Leslie Uggams: In Concert for American Songbook
                         By Ellis Nassour
Last Saturday, in the American Songbook series, Tony and Emmy winner, Golden Globe nom, and hometown gal Leslie Uggams gave her first New York concert in 18 years. It was flawless and, as far as the timbre of her voice, as if time had stopped. Where had that voice been? Well, here and there.

 Marilyn Maye Photography: Barry Gordin       
Marilyn Maye's in Love in Feinstein's Debut
                            By Ellis Nassour
Grammy nom, legendary RCA recording artist, and the artist dubbed "Super Singer" by Johnny Carson [in her 75 + appearances on the Tonight Show] Marilyn Maye continues her conquering of the New York music scene at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, where she opens on March 2 with a new show, In Love Again, through March 13.

        Over 40 Years Later, Mart Crowley Revisits
                        The Boys in the Band

                            By Ellis Nassour
In 1967, when "starving" writer Mart Crowley "on the brink of destitution" but sitting in the lap of luxury finished his play The Boys in the Band, he says he intended it to be controversial. But, having distanced himself from gay politics, he didn't set out to be an rights activist. "I probably didn't even know what that meant," he laughs.

    Angela Lansbury, Stewart Lane, Bonnie Comley, Jano Herbsch           By: Ellis Nassour
A galaxy of stars honored theater legend and five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury at the Drama League benefit gala, A Musical Celebration of Broadway, Monday, February 8, at the Pierre Hotel.

Performing and paying tribute were James Barbour, Charles Busch, Ann Hampton Callaway, Len Cariou, Will Chase, Edie Falco, Beth Fowler, Victor Garber, Alexander Gemignani, Malcolm Gets, Dee Hoty, Cheyenne Jackson, Chad Kimball, Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Sieber, Will Swenson, and, among others, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

    By Ellis Nasour

Though all the season's headliners haven't been announced, look at the star power coming in: Two-time Tony and three-time DD-winner John Lithgow, making his frequent transition from screen to stage roles, this season co-starring at Second Stage in Douglas Carter Beane's Mr. and Mrs. Fitch; Two-time Oscar-winner Denzel Washington, returning five years after his Brutus in Julius Caesar, in the Fences revival; and Kelsey Grammar is back after 10 years and roles in Shakespeare classics for a total change of pace as Georges in the La Cage revival.

Thrillers. Memoirs. Musicals. Comedies anyone? The stage is set for a diverse season on Broadway. Here’s the lineup:
By Isa Goldberg

SIZZLIN' BALLROOM: BURN THE FLOOR'S CREATIVE FORCE:
JASON GILKISON
By: ELLIS NASSOUR
NYTimes critic Charles Isherwood termed Burn the Floor, the ballroom dancing spectacular now at the Longacre, "every bit as flashy and tacky as you would expect." WOW! Those two qualities, both of which are so alien to Broadway!, are perhaps what's making the Aussie production such a hit. That and the fact that thanks to smash TV shows such as Dancing with the Stars the world seems dance crazy.

By Gordin & Christiano

Best Play: God Of Carnage
Yasmina Reza’s shallow dissection of contemporary social hypocrisy will win in a weak year, where the best new plays were seen Off- Broadway. Note: the Pulitzer Prize winning Ruined by Lynn Nottage is still playing at MTC.

Best Musical: Billy Elliot
The musical based on the movie of the same name is perfection and recently won 10 Drama Desk Awards. Billy will dance away with multiple Tonys as well.

By Ellis Nassour
Liza: Photo: Barry Gordin
On Sunday, June 7, the Broadway community gathers at Radio City Music Hall for the American Theatre Wing's 63rd annual Tony Awards. The show will be carried as a live, three-hour special on CBS, beginning at 8 P. M.
At Wednesday morning's reception for the nominees, who were announced only the day before, several interesting facts about the Awards came to light.

Ellis Nassour, Marc KudischDrama Desk Nominees Feted; Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton Reunite; Fonda and Channing Among Presenters for May 17 Awards to be Hosted by Harvey Fierstein
by Ellis Nassour

Timing is everything in theater. And at Friday's cocktail reception for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards nominees the timing couldn't be better for 9 to 5: the movie co-stars Dolly Parton, in a luminous black and white outfit and making her Broadway debut as composer of 9 to 5: the musical; and Jane Fonda, back on Broadway after a longgggggg absence in 33 Variations, carrying her precious dog Tulia.