‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ Sets Date for its Final Performance

After 27 previews and 478 regular performances at the Imperial Theatre, the producers of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It have announced that the Broadway production will play its final performance on Saturday, June 15th.

The production began performances on March 29th, 2012 and opened on Apr 24th, 2012. A national tour will be launched in the 2014-2015 season.

For most of the cast who have been with the show since the beginning, it was definitely nice work.

The production stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick, Tony Award nominee Jessie Mueller, two-time Tony Award-winner Judy Kaye as Estonia Dulworth, Emmy and Tony Award winner Blythe Danner as Millicent Winter, Tony Award winner Michael McGrath as Cookie McGee, Tony Award nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson as Eileen Evergreen, Chris Sullivan as Duke Mahoney, Robyn Hurder as Jeannie Muldoon, John Treacy Egan as Chief Berry, Conrad John Schuck as Senator Max Evergreen. Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons returns to the role of Millicent Winter on Tuesday, April 30^th. Read more

Interview: Felicia Boswell on Auditioning for ‘Memphis’, Touring and Making a Role Your Own

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:06 — 11.1MB)

The Tony Winning musical Memphis is currently on tour across America, and the star of the show, Felicia Boswell is loving every minute of it.

Felicia plays Felicia Farrell, a 1950′s club singer who is ready for her big break. When she meets a white DJ, the two begin a forbidden relationship and partner to bring rock-n-roll, and Felicia, to the world. 

Memphis won four Tony Awards in 2010 – including Best Musical – and features a Tony-winning book by Joe DiPietro and a Tony-winning original score with music  by David Bryan.

Felicia, who has had absolutely no training acting or singing-wise, is carving out a great career for herself. Besides landing a job cover for original Memphis star Montego Glover, she did the National tour of Dreamgirls and was also the standby for Aida in Aida on Broadway.

I talked to Felicia as she was just finishing up her Las Vegas shows and on her way to San Diego for a week-long run. We talked about life on the road, auditioning for Memphis director (and La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director) Christopher Ashley and her advice to actors.

Memphis is currently playing in San Diego. Next stops are Los Angeles (July 31st-August 12th), Portland (September 11th-16th) and Seattle (September 18th-October 7th). For more tour dates, click here. Read more

Highlights from the Tony Nominated Musicals including ‘Once’ and ‘Newsies’

The Tony Award’s are almost here and with that, The Broadway League has given us a highlights from some of the nominated m usical and revivals of musicalsfor the 2011/2012 Broadway season.

Check out these videos from Once (11 nominations), Ghost (3 nominations), Newsies (8 nominations), Nice Work If you Can Get It (10 nominations), Leap of Faith (1 nomination), The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (10 nominations), Jesus Christ Superstar (5 nominations), Evita (3 nominations), Follies (8 nominations), End of the Rainbow (3 nominations), Bonnie & Clyde (5 nominations), On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1 nomination) and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (5 nominations).

For more Tony Award goodness, here are our interviews with these Tony Nominees: Clybourne Park’s Jeremy Shamos, Jesus Christ Superstar’s Josh Young and Joe Dipietro, book writer for Nice Work If You Can Get It! Read more

Highlights from the Tony Nominated Plays and Performances including ‘Clybourne Park’ and ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’

The Tony Award’s are almost here and with that, The Broadway League has given us a highlights from some of the nominated plays for the 2011/2012 Broadway season.

Check out bits and pieces from Peter and the Starcatcher (9 nominations), Clybourne Park (4 nominations), One Man, Two Guvnors (7 nominations) and Man and Boy (1 nomination).

There were other more videos available but they were just shots from the nominated plays with music added to it. What good is a highlight of a play and not having any of the dialogue? Doesn’t make sense.

For more Tony Award goodness, here are our interviews with these Tony Nominees: Clybourne Park’s Jeremy Shamos, Jesus Christ Superstar’s Josh Young and Joe Dipietro, book writer for Nice Work If You Can Get It!

Read more

Interview: Joe DiPietro Talks Writing ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It,’ His Tony Nomination and Casting Stars in Broadway Shows

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:53 — 11.6MB)

The new Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It has been nominated for a whopping 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Kelli O’Hara), Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Michael McGrath) and Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Judy Kaye).

Nominated for Best Book of a Musical and one of the main forces behind the hit show is Joe DiPietro.

Joe is already a two-time Tony Winner for Memphis for Best Book and Best Score, wrote The Toxic Avenger, All Shook Up and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – which has the distinction of being the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history.

Nice Work If You Can Get It stars Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara and features songs by George and Ira Gershwin and tells the story of bootleggers, chorus girls, playboys and politicians is set 1920s.

Joe is terrifically funny and an all-around great guy. I talked to him recently about his nomination, how he came to write Nice Work, his writing process and his thoughts on casting stars in Broadway shows.

Oh, and if you ever see Joe on the streets of NYC, stop him and tell him he needs to take a vacation. He needs a break!

For tickets and more information about Nice Work If You Can Get It, click here

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

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Video: Preview Broadway’s ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It.’ Nominated for 10 Tony Awards!

Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, the new Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, looks like a great old-school time at the theater.

The musical stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O’Hara and is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall.

The show features music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin and has a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro – and keep a look-out for my upcoming interview with Joe!

The show is currently playing at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. Click here for tickets and more information.

Check it out the almost 7 minute preview below! Read more

Kelli O’Hara to Star Opposite Matthew Broderick in Broadway’s ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’

Three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O’Hara (South Pacific, The Pajama Game and The Light in the Piazza) will star opposite two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick (The Producers, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Brighton Beach Memoirs) in the new musical comedy, Nice Work If You Can Get It. 

Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town), the show is scheduled to open on Broadway this April.

The show centers on Billie Bendix (O’Hara), a tough-as-nails bootlegger who meets up with wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter (Broderick) on the weekend of his wedding.  Read more