others have.
When NYC visitors are not at their favorite Broadway show, there is plenty for them to do in NYC this April:
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is holding their Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which will take place Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, 2013 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Check below for more info: http://gonyc.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gonyc&cdn=travel&tm=8&f=00&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=11&bt=9&bts=4&zu=http%3A//www.bbg.org/
April also brings a very important day, Earth Day! Come celebrate with a few of these very “green” activities, including the Earth Day Fair on April 22nd in Union Square: http://earthdayny.org/2014-events
Speaking of being environmentally friendly, the Citibike program is a fantastic way to get to and from the theater over the next few months, with many bike stations located within the Theatre District. Visit http://citibikenyc.com/ for more info.
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