Broadway Bares It All For Charity

Broadway Bares 19.0: CLICK IT!, the latest installment of the annual charity event, brings Broadway performers together for a bawdy burlesque at the Roseland Ballroom in two performances at 9:30pm and midnight tonight. The theme of this year's event, which will feature more than 200 scantily clad Broadway dancers, is the information superhighway. And if anyone can actually succeed in making the internet sexy, it's director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell, the creator of Broadway Bares. Broadway stars who will also be participating include Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), Gavin Creel (Hair), Allison Janney (9 To 5), Sutton Foster (Shrek), and Ugly Betty star Michael Urie. The proceeds from the event will, as always, go to the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) charity. Get more info at www.broadwaycares.org.

Special Theatrical Event Category To Be Dropped From Tony Awards

On the heels of the 63rd Annual Tony Awards ceremony, it has been announced that the Tonys will stop giving out the Best Special Theatrical Event award. This award was created to honor unusual, non-traditional, and limited run Broadway shows that didn't fit so neatly into the Best Play or Best Musical categories. Nominees in that category this year included Will Ferrell's limited engagement (almost) one-man show You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, the magical wintry clown show Slava's Snowshow, and winner Liza's at the Palace starring Liza Minnelli. The advantage of eliminating the category is that these Broadway shows are now eligible for other production element awards such as set design and costumes, which they previously weren't eligible for. To ensure that these special theatrical events can still be recognized, the Tonys will consider them for the Best Play or Best Musical categories. The Tony committee will also reserve the right to honor these types of shows with a Special Tony Award if deemed worthy.

Broadway Flop Glory Days To Get Cast Recording

The Broadway musical Glory Days, which had an extraordinarily brief run, being one of those rare Broadway shows to both open and close on the same night, will be getting a cast recording to preserve its score. The short-lived show about four high school friends reuniting after some time away at college was written by James Gardiner (book) and Nick Blaemire (music and lyrics). They debuted the pop musical at the Signature Theatre in 2008, and then it was quickly transferred to the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway, but unfortunately largely negative reviews caused the show's producers to make the quick decision to shutter it. However, the show's original four-man cast - Steven Booth, Andrew Call, Jesse JP Johnson, and Adam Halpin - will reunite to record the cast CD for Ghostlight Records. With this new recording, and plans to license Glory Days for future productions, the musical should expect to continue having a life, despite its failure to find an audience on Broadway.

First Post-Tony Casualties - Four Broadway Shows Close Today

Four Broadway shows will be taking their last bows today. Two of the closures - Exit the King and Joe Turner's Come and Gone - were limited runs and therefore expected. However, two other closings - Reasons To Be Pretty and Guys and Dolls - were only announced days ago and likely due to their failure to earn any Tony Awards this past Sunday. Post-Tony closing announcements are something of a tradition on Broadway. Many struggling shows make the effort to continue running until Tony time, in the hopes that if they snag a win, it will result in an upswing in ticket sales. Unfortunately Reasons To Be Pretty, which has had a hard time selling tickets despite good buzz and positive reviews, lost the Best Play award to God of Carnage, and it didn't get any actor wins either. Although Guys and Dolls did fail to win Best Musical Revival, its closing announcement was far more surprising, considering it has done respectable (if not impressive) box office sales during its run.

God of Carnage and Billy Elliot Take Top Honors at Tonys

The sun shined in Radio City Music Hall last night where they held the 63rd Annual Tony Awards, and where Best Musical Revival winner Hair made a particularly impressive showing. The broadcast's opening number began with Elton John singing a song from Best Musical winner Billy Elliot, which led into a medley that featured several current Broadway shows, culminating in all of the performers singing "Let the Sun Shine In" together on stage as Hair's hippies prowled through the aisles and danced with Tony attendees. The rest of the ceremony - for better or for worse - was similarly eventful, and was jam-packed with musical numbers this year (including songs from touring shows Legally Blonde, Mamma Mia, and Jersey Boys). Neil Patrick Harris proved to be a great host, with a relaxed demeanor and a sharp wit - he also sang a hilarious closing song recapping highlights from the ceremony. Big winners during the night included Best Play winner God of Carnage and Best Revival of a Play winner The Norman Conquests. Actors that took home trophies included Angela Lansbury and Geoffrey Rush, whose acceptance speeches were particular highlights, Next To Normal's Alice Ripley, West Side Story's Karen Olivo, and the trio of young men who play the title role in Billy Elliot.

Tony Awards Tonight

Attention theater fans: Tonight is your night! It's Tony Awards night, which is practically a national holiday for those who love Broadway. The 63rd Annual Tony Awards will air on CBS at 8pm Eastern time in a three-hour broadcast coming live from Radio City Music Hall in midtown New York City. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) hosts the ceremony, which will feature musical numbers from the nominated shows, in addition to the awards. The impressive list of presenters will include Will Ferrell, Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Kristin Chenoweth, Anne Hathaway, Angela Lansbury, Kevin Spacey, Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini, and many more. For Broadway lovers who would like to enjoy the telecast in the company of fellow theater fans, there is going to be a simulcast of the ceremony in Duffy Square (home of the TKTS booth), right in the heart of Times Square. Hosted by Tovah Feldshuh (currently starring in the Broadway play Irena's Vow), this special broadcast of the Tonys will also include the untelevised pre-show Creative Arts Awards from 7pm to 8pm.

Obama Visit Spikes Ticket Sales For Joe Turner's Come and Gone

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle had a date night in New York City this past Saturday night, and the centerpiece of their evening out was a Broadway show. The Obamas visited the Belasco Theatre in Times Square, taking in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway revival of August Wilson's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone. The audience at the performance was delighted to have the Commander-in-Chief in attendance with them, and they weren't the only audiences affected by the Obamas' Broadway visit. The press coverage of the First Couple at the show proved to be phenomenal publicity for Joe Turner's Come and Gone, which was struggling with ticket sales. According to the New York Post, Joe Turner's sold three times as many tickets as usual on the day after the President and First Lady attended the play. Now if only a few other troubled Broadway shows could entice the leader of the free world and his wife to show up for a visit ...